Margie O’Driscoll directs and produces competitions and awards programs for clients seeking to solve complex problems using design thinking. Throughout her career, she has held leadership positions for San Francisco’s Mayor, the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, San Francisco Arts Commission, and Friends of the San Francisco Library. In 2015, she orchestrated the Architecture at Zero competition, presented by PG&E and the American Institute of Architects California Council, for a zero net energy design for graduate student housing at UCSF Mission Bay. She comes to her current role of consultant and provocateur following 12 years as head of the American Institute of Architects in San Francisco. During that time, she oversaw the creation of the Architecture and the City festival, one of the largest architecture festivals in the world. She also led the organization to collaborate with KALW to produce the radio program and podcasts called “99% Invisible” with Roman Mars, a program she considers the most important public dialogue on design today.

O’Driscoll is passionately interested in the city of today and serves on the board of several local nonprofits including the San Francisco ZenCenter, WalkSF and City Car Share. O’Driscoll has also taught at Stanford University and San Francisco State University and is a frequent contributor to design journals.