Name: BEAT Special Event: A Celebration of BEAT’s Founders
Start: 2025-11-26T18:30:00-05:00
End: 2025-11-26T21:00:00-05:00
Location: KPMB Architects

$BEAT Special Event: A Celebration of BEAT\u2019s Founders$

Join us in celebrating BEAT founders Shirley Blumberg, Brigitte Shim, & Brigitte Shim and their contributions in stewarding the organization
About this Event

A Celebration of BEAT’s Founders

Wednesday, November 26, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Location: KPMB Architects, 351 King Street East, Suite 1200

Please join us in celebrating Shirley Blumberg, Brigitte Shim, and Betsy Williamson’s work in founding BEAToronto, and their contributions in stewarding the organization through its first decade!

Inspired by the Order of Canada’s recognition of those desiring a better country, Shirley Blumberg worked with Betsy Williamson and Brigitte Shim to initiate BEAT—Building Equality in Architecture Toronto—back in 2015.

The group has since hosted over 127 events, with a total of over 6,200 registered attendees, and has featured over 90 women as speakers.

As Shirley, Brigitte, and Betsy take a step back from their formal involvement in BEAToronto, we hope you will join us in raising a glass in celebration of all that they have done for the community of women architects in Toronto and beyond! Their stalwart commitment, advocacy and mentorship has left an indelible mark on the design profession at large.

About the honorees:

Shirley Blumberg (CM, OAA, FRAIC, AIA) is a founding partner of KPMB Architects. In 2013, she was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to architecture and for her commitment to creating spaces that foster a sense of community.” She received the RAIC Gold Medal in 2025.

Brigitte Shim (OC, RCA, Hon. FAIA, OAA, FRAIC) is a founding partner of Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, and a professor at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto. She received the RAIC Gold Medal in 2024, alongside her partner Howard Sutcliffe.

Betsy Williamson (OAA, FRAIC) is a founding partner of Williamson Williamson. Betsy was named a finalist for the Architects’ Journal 2015 Emerging Woman Architect of the Year Award. Her office’s work has been awarded the RAIC’s 2014 Emerging Architectural Practice Award and the Architectural League of New York’s 2014 Emerging Voices Award.