Advertisement

Small Practice

Professional Practice Network


This PPN is for those working at small firms with fewer than ten team members, including sole proprietors and those working in residential design, planting design, larger multidisciplinary firms, and design-build practices.

2022 ASLA Professional General Design Award of Excellence. Palm Springs Downtown Park. Palm Springs, California, United States. City of Palm Springs.

RIOS

Small Practice is unique because it focuses on the intersection of design and entrepreneurship. Unlike topic- or project-type PPNs, this group is about:

  • Running a business, not just practicing design
  • Decision-making with limited staff and resources
  • Agility, independence, and direct client relationships

It’s one of the few spaces where conversations about fees, contracts, staffing, and growth strategies happen openly among peers facing the same scale of challenges.

  • sdf

Who Should Join:

  • Solo practitioners and firm owners
  • Small firm leaders and emerging principals
  • Landscape architects considering starting their own practice. Professionals wearing multiple hats: (design, business, marketing, and operations)

Why Join:

By Joining this PPN, members will gain:

  • Actionable insights: pricing strategies, project management tools, and workflows that actually work in small firms. 
  • Shared experiences: honest conversations about wins, failures, and lessons learned. 
  • Meaningful connections: a trusted network of peers you can call on for advice, collaboration, or support.
Click Here to Join

PPN Chair

Zak Pierce, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP

As CEO, Zak oversees our business development efforts, client experience, and long-term vision for the company. Being both a licensed landscape architect and LEED AP professional, he is committed to promoting environmental awareness and conservation through safe, functional, and meaningful designs.  He is an active member of the North Carolina Chapter of ASLA and works tirelessly to advocate for the profession. Roles have included NCASLA Chapter President, ASLA Chapter Presidents Council Chair, ASLA Leadership Development Committee member, and NCASLA Secretary. He is now serving as the NC Representative for the National ASLA Board of Trustees.

Linkedin
Zak Pierce, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP

What energizes me most is connecting with others who are on a similar path. I'm excited for sharing lessons learned and helping each other build practices that are not just creative, but also thriving, resilient and fulfilling over the long term.

Zak Pierce, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP

ASLA members in conversation during a Professional Practice Network event at the ASLA conference

Leadership Delegates

Leadership Delegates are volunteers who help turn the Chair's vision into action by leading projects, contributing to deliverables, and driving the network's goals forward.

  • Magdalena Aravena
  • Anjali Joshi
  • Richard P. Rauso
  • Joshua Seyfried
  • Karen Krolewski
  • Amy R Wolfe

Want to Join a Professional Practice Network?

Joining a PPN is a ASLA membership benefit. Members can join up to three networks without additional cost!

Click Here to Join