Wentworth Alumnus Tavares Named to Boston Business Journal's 40 Under 40

Danyson Tavares (center) meeting with residents of the Doris Bunte Apartments in Roxbury last summer to discuss a new courtyard, in conjunction with the Boston Society for Architecture

Danyson Tavares has spent his career asserting that architecture is a civic act. Now, the Boston Business Journal is recognizing that commitment, naming the Wentworth Institute of Technology graduate and Executive Director of the Boston Society for Architecture to its 2026 40 Under 40 list.

In his current role at the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA), Tavares focuses on strengthening the organization's role as a platform for equitable design, public engagement, and collaboration. Before joining the BSA, he served as Executive Director of YouthBuild Boston and spent nine years as a lead designer and project manager at Boston-area architectural firms.

The annual BBJ list recognizes the region's most influential young leaders making an impact in business and in their communities.

"Danyson's conviction that architecture is a civic act combined with his organizational and financial acumen and inspirational leadership style has been an invigorating jolt for the BSA," said Alison Nash, 2026 President of the Boston Society of Architects. "I am so pleased that his work and deep commitment to design culture and community has been recognized and uplifted with this award."

Tavares also has deep ties to Wentworth. Since earning his Bachelor of Architecture in 2011 and a Master of Architecture in 2012, he has served as adjunct faculty at the university and is currently advising two Wentworth School of Architecture & Design graduate students, Prema Riveira-Grand and Josiah Belfon.

"They're challenging what it means to be an architect, not just as a choreographer of space, but as someone operating within and actively reshaping systems of power," said Tavares. "This generation isn't waiting to inherit the profession, they're already redefining it."

He is also active in the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and previously served as a trustee of the Sasaki Foundation.

"Boston has always been more than a place for me," said Tavares. "It's the foundation for how I think about community, opportunity, and the role our work can play in shaping a more equitable future."

Tavares and the other honorees will be celebrated at an awards event hosted by the Boston Business Journal later this year.