Steven Rosen, FIALD, CLD, has announced his retirement as founder and CEO of Available Light, the lighting design practice he launched in 1992. His career in lighting spanned more than 40 years and encompassed more than a thousand projects across theater, trade shows, museums, architecture, themed entertainment, and immersive environments.
Rosen's path into lighting began in the theater, where he said nothing brought him greater joy than interpreting a dramatic work visually through light. He supplemented his theatrical work by lighting trade show exhibits alongside one of his mentors, Rick Chamberlain. A chance trade show collaboration with museum exhibit designer Nick Paffett led to his first museum commission, the Virginia Air & Space Center, and a later encounter with architect Bob Schaeffner produced his first architectural lighting design assignment — a new earth sciences building at Amherst College.
Building Available Light
That progression from theater to trade shows, museums, and architecture shaped the philosophy behind Available Light. "Why focus on one discipline when I could do it all?" Rosen recalled. He built the firm on the belief that unrestrained theatrical storytelling could serve a more expansive audience. What began as a single drafting table in his living room apartment in 1992 grew into a national lighting design practice with six studios, almost 40 people, and a portfolio spanning museum exhibition, architecture, themed entertainment, trade show exhibits, and immersive environments around the world. His wife, Susan Gochenour, signed on as the young firm's first Managing Director.
Awards and recognition
Rosen won the first-ever IALD Radiance Award for Available Light's work on Building 7 at MIT. He received Lifetime Achievement awards from both LDI/Live Design and The Edison Report, became a Fellow of the IALD, and was named to the 2025 blooloop 50 Top Museum Influencer list.
Handing over the reins
Rosen described assembling the Available Light team of designers and collaborators as his greatest achievement. "Serving as their leader has been an honor and a privilege," he said. "Realizing that we have multiple layers of people ready for the challenge of running the firm, I made my decision that the time is now to hand over the reins and cheer on their success. I am a very proud Founder!"
Available Light said it will continue to evolve, push boundaries, and create meaningful experiences through light. Since 1992, the firm has provided lighting design for state-of-the-art museum experiences, contemporary architecture, themed entertainment attractions, and trade show exhibits.