Sasha Adkison
Sasha Adkison is a revenue, sales, and marketing leader known for a people-first approach and a deep respect for the foundations that allow brands to grow well. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Luke Lamp Co., a New York–based sculptural lighting studio, where she leads the business with a focus on thoughtful expansion while preserving the craftsmanship, relationships, and creative integrity at the heart of the brand. With a background spanning senior account management, sales leadership, and entrepreneurship, Sasha brings a well-rounded, execution-driven perspective to her work. She has led complex client relationships across design, technology, and service-oriented industries, pairing strategic direction with hands-on leadership and operational clarity.
In addition to her role at Luke Lamp Co., Sasha is the Principal of Sasha Adkison Design Studio, where she applies the same stewardship mindset to residential interiors. Across all of her work, she is known for collaborative leadership, attention to detail, and a commitment to building durable systems, meaningful partnerships, and sustainable growth.
• Horry-Georgetown Technical College
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the people around me: my team and my family. I never set out with the goal of becoming a CEO; my growth has been driven by a deep sense of responsibility to steward the business well for the incredible team behind it, so that we can continue doing the work we love together. I’ve also been shaped by leaders and mentors who saw potential in me early on and took the time to challenge me, trust me, and pull me into rooms I didn’t yet know how to enter on my own.
As a working mother of three, including two daughters, my family shapes how I lead. I want my children, and my daughters in particular, to see that leadership can be both strong and compassionate — that you don’t have to choose between ambition and heart, or between excellence and integrity. That perspective grounds my decisions every day and reinforces my belief that the most lasting success is built with people at the center.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came from my dad. He taught me to make the best decision possible with the information available at the time, and to be clear and intentional about why I made it. That mindset has stayed with me throughout my career and has shaped how I lead — with accountability, pragmatism, and the confidence to move forward even when all the answers aren’t obvious.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be authentically yourself, and resist the pressure to mold yourself into what you think leadership is supposed to look like. The qualities that may feel different, such as empathy, intuition, attention to detail, the ability to build trust, are often the very things that make you effective and memorable.
Operationally, focus on doing excellent work, asking thoughtful questions, and learning the business deeply. Over time, your credibility will come from consistency and integrity, not from trying to fit a predefined mold. The more you lean into what makes you you, the stronger and more sustainable your leadership will become.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and opportunities in our field right now is the rapid adoption of AI. While these tools can drive efficiency and scale, there is also a growing risk of losing the human connection, craft, and relationships that define thoughtful work. In response, we have made a conscious decision to lean further into people and authenticity in 2026. That means elevating the individuals behind the craft, prioritizing real photography over heavily rendered imagery, and deepening relationships rather than automating them away. In an increasingly optimized world, the opportunity lies in being intentional, human, and real, using technology as a support rather than a substitute for what makes the work matter.
In short, the real challenge is discerning where optimization ends and human connection begins, and the opportunity is standing firmly in authenticity, craft, and meaningful connection.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Creativity is one of the most important values in both my work and personal life. Exercising my creative side, especially through interior design, has always been a passion of mine and is what initially drew me into this business. Whether I’m working on professional projects or taking on small design projects for my own home, friends, or neighbors, creativity is how I stay inspired, fulfilled, and connected to what I love most.