3 Firms on the Forefront of Diversity in Design Share Actionable Steps February 11, 2021 Deryl McKissack, CEO and founder of McKissack & McKissack. Photography courtesy of Deryl McKissack. Both anecdotal evidence and abundant data have demonstrated that a diverse workforce, much like an artist’s well-stocked paint palette, fuels innovation. “The more diverse and inclusive we are, the more creative we are,” affirms Gabrielle Bullock, principal and director of global diversity at Perkins and Will. Equally important, especially in a service industry, is that the makeup of our companies reflects the diversity of the populace for whom we are designing. “We want to look like the fabric of America,” says Deryl McKissack, CEO and founder of McKissack & McKissack, a company that evolved from the nation’s oldest Black-owned architecture and engineering firm.