Blima Ehrentreu
Founder and CEO
The Designers Group

Blima Ehrentreu is Founder and CEO of The Designers Group, an interiors design firm based in Brooklyn, NY, Miami, Fla., and Toronto, Ontario. TDG specializes in high-end interior spaces for commercial, residential, and healthcare portfolios. She says converting office buildings into homes isn't just a trend; it reflects the evolving needs and preferences of our society. TDG is contributing to this change by creatively shaping spaces that bridge the gap between work and home, and, she says, with government incentives and recent research supporting it, this movement is poised to redefine urban landscapes and provide solutions to pressing housing challenges. But it also is demanding use of the best construction technology tools available — and some that still need to be created — to solve novel problems being raised. She adds that, "In the intersection of AI and interior design, we're witnessing remarkable strides that are reshaping our field, from predictive models that anticipate user needs to generative designs that offer an array of design variations. AI empowers us to deliver designs that are not only visually striking but also deeply resonant." Ehrentreu earned her BA in Interior Design from George Brown College in Toronto, and an MFA in Interior Architecture and Design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her business innovations include the successful launch of the TDG Virtual/Hybrid team, allowing global employee participation, and her expansion of TGD's Virtual Reality department. She is combatting staff burnout through the Metaverse and championing sustainable design solutions. Also, she has launched a number of programs to support the brand’s impact-driven ethos, including, TDG Gives Back, a pro-bono offering that provides design services to nonprofits and charities, TDG Furniture Exchange, a program that matches those in need with donors who have furniture to give -- a program that now operates in three countries and eight cities. Her most recent business innovation is TDG Insider, an internship initiative that immerses young, aspiring designers into the field through a thoughtfully-curated shadowing program.