There’s a growing trend among businesses nowadays where companies and organizations’ goals expand beyond being more profitable. Many of them aim to build social impact and community influence as well. One great example of this type of social enterprise is the premier architectural firm Glow Architects, based in Tampa Bay, Florida, led by Gloria Kloter, AIA, NCARB, CODIA.

The firm works under the leadership of Gloria Kloter, a brilliant young architect from the Dominican Republic. Gloria came to the United States in 2015 to expand her practice into the west. By then, she had already made a name for herself in her home country. Moving to the US would prove to be challenging as she would be starting from scratch given her license to practice wasn’t applicable on American soil. But persevering through the long and arduous process, Gloria Kloter became licensed in the US and expanded her architectural firm.

Gloria’s firm, Glow Architects, is a leading practice in Florida that serves many of the region’s most influential individuals and groups. The group’s greatest passion is creating spaces that leave people in awe. Glow Architects uses meaningful design that expresses the client’s identity and vision. “Our designs are always about them, not us,” shares Gloria. “We enlighten the design process for our clients with realistic visualization, effective communication, and genuine care.”

Back in the Dominican Republic, Gloria made a name for herself for having created some of the most stunning designs. She knows more than anyone the risks and sacrifices of beginning from the bottom when desiring an expansion overseas. Hence, she started a group called “Foreign Architects,” a group that assists non-US practitioners in getting a license to practice in the land of the free. Through a Facebook Group and WhatsApp community, she mentors and supports people who share her dream. This and more she does without charging any form of fees whatsoever.

“Foreign Architects” is but one of Gloria and Glow Architects’ many efforts to enrich the community. The award-winning architect also currently serves as part of the board of directors of the American Institute of Architects Tampa Bay, a body that seeks to bring higher standards and consistency to architectural practice. She also founded the Women in Architecture and Young Architects Forum Tampa Bay, two non-profit committees that seek to empower women and young aspiring architects in Florida.

The last several years, Gloria Kloter has also volunteered in the program, “Architecture in Education,” an initiative by the Lee Elementary School which runs an eight-week program for fifth grade students who dream of becoming architects one day.

For her work in the architecture space, Gloria has received many awards and recognitions. She received the AIA Tampa Bay Kelley Award for her efforts in championing various causes and issues that young architects face today. She also received praise from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards for her efforts to help immigrant architects in their journey to becoming licensed practitioners on US territory. Gloria also appeared in Connections, a publication by the AIA Young Architect Forum, where she shared her experience as a foreign woman architect. She has also appeared on many other media outlets, including New York Weekly, The American Reporter, Yahoo Finance, Medium, US Insider, Listin Diario, and Diario Libre, to name a few.

Gloria Kloter aspires to become a positive influence to many, hoping her story of overcoming struggles to become a US-licensed architect would inspire others to persevere in their pursuit of their goals. All this she does while bringing Glow Architects to greater heights.

To learn more about Gloria Kloter, visit Glow Architect’s website and it’s CEO’s Instagram profile.