Craft in a Time of Tariffs

Julie Lasky is a journalist, editor and critic who specializes in design, architecture, and real estate. A widely published writer, she contributes a monthly column called “Living Small” to the New York Times real estate section and edits the domestic and international Special Design Report supplements produced by the Times. She is also a part-time assistant professor in the Industrial Design MFA program at Parsons School of Design.

Brett Binford is a ceramic artist and serial entrepreneur. He co-founded Mudshark Studios, a small private label ceramics company in 2004 and has received a variety of small business awards and recognition from Martha Stewart, SBA, and Barack Obama. Brett served on the National Council for the Education of Ceramics Arts for 8 years and founded and ran nearly a dozen other ceramics based companies over the last two decades. Over the years, he mentored college students, lectured at various universities, and currently offers small business consulting for creatives.

Chris Farrell is senior economics contributor at Minnesota Public Radio and Marketplace, American Public Media’s nationally syndicated public radio business and economic programs. Chris is a columnist for PBS Next Avenue and the Minnesota Star Tribune. He is also host of Office Hours podcast for the Heller-Hurwicz Economics Institute at the University of Minnesota. He has written for Bloomberg Businessweek, New York Times, Kiplinger’s, and other publications. Chris is the author of five books, including The New Frugality, Unretirement, and Purpose and a Paycheck.

Robert Sukrachand is a Thai-American designer, craftsperson, and founder of PERN BAAN, a design studio bridging traditional craft techniques with contemporary design across the U.S. and Thailand. Working between New York and Chiang Mai, Robert collaborates with artisans and small workshops to produce lighting and furniture collections rooted in material storytelling and cross-cultural exchange. His unique position navigating two manufacturing landscapes gives him first hand insight into how global trade policies—like tariffs—impact independent designers, craftspeople, and the ecosystems they depend on. Prior to launching PERN BAAN, Robert spent 10 years producing custom furniture from a group woodshop in Brooklyn. In 2020, he was named as “one of the 20 names to know now in American design” by the editors of Sight Unseen.

Sharon Z, owner of Sharon Z Consulting, is a business advisor and metalsmith who thinks wielding a torch is pretty bad-ass & wants to show you how to use it for good. Dubbed the “Pricing Queen” by clients and students.