Harry Allen was born in the US in 1964. He graduated from Pratt Institute in 1994 with a Masters of Industrial Design, and soon after opened his design studio in lower Manhattan. As a consulting designer he works on a broad spectrum of projects including interiors, products, furniture, lighting, exhibitions, and graphics. Harry has won several awards including the Young Designer Award from the Brooklyn Museum in 2000. His work has been featured in many exhibitions and publications, and is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others. Projects for benza: Timeline
	Jeffrey Bernett started Studio B, his New York City based design studio, in 1995. He has since designed interiors, furniture, products, lighting and fashion accessories, for internationally renowned clients such as Authentics, B&B Italia, Bernhardt, Boffi, Cappellini, Estée Lauder, Magis, Moooi, Ligne Roset and Swedese. He has received numerous design awards including the editors’ award for best of show at the 1996 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City. He often lectures on design and his work regularly appears in the world’s top design publications. Projects for benza: Happy Hour
	Harvey Bernstein earned a degree from Pratt Institute in 1969. He is president of Bernstein Design Associates, a design consultancy in NYC which executes projects in the fields of interior, product, graphic and exhibition design. He is past chairperson of the NY chapter of IDSA. He taught at Parsons School of Design, and currently teaches Industrial Design at Pratt Institute. Harvey’s firm has won numerous awards, including an IDSA Gold Award. He has been published widely and he has lectured on design in the US, Norway, Sweden, England and Japan. Projects for benza: Paperclip
	Constantin Boym holds degrees from Moscow Architectural Institute and Domus Academy. In 1986 he established Boym Design Studio in New York, designing products for Alessi, Authentics and Swatch, and exhibitions for the National Design Museum and National Building Museum. His work has received numerous awards, has appeared in design publications throughout the world, and is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Constantin teaches at Parsons School of Design and is the author of the book “New Russian Design”, published by Rizzoli. Projects for benza: American Plumbing   Ouroboros
	Stephen Burks studied design and architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Columbia University before opening his New York design studio Readymade Projects. He has developed concepts, products and retail environments for international clients including Cappellini, Herman Miller, Idee and Swatch. His work has been featured in the most prestigious design publications, has received numerous awards and has been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum and National Design Museum. He has recently been appointed art director of the Japanese brand Mogu. Projects for benza: Helvetica
	Anthony Di Bitonto was born in Canada in 1965. He spent his early years in Italy, where he lived in Rome and Milan until 1976. After receiving a degree from McGill University (architecture) in 1987, he practiced architecture in Montreal for several years. In 1992 he moved to New York where he earned a graduate degree from Pratt Institute (industrial design) and is currently working as a product designer. Anthony Di Bitonto has created award-winning designs in the fields of housewares, consumer electronics, medical and scientific equipment. Projects for benza: Jojo
	Bruce Hannah graduated in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in 1963. He established his own practice in 1976 focusing on product and furniture design, his Hannah desk system for Knoll international was named design of the decade by the IDSA in 1990. Bruce was Chair of the Industrial Design department at Pratt Institute, where he still teaches. He has received numerous awards for his work, including a Presidential Design Award by the National Endowment for the Arts for “Unlimited by Design”, an exhibition on universal design at the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum. Projects for benza: Time After Time
	Laurene Leon Boym has earned design degrees from the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute. Her work has received numerous design awards and has been featured in exhibits and publications worldwide. In 1993 she was appointed the position of Designer-in-Residence at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Since 1994 she has been teaching product design at Parsons School of Design and frequently lectures on the theme of design in popular culture. She has been a design partner in New York’s prestigious Boym Design Studio since 1993. Projects for benza: American Plumbing   Cloud Nine   Ouroboros
	Bridget Means was born in Australia in 1965, but soon after moved with her family to the United States. In 1988 she earns a degree in communication design from Parsons School of Design and settles in New York City, where she spends the next several years designing corporate identity programs, packaging and products. Her work has received design awards and has appeared in exhibits and design publications worldwide. In 1996 she was one of Benza’s original founders, Bridget left Benza in 2003 to tackle her next design challenge, she currently lives and works in New York. Projects for benza: Zago®   Squiggle   Sticky   PinUp   Goober   Flowerfish
	Giovanni Pellone was born in Italy and grew up in Rome. In 1985 he moved to the United States, where he earned degrees from Parsons School of Design (interior design) and Pratt Institute (industrial design). In 1993 Giovanni established his independent design practice in New York City, completing projects in product design, package design and graphic design. In 1996 Giovanni co-founded Benza, of which he now is the principal. His work has been featured in design exhibitions and has appeared in leading design publications worldwide. He has received design awards and often lectures on design. Projects for benza: Zago®   Hello   Squiggle   Sticky   PinUp   Goober   Flowerfish   Big Cheese   Aracnolamp   Boing   Unit   Merlin   Chip&Dip   Peacock   Trampoline   Soft Clock   Mutant   Grand Central   Atomic   Wink   Pulsar
	Karim Rashid received a bachelor of Industrial Design in Canada and postgraduate studies in Italy in 1984. In 1993 he opened his own studio in New York City doing projects ranging from products, interiors, fashion, furniture, lighting, and art for clients such as Prada, Umbra, Nambe, Magis, Edra, Herman Miller, Sony, Idee, Giorgio Armani and Leonardo. He has won many awards and his work is in the permanent collections of 14 Museums. He exhibits art at Sandra Gering Gallery and Deitch Projects in New York. His new monograph is “I Want to Change the World” (Rizzoli, 2001). Projects for benza: Time Out   Time Warp
	Andrea Ruggiero graduated in Product Design from Parsons School of Design. After working with New York design studios such as Boym Partners, Vignelli Associates and Razorfish; he established his own practice in 2001. Andrea’s work includes product design, visual identity systems, furniture, packaging, and commercial interiors. His projects have been featured in numerous exhibitions and have appeared in design publications worldwide. He has received several design awards including two from ID Magazine. He teaches product design at Parsons since 1995. Projects for benza: Orbit
	Andrew Schloss was born in Canada in 1962. After completing a master’s degree in Biomechanics at the University of Oregon in 1987, and a master’s degree in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in 1992, he founded his own consultancy, ABS Design, in New York City. His experience includes the design of furniture and light fixtures, toys, graphics, consumer products, and over 300 retail specialty shops. Andrew teaches in the Industrial Design Department at Pratt Institute, and lectures frequently on retail design and identity. His work has been recognized and published internationally. Projects for benza: Soft Frame
	Daniel Streng completed the design program at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 1995. From his Chicago studio, Daniel currently executes industrial design, interior design and art direction projects. Daniel has exhibited furniture internationally and his work has appeared in leading magazines and books. In 2000 Daniel was selected as a judge for the Good Design awards, held by the Chicago Athenaeum of Architecture and Design. In 2001 he was chosen by Surface magazine for Tag Team, an exhibition of ten avant garde designers from the United states. Projects for benza: Clocky
	Ali Tayar studied architecture at the University of Stuttgart and MIT. His work involves interior architecture, furniture and product design. In 1993, he founded Parallel Design in NYC, through which he designs and produces furniture and hardware. His work has been featured in prestigious design exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art, National Design Museum and Denver Art Museum, and is included in many permanent collections. His projects have been widely published and have received many awards, including two from ID Magazine. Projects for benza: Centerlines
	Tanya Van Cott earned a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters of Industrial Design, both from Pratt Institute, she professionally practices both disciplines. Her architectural work includes residential and commercial projects, as well as collaborations with Pentagram and Lippincott & Margulies. As an Industrial designer her work focuses instead on consumer products. In 1998 she collaborated with Bruce Hanna on the universal design exhibition “Unlimited by Design” at the National Design Museum, which received a Presidential Design Award by the National Endowment for the Arts. Projects for benza: Time After Time
	Tucker Viemeister holds a degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute and is the president of Springtime-USA, a design consultancy for clients like Coca Cola, Heineken, and Toyota. Tucker was instrumental in establishing Frogdesign’s NY studio and Razorfish’s physical design capability, and was one of the original partners of Smart Design, where he collaborated on the design of the legendary Oxo "GoodGrips". He was named after a car his father helped develop, he is a design activist and his work has received the most prestigious design recognitions throughout the world. Projects for benza: No Time
	Satomi Yoshida-Katz was born in Japan in 1968 and moved to the United States in 1987, where she earned a degree from Iowa State University (interior design). She has completed projects in the fields of corporate, retail, government and entertainment interior design as well as lighting and furniture design. After designing in Seattle and San Francisco for several years, she moved to Golden, Colorado. Satomi's work has been featured in design exhibitions and has appeared in leading design publication worldwide. She currently works as an independent designer in Japan and the US. Projects for benza: Urchin
	Roberto Zanon was born in Italy in 1963, where he received a degree in architecture from the Universita' di Venezia in 1989. He has completed projects in the fields of architecture, restoration, interior design and product design. Roberto’s influential work in industrial and product design has received numerous awards and has been featured in design publications and exhibits worldwide. Since 1995 he has been an adjunct professor of Industrial Design at the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia. He often acts as a contributing editor for several Italian design publications. Projects for Benza: Urchin   Mano

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