Brady’s eagerness for storytelling through the use of light and the collaborative atmosphere of design has guided him through a career in theatrical lighting into architectural lighting and his current role as Lead Lighting Designer with Light Can Help You. Brady has designed for entertainment, residential, retail, and hospitality projects and has a lengthening list of luxury residential projects across the continent. Brady completed his Masters of Fine Arts at the University of California-Irvine in lighting design.
Kelli began her lighting career in the theater, training at the University of California-Irvine before moving into architectural lighting in hospitality, retail, and commercial spaces. Kelli made the jump to residential lighting design when she joined the Light Can Help You team, where she now serves as Senior Lighting Designer and Studio Leader. Kelli’s residential experience now extends coast to coast with some of the most impressive luxury homes in the country.
Jessica is the longest-serving employee at Light Can Help You outside of ownership as a direct result of her incredible attention to detail and boundless creative energy. Jessica began her lightingcareer in the theater and designed lighting for plays, concerts, and opera for nearly a decade. Jessica made the switch to architectural lighting with a jump start as a graduate of the Master’s in Architectural Lighting Design program at the New York School of Interior Design and joined Light Can Help You, quickly rising to Senior Lighting Designer and now Senior Studio Leader.
Kim was a successful interior designer with over fifteen years of professional experience when she met the Light Can Help You team and recognized an opportunity to further hone her lighting skills. Kim is now an accomplished Senior Lighting Designer and Studio Leader and works on residential and commercial projects across a wide swath of the continent.
Alexis fell in love with the glitz and shine and found a divine path the moment she walked into her first lighting showroom. After finishing a business degree, Alexis built a career designing lighting and controls in high-end residential and hospitality projects in the ski towns of Colorado and beyond. Alexis is a member of Light Can Help You’s Studio Soleil and designs projects across the country.
Cody’s experience in electrical design directed him towards a career in the integration industry focusing on residential and commercial control systems. Cody’s career shift taught him the importance of proper lighting within a home and shows him the vast creative offerings achievable with the right combination of lighting design and controls. After establishing a design division with custom integrators where he performed duties ranging from initial client consultation to final design and deliver, Cody joined Light Can Help You to further explore the power of light
Light Can Help You has pioneered a unique model combining professional lighting design expertise with deep understanding of integration workflows and business operations. This brand-new track spans all three days of Lightapalooza 2026, offering integrators an accessible pathway to build lighting confidence and capability at every skill level. Founded by David Warfel, sessions guide attendees through essential fundamentals including design theory, fixture documentation, kitchen design workshops, communication strategies, scene programming, value engineering, and commissioning techniques. Interactive workshops feature real-world project insights and collaboration approaches tailored specifically to the integration business model. Attendees will also discover the full range of sales enablement resources and tools that accelerate lighting business growth. Whether just beginning a lighting journey or refining existing skills, this series delivers practical knowledge and support systems that make lighting design approachable, profitable, and professionally rewarding for integrators at every experience level.
Lightapalooza 2026 brings together leading university professors and researchers to deliver advanced technical education in lighting science and design—a level of academic rigor unprecedented in the custom integration industry. As integrators expand into lighting as a core service offering, understanding the scientific principles underlying design decisions becomes essential for differentiation and professional credibility. This distinguished faculty includes experts conducting cutting-edge research at major universities, offering attendees direct access to knowledge typically available only through graduate-level coursework. Sessions address foundational and advanced topics including circadian-effective lighting and its measurable impact on human health, sleep, and alertness across different life stages, spectral power distribution and color rendering evaluation using CRI and TM-30 metrics, photometric measurement techniques and data interpretation for design validation, optical engineering fundamentals that determine beam quality and fixture performance, the psychological and physiological value of lighting in residential environments, evidence-based design strategies grounded in peer-reviewed research, and the evolving science of how lighting influences what we see and how we feel in our homes. Through real-world case studies and practical application of theoretical concepts, attendees gain both the scientific vocabulary and analytical frameworks to elevate their professional practice. This track bridges the gap between intuitive design decisions and scientifically validated methodologies, offering university-level instruction in lighting science and human-centric design unavailable at any other custom integration education event.
Advancing Skills: Learning from Professional Designers
Led by certified lighting design professionals, this track delivers advanced technical expertise in architectural and landscape lighting execution tailored specifically for integrators expanding their capabilities beyond traditional technology systems. Custom integrators entering the lighting space face unique challenges—translating design intent into specification decisions, defending fixture choices to discerning clients and trade partners, and executing installations that meet professional design standards. Sessions address critical competencies including recessed and linear fixture analysis, photometric interpretation and application, spatial planning methodologies, renovation project constraints, artwork illumination techniques, and comprehensive landscape lighting design and installation frameworks. Through technical instruction grounded in real-world application, attendees will develop the analytical skills, design vocabulary, and communication strategies required to confidently evaluate fixtures, justify recommendations, and implement lighting solutions that satisfy both aesthetic vision and functional performance requirements across new construction and existing residential environments. This track bridges the gap between technical capability and professional lighting design proficiency.
The Expert Panel Discussion Series brings together experienced integrators, lighting designers, manufacturers, and trade professionals for candid conversations on the challenges and opportunities defining residential lighting and power integration. These dynamic sessions deliver honest insights, real-world workflows, and hard-won lessons from professionals navigating lighting business transformation. Panel topics address critical challenges including the evolution from product sales to comprehensive solutions encompassing control and power systems, software workflows and design tool selection, successful designer-integrator collaborations, project management frameworks, retrofit strategies, showroom ROI evaluation, and relationship development with architects and builders. Moderated discussions feature frank assessments of what works, what fails, and why—providing attendees with practical strategies drawn from actual project experiences rather than theoretical approaches. These sessions create opportunities for peer learning, networking with industry leaders, and gaining competitive intelligence that accelerates business growth and operational excellence in lighting integration.
