Elise Doganieri, Advertising Design ’90, executive producer and co-creator of the long-running CBS reality show The Amazing Race, visited FIT last Friday for a special screening of the show’s Season 38 finale. In the episode (catch it on demand on the CBS website), the final three teams completed challenges throughout New York City, including a stop at FIT. They were tasked with finding 16 bolts of fabric at Spandex House in the Garment District, then delivering them to FIT students waiting outside on 27th Street. FIT was in excellent company: The other iconic NYC destinations featured in the episode included the Empire State Building and Yankee Stadium.
After the screening, the 10-time Emmy-winning producer spoke with TV personality Natalie Negrotti, a contestant from the season, about the origins of the show and her favorite moments.
Also in attendance was Doganieri’s FIT roommate Laurie Casey, Packaging Design ’91, who was part of the monthlong postgraduate European adventure that inspired The Amazing Race.
Despite the hectic pace of production, Doganieri still loves her job after nearly 25 years. She is particularly proud of how the show has brought attention and tourism to more than 100 countries and counting. “I’m proud of the scope and scale of what we’ve done, and what we’ve become,” she says.
Read more about Doganieri in a profile we did in Hue magazine, and play an interview with her from Hue Live below or on YouTube.