We are mission-driven, passionate about design, and big on community.

What We Do

Through material exploration and design thinking (inquiry, sketching, and prototyping), kids at ProtoToto make art and absorb design fundamentals across architecture, graphic design, interior design, and industrial design. This process of discovery builds stronger analytical skills, problem-solving strategies, friendships, and intellectual confidence.

Studio Culture

Our studio is part workshop, part clubhouse. With abundant art materials and tools, fun books, and healthy snacks. It's a safe and fun space where kids can make art and design, support each other, and bring their creative ideas to life.

Small Group Focus

Your child will learn from smart, talented and caring designers, architects, and arts educators in intimate classes of just 12 students (with two instructors always present). Our teaching team blends industry experience with a genuine passion for supporting young creative minds.

Our Founder (and Instructor)

Suzanne LaGasa founded ProtoToto from a simple realization: Brooklyn has amazing programs for sports, art, music, and academics - but few places for kids to learn how to think like designers in a hands-on way.

As the only person in her family to pursue a career in art and design, Suzanne is committed to championing the value of one's inherent creativity through design to foster confidence and lifelong success.

Suzanne is the former Creative Director of Dwell Magazine, with a career spanning book design and brand strategies. A graduate of California College of the Arts, she brings a Bauhaus-inspired approach to design education. She lives in walking distance to the studio, with her daughter and ProtoToto's gentle studio dog, Pickles.

Our Team

Niamh Mulligan

Instructor

Niamh holds a BFA with Honors in Studio Art from Vassar College. She previously was an elementary school teacher at The Studio School in New York. She has also taught at Curious Jane Camps in Brooklyn. Fluent in American Sign Language, she brings warmth and care to her teaching, with a deep commitment to her students' growth.

Vicky Zhang

Instructor

Vicky is a Pratt Institute MA candidate in Art Education (BFA in Art Education, 2025), with New York State teaching certification in Visual Arts Pre-K–12. She has taught across Brooklyn public schools, Lisbon, Portugal, and Puerto Rico, bringing hands-on experience in ceramics, printmaking, fiber arts, and animation to elementary and middle school classrooms. Fluent in Cantonese and Spanish, she brings a culturally responsive, playful approach to studio teaching.

Beatrice Bryant

Beatrice is a New York City native and high school student with a love of reading and a fun and caring rapport with kids. Quiet by nature, she has a gift for genuine conversations with the campers. She first joined ProtoToto as a volunteer last summer and we're so happy to have her back.

Volunteer Counselor

Aiden Pierre-Louis

Aiden is an architecture student at Amherst College, previously at St. Lawrence University, where he was active in campus leadership through the Black Student Union and as a community mentor. He has hands-on experience with 3D modeling and physical model-making, and a genuine passion for architecture. Calm and attentive, he has a natural ease working with young campers.

Camp Counselor

Steve Taylor

Instructor

Steve has an MFA from Pratt Institute in Art Therapy, with a background in film and video production. He co-taught our Trains and Transportation design week, bringing a patient, nurturing approach to studio teaching. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two boys, and enjoys biking, walking the city, and making collages from books left on stoops.

Pickles

Studio Dog

Pickles is a gentle mutt who came to Brooklyn from Texas. She loves kids, never barks, and never steals food. Her favorite things are snuggling and chasing squirrels — though as a true country dog, anything with a motor or a sudden sound sends her hiding. Still, she takes her job as guardian of the kid pack very seriously, especially when being petted.

Our Advisors

  • Reina Nishida Lee

    Business Operations and Strategy Consultant

  • Stephanie Ogé

    Fashion Designer and Entrepreneur,
    Sogé Studios

  • Vered Raz

    Arts Teacher, The Boerum Hill School for International Studies
    Art & Design Education MSEd, Pratt

  • Luise Stauss

    Creative Consultant and Founder, Stauss-Fussell

  • Patricia Semmler at City College

    Patricia Semmler

    Architect and Founder, Pem Studio NYC

Key Contributors

  • Laura Dirzyte

    Laura designed our logo and icons. Check out her portfolio here. She was a Senior Graphic Designer at Condé Nast. She studied architecture at The University of Manchester and has a MA in Graphic Media Design from London University of the Arts.

  • Peira Moinester

    Peira coaches Suzanne on camp operations and management. She's the Co-Founder and Camp Director of the excellent Brooklyn Music Factory, She’s also a parent of two and comes from a family of after-school and camp providers.

  • Jerry Posman

    Jerry advises Suzanne on education and business strategy. He's Founder of the Up Foundation, former CUNY Vice Chancellor, former Deputy Chancellor at NYC DOE, and has held various leadership roles in the private and non-profit sectors.