Mari Nakano (she/they) is a second-generation Nikkei Nisei Japanese-American designer, systems strategist, coach, and educator focused on exploring where and how to meaningfully contribute to movements centered around agriculture, food, and eco-stewardship as they relate to social and environmental justice.

“Show Love Through Food” is the working title for their residency, which will serve as a time for them to further understand food’s power and explore how this medium when combined with the themes of natural cycles, heritage, nourishment, belonging, and reconnection, can inform our social design practices.

MFA DSI’s Designer In Residence (DIR) invites inspiring practitioners to join us in our SVA space and use the opportunity for personal research and growth in the field of social innovation and social design. MFA DSI Designer in Residence supports our goals of cultivating a learning experience that is both academic and applied.