Ma Ry Kim’s life has been defined by her strong Faith and unrelenting work ethic. As a seasoned architect, she's delivered transformative projects in her role as Principal and Regional Design Leader at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture firm, and as a Principal at Hawai’i's multidisciplinary firm, G70. She has also served as Director of Prof Studios and Asso Professor at the University of Hawai’i School of Architecture. Currently, she is Chair of development firm I-ON Group and Host of CBS’s popular series “ByDesign Global.” Along with being the CEO & Co-Founder of B+HARI, Ma Ry is also pursuing a Master’s in Applied Neuroscience to deepen her understanding of how integrating architecture and neuroscience can make an impact on public health.

Two pivotal experiences shaped Ma Ry's commitment to brain health. She was forever changed by the miraculous survival of her youngest son, who was born nearly full-term weighing just 1.5 lbs, while his twin sister was of normal weight. His umbilical cord had stopped functioning halfway through the pregnancy, yet he survived without a single medical challenge. Despite the extreme deprivation in the womb, his brain and organs emerged completely unscathed.

This life-altering event seeded Ma Ry’s determination to study brain science, driven by a desire to understand how her son’s brain protected itself and every organ. She has worked to understand how this knowledge could help other families with similar challenges. Her decade-long search for answers led her to partner with Dr. Nakagawa in 2020 to launch B+HARI, a pioneering initiative that also explores the intersection of brain science and architecture to create lasting positive impacts on brain health.

Another turning point came when a family member with advanced Alzheimer’s experienced unexpected cognitive improvement after moving from an institutional setting to a Buddhist monastery. Learning how this change in environment, lifestyle, and compassion positively affected cognitive function deepened Ma Ry’s commitment to exploring how physical spaces can promote recovery and brain health.

At B+HARI, Ma Ry collaborates with Dr. Nakagawa and the scientific team to design groundbreaking spaces that merge neuroscience and architecture to support cognitive resilience and brain health. Their projects range from Play-based Learning Spaces for Neurodiverse children to Compassionate Housing™ for people experiencing homelessness. B+HARI’s latest venture creates science-backed retreat environments, redefining hospitality’s potential to influence brain health on a global scale.

Ma Ry’s most impactful accomplishment is being mom to 5 kids and stepkids, each uniquely neurodiverse, whose lives continue to shape her perspective on both life and design.