Donna Venegas - Owner . Creative Director
donna@venegascompany.com
Donna founded Venegas and Company in January 2009. Venegas and Company has grown to be a kitchen design firm that is recognized as an industry leader and innovator that cultivates talent and advances the specialty of kitchen design and luxury custom cabinetry.
Venegas and Company’s work has been featured nationally in Architectural Digest, Boston Magazine, Design New England, Boston Home Magazine, and New England Home Magazine. Venegas and Company has appeared several times on This Old House.
Venegas and Company has been awarded Boston Magazine’s “Best of Boston” designation three times, first in 2012 and then in 2016, and most recently in 2021.
Donna serves on many industry design councils to help direct the future of kitchen design. She and her team are specialists in their field, dedicated to the art of kitchen design and collaboration.
Boston Architectural College, Interior Design
Boston College, Economics and International Studies
What are three things that you cannot live without?
My dog
The ocean
My getaway in Maine
Best concert you’ve ever attended?
Miles Davis at the Opera House in Boston, 1989. I was 18 years old, but that remains my number one.
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
Anything that involves a grill and the outdoors - all year long!
Name one of your favorite countries to visit and why.
Peru! My mother is originally from Peru, and I travel there every winter to see family, explore new cities, devour the amazing cuisine, and enjoy the rich culture.
How many languages do you speak fluently?
Currently two. English and Spanish. However, I’ve been teaching myself Italian for years and hopefully one day will be able to carry a meaningful conversation in Italian…we’ll see.
Meaghan Moynahan - Director of Technical Design . Lead Designer
meaghan@venegascompany.com
Meaghan helped found Venegas and Company in January of 2009. She is a tremendous asset to the company and sets the standard for the level of technical design and client care that Venegas and Company is known for.
Meaghan demonstrates a talent for listening and interpreting design intent. She effectively communicates with our manufacturers and is recognized by builders for her accuracy and promptness.
Meaghan contributes to product development, collaborating on new door styles, finish techniques and showroom displays. Most recently, our Designer Veneers and custom metallic have captured her interest.
Although she takes her work very seriously, she does not take herself so seriously. She’s been known to drive from job site to job site, blaring country music.
BFA, New England School of Art and Design, Suffolk University
What are five things that you cannot live without?
My family and friends
The beach
Coffee
Wine
Anything chocolate
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
It’s a tie between chili and chocolate chip cookies.
Name one of your favorite countries to visit and why.
Ireland! While attending Suffolk University, I was able to do a semester abroad at University College Cork. I spent my time in art history classes, traveled around the country on the weekends, and met some amazing people.
Best concert/show you’ve ever attended?
Definitely Country Fest!
Yaoying Huang . Designer
yaoying@venegascompany.com
Yaoying is a creative designer who believes that beautiful interiors will transform daily life. With a BFA of Interior Design from Suffolk University, she has a well-trained eye for colors, finishes, styles, and space planning.
Yaoying joined Venegas and Company in March 2020, with 13 years of kitchen design experience from Poggenpohl, Boston. Yaoying is recognized in the design community for creating polished spaces that are efficient, functional, and beautiful. She prides herself on her attention to detail and obsession with quality. She is devoted to her clients and their individual design needs.
Her keen listening skills help her interpret her clients' vision which makes for very successful end results.
BFA, New England School of Art and Design, Suffolk University
What are five things that you cannot live without?
Ice cream
Coffee
DIY
Dance
Bubbles (my pup)
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
Tiramisu, easy and delicious!
What’s something you’re dying to design or use in a design?
Black on Black.
Name one of your favorite countries to visit and why.
Greece. I love the fresh and rich Santorini colors, and the beautiful pure blue of the Aegean Sea.
How many languages do you speak fluently?
Two - Chinese and English.
Helen Shoemaker - Designer . Project Manager
helen@venegascompany.com
Helen got her start in the Boston design world by interning for William Hodgins, which sparked an interest in residential interiors. With a foundation of traditional east coast design, Helen spent the next several years working with interior designers, adding a modern sensibility to her design work. With a good eye and a pragmatic approach, Helen thinks successful design should be both beautiful and work with how you live your life. Joining Venegas and Company in early 2020 has been a masterclass in technical detail, and compassionate client service.
B.S. Interior Design, University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.A. Journalism, University of Wisconsin-Madison
What are five things that you cannot live without?
Coffee
Milk frother
Good stationary
Mascara
A knitting project
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
Birthday cake for my three boys.
What’s something you’re dying to design or use in a design?
Saturated high-gloss finish.
Name one of your favorite countries to visit and why.
Italy. I have family there, and they always greet me with love and an amazing meal.
Christina Goncalves - Technical Designer
christina@venegascompany.com
With an interior design background and experience in tile, Christina has turned her focus to cabinet and millwork design. Christina welcomes all guests visiting our showroom and ensures they have an enjoyable experience whether they are coming in for a meeting or are stopping in for the first time. As a Technical Designer, she assists the Designers with the behind-the-scenes work that keeps their projects running smoothly. Having been with the Venegas team since 2013, Christina is also a resource of information for the other Technical Designers when they have a complicated design that they may need help working out.
As a first generation American with roots in Madeira, Christina enjoys international travel and culture; she is always dreaming up her next international adventure.
BS Interior Design, Newbury College
Magna Cum Laude
Dean’s List with Honors
Member of Alpha Chi National College Honor Society
What are five things that you cannot live without?
Family
International travel
My muscle car (AKA Shamu!)
Warm, sunny days
My mom’s cooking
What’s one of your guilty pleasures?
Watching Brad Mondo hairdresser reaction videos.
Name one of your favorite countries to visit and why.
Japan! Everything there is so different, and it’s a welcome culture shock in the best ways. The people there are the kindest I’ve interacted with throughout my travels!
How many languages do you speak fluently?
One, but I can understand the majority of Portuguese - I just can’t speak it!
Best concert/show you’ve ever attended?
Ultra Europe Music Festival in Croatia with my brother. Europeans flock to Croatia for this festival, and it was an exciting melting pot of cultures outside the US!
Pingting Wu - Technical Designer
With a BFA of Interior Design from New England School of Art and Design at Suffolk University, Pingting started her design career in European kitchen design, working as a Technical Designer at Poggenpohl and SieMatic.
Joining Venegas and Company in 2022 as a Technical Designer, Pingting is looking forward to adding a European spin to traditional and transitional kitchen design. Pingting believes in the power of beautiful kitchens, which always begin with collaborative work.
What are five things that you cannot live without?
My friends and family
My dog, Turbo (A Shiba Inu)
Spicy Food (Ghost Pepper Powder)
Hot Pot, with a tom yum broth and sesame paste for my dipping sauce.
Travel
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
Cajun seafood
Best concert/show you’ve ever attended?
Jacky Cheung Hok-yau's concert at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. He's a Hong Kong singer, songwriter and actor. Dubbed the "God of Songs". He is considered by the media as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Hong Kong pop music.
How many languages do you speak fluently?
Two - Chinese and English
Cayla Landry - Showroom Supervisor . Marketing Assistant
showroom@venegascompany.com
With a background in Fashion, Cayla joined Venegas and Company as a summer '22 intern.
The internship quickly turned into a full time position.
Cayla is a valued member of the Team contributing to Client experience and marketing.
B.A. Liberal Studies, Rowan University
What are five things you cannot live without?
My signature platform converse!
Chapstick/lip gloss
Music
My family
Iced Coffee
What’s one of your guilty pleasures?
Scrolling for hours on my phone…sorry not sorry.
Best concert/show you’ve ever attended?
I’ve seen Harry Styles 3 times (and continuing to count!) The energy he brings and the atmosphere of his shows is nothing I have ever experienced! He will always be my favorite.
If you could design your dream kitchen, what finishes would you use?
In the showroom I gravitate towards our door samples that integrated leather and high gloss… Must be my fashion roots!
Michael Moynahan - Financial Controller
mike@venegascompany.com
Mike joined Venegas and Company in 2018 to streamline financial reporting and controls, cultivate relationships with our financial partners, and further the financial health of the company. Mike brings decades of corporate experience in accounting, systems, reporting, and administration. Mike is a tremendous resource to the entire Team and is always researching avenues to protect our employees and maximize their "employment experience" with us.
Mike is continuously improving processes and infrastructure, to set the stage for the company's growth. Mike's philosophy is that we should always be evolving and challenging ourselves by learning and implementing new technologies/processes that will provide better experiences for our clients, vendors, and team.
Mike’s passions include hiking and exploring the great outdoors with his wife and children...and now grandchild, Quinten! Mike will never say no to golf and is a self-proclaimed recycling fanatic always looking for ways to improve our environment.
BSBA Accounting, Nichols College
MBA General Business, Nichols College
What are five things that you cannot live without?
Peggy and children/grandchildren
Other immediate family
Relaxation at the Maine cottage
Civic (condo association) involvement
Golf
What’s one of your guilty pleasures?
Excessive recycling and cleaning.
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
I don’t cook, I clean.
What’s something you’re dying to design or use in design?
A project management system to help the Venegas team continue to evolve.
