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Daniel Miller is the Co-Founder & President of Fundrise, the first and largest real estate crowdfunding platform. Fundrise allows individuals to invest directly into commercial and multifamily properties. Daniel is a Managing Partner of WestMill Capital Partners, a real estate development company focused on urban infill development in the Mid-Atlantic.
Bethany Miller is a program officer for The Kresge Foundation’s Education Program which aims to increase college attainment in cities. Previously, she led evaluation at the Helios Education Foundation and held positions with MDRC and The American Council on Education. She has an MPA from Princeton University and a BA from Smith College.
Amanda is an experienced program manager and licensed architect committed to equitable communities who works on the curation and design of spaces for convening, shared learning and connection. Amanda’s architectural experience directly informs her current work through a deepened understanding of the impact of the built environment on lived experience.
Alexandra Mills is a proud former public school educator passionate about uplifting low-income communities of color. She is committed to serving the extraordinary city of Baltimore and works in partnership with schools and leaders across nonprofit and business to develop and implement initiatives that promote purposeful community and economic development.
Alice Mizrachi is a New York based interdisciplinary artist and educator. Her work explores the interconnectedness of community through the lens of compassion and empathy. She has been commissioned as a mural and installation artist by nonprofits and private clients globally, and her paintings have been featured in galleries and museums.
Sarina Mohan is the Director of Education and Outreach at the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. She earned a Master of City and Regional Planning degree with a focus on Community Development from Rutgers University and has been working in the field of historic preservation for over a decade.
Sara Mokuria is a Senior Research Associate with The Institute for Urban Policy Research at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she brings high-level experience in project management, program design and community engagement, combined with lifelong passions for justice, equity, and arts and culture.
I was born in Medellín-Colombia in 1987. I studied architecture at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana where I also finished my master’s degree in architecture, criticism and project. Since 2011 I have been a member of the collective NN Project and have participated in projects related to local cultural circulation, ephemeral architecture and urban activism.
Titus Moolathara is a Branch Manager at the Free Library of Philadelphia. He initiated the Free Library’s Prison & Reentry Services program that reaches out to incarcerated patrons, their children and families. He is passionate about engaging this vulnerable population with their neighborhood libraries to provide them with a range of critical programs and services based on the wealth of the neighborhood library resources.
Myeta Moon is a native Washingtonian, lover of cities big and small, and current Director of City Initiatives at KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to ensuring that all kids get the balanced and active play needed to thrive. Most of her career has been spent in nonprofits and government with a focus on public health and equity in urban environments.
Justin Garrett Moore, AICP is a Senior Urban Designer for the NYC Department of City Planning where he has over a decade of experience in transformative urban development projects at various scales. He co-founded Urban Patch, a social enterprise that focuses on neighborhood revitalization. He also serves on the boards of Mary Miss / City as Living Laboratory and ioby (In Our Back Yards).
David Thomas Moran is a freelance writer, geosocial photographer, mobile game designer and digital media artist. His creative work mostly focuses on public, street life, pedestrianism and community mobility throughout the Orlando metropolitan region. David is also the Operations Director for the Transit Interpretation Project (TrIP).
Carlos Moreno is a graphic designer, community volunteer, entrepreneur, civic technologist, and a magic-bean buyer. Carlos is the in-house graphic designer at CAP Tulsa, the largest anti-poverty agency in Oklahoma. An advocate for social justice and participatory government, he serves on the board of Smart Growth Tulsa, and is the Co-Captain of Tulsa’s Code for America brigade. He also serves on the advisory board of the City of Tulsa’s Office of Performance Strategy and Innovation.
Social entrepreneur – Executive Director at MR-63/Station F-MR, Director at Artbangbang, Canadian G20 YEA Delegate.
After living for 4 year in Australia, Japan and China, Frederic learnt Japanese and Mandarin. With his brother, he started, MR-63, a 3 stories green building project that reuse the heritage Montreal metro trains to create an iconic building dedicated to local culture.
Kristen Mozian’s passion for helping microbusinesses began as an Americorps VISTA Volunteer in Oregon and grew through her work at Small Business Development Centers. Now as Director of Community at Makerhoods, she is creating a holistic approach to helping microbusiness owners grow their income and generate wealth.
Kasi has cultivated a career focused on activating people, activating spaces, and activating change. She practices landscape architecture to work with communities to build healthy neighborhoods and gathering places that inetgrate art, play and nature. She is passionate about shifting current development practices to be more equitable and resilient.
Kevin Musselman has worked on a diverse range of community development efforts throughout Philadelphia since 2006. He currently serves as a grant writer and project manager at People’s Emergency Center, overseeing a $1.5 million budget for a community development corporation located within the federally designated West Philadelphia Promise Zone.
Jenga Mwendo serves as Deputy Director of Crescent City Community Land Trust, securing permanently affordable housing and commercial development in New Orleans. She is also the founder of Backyard Gardeners Network and has worked since 2007 to strengthen the Lower 9th Ward and the larger Black community of New Orleans.
Aditi is a design consultant and urbanist with background architecture and planning. Aditi addresses
critical design related urban challenges for sustainable innovation. Aditi has advanced applied research capabilities with experience in designing tools to co-create people-based solutions embedded in social justice, inclusion, diversity, and economic equity.
Claire Napawan is an architect, landscape architect, urban designer, and academic who has designed and studied urban environments throughout the world for the past 10 years. She believes urban resilience requires social resilience and that designers and decision makers need to explore new techniques for integrating urban communities with their built environments.
Thor Nelson is an urban designer with the D.C. Office of Planning whose work focuses on making cities more livable places though streetscape and public space design, park planning and public space design review. He is also an active civic leader serving as a past president of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation, where he focused on developing architectural education and scholarship programs for disadvantaged students.
Alyssa is an urban design planner for the City of Salisbury, North Carolina. She works on long range community design projects to improve the quality of life and vibrancy of Salisbury, including the City’s annual BlockWork program, sculpture show, and various placemaking projects. Alyssa holds a Masters in Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design from UNC Charlotte and a Bachelor of Art from Franklin Pierce University.
Stanley Neron is an experienced motivational speaker, human service and social service advocate. Stan holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and collateral in Africana studies from Kean University. Stan is currently elected as a school board member of the Elizabeth Public Schools.
Rory Neuner is the Principal of R. Neuner Consulting and oversees all client relations and manages the firm’s current projects and overall strategic direction. Rory’s current portfolio includes work with the MI Air MI Health Coalition to improve outdoor air quality, curb climate change, and raise awareness of the negative health impacts caused by dirty air.
Kristina Newman-Scott, Director of Marketing, Events and Cultural Affairs (MECA) for the City of Hartford, Connecticut, has created artistic and cultural programming that is inclusive of the city’s many diverse communities. Ms. Newman-Scott was a popular television personality and visual artist in Jamaica, where she was born and raised and became a citizen of this country in 2009.
Mallory Rukhsana Nezam is a cross-sector cultural strategist and artist who loves cities and believes that we have the tools to make them more just and joyful. She engages stakeholders across sectors to de-silo the way we run cities and build new models of creative, interdisciplinary collaboration.
Minh Nguyen left the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office in early 2014 to launch the GO Project where he worked in startup ecosystems. Later that year, he was awarded the Fulbright fellowship and, currently, is researching Chinese Jamaican entrepreneurship. While in Jamaica, he started the Startup Jam workshop series, focusing on building habits of entrepreneurial thinking.
As Director of Special Projects at the Democracy at Work Institute, Anh-Thu leads market development initiatives and innovations for worker cooperative creation, scale and growth. Her previous work over the past decade has encompassed international human rights, social enterprise, and sustainable fashion.
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Originally from Puerto Rico, Luis holds an MRP from Cornell University. As the Council’s Economic Development Manager, he assists jurisdictions located within an eight-county region. His professional and community work has been recognized by the Wallace Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters Central of Florida, ULI, NADO, and Leadership Florida.
La-Toya most recently served as Senior Program Manager of Capacity Building with the NYCSBS Neighborhood Development Division, where she oversaw over 30 economic development projects that helped community-based organizations (CBOs) identify and develop solutions to internal and external challenges to growth for CBOs and the communities they serve.
Ivan Niño was born in El Paso, Texas. Currently, is a member of the TxDMV Title and Registration Division board, City of El Paso Museum and Cultural affairs board, Public Art committee, El Paso County Democratic Party, State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division, and the Texas Court Administration.
Simran Noor conducts policy research and analysis, cultivates and maintains relationships with grassroots and national allies and works closely with the data-based research team for advocacy strategy and tool development. Simran holds a dual bachelor’s degree in American Studies and Political Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a dual master’s degree in Public Administration and Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.
Neba Noyan is an expert in data mining and analysis, spatial and statistical modeling, and data visualization and infographics. She applies her expertise toward translating complex problems in cities into compelling narratives that appeal to a range of audiences, and serve as means for action.
Layqa Nuna Yawar is a migrant artist, muralist and educator born in Ecuador and based out of Newark, USA. His murals, paintings and projects question injustice, racism and xenophobia, while celebrating cross-cultural identity and migration in order to amplify the silenced narratives of people of color around the world.
John O’Callaghan is the Director of JOC Consulting, a creative urban planning practice. He is also the Chair of Brand X, a not for profit arts organisation filling vacant spaces with independent artists and Editor of Trending City, a collaborative blogging platform highlighting great city making projects across the globe.
Ceara O’Leary, AIA, is a Co-Executive Director at the Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC), where she leads collaborative community design and planning projects citywide alongside neighborhood partners and with a focus on community engagement. She is also a Professor of Practice at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture, teaching public interest design and community development courses. Ceara’s professional work, teaching, research and speaking focus on inclusive design of community spaces, ranging from building renovations and open space design to neighborhood plans and citywide infrastructure strategy. Ceara joined the DCDC in 2012 as an Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow and is the Immediate Past Chair of the AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community Advisory Group. In 2015 Ceara was named a “Top Urban Innovator” by Next City Vanguard and completed a fellowship with the ULI Larsen Center for Leadership. Previously, Ceara worked with bcWORKSHOP in the Lower Rio Grade Valley and the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio in Biloxi, Mississippi. Ceara graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with Masters degrees in Architecture and City & Regional Planning and she earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University.
As Managing Director at the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale, and Partner at Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Onyeka Obiocha organizes resources to build inclusive, vibrant innovation ecosystems in the New Haven and Hartford communities. Onyeka is committed to fostering liberation through entrepreneurship and community development.
Chelina Odbert is co-founder and Executive Director of the award-winning design and community development firm, Kounkuey Design Initiative. She leads urban and rural development projects in underserved communities throughout Africa and the US. Her research, writing, and practice focus on the intersection of participatory planning and design, and economic development. Chelina holds an MA in Urban Planning from Harvard University.
Liz Ogbu is a designer and social change agent and an expert on social and spatial innovation in challenged urban environments. Through her multidisciplinary consulting practice, Studio O, and courses she teaches at UC Berkeley and Stanford’s d.school, she collaborates with communities to use design to tackle wicked social problems. Previously, she was Innovator-in-Residence at IDEO.org and Design Director at Public Architecture.
Liz Okeke-Von Batten is Founder of Context Ventures, an advisory and project management firm that specializes in helping municipalities, nonprofit organizations, corporate and community-based philanthropies and developers initiate, cultivate, and implement sustainable projects and programs that support cities and their communities.
Victoria is an urban planner and researcher based in Accra, Ghana. As Urban Advocacy Specialist with the research-action network Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO), Victoria specializes in inclusive public space design, access and informal economy work. She’s also the founder of African Urbanism, which leverages research, planning and engagement to document, revision and revitalize community public spaces.
Kerry Orji is a 1st generation Nigerian-American graduate of The University of Alabama and Drexel University. Kerry spearheads Supply Chain & Logistics process improvement for Anheuser-Busch. Concurrently, Kerry is an active part-time realtor specializing in residential and commercial property acquisitions.
Prince is an experienced economic development policy researcher and advocate. Prince specializes in small business development, financial services, and community development policy. He is a collaborative team player with expertise in cross-sector coalition management, mixed-methods research, and policy analysis. Prince holds a Master’s in City & Regional Planning from UCLA.
With a background in urban planning and project management, Munguntuya is committed to building more inclusive and just urban spaces for everyone. She currently serves as the Executive Director at Climate Campaign NGO and holds an MA in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Andy Palanisamy is a transportation engineer who specializes in the intersection of advanced complex transportation technologies, communications and public policy. He is a key member of the team that supports USDOT Connected Vehicle program. Andy holds a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering and is currently pursuing a mid-career Master Degree in Public Administration at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Chrishelle Palay is the Houston Co-Director at Texas Low Income Housing Information Service, where she provides fair housing policy expertise to local community organizations. She facilitates dialogue between various interests to address ongoing concerns in historically underserved communities. Chrishelle holds a Bachelors of Architecture from Prairie View A&M University and practiced architecture for 10 years prior to becoming a housing advocate.
Jenny Park is Strategic Capital Planner for the City of Chattanooga. With a B.A. in Anthropology and a Master of Public Administration, Jenny works across departments to plan short- and long-term City investments in infrastructure and technology. Jenny is a 2014 Vanguard, a member of the Code for America Peer Network, and on the Board of Directors for Adventure Cycling Association.
As Stantec’s behavioral health planner, Stephen is a proponent of “architect as advocate” for colleague, client, and community alike, and he believes strongly in leadership through service. Conducting design research and developing best practices in collaboration with stakeholders helps drive positive patient outcomes and advance behavioral health treatment through design.
Nydia has held various roles in government, consulting, and advocacy focused on financing affordable housing for low-income families or working with housing providers to improve the quality of their services and the housing they provide. She is passionate about transforming formerly redlined neighborhoods and serving the families who live in them.
Bhavini Patel is the CEO and co-founder of beamdata, which merges data science with social issues to build accessible data tools for community-level organizations. She also volunteers her time on the Boards of several nonprofits including the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh and Civically Inc, a Wilkinsburg-based nonprofit dedicated to community development. As a Pittsburgh native, Bhavini serves as the Vice Chair of the Edgewood Democratic Committee.
She graduated from the University of Oxford as a Rotary Global Grant Scholar and was recognized as 30 Under 30 by the Pittsburgh Business Times and The Incline’s Who’s Next: Politics 2018.
Chris is an Urbanist at Ethos Urban (Sydney, Australia). His recent experience includes complex State Significant projects with a focus on transport infrastructure and precinct renewal. Chris has previous experience as a placemaking consultant and has an interest in key drivers that influence cities through government policy and economic development.
Gus is a firefighter/paramedic with Albuquerque Fire Rescue and is studying statistics at the University of New Mexico. Before joining his local 9-1-1 system, Gus worked at the Santa Fe Institute and Lavendr the Agency. In his free time, Gus works on civic literacy and garage science projects.
Paul Perry is the Executive Director of COLAGE, the only national organization that represents the over 6 million youth with LGBTQ+ parents in the US. He has previously worked as a teacher, school leader, and nonprofit executive in various school districts and educational organizations.
Kelli Peterman is a graduate planning student focusing on community planning, design, and mental health. Currently a specialist at the NYC DOHMH, Kelli contributes to several initiatives, including Mental Health by Design, youth peer advocacy, and suicide prevention. She is in her first year at Pratt GCPE.
Harold Pettigrew is CFED’s Entrepreneurship Director where he leads national efforts to advance policies and programs that increase financial capability, financial security and business success for low- and moderate income self-employed individuals and microbusinesses. In 2013, Harold was recipient of the “40 Under 40” Award in the Economic Development Industry.
Tara is founder and CEO of CTY, an urban data company. Prior to civic technology, Tara had previously worked in public health/urban design research, music media, and arts administration. She is also an organizer of Sloup, a monthly soup dinner that crowdfunds grassroots creative projects, one bowl of soup at a time.
Rasheedah Phillips, Esq. is Managing Attorney of the Housing Unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. A recipient of the 2017 NHLP Housing Justice Award and 2017 City & State PA 40 under 40 Rising Star award, Rasheedah is also the co-creator of The AfroFuturist Affair and Community Futures Lab projects.
Clare is a passionate and enthusiastic urban planner who is excited about the opportunities available in Christchurch post earthquake. Clare is a wonderful connector and networker in Christchurch for owners, developers and community groups who are keen to positively contribute to the recovery and regeneration of Christchurch.
Maria Poblet is the executive director of CausaJusta::JustCause, an organization that fosters racial equity by uniting working-class African- American and Latino communities. CJJC initiatives improve economic development and commit to longtime resident engagement.
Max is the founder and director of Brick + Board, a Baltimore-based non-profit that uses the salvage industry as a means towards creating green-collar jobs for people with barriers to employment.
Samantha currently serves as the Community Engagement Advisor and Outreach Manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Previously, she worked in the Mayor’s Policy Office for the City of Philadelphia. Through the lens of a practitioner, Samantha offers a blend of theory and practice in policy and community development, and she is passionate about applying a racial equity lens to this work.
Eli Pousson has worked as a preservation advocate for over five years. He has pushed for transit-oriented development in historic neighborhoods, created smartphone apps for local history, and organized an annual unconference. Outside of work, Eli leads regular bike rides for local kids and families and volunteers to help maintain a local playground.
James is an editor and producer. He leads strategy and partnerships for Trinity Arts. He was Arts Editor at The Tenth, a global independent media company that documents the history and aesthetics of the African diaspora through an LGBTQ lens. He is based between Richmond, VA and the Hudson, NY.
Jonathan Quarles is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and global citizen diplomat. As Founder and CEO of the BTL Group, Jonathan has helped transform organizations in the private and public sector by elevating their financial and social impact. One of country’s most well-known connectors, he has developed and managed strategic partnerships for multi-billion dollar corporations and social impact organizations alike, while also positioning them for sustainable growth.
Kevin Quinlan is a passionate city builder. He has worked for six years in the Mayor’s Office, developing and implementing policy on issues ranging from affordable housing to climate change. Born and raised on BC’s west coast, Kevin holds a BA in political science from UBC, as well as a Master of Urban Studies from Simon Fraser University, specializing in community economic development and social capital
Laura enjoys learning about the built environment, and the people that make up those places. Some spaces can be harmful and for that reason she support efforts of organizations that are working towards celebrating the intersectionality of community identities that work towards creating spaces that are radically inclusive.
Matt Rader is an experienced strategic leader and change agent with deep roots in management consulting, real estate, city government, non-profit sector, and historic preservation. These diverse experiences drive an inter-disciplinary, creative approach to solving tough problems. He brings diverse experience addressing land use, historic preservation, urban park, and transit-oriented development issues.
Afif Rahman is the Chief Operating Officer of NuWatt Energy, a leading solar power provider in the US. He is a firm advocate of complementing civic and political efforts with capital mobilization, asset ownership, and enterprise growth in underserved communities to bridge longstanding opportunity gaps and catalyze greater social equity. Afif is also the founder of KnowCap, an investment research firm and digital media platform exploring strategic solutions to issues at the intersection economics, finance, and impact.
Ganesh Ramachandran is an urban designer, planner and photographer, working at the intersection of planning, architecture, city-building, and design communication. As an urban designer, he has led award-winning planning efforts, and facilitated community driven problem-solving exercises in more than 30 cities across the United States, India, China and the Middle East. Ganesh is currently a Senior Regional Planner overseeing capital planning initiatives for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ganesh holds degrees in architecture and urban design from the National Institute of Technology, India and the University of California at Berkeley.
Mary Quinn Ramer is President of VisitLEX, where she oversees all administrative, marketing and convention activities for Lexington, KY. Ramer has leveraged 20 years of tourism, marketing communications, and event planning experience to raise Lexington’s national profile while celebrating forgotten histories and telling untold stories.
Dave Rand knows good food. He has ranched grassfed beef in Illinois, farmed organic heirloom grain in Washington, worked in the commercial Salmon industry in Bristol Bay, Alaska, and managed over 35 Farmers Markets for the City of Chicago.
Dave is currently a founding partner at Local Foods, Chicago’s first and only retailer/wholesaler of exclusively local, farm-direct products from the Midwest’s best producers. Visit their beautiful store featuring a butcher shop and a farm-to-table cafe next time you’re in Chicago. www.LocalFoods.com
Jasmine Rangel conducts research, builds resources, and supports community leaders, organizers, and policymakers across the nation to create a more just and equitable housing system. Jasmine holds a master of public policy from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.
Scott Rasmussen focuses on telecommunications policy as it intersects with equity and access. After years of policy work on Capitol Hill, he is working with NYC Mesh, an open, neutral, and resilient community network aiming to make a home or business Internet connection accessible and affordable to all New Yorkers.
Charles Rath is the President and CEO of Resilient Solutions 21, the world’s first holistic resilience consulting consortium. RS 21 integrates the best minds from multiple disciplines to help cities, businesses, and the developing world create imaginative solutions to thrive in the face of shocks and stresses from the 21st century.
Sarah Ray is a manager in McKinsey & Company’s Washington, D.C., office. She advises public, social, and private sector organizations on strategy, operations, and delivery in developed and emerging markets, including the U.S., Europe, Balkans, and Caribbean. She has experience across all levels of government, on topics including economic development, innovation, infrastructure, transportation, housing, and health care.
Britt Redd is a certified city planner who is committed to ensuring neighbors have power and influence over the places they value and the decisions that affect them. Britt has collaborated with neighbors on regional and neighborhood plans, public space designs, and economic development strategies.
Prerana Reddy is the Director of Public Programs & Community Engagement for the Queens Museum. She organizes screening, talks, festivals, and performances, many in collaboration with local community organizations. Her community engagement initiatives combine arts and culture with organizing around development and public space issues in nearby neighborhoods.
At the Philadelphia Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health, Julia Reeves leads public health campaigns, advises the coordination of the Philadelphia FIMR team, and supervises a fatherhood resources awareness initiative. She is passionate about health justice and strives to promote equitable access to quality health experiences for all families.
Quilian Riano is a designer, researcher, writer, and educator working out of Brooklyn, New York. Quilian founded DSGN AGNC, a collaborative design/research studio exploring political engagement through architecture, urbanism, art & activism. Quilian is also the Director of Strategy and Research at NYDesigns, a design residency, fabrication and urban research program of the City University of New York (CUNY).
Ryan works for the City of Richmond in Parks and Recreation. His career has spanned from organizing to planning and community design to government. He has degrees in Political Science and Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Richmond and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from VCU.
Kathy Risko currently services at the Chief of External Affairs at Adagio Health. In her position, she provides leadership, direction and oversight in the implementation of Adagio Health’s strategic plan focusing on positioning the organization for sustainability and future growth. She develops and implements Adagio Health’s policy and advocacy agenda to preserve and expand access to quality healthcare for women and their families in Western Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Adagio Health, Kathy served as founding Executive Director of the Congress of Neighboring Communities (CONNECT). Kathy was charged with building the organization, whose mission is to bring together the City of Pittsburgh and surrounding municipalities to identify common public policy challenges and advocates for collective change on behalf of Allegheny County’s urban core. Kathy holds a Master of Public Policy and Management (with a concentration in Nonprofit Management) from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently running to be a member of Wikinsburg Borough Council and has served on multiple boards and commissions.
Bethany Ritz is the digital editor and researcher for the Global Oneness Project. Formerly the associate director for Climate Resolve, where she developed C-CHANGE.LA. She received a degree in Writing and Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
artist in residence _housebarn
fabricator partsfab
advocate @publicspaceeast
formerly globalhealthcorps harvardgsd
Studied architecture in Puerto Rico and USA but obtained her PhD in Barcelona. Is the author of a book about participatory processes in the design and construction of collective housing. Works with participatory design and placemaking with the collective “Taller Creando Sin Encargos”, students of architecture and communities in Puerto Rico.
Johnica Rivers is a writer, editor, and curator currently exploring creative projects in-residence at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. While at CDS, she is taking a deep dive into the peripatetic life of visual artist Elizabeth Catlett and the tradition of Black women’s travel. When she’s not in the stacks at Duke, she lives and works itinerantly between Los Angeles and her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.
Colin Robertson is the director of communications and strategy for The Don Clark Group, an architect-led impact (re)development company in Reno, Nevada. He leads communications efforts related to academic and policy-based conversations and defines the company’s triple bottom line-oriented impact strategies. Colin was formerly the Curator of Education at the Nevada Museum of Art, and 2015 Vanguard Conference host committee member.
Dominic Robinson is the Director of Prospect Hill Development, MDA, Syracuse, NY, Metropolitan Development Association.
Ranada Robinson is the Research Manager at Market Street Services and has led research for economic development strategy processes across the nation, including in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. She is a community advocate, spending much of her free time as Vice President of The Twenty Pearls Foundation, Inc., which gives scholarships to graduating students in South Fulton County and sponsors several community projects.
Molly is a Planning Manager for Salt Lake City’s Planning Division. Emerging from a background in environmental conservation, she believes that good urban design can inspire public life, cultivate ecological consciousness, and enliven the pedestrian experience. Utilizing meaningful public engagement techniques, her work is dedicated to connecting people to place.
Jessica Robinson is Director, City Solutions at Ford Smart Mobility where she works with cities to understand local priorities and to identify new mobility solutions to meet current and future transportation needs. Jessica previously scaled Zipcar’s innovative car sharing model as Marketing Manager, Locations Manager, and Market Launch Manager.
Tyler is the Vice President of Community Development at Cook Inlet Housing Authority. He serves on the Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission and on the Anchorage Community Land Trust board. Tyler holds a B.A. from Duke University and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota.
Taryn Roch is the Director of Program Assessment at LISC Chicago. Taryn supports community based organizations and practitioners to build data, evaluation, and tech capacity. Taryn began her work in community development in the South Bronx and before LISC, provided research, evaluation, and planning services to nonprofits in Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI.
Andrew Rodriguez is serving as a city councilman in his hometown of Walnut, California. Elected at 23 years old, he is currently one of the youngest elected municipal officials serving in California. A land use planner by profession, Andrew considers himself a new urbanist, and is a leader on sustainable land use polices in Southern California. He is an alumnus of Rutgers University and is currently a Master of Real Estate Development candidate at the University of Southern California.
Born and raised abroad, Natalia is passionate about economic development and advocating for underserved communities. As a Program Officer at LISC, she is focused on supporting small businesses, managing funds focused on closing the racial wealth gap, supporting business support organizations, and creating more access within the Latinx community.
Brett is an economic developer committed to building an equitable downtown Memphis. Currently, he works as Senior Vice President at the Downtown Memphis Commission, where he manages an economic empowerment toolkit that is growing the small developer ecosystem and is unapologetically focused on supporting women and minority-owned businesses.
Nathan Roman is a sport psychologist based out of Boston, coaching athletes, performing artists, and businesspersons train their thoughts to enhance their performance. When not helping his clients maximize their potential he works with the Boston Dream Center, a faith based organization dedicated to serving the homeless and underserved community of Boston.
Adam Rosa, AICP is the founder of COLLABO Planning + Design. Over his twenty year career, Adam has focused on making a difference through serving people and places in need, while ensuring a positive community impact through local empowerment and implementation. He has had the opportunity to work with diverse communities across the country to develop lasting strategies that capture the culture, spirit and potential of the local place. Through his work, Adam has developed a robust network of resources and partners that can be tapped to help overcome difficult challenges. Projects led by Adam have received numerous awards at the local, state and national levels. Adam has been inducted into Lambda Alpha International for his work in community planning and revitalization.
Kirk Rose is the CEO of the Anchorage Community Land Trust (ACLT) in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. Under his leadership, ACLT was named the National Development Council’s ‘Most Innovative Community Development Project’ in the United States. His family resides in Anchorage, but are equally at home exploring Alaska’s wild places.
Josh Rosen is currently developing a variety of mixed-use buildings across Cleveland, Ohio. His company, Sustainable Community Associates, continues to seek out and re-pupose abandoned and underutilized large-scale buildings that need love and attention
Jeremy Rosenberg is the Assistant Dean, Public Affairs and Special Events at USC Annenberg. Formerly with the Los Angeles Times and of the Annenberg Foundation, Rosenberg’s writings about planning, policy, ideas, etc. have appeared in dozens of publications. Recent books include “Under Spring,” winner of the 2013 California Historical Society Book Prize. @LosJeremy on Twitter.
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