Michael Rickman, founder and principal of RAD, spent more than a decade at several Atlanta-based architecture firms before opening his own studio focused on social enterprise. Before starting RAD, Michael’s professional career flourished, yet he was fundamentally unsatisfied. He recognized his work, while good, wasn’t realizing architecture’s potential to bring true value into people’s lives.
In 2016, Michael met Brian Preston, then owner of Lamon Luther, a local woodworking company that employs and trains recovering addicts to become high-end craftsmen. The results of Brian’s experiment—beautiful furniture, a profitable company, and many restored lives—were incredible and inspiring. Brian introduced Michael to the term “social enterprise,” the idea that business can maximize profits while also maximizing benefits to society and the environment.
Michael wondered, “Why can’t architects operate this way? We have the skillset to be a catalyst for good. People matter. Creative problem-solving through architecture and design can serve others.” From this point forward, he longed to leverage his training and skills for sustainable social good. In 2017, Michael launched RAD and has been striving toward its vision of building a better future ever since. Michael graduated from the School of Architecture at Southern Polytechnic State University in 2004 and is a registered Architect with the State of Georgia.