Empowering Women in Architecture: Isabella Mattia's Inspiring Story

In honour of Women's History Month, we are excited to spotlight Isabella Mattia, an architect in our Los Angeles office who is making a significant impact both within Arcadis IBI and in her community. Isabella is a part of the Learning+ team and works with design consultants and clients to ensure that projects meet our clients' goals. However, her contributions to the company go beyond her day-to-day responsibilities.

Isabella's contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion at Arcadis IBI are significant. She serves as the US West representative for the Global Women’s Network (GWN), an internal, employee-led organization that seeks to help women succeed in their careers by providing support through mentorship, networking and advocating for causes that affect women in the field. She believes supporting organizations like GWN helps to promote diversity and inclusion in the company by giving space to those voices that have historically gone unheard. She recently hosted a Speed Networking event to help connect members from around the world, and she aims to support more women becoming licensed architects to create a greater balance in the diversity of leadership in the field. Being a Latina, Isabella hopes to inspire others from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in architecture and leadership roles.

Mentorship and networking are also essential for Isabella, who has been fortunate to have many great mentors at Arcadis IBI. Through GWN's mentorship program, she connected with a mentor based in Toronto, who encouraged her to take charge of her career and ask for what she needed to be successful. Isabella found it challenging to embrace the concept at first, but with her mentor's support, she built up the strength to be confident in herself and push forward in her career. She says,

"Cultivate relationships with mentors and advocates in your field, because having someone to turn to for guidance and support is critical to success."

Isabella's passion for creating a better world extends beyond her role at Arcadis IBI. Isabella leads a volunteer initiative in her office, where she works with local organizations who make an impact in the community. The initiative includes working with kids from disadvantaged backgrounds, planting trees in urban neighbourhoods and raising funds for various causes.

Isabella’s advocacy for women in leadership roles and her dedication to mentoring others make her a true leader, and we are grateful to have her as a part of our team.