Solutions for Liberated Cities
Download our latest ebook: Jump-Starting the Green New Deal
The Vanguard conference is a gathering of rising urban innovators working to make change in cities. Designed to bring together professionals working across disciplines and sectors, each Vanguard class includes policymakers and politicians, architects and urban planners, artists and mediamakers, all selected through a competitive application process. After more than a decade of Vanguard conferences, the Vanguards number more than 400. Learn more about Vanguards past and present on this page, where you can search for Vanguards and Vanguard alumni by discipline, geographic area and more. Find your next collaborator or just learn about these rising leaders.
Juan Gomez of the National Compadres Network is a Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor. Prior to this he was a Fellow at The California Endowment working on Boys and Men of Color (BMoC) strategies. In 2013 Mr. Gomez Co-Founded and became Program Manager of MILPA (Motivating Individual Leadership for Public Advancement). Mr. Gomez was born is in Watsonville, CA and where he was raised by his grandparents Amelia and Ampelio.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kristen Gordon is an urban planner committed to equitable development. She serves as an Economic Development Deputy for LA City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Ms. Gordon holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from UC Irvine and a Certificate in Real Estate from USC Ross.
Laura Grannemann leads the Quicken Loans Community Fund, which drives national philanthropic strategy for Quicken Loans. She co-founded the organization in May of 2016. Throughout her time at the Community Fund, Laura has focused on solving complex challenges like tax foreclosure, employment barriers, and the mortgage market in Detroit.
James is Practice Leader for AECOM’s Design + Planning Team in NSW/ACT and and experienced industry leader with demonstrated ability to lead complex projects with multiple stakeholders to agreed outcomes. James is passionate about delivering projects that focus on people first, enhance liveablity and derive public benefit.
Yonina Gray is a Chicago native with a passion for creatively connecting the dots. Ms. Gray is a mission-driven community development finance professional with a passion for upward mobility of low wealth people and places. She’s known for sourcing relationships that yield innovative solutions, strategic investments and strengthened communities.
Brandon L. Greene manages the Oakland Civic Design Lab. Previously, he created and lead the decriminalization of poverty clinic at the East Bay Community Law Center. He’s a graduate of Boston University School of Law where he was a Public Interest Scholar and Martin Luther King Social Justice Fellow
Darnell Grisby is an expert on the emerging urban mobility landscape and its impact on economic development. He is a sought-after speaker whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio and numerous other media outlets. He is an experienced practitioner of the complete set of tools to influence policy: thought leadership, independent expenditure campaigns, philanthropic giving, political action committee strategy, diversity initiatives, direct lobbying, and grassroots and grasstops organizing. He was named among the “Top 40 Under 40” by Mass Transit magazine, and has degrees from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a native of Riverside, California and currently resides in the walkable core of Washington, DC.
Dr Gudes is an enthusiastic advocate for location intelligence and utilizing GIS and spatial modeling approaches especially with the intersection of public health. He has a diverse experience in developing GIS applications and using its tools under various disciplines including: Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Health and Well-Being, Geography and Transportation.
Mejay Gula is the founder and executive director of Tender House Project, working to secure the Chicago River with sites of community agency, cultural exchange, and universal inclusion. This development strategy reimagines Chicago’s historic bridgehouses to be a civic and cultural network that breathes needed life into the Chicago River.
Lope Gutierrez-Ruiz is a publisher, art director and cultural manager, and is passionate about the future of our cities and its relationship to media, design, data and culture. He is currently a Senior Fellow at TED Conferences, and a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University. There, his research has centered on data visualization, database management, open government, mapping techniques, design thinking, product design and business enterprise growth.
Stephanie R.A. Hacker, AICP, LEED AP, has invested more than 15 years as a planning practitioner and revitalization specialist for both the private and public sector. At the core of Stephanie’s interests is utilizing planning principles to a) build a central vision and b) establish supporting systems that kick-start physical change.
A/Professor M. Hank Haeusler, PhD is Discipline Director of Computational Design at Australian School of Architecture + Design at the University of New South Wales; board member of the Media Architecture Institute and known as researcher, educator, entrepreneur and designer in media architecture and responsive transport through over 60 publications.
Ingrid Haftel manages Community Education programs at the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP), a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that uses design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement, particularly among historically underrepresented communities. Before joining CUP, Ingrid was Curator of Exhibitions at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, where she developed creative public projects on urban planning and design.
Abby Hall works for the U.S. EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities. Abby works on programs that provide land use planning and urban design assistance to communities. Abby also manages a partnership with FEMA on disaster recovery and resilience planning. Abby earned a Master’s degree in Anthropology from Stanford University.
As the Director of School-Centered Neighborhood Development for the Community Learning Center Institute, Adelyn works to stabilize neighborhoods based on the model of school-centered community revitalization. Before joining CLCI, Hall graduated from the University of Cincinnati with her Master’s in Planning, as well as served in the Peace Corps.
_200_200_80_c1.jpg)
Nicholas Hamilton is an urbanist experienced in launching and leading a diverse set of urban equity and sustainability initiatives, from a national network to revitalize America’s legacy cities to founding the NYC-Metro Urban Sustainability Meetup. He previously served as Director of Urban Policy at Columbia University’s bipartisan policy institute, as an architectural and urban designer at the firm Davis Brody Bond, and as an affordable housing provider in the Bay Area.
Gia M. Hamilton is known for her visionary ability to identify and cultivate support systems. A cultural steward, design thinker, and applied anthropologist, Hamilton has spent the last two decades straddling the nonprofit world & corporate America, leveraging her expertise in resource-based economic strategy to move forward new models in capacity building and fundraising.
Ashley Z. Hand is a transportation technology strategist fellow at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). She was the first Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Kansas City, Missouri and is a professional architect. She has dedicated her career to community and civic engagement across North America and currently runs a nonprofit, Friends of Hale Cook, dedicated to public education which she co-founded in 2009.
Gunnar Hand is a city and regional planner by profession, an urban school district Board Member by passion, and an all-around community organizer by habit. From starting his own property reinvestment business and launching rail-based transit advocacy nonprofits, to promoting energy alternatives and neighborhood beautification on various Boards or finding ways to spend more time with his growing family, Gunnar is a problem solver.
Emma is a community developer based in Greensboro, NC. In her current role she’s leading the redevelopment of a 45-acre historic textile mill community. Her interests lie in repurposing spaces and creating places — through preservation, development, DIY urbanism, and authentic community engagement.
Joe Hansbauer graduated from the University of Cincinnati with an Electrical Engineering degree and worked for nine years as an Strategy Consultant at Accenture. A serial social entrepreneur, Joe has helped grow or launch several initiates, such as Fall Feast, Paint the Town, Fuel, Lily Pad, and UGIVE.ORG. He is now the President and CEO for Findlay Market, Ohio’s oldest continuously operating public market.
Andrea Hansen Phillips is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia, and the principal of Datum Digital Studio LLC, a boutique interactive design studio focused on building websites, data visualizations, community engagement tools, and interactive maps for urban design projects. Previously, Andrea was a Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and in 2014, she was a Code for America fellow, where she worked with the City of Atlanta to create web-based maps and engagement tools for a billion-dollar infrastructure bond.
Danny Harris is Program Director for San Jose with the Knight Foundation. In his role, he supports the foundation’s strategy and grantmaking in Silicon Valley’s most populous city. Previously, he worked as a refugee aid worker, terrorist financing analyst, DJ, photographer, storyteller, creative director and co-founder of food start-up Feastly.
Darrell Hawks is executive director of Parks at Kimbro Station, an organization dedicated to enhancing and preserving outdoor space in Southeast Nashville for the health, recreation, and cultural enrichment of the community. He puts his business background to work developing and leading innovative programs and social enterprises that serve and empower others.
Gregory Heller is a practitioner and author with over a decade’s experience in social-impact real estate and community development. He is CEO of American Communities Trust (ACT). Greg is also author of Ed Bacon: Planning, Politics and the Building of Modern Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University.
Ben Helphand is the Executive Director of NeighborSpace, a nonprofit land trust in Chicago that holds space for community stewarded gardens. He is also one of the originators of the Bloomingdale Trail a former rail embankment transformed into an elevated park. Originally from Oregon, he holds a degree in the history of religion from the University of Chicago.
Bethany Henderson is a lawyer by training, social entrepreneur by trade, and family woman by choice. Ventures she has launched or helped build include: City Hall Fellows, Grow With Me Tee, GMU Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and The J.M.K. Innovation Prize. She currently leads youth development nonprofit DC SCORES. Bethany and her husband blog together about the ups and downs of their dual-career-with-kids life at Finding Our Best Selves.
William Herbig is Program Director at the Congress for the New Urbanism. Previously, he worked as Deputy Director of the Markle Foundation in Manhattan. Other experience includes his tenure at the National Capital Planning Commission in Washington, DC and serving as Director of Urban Design at Atlanta’s Midtown Alliance. He received his master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Valerie is a transportation planner at the Mid-Region Council of Governments where she provides technical and transportation planning assistance to local governments. She planned and implemented Albuquerque’s pilot bike share, BICI, in partnership with a local nonprofit and is currently planning its expansion. She also plans ABQ’s open streets event, ABQ CiQlovía. She serves on the boards for DowntownABQ MainStreet Initiative, ABQ 2030 District, and the NM Complete Streets Leadership Team.
Yianice Hernandez is Senior Director of Knowledge Impact and Strategy, and directs the execution of strategic priorities to rigorously document the impact of affordable housing on families and communities across the U.S. Yianice also leads Enterprise’s comprehensive multi-year academic research study, “Healthy Home, Happy Kids,” to evaluate the effect of green housing improvements on children’s asthma and the health and well-being of their caregivers.
G. Emmanuel Hernandez has worked in the non-profit sector for the last 8 years providing technical assistance in crime prevention and violence studies to local governments. More recently his work has been focused on the adaptation and implementation of Procedural Justice training and Focused Deterrence of Violence strategies within Mexico City’s Police. Currently, he’s studying for a Master’s degree in Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
Natalia Hernández is a native to the city of Milwaukee who works for Harbor District, Inc., an organization whose mission is to revitalize Milwaukee’s inner harbor. As Outreach Specialist, her role is to inform and engage nearby residents, community members, and other stakeholders in the development of the Harbor District.
Logan is the CEO for REACH Riverside, Kingswood Community Center, and the Warehouse. REACH (Redevelopment, Education, And Community Health) is a holistic revitalization effort in Wilmington, DE, working with nationally acclaimed Purpose Built Communities, to include 600 mixed-income homes, a new Kingswood, and the Warehouse (a collaborative teen center).
Nicole Hudson Hollway is an independent consultant at Because Really LLC, and has spent her career applying digital strategy in industries ranging from Broadway to finance. She is a co-founder of St. Louis for the Love, a group that organizes the love focused on this dynamic and innovative city.
Brandon Holmes has served as the Executive Director of Greater Peoria LISC since the office launched in late 2012. Before arriving in Peoria Brandon served as a Program Officer for Greater Peoria LISC where he served as the lead underwriter and led an array of other community development projects and initiatives.
Lisa Hook works with national and local government officials, as well as civil society and business organizations in Asia to improve environmental governance, urban sustainability, low carbon development and climate change adaptation across 18 countries in Asia, while connecting best practices from her home base in San Francisco.
A third generation Angeleno and proud Spelman College alumna, Gabrielle “Gabie” Horton is an outspoken advocate for urban communities of color. As a Rackham Merit Fellow, she is currently pursuing a Master in Public Policy (MPP.) at the University Michigan – Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Gabrielle is passionate about the intersection of public policy, storytelling and urban communities of color, with her most recent research focused on the juvenile/criminal justice systems and Detroit’s restaurant industry. Prior to graduate school, she worked at the nexus of community organizing and politics, most notably on President Obama’s re-election campaign and inauguration, Cory Booker’s U.S. Senate campaign, and in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Adele leverages her interdisciplinary background as architect, green building consultant, and public health professional to bring a health-based approach to green building design and climate change policy. Her consulting company, Biositu, LLC, uses spatial analysis of community health data to develop actionable recommendations tailored to their social and physical context.
N/A
An urbanist at heart, Landon is originally from Florida but resides in Vancouver, BC, where he is the Director of the Binners’ Project, an organization that fosters social and economic inclusion by empowering binners (those who bin or dumpster-dive). Landon is the former Executive Director of Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association, Canada’s first ‘social innovation BIA,’ and has worked in sustainability and public engagement at Simon Fraser University.
Lou Huang is an urban designer, open source software developer, user interface engineer, recovering architect and professional internet trickster. He is the founder and CEO of Streetmix, a collaborative platform where urban planners and community members design streets and public space together.
Crystal Hudson is a native Brooklynite with over a decade of experience in operations, strategic planning, and marketing and advertising working across the public and private sectors. Currently, she is Chief of Operations to the New York City Council Majority Leader, and oversees land use and development projects.
Lakisha Hull serves as the Development Services Division Manager at the Charlotte Department of Transportation. Lakisha has a dual Master’s degree in Architecture and City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan. She is a certified under AICP and LEED AP BD+C.
Jasmine C. Humphries is a holistic community development specialist helping build communities from the inside-out and outside-in. Her work ranges from teaching yoga, youth leadership development, to urban planning advocacy and education. She is the founder of Voices In the Built Environment(ViBE), Heal ‘n Build, and the Cincinnati chapter of Red Bike & Green.
Theresa Hwang is the Director of Community Design and Planning at the Skid Row Housing Trust, a non-profit permanent supportive housing organization where she was the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow from 2009-2012. Theresa is on the Board of Directors for the Association for Community Design.
Mauricio, a Mexican architect, works at the Municipal Planning Institute (IMPLAN). Through interinstitucional planning and sustainable interventions, he works to accomplish a better city for all while preserving regional heritage and traditions for future generations. As co-director in binational urban labs between Matamoros and Brownsville, he pursues tearing down barriers and promoting a vibrant and competitive region.
Ms. Idemudia, a native from Detroit, holds a Masters of Planning from the USC and an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. She has multiple planning honors, including two APA Los Angeles Awards for her public outreach work with youth. Currently she works as a Planning Assistant with the City of Los Angeles.
Alex Ihnen was born and raised in North Manchester, Indiana. Alex attended Indiana University and earned both a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in public affairs. He has also studied at the University of South Australia in Adelaide and the Universita per Stranieri in Perugia, Italy.
Christine Ingrassia serves as Alderwoman of the 6th Ward in St. Louis, Missouri. She focuses her efforts on issues that are important to her constituents such as government transparency, crime, quality of life, education and development. This year, Christine is implementing the city’s first pilot participatory budgeting project.
Edurne Irizarry is a Program Officer with the Philadelphia Foundation and has 20 years of experience working in the Philadelphia nonprofit sector. As a PO, Edurne manages all aspects of the Fund for Children, and is assigned the coordination and management of special projects and capacity building initiatives.
Steven is a local elected official in Caddo Parish, Louisiana and Community Healthcare Coordinator for a private community clinic. He is most passionate about creating sustainable policies that improve the socioeconomic plight of working and low-income individuals. Steven is a community health coordinator at David Raines Community Health Centers where he focuses on connecting uninsured and underserved populations to affordable primary care services. Most recently, Steven announced his bid to be mayor of his hometown Shreveport, La (www.electstevenjackson.com).
Ronda Jackson is the Vice President of City Partnerships at KaBOOM! where she builds partnerships with city governments to increase access to play for kids living in poverty. Prior to KaBOOM!, Ronda was at Living Cities where she worked with city leaders to improve the economic well-being of low-income people.
Jerrianne works to cultivate and build relationships within Interise’s vast network of small businesses, instructors, program managers, alumni and anchor institutions to increase mission impact. She believes in the spirit of entrepreneurship and is a strong supporter of creating vibrant and energized small business ecosystems.
Garrett is the Executive Director of the Open Architecture Collaborative and the Development and Operations Manager for Designing Justice Designing Spaces. He previously worked with Code for America coordinating the Peer Network and Fellowship programs. Trained as an architect in post Katrina New Orleans, Garrett strives to understand the holistic implications of design decisions and how our built environment comes together.
Kiran Jain is in the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, focused on innovation and civic design through her real estate, technology and municipal law practice. She served on the League of California Cities’ Municipal Law Institute and designed the first Kiva Zip/City Trustee partnership to crowdfund local economic development.
Laura is an urban planner with ten years of experience in development and activation of urban open space. She is currently the Executive Director of the Charles River Conservancy and previously held the positions of Associate Director of the Boston Waterfront Initiative for The Trustees of Reservations and the Director of Programs and Planning for the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.
Mojan is an urban planner and public engagement specialist driven to find opportunities where planning can support cultural development. She designs and facilitates participatory workshops, and is passionate about the intersection between psychology and built form. Prior to the City of Mississauga, Mojan directed large-scale public art installations in Toronto.
Allison is the chief of staff and policy director for Sacramento City Councilmember Jay Schenirer, and has professional experience in real estate development, public finance, economic development and housing. Previously, Allison worked as an appointee to Governor Jerry Brown as a deputy director for the California Strategic Growth Council, where she spearheaded the state’s climate investment programs around local affordable housing, transportation and community-focused technical assistance priorities. A lifelong Sacramentan, she is a fan of community arts, bikes and tacos.
Milicent Johnson is Director of Partnerships and Community at Peers. She comes to Peers after co-founding Bayshare, an advocacy group dedicated to building a thriving environment for the sharing economy in San Francisco, and several years as community manager for Shareable Magazine.
Maeghan Jones has held various management and leadership positions, including director of a statewide program for homeless and runaway youth, executive director of a private family foundation and a nonprofit management consultant. Maeghan has also worked as a public interest attorney assisting low-income clients to secure basic rights and services.
Chané Jones is an Associate Counsel for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice where she advances the organization’s Civic Engagement pillar through advocacy for its rights restoration initiative, and through holistic research & policy prescription geared towards revitalizing the South Ward of Newark. Chané is a lifelong resident of the City of Newark and holds a Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University.
Blaze designs at the intersection of cities, people and nature. At Openbox he uses design to reimagine community engagement in urban development. He’s a Cornell graduate, senior fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program and was named one of “100 most influential urbanists you don’t know about, but should” by IOBY.
David Jurca is the Associate Director at Kent State University’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC), where his work integrates professional practice, applied research, and teaching. In 2013, David launched COLDSCAPES.org, a multileveled initiative to spur creative engagement and livability in winter cities. He also co-founded Design Diversity, an initiative to promote people of color in architecture and design professions in Northeast Ohio.
Earl Kaing is a transportation planner with the San Francisco MTA, where he works to improve the walking, waiting, and riding experience for transit customers. In a past life, he was a management consultant with Accenture. Earl holds degrees from UCLA (graduate), and the University of California, Berkeley (undergraduate).
Allie serves as a Community Engagement Program Coordinator at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful where she works with neighborhoods and communities across the city to help people and nature thrive. She works to ensure that community needs are being heard and met, while creating a greener and more sustainable city. Her work experience is in local and state government, policy analysis, non-profit and strategic planning.
Sarah M. Kaufman is Digital Manager at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, where she researches, advocates for and educates about cutting-edge technologies in transportation. She focuses on open data and intelligent planning in urban transportation systems. Ms. Kaufman joined NYU Wagner after nearly five years at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where she created the open data program.
Molly Rose Kaufman is the cofounder of the University of Orange, a free people’s urbanism school. Her writing has appeared in YES! Magazine, Kinfolk and the New York Times. She has an MS in journalism from Columbia University and was a 2016 Civic Liberal Arts Fellow at the New School.
Michael Kaufmann splits his time between cultural economic development work for Indy Chamber, and Health & Hospital Corporation in his role as director of special projects and civic investment. He has spent the last four years supporting art and design, and livability initiatives for Eskenazi Health. He also currently manages Son Lux.
Erin Kelly is the Blue and Green Infrastructure Program Manager at Detroit Future City’s (DFC) Implementation Office. Prior to joining DFC, Erin was a Detroit Revitalization Fellow at NextEnergy, where she managed a range of projects occurring between the public, private and nonprofit sectors in southeast Michigan, each aimed at creating value from vacant buildings and structure-free land.
Matthew’s is the co-owner of Studio North, an emerging design + build practice (www.studionorth.ca). His ambitious nature as a designer, artist, and maker has driven him to realize projects of a variety of scales across Canada. His process of designing and making facilitate a logical process of composing ideas into built works.
Naria is Senior Planning Coordinator at KDI. She partners with policymakers and residents in underserved communities to establish resident-led land use through planning and design strategies. Naria holds a BS in Public Policy and Planning from the University of Oregon and an MA in Urban Planning from UCLA.
Phil Kidd is the associate director of Youngstown CityScape, a non-profit dedicated to the improvement of the greater downtown Youngstown, Ohio area. He is also the owner of Youngstown Nation, a gift shop and information center also located in downtown, and author of Defend Youngstown, a blog summarizing community development news in the city.
Aaron Kimberlin holds a B.S. in Design from ASU and an M.A. in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. Currently, as Assistant Director of Community Engagement with ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning, he is committed to redeveloping the Phoenix Metro Area and to promoting continued education through workshops and outreach events.
Cecily is a real estate developer and consultant returning to her native NJ after several years in Detroit. She is passionate about real estate because it is something that touches everyone’s lives. Cecily earned her MS in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and holds degrees from Lehigh and Princeton.
Dan Kinkead is an architect and urban designer. He serves as the Director of Projects for the Detroit Future City Implementation Office. Dan is also a writer, contributing to a forthcoming urban research book by Carnegie-Mellon University regarding the transformation of post-industrial cities. Currently Dan is collaborating with the World Bank to graphically convey ongoing research regarding rapid urbanization in East Asia, South Asia, and Africa.
Derek Kitchen is a Council Member in Salt Lake City. He is using collaboration and collective impact to help direct sustained solutions to the complicated urban problems of homelessness & affordable housing, transportation & connectivity, and urban development. He operates two small businesses, and views economic development as a tool to help drive social justice.
Chris Ko serves as the Director of Systems and Innovations for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. In this role he executes the collective impact work of Home For Good and works across its leadership network to eliminate systematic barriers and innovate long-term solutions to homelessness. Previously, Chris oversaw the development and operation of the Coordinated Entry System, which works to scale more broadly in his present position.
Cailean Kok works on the Healthy Places Program and the Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking at Project for Public Spaces applying her passion for transforming the built environment to improve physical and mental health outcomes. Cailean is active locally in Newark, NJ with bicycle advocacy, mentoring, and supporting local arts.
Melissa Konur is the Planning Director at Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
Andrew is the principal of Good Done Daily, a graphic design and strategy studio that works with mission-driven organizations and community impact programs throughout Southeast Michigan. For 14 years, his efforts have helped dozens of established and grass-roots leaders build movements, tell stories, and rally for social change.
Ali is an architect with over 15 years of experience in architecture, urban design, and community engagement projects. She focuses on housing and mixed use developments with a specialization in historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects. Ali uses place making at all scales as catalytic opportunities for underutilized urban infrastructure.
Micah Kotch serves as the Managing Director for Urban-X: an accelerator by MINI and SOSV that makes equity investments in early-stage startups shaping the future of cities through technology, passion and design. Headquartered within A/D/O in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Urban-X is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs turn compelling ideas into viable solutions for urban life. Micah previously served as the Director of NY Prize and Strategic Adviser for Innovation at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), where was responsible for the design and execution of the nation’s first community microgrid competition and worked to transform the electric utility business model and help commercialize new clean energy technology.
Kindy is an experienced urban planner focused on building quality of life programs that ensure access, equity and excellence in government including workforce development, land use, open space and sustainability. Kindy recently launched an Apprenticeship Navigator program for a 10-county region in northeast Illinois to connect employers, education institutions and job seekers with resources to ensure access to high-skilled, high-paying jobs.
Natalia is a practicing architect in Sydney with a keen interest in designing community oriented spaces. She has been involved in advocating for child-friendly cities since graduating from Monash University in Melbourne, engaging in a range of place-making initiatives around the world with a focus on play.
Karen Kubey is a New York-based architectural designer, educator, and writer, specializing in housing. A Board Member at the Institute for Public Architecture, Kubey began her career in affordable housing design. She co-founded both the Architecture for Humanity New York chapter and New Housing New York, the city’s first design competition for sustainable and affordable housing.
Laura Kushnick returned to Cleveland in September of 2007, and is devoted to its resurgence as a vibrant, dynamic urban center. She is passionate about the visual arts and hopes to see them continue to flourish in Cleveland.
Grace Kyung is a Project Manager at Urban Strategies, Inc., an organization committed to using place-based strategies and local resources to capitalize on the inherent strengths of the community to ensure all children and families will be stable and thriving. She is passionate about developing and supporting community-based partnerships that work to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in community planning. She works in East St. Louis and is developing a Transformation Plan for a HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning Project.
Vanessa Leon is founder and CEO of Pinchina, a women-led international urban planning firm. Ms. Leon was inducted into the Haitian Roundtable as one of 2015’s “Top 5 to Watch” among Haitian-Americans and is pursuing a doctorate in public and urban policy at the New School in New York City.
Aaron Lande is currently with STAR Communities, a non-profit organization advancing a national framework to evaluate and certify sustainable communities in North America. Aaron works with communities, introducing them to the STAR Rating System and assisting them through the certification process. He also manages the STAR Affiliates program.
Rani Langer-Croager founded Uptima Business Bootcamp to address the challenges of traditional entrepreneurship programs in providing rigorous and culturally relevant education and mentorship to diverse entrepreneurs. Rani draws on 20+ years experience advising organizations on strategic planning and capital raising to develop innovative models for entrepreneurship training and financing programs.
Stephen Larrick, an urbanist and city planner turned open government advocate, is Open Data Project Lead for the Sunlight Foundation in Washington, DC where he works with mid-sized American cities to encourage the adoption open data policies as part of the Bloomberg-funded “What Works Cities” initiative.
Guillaume Lavoie is a City Councillor in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Elected in 2013, he is the official opposition’s spokesperson for finance, government relations and international relations. He is also Vice President of the Finance and Administration Committee at City Hall. Before entering politics, Guillaume Lavoie worked in public diplomacy, public policies and international relations.
As President and CEO of Jubilee Park & Community Center, Ben leverages his expertise in policy, program development, and team-building to improve lives and strengthen community in Southeast Dallas. Under Ben’s leadership, Jubilee and its neighbors have built a national model in safety, health, housing, education, and opportunity programs.
As a FIRE alum, Maxwell spends his days pursuing wide-ranging interests including urban advocacy and sustainability. With a professional background that spans the music, nonprofit and real estate industries, Maxwell is particularly passionate about discovering artistic and startup communities in cities across the globe, as well as access to affordable housing and transportation.
Bryan Lee, Jr. is an architectural designer, artist, writer and devoted advocate for social justice through design. Throughout his professional career, Bryan has been dedicated to promoting diversity within the profession and relentless in his efforts to elevate the design process as an effective catalyst for community change. He is currently the Place & Civic Design Director for the Arts Council of New Orleans.
Sam Leichtling is the City Planning Manager for the City of Milwaukee’s Department of City Development. Sam is a Milwaukee native who has worked at the City of Milwaukee for more than a decade and served in leadership roles in strategic and neighborhood planning and affordable housing development.
Tim Leisman is an organizer with Code for Greensboro and a civic entrepreneur focused on building new systems of engagement and community sustainability. He is a civic tech enthusiast, designer of equitable learning solutions, community organizer, and graduate of Guilford College and UNC Greensboro’s MPA program.
Laurent Levesque cofounded and coordinates UTILE, a nonprofit business developing self-financed, affordable student housing. He is also a radio columnist on economics and Chair of the youth wing of the social economy movement. He is an organizer of Transformer Montréal, a conference on democratizing the economy. He has studied urban planning, urban economic development and management.
Quardean Lewis-Allen is Founder and Director of Made in Brownsville, a social venture creating jobs for residents in Brownsville in creative services and increasing youth access to fields in design and technology. MiB works at the intersection of design and community development to serve as a model for resident led change.
Lora Lillard is an urban designer with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS). She joined BPS’s Urban Design Studio in 2005, where she works with communities to explore design issues and opportunities that create better places for people. Lora has served as a guest speaker and design critic for the University of Oregon and Portland State University.
Never Miss A StoryDownload our app