Light Lounge

“You just have to surround yourself with the best people you possibly have, and empower them with the knowledge we have (…) and so you are never afraid if somebody in your team will surpasses you — you want them to. We constantly tell our project architects or designers, ‘We want the client calling you.’ That’s the next succession. If they are calling you for a commission, that’s a wonderful thing. We are not afraid when that happens.” – Dave McCarroll

Today, I’m speaking with Dave McCarroll, one of the founding partners — and the “M” in KGM Architectural Lighting (Kaplan, Gehring, McCarroll).

KGM is a multidisciplinary lighting design studio with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Since the mid-1980s, they’ve been crafting lighting that elevates architecture — thoughtful, technically sharp, and deeply human. Their portfolio spans casinos, stadiums, cultural landmarks, interiors, residential, and commercial projects, across a wide range of scales and geographies.

As a founding force behind the firm, Dave has shaped not only KGM’s design legacy but also its business philosophy — grounded in trust, transparency, and a commitment to education that fuels team growth and expertise.

In this episode, Dave shares:
Stories from KGM’s early days

How the firm evolved and expanded

The art of building something that lasts

Insights on mentorship and leadership

Strategies for scaling creative teams

Preparing the next generation of designers and leaders

Welcoming new partners while preserving the firm’s values and legacy

It’s an inspiring conversation about vision, culture, and the lasting impact of great leadership.
Enjoy my conversation with Dave McCarroll.

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The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠.

"Its up to you to try something in order to improve yourself - it reinforces the notion that failure isn't the end of everything." - Martin Van Koolbergen

In this episode, I’m joined by Martin van Koolbergen, partner at KGM Architectural Lighting and head of KGM’s New York office.

KGM — short for Kaplan, Gehring, McCarroll — is a multidisciplinary lighting design firm with studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Since the mid-1980s, they’ve been creating transformative lighting designs for spaces across the globe.

Martin joined KGM in 2000 after working as a licensed architect, a background that deeply shapes his approach to lighting. Over his career, he’s led projects in more than 20 countries and has been instrumental in building KGM’s reputation in stadium and sports entertainment lighting.

Our conversation covers:
Career growth and mentorship

Scaling creative teams

Succession planning in design firms

The role of travel in expanding creative perspective

Building a studio culture centered on collaboration and curiosity

How mentoring builds confidence, capability, and trust

It’s a wide-ranging and insightful discussion, full of wisdom on leadership, design, and the future of the profession.
Please enjoy my conversation with Martin van Koolbergen.

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The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠.

“When I started there, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had some idea what I liked and what I thought lighting design was about… but I didn’t really have people watching over me to help. It was kind of working a bit in the dark and fighting my way.” — Stephen Margulies

Today, Stephen Margulies is widely recognized as one of the leading figures in architectural lighting design—with over 35+ years of experience as an award-winning designer, firm founder, and gifted storyteller, he has touched countless projects, peoples lives with light, and mentored countless individuals.
I’ve always admired One-Lux Studio. Years ago, I even applied for an internship (spoiler: I didn’t get it 😅). But since then, I’ve only heard amazing things about their culture, design excellence, and Stephen’s extraordinary ability to communicate and lead.
After some overlapping educational engagements, we finally sat down for a conversation.

Here the top 5 learnings I drew out for myself:

💡 Get ahead of project challenges — anticipate challenges before they happen and prepare. The best leaders don’t wait for issues to escalate.
🤝 Manage client relationships by leaning into challenges — loyalty is earned not when things are easy, but when you step up and help fix problems.
🔄 Do the right thing even when it feels small — today’s small choices often become tomorrow’s defining moments.
🎯 Be selective and clear on your targets — success comes from focusing on the right clients and opportunities, not trying to be everything to everyone.
🏢 Managing the business is life — building and leading a design practice is an ongoing, evolving journey, not just a job.

If this conversation sparks your curiosity, give it a listen—and I’d love to hear your takeaways. There’s so much more wisdom packed into this episode, thanks to Stephen’s experience and insights.

If you’d like to learn more about One-Lux Studio, Stephen Margulies, and his partners Jack Bailey, IALD, IES, LC, LEED AP and Fernando Soler, visit 👉 oneluxstudio.com

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The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

Golsana Heshmati is an architect, lighting designer, and educator who founded The SEED (Studio of Embodied Experience Design), a women-owned lighting design studio based in New York City. With a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s in Architectural Lighting from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to her work. 

Before establishing The SEED, Heshmati held positions at firms such as HLB Lighting Design, Callison Architects, and AGF in San Francisco, as well as working with design studios in Barcelona. 

She is also a professor at Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, and the New York School of Interior Design. 

Recognized as one of the “40 Under 40” top lighting design talents in 2017, she continues to contribute to the field through her involvement with the Illuminating Engineering Society’s education committee and as a jury member for the International Association of Lighting Designers’ awards program. 

Please enjoy, get inspired and learn, listening to the conversation I had with Golsana Heshmati, Founder The SEED.

The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠Instagram⁠.

Charles Foster is a Senior Director at Lightswitch and one of the key leaders at Lightswitch’ NYC office location. With decades of experience in lighting design across the globe, Charles has built a distinguished career with a diverse portfolio that spans event, entertainment, and architectural lighting design. He graduated summa cum laude from Francis Marion University with a B.A. in Theatre Design & Technology, and further advanced his expertise with a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design from Boston University.

Charles’s exceptional talent quickly earned him recognition as a sought-after designer. His guiding philosophy—that successful lighting design starts with a deep understanding of the end-user—has solidified his reputation for delivering outstanding results and exceeding client expectations.

Charles and I first connected through a project in NYC, and now we sit down for an in-depth conversation on lighting design, intention, project priorities, authenticity, and commitment. 

Please enjoy, get inspired and learn, listening to the conversation I had with Charles Foster, senior director of LightSwitch. 

The Light Lounge was founded as an art project by Thomas Mnich in 2018, me interviewing and talking with the most brilliant and creative lighting designers in the world. To learn from them and to get inspired by the stories they share. Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or Instagram.