Joy Collaborative

Mark Ostrom doesn't just design spaces — he transforms lives.

A designer with nearly three decades of experience shaping landmark commercial, hospitality, and Fortune 50 workplace environments — including the original Rainforest Cafe and a million-square-foot expansion of the DeVos Center in Grand Rapids — Mark channeled that expertise into something deeply personal in 2019: Joy Collaborative, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that transforms spaces into immersive, personalized experiences called Joy Rooms for people facing life-limiting conditions.

Joy Collaborative fills a gap no one else does, sitting between new construction and wish-granting organizations to deliver essential design services for the estimated 25% of Americans living with a disability, and their caregivers, one in five of whom are family members left to solve these challenges on their own.

Since its founding, Joy Collaborative has partnered with organizations including Ronald McDonald House Twin Cities, MHealth Fairview, and Make-A-Wish Minnesota. Its 20th completed project brought the number of people served by Joy Rooms in the Twin Cities past 9,000.

Its newest initiatives, Joy Mobile and Joy Zone, bring sensory environments directly into communities, delivering measurable stress reduction in under five minutes. Both debuted on the national stage at the Special Olympics USA Games in June 2026. Mark's work is built on a simple but powerful belief: when design removes barriers and reflects who you truly are, trajectories change. Everyone deserves a space to be themselves.

Every space tells someone they matter. We invite you to consider joining Joy Collaborative in creating more of them — as a partner, a supporter, or simply someone who believes everyone deserves a space to be themselves.