Welcome to Women’s History Month, 2025! This year, LRS is immensely proud to share a major new milestone in our firm’s history: LRS has received our national certification as a women-owned business through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)!

WBENC is a widely-recognized national certification program for businesses that are “at least 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.” As of 2025, LRS has reached 68% women in ownership, a number that has fluctuated annually but seen a steady increase over the last 20+ years. Our current firm President, Managing Principal Trish Nixon, paved the way as LRS’ first female principal in 2003, and LRS reached majority-women-in-ownership for the first time in 2021.

Our firm is committed to creating a supportive, enriching environment where staff members of all backgrounds and identities have opportunities to lead, rise, and succeed. That women are well-represented across all levels of management and leadership at LRS is a testament to this commitment. Generation over generation, we are proud to be a firm that has invested equally in women’s professional development and mentorship – resulting in robust representation of women in leadership and a design culture of empathy, innovation, and creative problem-solving that sets LRS apart. As the largest women-owned architecture firm in the Pacific Northwest, receiving our national certification is incredibly meaningful for LRS and our team this Women’s History Month.

From the WBENC:

“There are more than 14 million women-owned businesses, employing nearly 12.2 million people and generating $2.7 trillion in revenue (2024 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses report). Women-owned businesses make up 39.1% of all U.S. businesses – a 13.6% increase from 2019 to 2023.

 Yet there is still significant disparity in revenue and capital between these business and others.

 WBENC is helping bridge that gap — through access to opportunities, programs that accelerate growth, and campaigns to influence consumer buying behaviors.”