Introduction: A Presence That Refuses to Shrink
Jennifer Brisby does not enter a room quietly. Not because she is loud—but because she is certain. Certain of who she is, what she brings, and why she belongs wherever she chooses to stand. Designer, founder, and creative force, Brisby has built a career defined not by permission or conformity, but by instinct, resilience, and an unwavering belief that women are not here to fit into systems—they are here to reshape them.
“My grandfather used to tell me I belonged on stage,” Brisby says. “Even when I was shy, something inside me knew he was right.”
That inner knowing—subtle in childhood, unmistakable in adulthood—has guided her journey across industries, studios, and continents. It is the thread that ties together her design philosophy, her leadership style, and her refusal to accept ceilings of any kind.
Early Fire: Competing Before She Was Counted
Brisby’s story does not begin in a design studio. It begins on a baseball field.
She played Little League alongside boys, not as a novelty, but as a competitor. One moment would stay with her forever. After hitting her first home run, a boy ran into the stands shouting, “A girl hit that!”
The comment was not cruel—just shocked. But it revealed something unmistakable.
“That moment showed me how small the world’s expectations for women were,” Brisby recalls. “And I knew I wanted more than that.”
Even as a shy child, she felt an internal certainty: she would see the world, and she would help build one where women were never surprised to be powerful.
Inspired by the Ones Who Never Asked Permission
Brisby’s creative influences cross disciplines and eras, but they share a common trait—fearlessness.
She points to Antoni Gaudí’s imaginative defiance of structure, Coco Chanel’s redefinition of femininity through design, and Alexander McQueen’s emotional honesty. More recently, Benjamin Saax of Saax Studio has influenced her approach to craft and innovation.
“They trusted themselves,” she says. “They didn’t dilute their vision to make others comfortable.”
That belief runs through Brisby’s work. Her spaces are intuitive, layered, emotionally charged—designed not just to be seen, but to be felt.
Designing by Instinct, Not Ego
In an industry often driven by prestige and profit, Brisby’s process is surprisingly simple: she listens.
“If the project feels aligned, I say yes,” she explains. “If it doesn’t, I don’t force it. I trust that clarity saves time and integrity.”
This instinct-led approach has shaped a body of work that feels alive rather than manufactured. It has also protected her from compromising her values—something she learned early was non-negotiable.
Learning Leadership Where It Actually Works
Before design studios taught her what not to do, Brisby learned leadership where it did work.
Early in her career, she worked in Asian factories under Jason Lesperance at Burton Snowboards—a formative experience that would quietly shape everything that followed.
“Jason was an absolute legend,” she says. “He taught me leadership 101: give people the tools, the trust, and the resources to succeed—and then get out of their way.”
That lesson stayed with her.
“When the people beneath you shine, you shine,” she says. “That’s not weakness. That’s how real success is built.”
It was a sharp contrast to what she would later encounter in parts of the design world.
Graduate School, Growth, and a Critical Distinction
Graduate school marked a pivotal transition. Brisby secured her first internship at MR Architecture and Decor, an experience she describes as meaningful and affirming. There, she gained exposure, responsibility, and confidence—proof that strong leadership could exist in design.
After MR, she joined Studio Troika, and the experience could not have been more different.
Brisby played a central role in rebranding the firm, interviewing for major clients, and helping secure high-profile work. Her ideas were used to win business. Her effort delivered results.
What she did not receive was support.
She was later fired—officially for not being proficient enough in Revit, a software she had not been trained on.
“It wasn’t about capability,” she says carefully. “It was about leadership.”
The experience revealed a pattern she has since seen repeated across the industry: talent leveraged without investment, expectations set without resources, and accountability flowing only downward.
Rather than embitter her, the moment clarified her mission.
“I decided then that I would never lead that way,” she says. “If someone on my team struggles, that’s on me.”
The Push That Became a Turning Point
Her next role, in Stowe, Vermont, seemed promising—but again proved temporary. After a year, she was let go. This time, the conversation changed everything.
“She told me, ‘I can see you’re not happy. Open your own studio. I’ll help you.’ Then she said, ‘You’re a rockstar. Go be one.”
At the time, Brisby felt terrified. But she trusted the signal.
With her first $2,500 retainer, she rented a small, windowless office in an old factory building in Burlington, Vermont—directly across the street from the largest design firm in the state.
Within a month, that firm called her in and offered her a job.
She declined.
“I wasn’t willing to abandon my vision,” she says. “I’ll never forget the look on his face—half disbelief, half respect.”
That moment marked the true beginning of Jennifer Brisby, founder.
Redefining Success Through Alignment
For Brisby, success is not domination or perfection. It is alignment.
For Brisby, success is not domination or perfection. It is alignment.“It’s doing what you love, eating well, dancing, traveling, and surrounding yourself with good people,” she says. “Food and movement are my love languages.”
Her life and work are fueled by passion—art, fashion, culture—and by a deeper purpose: breaking ceilings for women without asking permission to do so.
A Global Vision Grounded in Values
Today, Brisby’s work is expanding internationally. Major projects are developing in Dubai. She is stepping back into commercial design with Sotheby’s and preparing to receive recognition that will place her firmly on the global stage.
“There’s a lot coming,” she says. “But the work feels aligned—and that’s what matters.”
Accolades are welcome, but never the point. Impact is.
Leadership, According to Jennifer Brisby
If there is one principle that defines Brisby’s leadership, it is this: empowerment is not optional.
“Leadership isn’t about control,” she says. “It’s about equipping people to succeed.”
Her teams are given clarity, resources, and trust. Failure is treated as feedback. Growth is shared.
That philosophy—rooted in her early experiences at Burton and sharpened by later contrasts—has become the backbone of her studio.
Advice for the Ones Who Feel ‘Too Much’
Brisby’s message to the next generation—especially women—is unequivocal:
“Never let anyone tell you you’re too much.”
She believes a certain level of self-belief—bordering on delusion—is necessary to build something from nothing.
“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does,” she says. “You will fall on your face. Expect it. Learn from it. Keep going.”
“There are no failures,” she adds. “Only information.”
Taking Up Space, Intentionally
Jennifer Brisby is not interested in fitting into existing frameworks. She is here to redesign them.
Her journey—from a Little League field to global design markets—proves that intuition can be strategy, empathy can be strength, and leadership rooted in empowerment outlasts fear-based control.
She doesn’t just design spaces.
She designs possibility.
And if her trajectory is any indication, she is only getting started.