A native of Southern California, Joel originally trained as a fine artist, before earning his graduate degree in architecture. Throughout his twenty-year career, Joel has focused on the discovery, interpretation, and subsequent visual expression of meaningful patterns along with their associated analytical processes.  Having contributed to a wide range of architectural, academic, research, and development projects, Joel has gained valuable experience and insight into design, management, and execution across a highly diverse spectrum; from public art installations to large scale mixed use towers and urban infills. As founder and principal he currently runs his architectural practice, inference, maintains an academic studio at IIT, and is the Chief Design Officer and Partner at Capri Investment Group. As a Board member for The Primo Center for Women and Children, Joel works hard to ensure that the most vulnerable Chicagoan's have housing.