We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberly Phipps-Nichol. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberly below.
Kimberly , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
As the owner or co-founder of a variety of companies, I am fortunate to get to use my work to fulfill my purpose in life, which is to hopefully “leave it better than I found it.” I was purpose-built by my family and community to serve humanity using my talents and skills to the best of my ability. Sustainability is a core pillar in all of my businesses. Whether practicing design and planning for commercial real estate projects, making new luxury goods out of discarded and pre-loved materials or speaking at conferences, it is my hope that I am always centering the focus on doing good while doing well and uplifting others through design.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
How you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc,: One of the main reasons I built my career in sustainable design and planning: my mom was a pediatric nurse practitioner who served greatly-underserved and high risk patients. I grew up working in her clinics and noticed that those populations downstream from polluting industries or living/being educated in buildings filled with what we now know as harmful off-gassing chemicals represented a lot of her patients with non-congenital birth defects. Practicing medicine wasn’t my jam, so I was also grateful to see the opportunity from that crisis that I could have a career serving the health and welfare of the population without being a healthcare provider. This led me to the work I do with Blue Water Studio.
My mom also taught me to sew when I was 5, and I discovered the same textile addiction that afflicted all the women in my family. Every single one of us specialized in some manner of needle work, from utilitarian clothes-making to highly decorative embroidery and from quilting to knitting, we are a family of fabric and fiber. Since getting my first sewing machine at 15, and then buying a nicer one at 25, my wearable art creations have evolved with me. Silk and vintage brocades became a specialty some 25 years ago, which led me to the work I get to do with RoKi Design.
What type of products/services/creative works you provide
At Blue Water Studio, I provide design and planning for healthcare, community and sustainability projects. That can look like anything from a doctor’s office to non-profit meeting spaces, and a food co-op to an outdoor plaza meant for farmer’s markets and pop-ups. I get to use my Evidence-Based Design Accreditation & Certification (EDAC) for all of my projects, not just healthcare. EDAC’s focus on research and data assessment as well as proof of concept is crucial for all design approaches and leads to the greatest outcomes.
At RoKi Design, we create custom silk scarves and silk scarf accessories for fashion and home. The RoKi Design collection consists of three lines:
Purpose Inspired Scarves – Scarves custom-designed to honor and benefit charitable organizations committed to helping those in need and improving communities locally and beyond.
Artist Collaborations – Scarves created in partnership with a diverse group of emerging artists from around the world.
Re-Purposed and Vintage Pieces – Accessories and home goods handmade from authentic vintage scarves and upcycled luxury fabrics.
What problems you solve for your clients:
At Blue Water Studio, one of my jobs when designing spaces and places is to take care of the things that would keep my clients up at night. My mind has the ability to run several “traps” or scenarios when presented with a challenge that helps inform our solutions. This trouble-shooting is crucial for effective due diligence and avoiding costly mistakes later on in the project.
What you think sets you apart from others
My mom used to tell people who were shocked by me as a tiny, opinionated and precocious child, “Don’t be offended by Kimberly, her brain just works differently.” Combine that with my extremely diverse project experience, cultural and geographic exposure and personal heritage and history, and you get clever solutions that are beautiful, responsible and memorable.
What are you most proud of
My resilience and service to humanity. I’ve experienced some pretty crazy events including being a stroke survivor at 45. I’ve been knocked down hard, had just $15 left to my name and had to completely rebuild myself in an entirely new city. But not without the help of others. And so keeping it full circle, serving others is how I remain resilient and fulfill my purpose. I am grateful to my husband, Dr. Nguyen “Tom” Griggs and family for supporting me throughout, and my Rotary International family for helping me live their motto “Service Above Self.”
It’s one of the reasons I resonate with my current passion project, the Columbia Tap Trail, so much. This 4-mile hike + bike trail connects downtown Houston to Brays Bayou Greenway Trail in the Texas Medical Center through the heart of the Third Ward. Houston’s Third Ward, a historic African American neighborhood, boasts a rich cultural heritage and history of civil rights activism. Yet, the community faces persistent challenges. Despite the historic significance, it remains disproportionately impoverished compared to the rest of Houston. Third Ward has a high Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) rating, indicating Vulnerability for ongoing gentrification, safety issues, food insecurity, and urban heat island effects from diminishing tree canopies due to development. The trail was formerly a railroad built by enslaved people to serve the sugar and cotton plantations of Brazoria and Matagorda Counties, and has suffered from and perpetuated various forms of neglect and environmental injustice. My husband’s ancestors were formerly enslaved persons in these counties, so this project is also very personal to me. By revitalizing this trail, the community can address both the historical legacy and the pressing challenges of food insecurity, safety, urban heat islands, and environmental degradation. It has been an honor to work alongside my fellow and sister Friends of Columbia Tap members advocating with all jurisdictions for trail investment and revitalization.
What are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work-
Whether RoKi or Blue Water Studio related, integrity matters. Authenticity and transparency are non-negotiable. I work with and for the community. It is an honor to produce environments and experiences that delight and solve problems while also getting to create clothing that beautifully represents the wearer in a sustainable way.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
My RoKi Design co-founder, Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell is a commercial real estate attorney and we met at one of our favorite professional organizations, Commercial Real Estate Women. They were co-hosting a lunch with other organizations and the room was filled with a lot of people we didn’t know. We recognized each other from a previous lunch event and sat together. When the speaker ended up NOT being fabulous, we exchanged a series of comments of incredulity that turned us into fast friends. This also led to us finding out we have a shared love of silk, and especially silk scarves.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Largely, events; Facetime matters. Post-pandemic, most people crave in-person connections. With BWS, I participate in a lot of community design justice events, student juries and support non-profits with which I am in alignment. I also attend City Council sessions along with Redevelopment Authority and Management District board meetings in areas of town where I am working to stay connected to the pulse of the jurisdictions.
With RoKi Design, we host gatherings with both current and prospective clients. Some are larger, like the RoKi Tea we hosted at St. Regis last year, and some are smaller, like an intimate lunch for a dozen at our client Brasserie 19’s fabulous restaurant. We are also extremely involved in philanthropic endeavors, donate scarves and experiences to fundraising auctions and attend quite a few galas in support of current clients. This, in turn, regularly leads to new clients, especially when they see the excitement around our scarf when it sells out at the event.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bws-htx.com for Blue Water Studio and www.rokidesign.com for RoKi Design
- Instagram: @bws_htx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-phipps-nichol/
Image Credits
Andy Phan Patrick Buckner