Aki Carpenter is an Associate and Creative Director at RAA and has opened over ten award-winning museums and cultural institutions worldwide. Aki's current work at RAA includes design direction and exhibition design development for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, IL. Her most recently opened project included both the graphic design and exhibition design for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Aki's passion and experience in environmental, exhibition, and identity design encompasses a wide range of project types, from content-rich and artifact-heavy museum environments to identity development for small organizations and large corporations. Mrs. Carpenter has applied these skills to large-scale, permanent museum projects, responsibly and effectively telling stories that communicate with global audiences. She collaborates with curators, scholars, directors, and C-level executives to tell compelling stories and engage the public through a range of 2D, 3D and interactive techniques. Mrs. Carpenter believes that well designed, smart environments can inspire, support, educate, and connect audiences. Many of her social history projects address topics of social justice, activism, and community engagement.

Additional current projects include the International African American Museum, in Charleston, SC; and the visualized concept study for the Wangari Muta Maathai House, a legacy project in Nairobi, Kenya. She is a founding member and Creative Director for Ripple Effect, a water literacy program in New Orleans, and has taught graduate design courses at Pratt Institute and the New School at Parsons.