50 women voting on how we spend $100,000

Meet Our Studio Staff

Retails Sales Director

Suzanne Gifford

Suzanne answered the call for retail volunteers in 2020 and is now on staff. She instantly fell in love with the women and the mission. Suzanne is passionate about expanding our reach in the Triangle and beyond. She loves sharing the DFJ mission with visitors in the studio and shoppers at vendor events. When not at DFJ, she enjoying spending time with her family, paddle boarding at Lake Jordan, reading, attending concerts and traveling.

Director of Corporate and Community Engagement

Grace Morris

Grace was born in Pensacola, Florida, but has called Charlotte, NC home for the majority of her life. She found her heart for mission work and nonprofits while working with her church growing up, but credits her passion to her grandmother, who served many nonprofits throughout her life and passed down a love of service to Grace. After moving to Raleigh in 2018 to attend Meredith College, Grace was able to pursue her passion as she constructed her own degree in Nonprofit Management. Grace started with Designed For Joy in the fall of her senior year as an intern and joined the Designed For Joy staff full-time following her graduation in May. When she is not hard at work, you can catch Grace hanging out with her friends, binge watching reality TV, or reading a cheesy romance novel.

Wholesale Sales Director

Vanessa Guirguis

Vanessa, a native New Yorker and self-proclaimed 'Jersey Girl,' bid farewell to her career in investment banking and left behind the frigid winters of the Northeast for the welcoming embrace of the south. Along with her husband Hap and their faithful companion Sydney Grace, they enjoy exploring the abundant walking trails within the Triangle or soaking up the sun at their favorite NC beach. Her unwavering commitment to an active and healthy lifestyle is reflected in her passion for cycling and her dedicated yoga practice. Vanessa always had a yearning for something more profound and a desire to find a deeper purpose. In 2023, she embarked on a new chapter by joining Designed For Joy which resonated with her core values, faith and allows her to channel her passion for service.