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Roger Sherman
Gensler
Professional Background
Roger Sherman is a distinguished urban architect and a prominent leader in the field of architecture and urban design. Currently, he spearheads the Permanent Supportive/Affordable Housing Initiative at Gensler, an esteemed global architecture and design firm. In this capacity, Roger focuses on projects that significantly impact urban environments, particularly in the context of global changes pertaining to climate, technology, economics, and culture. His extensive experience and innovative vision have established him as a guiding force in the integration of architecture with sustainable urban development.
Before his tenure at Gensler, which showcases his impressive skills in urban projects, Roger founded Roger Sherman Architecture and Urban Design in 1990, positioning himself as a leading figure in contemporary architecture. His career took a pivotal turn when he won an international design competition for the West Hollywood Civic Center in 1987, which marked his relocation to Los Angeles and the beginning of his influential journey in architecture.
From 2006 to 2015, Roger co-directed cityLAB at UCLA alongside Dana Cuff, contributing to an academic think tank dedicated to innovative urban design research and advocacy for progressive urban policies. Through his role as an Adjunct Professor at UCLA, he has fostered the next generation of architects and urban planners, sharing his wealth of knowledge and practical insights.
In addition to his primary responsibilities, Roger holds esteemed positions as a Senior Fellow at the Global Cities Institute at the University of Toronto and as an Associate Fellow at the NewCities Foundation. His dedication to advancing urban studies has placed him at the forefront of discussions regarding the future of cities in a rapidly changing world.
Education and Achievements
Roger's academic background is equally impressive, having attained a Master of Architecture with Distinction from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where he was honored with the Henry Adams Medal. His undergraduate studies culminated in a Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, in the Design of the Environment from the University of Pennsylvania. This strong educational foundation has equipped Roger with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for tackling complex urban issues.
A notable author, Roger has published several significant works including "Re: American Dream: Six Higher Density Housing Prototypes for Los Angeles" (Princeton Architectural Press, 1995), which explores innovative housing solutions to address urban density problems. He also wrote "LA Under the Influence: the Hidden Logic of Urban Property" (University of Minnesota Press, 2011), where he unravels the deeper connections between urban design and socio-economic factors. Roger co-edited "Fast Forward Urbanism" (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011) with Dana Cuff, pushing the discourse on rapid urbanization and its implications for modern society.
Achievements
Roger has gained recognition as a thought leader and a vocal advocate for sustainable urban design practices. He has delivered lectures across renowned platforms including TEDx/UCLA, TEDx/LA Public Works, Harvard University, Princeton University, Zocalo Public Square, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. His ability to communicate complex concepts in an engaging manner has made him a sought-after speaker at various academic and professional venues, further establishing his reputation as an innovative design thinker.
Notably, his commitment to education extends beyond his role at UCLA; he has served as a Visiting Studio Professor at several esteemed academic institutions, including Harvard's Graduate School of Design, the University of Toronto, the University of Michigan, Syracuse University, and Arizona State University. Roger has also participated as a visiting critic at numerous internationally recognized architecture schools, including Yale and Rice University. This level of engagement underscores his passion for shaping the future of architecture and urban design through both practice and education.
In summary, Roger Sherman is an influential figure in the realm of architecture and urban design. His career is characterized by a commitment to innovative urban solutions, sustainable design practices, and a dedication to education. With an impressive background in design, numerous achievements, and a wealth of experience, Roger continues to significantly contribute to the field by addressing the dynamic challenges our cities face in today’s ever-evolving landscape.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
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Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.
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