President / Architect / Director of Powerful Practice (she/her)

Leah Alissa Bayer, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, is a practice innovator dedicated to redesigning how architecture works so that people, communities, and the planet can live well, together. As President of FORA, her leadership sits at the intersection of systems design, strategy, research, and culture-building, grounded in a deep belief in science, evidence, civil rights, and collective responsibility. Leah is known for questioning entrenched norms and breaking rules with intention; she builds models that prove equity, transparency, and care are foundational to excellence.

Trained as an architect and fluent in business management, Leah entered the profession with a clear insight: many of architecture’s biggest limitations are systemic, not creative. She founded EVIA Studio to test new models of practice rooted in trust, shared leadership, and the deliberate use of emerging technologies to challenge and rewire how practice operates. That work continues today at FORA, where she guides a growing team delivering housing, community, and research-driven projects nationwide. Though no longer practicing day-to-day design, she remains inextricably connected to the profession she is actively reshaping.

A nationally recognized voice on practice innovation and justice-forward leadership, Leah has influenced policy and action through leadership roles with AIA and NCARB and continues to advance pro-housing and governance reform locally and nationally. Becoming a mother has further sharpened her long view, deepening her commitment to building systems, environments, and institutions worthy of the next generation. Outside of work, she can be found gaming, traveling, immersed in nature, or working alongside her three kitty “colleagues” in her home office.