Resiliency & Sustainability

Professor Birch is the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Chair of Urban Research and Education. She teaches courses in planning history, global urbanization and serves as chair, Graduate Group in City and Regional Planning, co-director, Penn Institute for Urban Research, co-editor, City in the 21st Century Series, University of Penn Press, and co-editor, SSRN Urban Research e-journal.

Professor Birch has been active in the field's professional organizations and in academia in the United States and abroad. She is a member of the U.S. National Committee for Habitat, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Thematic Group on Resilient Cities, and an Associate Editor, Journal of the American Planning Association. In the past, she has been President, Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning; President, Society of American City and Regional Planning History; President, International Planning History Society; and co-editor, Journal of the American Planning Association. She has been a member of the Planning Accreditation Board, having served as its chair from 2004-2006. She has been a member of the editorial boards of Planning Theory and Practice, Journal of Planning History, Journal of Planning Education and Research and Planning Perspectives. In 2000, she was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners and made a member (honorary) of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Professor Birch has been Visiting Scholar, Queens University, Foreign Scholar, University of Hong Kong and Visiting Professor, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She lectures widely. In Fall 2012, she delivered the Burnham Lecture, National Building Museum, Washington DC.

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning has given her its three awards: the Distinguished Educator Award in recognition of her teaching and research (2009), the Jay Chatterjee Award for Distinguished Service that "recognizes an individual whose exceptional service, actions and leadership have had a lasting and positive impact on the ACSP"(2006) and the Margarita McCoy Award, "in recognition of her outstanding contribution to furthering the advancement of women in the planning academy" (1994). The Society of American City and Regional Planning History awarded her its Lawrence C. Gerckens Prize (2009) in recognition of her contributions to planning history.

The American Planning Association honored her with their APA President's Award in 2013. This award is given out every other year in recognition of leadership in the field of planning.

Professor Birch's civic commitments encompass leadership positions locally and globally. Currently, she is Chair, UN-HABITAT's World Urban Campaign (WUC) and President, General Assembly of Partners, the civil society platform to facilitate contributions to Habitat III. In the early 1990s, she was a member of the New York City Planning Commission, and in 2002, she served on the jury to select the designers for the World Trade Center site.

James founded JLP+D in 2011 after leading redevelopment strategies for various sites as a partner at HR&A Advisors. Previously, he was Senior Director of Development in the New York office of residential REIT AvalonBay Communities, Inc. Additionally, James was appointed as founding President of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation. Lima also served as Senior Vice President for Special Projects at the NYC Economic Development Corporation. He also worked as Assistant Commissioner at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and at Forest City Ratner Companies.
James earned a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College and stayed on at Columbia to complete the MSRED Program.

James serves on the Economic Development Committee of the Fourth Regional Plan for the Regional Plan Association in New York. He is a member of the Design Trust for Public Space’s Design Trust Council, and is on the Advisory Council to public art innovator ArtBridge. He also serves as Secretary of the New York Harbor Foundation.

Born in Puerto Rico, Jonathan Marvel is an architect and urban designer with over 30 years of experience providing architectural planning, community, economic and sustainable development of public spaces, educational institutions, single and multi-family housing, libraries, museums and large-scale mixed-use developments. He is Founding Principal of Marvel Architects with offices in New York and San Juan. Jonathan, who graduated with distinction from Dartmouth College and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, teaches at Pratt Institute’s Graduate School of Planning and Placemaking, and has taught as an adjunct at Harvard, Parsons, Rice University, Washington University, and Syracuse. In 2018, Jonathan spoke on behalf of solar energizing 100% of Puerto Rico by 2030 at TEDx Dartmouth, The Architectural League, AIA Puerto Rico, UMass Club, Colegio de Arquitectos de Puerto Rico, Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico, and the Universitario Tecnológico de Bayamón Presidential Keynote. Jonathan is the recipient of national and international design awards including a 2019 Presidential Citation by the National American Institute of Architects, is co-chair of the NYAIA Planning and Urban Design Committee and sits on the boards of The Buckminster Fuller Institute and The Isamu Noguchi Museum. Jonathan has contributed essays on museums, public community spaces, and micro housing, and is also the founder of Truck Product Architecture, Rock 12 Security Architecture, and Citizen Designer, a participatory planning listening and advocacy effort.

Guy Nordenson is a professor of structural engineering and architecture at Princeton University and a faculty associate of the University Center for Human Values. He was the structural engineer for the Museum of Modern Art expansion in New York, the Jubilee Church in Rome, the Simmons Residence Hall at MIT in Massachusetts, the Disneyland Parking Structure in California, the Santa Fe Opera House, and over 100 other projects. Nordenson was the first recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award in Architecture for contributions to architecture by a non-architect in 2003. He has served as Commissioner and Secretary of the New York City Public Design Commission since 2006. His project “On the Water—the NY/NJ Upper Bay” won the 2007 AIA College of Fellows Latrobe Research Prize. Nordenson was a recipient of the AIA’s 2009 Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement Award, and is the seventh structural engineer to receive this award.

William Ryall AIA, LEED is a Principal of Ryall Porter Sheridan Architects, a firm specializing in new construction, renovations of existing spaces, additions to historic structures, and interior design. Mr. Ryall attended Cornell University for his undergraduate architectural studies and received a Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Virginia, where he serves on the architecture school's Advisory Board. Mr. Ryall has participated in numerous architectural juries and has taught integrated Building Systems at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Walcavage has been involved in the planning and design of landscapes and public spaces in the New York City area for decades. With specific focus on dense urban areas, she specializes in streetscapes, urban waterfront redevelopment, bikeway and pedestrian facilities as well as public parks and greenways. Walcavage has worked with New York City and New York State agencies on various projects, including design of a new plaza at Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, the Stuyvesant Cove waterfront in Manhattan, and the conversion of two lanes of traffic and unused median into a linear park and bikeway for the Lower East Side.

Marilyn Jordan Taylor is now Professor of Architecture & Urban Design at the University of Pennsylvania where she was recruited as Dean of the School of Design from 2008 – 2016. During her prior 35 years of practice at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP, she led many of the firm’s largest and most complex transportation, urban design and master planning projects including JFK Terminal 4, Singapore Changi Terminal 3, the Columbia University Manhattanville campus, master plans for Downtown Newark, and the highly-acclaimed Denver Union Station neighborhood and transit hub. She became Partner and then Chairman of SOM while also earning a reputation for civic leadership at the AIA, RPA, NY Building Congress, Rebuild by Design and the Urban Land Institute. Her research and continuing work place emphasis on the importance of design excellence, place-making and innovative project delivery strategies that build community, enhance vitality, and create inclusive and long-term value.

Thaddeus Pawlowski is an urban designer who seeks to integrate resilience and climate change adaptation into the long-term development patterns of cities through the design of projects, policies, and programs. In a partnership with 100 Resilient Cities and the Rockefeller Foundation, he helped to establish the Resilience Accelerator which brings together local leaders and global experts to drive the implementation of resilient projects around the world. Thaddeus planned for disasters at NYC Office of Emergency Management, worked to reduce the likelihood and impact of disasters at NYC Planning, and then helped the City recover from Hurricane Sandy at the NYC Mayor’s Office. He also has extensive global experience working as a subject matter expert in cities facing the hazards of climate change. He has a Masters in Architecture from University of Pennsylvania and was a 2015 Loeb Fellow at Harvard University.

Jonathan Drescher is President of Plaxall Realty and is responsible for the redevelopment of Anable Basin. Prior to joining Plaxall, Jonathan was Senior VP at the Durst Organization where he supervised the analysis, planning, design, and construction of commercial, residential, retail, and institutional projects. Projects included mixed-use, residential and educational development: The New School University Center, VIA 57 West, EOS, and Halletts Point. Jonathan holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from UCLA and graduated cum laude from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., with a B.A. in Economics. He is a registered architect in New York and a LEED Accredited Professional. Jonathan is an active member of several boards, including the board of the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Board of Governors for the New York Building Foundation.

Blake Middleton FAIA, LEED AP is a Partner with Handel Architects. He is Executive Architect for the Battery Conservancy's project for the New Amsterdam Plein/Pavilion. Mr. Middleton's work has won distinction with National and State AIA Awards for Inventure Place in Akron; a NY State AIA Citation for the Santa Fe Opera; numerous local and national design awards for the Flushing Natatorium & Ice Rink, the Ritz Carlton Residences in Boston, and a New York City AIA Chapter Award for Sulzberger Hall at Barnard College. Mr. Middleton holds his Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Cornell University. He is a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects, a member of the U.S. Institute of Theater Technology, the Urban Land Institute, the Boston Society of Architects, the Van Alen Institute, The Society of Fellows of the American Academy in Rome, and the Architectural League of New York.

Susannah C. Drake is the founding principal, of DLANDstudio Architecture + Landscape Architecture, pllc. an award winning multi-disciplinary design firm. DLANDstudio is the recipient of National and International urban design awards from the AIA, ASLA and Chicago Athenaeum among others. As one of very few designers of her generation with professional design qualifications in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Susannah paved the way for more synthetic thinking about urban ecological infrastructure.
She is the recipient of grants from the Graham Foundation, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, the James Marston Fitch Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Center for Architecture for research on campus landscapes and large scale urban infrastructure projects. Susannah is the former President and Trustee of the New York ASLA and former Trustee of the Van Alen Institute. She is the author of Elastic Landscape: Seeding Ecology in Public Space & Urban Infrastructure which was recently published in the collection of essays entitled Infrastruktururbanismus.

Susannah received a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from Dartmouth College in 1987 and Master in Architecture and Master in Landscape Architecture degrees from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1995.

Catherine Seavitt is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at CUNY’s City College of New York and principal of Catherine Seavitt Studio. Her research focuses on design adaptation to sea level rise in urban coastal environments and explores novel landscape restoration practices given the dynamics of climate change. Seavitt co-authored the book On the Water: Palisade Bay, a climate adaptation proposal for the New York / New Jersey Upper Harbor; this study, examining the use of “soft” infrastructural systems to mitigate the impacts of storm surge and flooding, was the foundation of the 2010 exhibition Rising Currents at the Museum of Modern Art.

Mehul J. Patel has enjoyed a career in real estate and economic development spanning the public, private and non-profit sectors over the past two decades. Mehul is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Midtown Equities, a privately-held real estate investment and development company that maintains holdings in New York, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles as well as abroad.

Prior to joining Midtown Equities, Mehul was the Chief Operating Officer of Midwood Investment & Development which owns, develops and manages retail, office, residential, hotel and mixed-use properties in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Before joining Midwood, Mehul was the Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff at Empire State Development, New York State's real estate and economic development agency. Previously, as a Vice President of the Moynihan Station Development Corporation, Mehul worked with various public and private sector stakeholders to expand New York’s Penn Station into the historic James A. Farley Post Office Building. Prior to that, he was a Senior Project Manager at The Hudson Companies where he oversaw the development of J Condominium in DUMBO and was responsible for managing all aspects of the 33-story, 267-unit new construction project. And before joining Hudson, Mehul was a Senior Analyst at HR&A Advisors, which specializes in real estate, economic development, and public policy consulting.

Mehul is currently a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, a Board Member of the Coro New York Leadership Center and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University teaching Public Private Partnerships in Real Estate Development. He also serves as a Director on the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Moynihan Station Development Corporation, and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation. Previously, Mehul served as President of the Columbia Real Estate Development Alumni Association, co-chair of the Yale Alumni Real Estate Association, and co-chair of the ULI New York Young Leaders Group. Mehul received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Studies from Yale University and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

Lisa Kersavage has twenty years of experience in urban planning, resiliency planning and historic preservation, as well as extensive in non-profit leadership experience. She is currently the Executive Director of the City of New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation.

Prior to joining the LPC she was the Project Manager of Changing Course, an ambitious design competition to reimagine a more sustainable Lower Mississippi River Delta, bringing teams together from around the world to create innovative visions for one of America’s greatest natural resources. She was responsible for the planning, development and initial implementation of the project, in collaboration with staff from the Environmental Defense Fund and Van Alen Institute, as well as the New Orleans-based Leadership Team, institutional and corporate partners, and consultants.

Before joining EDF and VAI, she was the Senior Director of Preservation and Sustainability at the Municipal Art Society of New York, where she also served as the Director of Advocacy and Policy and the Kress/RFR Fellow for Historic Preservation and Public Policy. She has held positions as a public policy consultant to the William Penn Foundation in Philadelphia, Executive Director of the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation and Executive Director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts. Lisa received her M.S. in historic preservation, with an urban planning focus, from Columbia University and her B.A. in art and architectural history from Penn State University.

Kai-Uwe Bergmann brings his expertise to proposals around the globe, including work in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Kai-Uwe heads up BIG’s business development which currently has the office working in over 20 different countries as well as overseeing BIG’s Communications. Registered as an architect in the USA (thirteen states) and Canada (one province), Kai-Uwe most recently contributed to the resiliency plan The Dryline to protect 10 miles of Manhattan’s coastline. He compliments his professional work through previous teaching assignments at the University of Florida, the New School of Architecture in San Diego and his alma mater the University of Virginia. Kai-Uwe is recognized in the AIA College of Fellows, sits on the Board of the Van Alen Institute, participates on numerous international juries and lectures globally on the works of BIG.

Robert Garneau, a founding principal of Architecture Workshop PC, is an architect with over twenty years’ experience in a broad range of project types. The Award Winning design firm is based in NYC that provides Architecture and Interior Design services. Projects include high-end residential apartments as well as mixed-use and mixed-income buildings.
Prior to launching AWPC, Robert was an associate with the international firm of Grimshaw and a project architect at Kiss + Cathcart.
Projects have been recognized with over a dozen design awards and published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Dwell Magazine, as well as featured on television and online media.
Robert is also part of the faculty at Columbia University and Pratt Institute. Robert has also been an invited critic at Yale, Parsons, NYU, City College and NYIT.
Robert holds degrees in Fine Arts, Environmental Studies and Architecture. He is an AIA member, USGBC member, a registered architect in New York State and a LEED accredited professional

William Kenworthey, AIA, is a Principal and leads HOK’s planning, urban design and public realm projects across the Northeast. With 20 years of experience, Bill has worked with government agencies, private developers, Fortune 500 Companies, major universities, and medical centers on high profile transformational projects. He has focused on the resilient development of coastal cities and applying those lessons learned to urban design efforts throughout the country.

Bill’s current projects include the Hartford Capital Gateway Concept Master Plan in Connecticut; the LaGuardia Airport Master Plan in New York; the Gurgaon Mixed-Use Entertainment District in India; and the Yeshiva University Concept Master Plan in Manhattan. His past experience includes built projects such as the Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue Streetscapes in Coral Gables, FL and the Roberts Center Research Campus for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He previously worked as an associate urban designer for the New York City Department of City Planning.

Bill frequently presents at university and industry events about urban design and resiliency. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the Wentworth Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University.

As a principal with O2 Planning + Design, Chris Hardwicke manages the firm’s Design Studio. He is a registered professional planner, a member of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada and an urban designer with over 20 years of experience. Chris is guided by the principle that urbanism is a vehicle of social change and renewal. This philosophy extends from the design of public places to embracing the broader principles of healthy cities.

His commitment to city building is internationally recognized through award winning projects such as the Waterfront Master Plan for Kaohsiung, Taiwan; exhibitions at the Dieppe Biennale, the Van Alen Institute in New York; and, publishers such as NAI Publishers, Monacelli Press, Princeton Press, Birkauser, and MIT Press.

He has directed over 100 design and planning studies across Canada that range in scale from the Centre Plan for Halifax to Museum Park at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. His experience includes city, regional, downtown, district, campus, and new community planning in addition to park, public space, and streetscape design.

As an accomplished facilitator and an inspiring speaker, Chris has spoken about healthy cities across North America, and abroad. Chris is highly regarded for his strategic and collaborative approach to complex urban projects – including charting and leading the public engagement process and helping to bring together diverse public agencies and stakeholders around a shared vision.

Michael Sorkin is the Principal of Michael Sorkin Studio in New York City, a design practice devoted to both practical and theoretical projects at all scales, with special interest in sustainable urban environments/green city architecture. He is also Distinguished Professor of Architecture and Director of the Graduate Program in Urban Design at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York.

He has been professor at numerous schools of architecture including the Architectural Association, the Aarhus School of Architecture, Cooper Union, Carleton, Columbia, Yale, Cornell etc. Dedicated to urbanism as both an artistic practice and a medium for social amelioration, Sorkin has conducted studios in such stressed environments as Jerusalem, Nicosia, Johannesburg, Havana, Cairo, Kumasi, Hanoi, Nueva Loja (Ecuador) and Wuhan (China). In 2005 -2006, he directed studio projects for the post-Katrina reconstruction of Biloxi and New Orleans at both CCNY and the University of Michigan.

As a global thought leader for urban infrastructure planning, sustainability, and resilience, Byron has a passion for understanding technical aspects of how cities function and the impact infrastructure can have on everyday lives. He studies and practices innovative methods of delivering energy and climate change planning, water and wastewater management, transportation planning, and solid waste management through an integrated design process. As Founding Director, Byron created LEVEL to serve as a unique consulting firm that provides highly specialized technical and planning advice for development projects with grand aspirations to address climate change, resilience, economic justice, and environmental protection in cities around the world. Based out of LEVEL’s New York City headquarters, Byron sits on the Board of Directors for the Urban Design Forum. He also travels frequently as a lecturer, panelist, and jurist for design competitions around the world. Byron holds an M.Des degree in Environmental Planning from Harvard Graduate School of Design, an M.S. in Building Technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering and Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis.

Kenneth A. Lewis is a Partner in SOM’s New York office. He joined the firm in 1986 and has worked on a diverse range of projects including mixed-use developments, commercial and residential towers, corporate headquarters, and healthcare facilities.

Lewis began his career at SOM as a designer, serving as senior designer on numerous projects such as Time Warner Center and 2525 West End Avenue in New York City; UBS Warburg Center in Stamford, Connecticut; Check Point Charlie Block 105 in Berlin, Germany; and the Rio Office Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He went on to distinguish himself as a talented project manager, helping to facilitate the design process for some of SOM’s most innovative projects. With a special focus on New York, Lewis has managed and brought to successful completion several projects of enormous scale, complexity, and visibility, including the award-winning Time Warner Center, 7 World Trade Center, and One World Trade Center. Current high-profile projects include 250 West 55th Street and Brookfield Office Properties' Manhattan West Development.

Many of Lewis's projects have achieved, or are slated to achieve, Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council LEED® CS rating system. Lewis was also closely involved in the development of the sustainability design guidelines for the World Trade Center. Moreover, Lewis is a principal of the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology (CASE), a research collaboration between SOM and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. With a focus on developing new sustainable materials and technologies, CASE blends private sector practicality, academic exploration, and scientific rigor to seek emergent technologies and develop them for practical applications in buildings.

Lewis is active in the public realm, and his projects have been honored with numerous design awards. He is an adjunct faculty member at Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments and has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design. His studios focus on mixed-use projects, the public realm, and resiliency.

Mary Elizabeth Rusz, AIA is a Senior Architect and Urban Designer with the Office of Design, of the New York City Housing Authority. She has been the design lead for a number of large scale, urban revitalization projects under both the HUD Choice Neighborhood Initiative and the prior HOPE VI Program. She is currently the Project Manager for the Historic Preservation Study of the NYC Housing Authority's entire development portfolio, in support of a Programmatic Agreement with the NY State Historic Preservation Office.

Ms. Rusz is a graduate of Columbia University, GSAPP [M.S.A.U.D.], and the University of Toronto, Faculty of Architecture [B.Arch.], including study abroad at Paris’ Unité Pedagogiques d’Architecture Six.

Ms. Rusz is a long standing member of the American Institute of Architecture - New York Chapter’s Housing Committee, and the City Club of New York’s Urban Design Committee. She is also an avid Watercolorist [See website: "Watercolor Works"], and an active Member of both the National Association of Women Artists, and The Salmagundi Club of New York.

In 2015, Ms. Rusz founded TORONTO - NEW YORK, a new platform by which designers of these two great cities may share innovations and best practices with the common goal of enhancing the built environment [akin to the UDF's NEW YORK - LONDON exchange]. The first exchange, on the topic of HOUSING, was held at the AIA NY Chapter, in Taffel Hall, on September 26, 2016. It is hoped that TORONTO - NEW YORK will become a more integrated activity in future with the UDF.

In 2017, Ms. Rusz will embark on an abbreviated "Grand Tour" as a travel / study program through Italy, to document seminal works of Architecture and Urbanism, in order to prepare a "primer for young designers". This document will be focused on High School Students who may be considering studying the design professions in College / University; the content and format of this primer will be developed in conjunction with the AIA NY Chapter's Center for Architecture.

Mr. Rui Qian holds a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Harvard GSD, and a Master of Urban Design degree from TCAUP, University of Michigan. Mr. Qian was recently nominated as the International Research Associate of National Research Center of Rural Planning and Development of China. Along with that, he has been serving as the VP of UM Beijing Alumni Association, in charge of bridging Sino-US institutions. He has worked as an urban designer with Cooper Robertson and Partners, Goody Clancy and Associates and China Sustainability Center of AECOM Beijing Office. He also serves as the overseas editor for several professional magazines in China.

Eugenia manages urban design projects at WXY, with experience from zoning studies, coastal climate resilience, neighborhood planning, and public engagement and outreach. Her work focuses on seamlessly integrating city planning and place-making techniques with great urban design and architecture.

Before joining WXY, Eugenia worked as a Senior Urban Designer at the New York City Department of City Planning. At City Planning her work focused on climate resilience as it relates to neighborhood planning, exploring the impact of land use policy on the resilience of coastal communities and their adaptation to climate risks. Eugenia has also led a number ground-up community planning initiatives to identify short and long-term opportunities for neighborhood revitalization through transit-oriented development.

Lucrecia's work promotes the revitalization of post-industrial municipalities through resiliency and climate adaptation strategies for the region’s most vulnerable communities. She has worked on projects at the Department of City Planning and as a designer at Arquitectura 911sc in Mexico City. She earned a M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia GSAPP and a Masters in city design and social science from LSE. She holds B.Arch from Instituto Tecnólogico y de Estudios Superiores.

Sanjukta is a landscape and architectural designer at James Corner Field Operations. She holds a B.Arch from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Her projects include the Domino Sugar Waterfront & Greenpoint Landing in Brooklyn, NY; The Underline, Miami, FL and the Central Green at Philadelphia Navy Yards. Sanjukta has also been a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jeremy is a Designer and Project Leader at BIG - Bjarke Ingles Group. He directed the BIG team in its winning proposal for the Rebuild by Design competition, and now leads urban design of the subsequent East Side and Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Projects for the City of New York. He has been working with Bjarke Ingels and BIG since the establishment of its New York office in 2010.

Marc Ricks is the Senior Vice President for Vornado Realty Trust, where he is working to transform the area around Manhattan's Penn Station. Previously, he served as Senior Advisor to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chief Operating Officer for the Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR), where he helped develop a plan to make New York City more resilient to coastal storms and other climate change impacts. In addition, he has held leadership roles with Bloomberg LP and Goldman Sachs. He currently serves as Chairman of the Friends of Governors Island and on the boards of the Javits Center and Regional Plan Association. He is an alumnus of Princeton University and Harvard Business School.

Carlos Arnaiz is an architect, educator, writer and urban designer. He is the CEO & co-founder of SURBA, the founder and principal of CAZA and an adjunct assistant professor at the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design at Pratt Institute, where he teaches a class on the history of ideas about the city, a design studio on multi-family housing and a seminar on contemporary architectural aesthetics. His professional experience ranges from the design and construction of large-scale mixed-used complexes to the development of strategic sustainability plans for cities around the world such as Bonifacio High Street South, Lio Beach Township, Ningbo Waterfront Center and the Taichung Gateway Zone. He is a recipient of the prestigious Wheelwright Fellowship and has been
recognized with numerous awards, including the 50 under 50 leading innovators of the 21st century, two consecutive Progressive Architecture awards and the AIANY building merit award. Carlos lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons.

Landscape architect Michelle Delk is a partner in the multi-disciplinary firm Snøhetta, and Director of Landscape Architecture for the firm. The design process at Snøhetta is collaborative, transdisciplinary, and focused on social and environmental sustainability. The firm prioritizes relationships and recognition of the particularities of place. This is achieved through workshops, conversations, and open exchange, where ideas move freely between designer, client, and consultant. Public participation and community engagement is a core value in Delk’s work. She is committed to expanding the public understanding of the role of landscape architecture in building resilient communities.

Delk has led the design of numerous downtown plazas, parks, streetscape revitalizations, and public spaces. As Director of Landscape Architecture, she is currently heading the landscape design for Snøhetta's Willamette Falls Riverwalk project in Oregon City. The project will open the Willamette Falls to public access for the first time since the 1830s. Delk is also the lead designer for the new Calgary Public Library plaza, the North Tryon Vision Plan for Charlotte, Virginia, and the Temple University Library in Philadelphia. She received an MLA degree from the University of Colorado Denver (2001) and a BA in fine art from the University of Iowa (1997). Before joining Snohetta, Delk was a Principal/Landscape Architect for the Denver-based landscape architecture firm Civitas.

As a practice area leader for Gensler’s North-East region, Oliver is responsible for overseeing planning and urban design projects, architectural designs and commercial as well as institutional projects ranging from a small environmental not-for-profit to large scale master plans in the U.S. and the Middle East.

His clients include The New York Times, Novartis, McGraw-Hill, Morgan Stanley, Qatar Airways, the Dogus Group, Bilgili Holding, Global Seawater Inc., and The Beacon Institute.

His work includes assignments as diverse as facilitating the planning and implementation of high performance energy and water strategies for a corporate headquarters project in Houston, TX, planning advisory for a 50,000-hectare seawater irrigated bio-fuel agricultural project, the development of innovative net-zero energy housing projects in the US, Germany and Switzerland, advisory for several net-zero energy projects and the design for the Beacon Institute’s Center for Environmental Innovation and Education (CEIE) at Dennings Point in Beacon, NY.

In February 2010 Oliver was selected to participate in the LEED ND Pilot Program and became one of the first LEED Accredited Professionals for Neighborhood Development in addition to being LEED AP for Building Design and Construction for over 14 years.

An outstanding academic and professional leader, Oliver regularly speaks about and teaches courses on sustainability topics at universities such as the Cooper Union, Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and the New York School of Interior Design. He has been a moderator and panelist on numerous industry events on sustainable design.

Oliver is a Member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the NYC Mayor’s Carbon Challenge for Commercial Tenants and a member of the Expert Advisory Committee of INDICATE, an EU sponsored Smart City Initiative to create cloud-based Urban Energy Planning and Assessment Tools.

Elliott believes that art and design can improve the sustainability and vitality of the urban environment; she is particularly interested in how an ecological framework can support both architectural and landscape thinking. Working in academic settings and within a collaborative design firm, she is actively engaged in the dialogue of theory and practice. In addition to her work in landscape architecture, she has worked as an architectural designer over the last ten years, and brings a commitment to careful detailing and expressive materiality. Her work has appeared in number of magazines, among others, Art in America, LandForum, and ArchRecord. For 5 years Elliott worked with Mary Miss, one of the most influential public artists working today.

Ms. Nandan believes in sustainability as a holistic and supple design approach, integral to all aspect of design and construction. She is at the forefront of sustainability in New York, having served in various roles to help shape public policy, most recently board co-chair of the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program Red Hook Community Committee ; member of the Homes Committee for Urban Green Codes Task Force (2012); and the Building Resiliency Task Force (2013). Gita further puts her beliefs into practice as an architectural educator, currently a visiting assistant professor at Pratt Institute and the School of Visual Arts where she teaches the Green Infrastructure Studio, Sustainable and Resilient Existing Building Design and thesis. Gita received her Master of Architecture from UC Berkeley and is a registered architect in New York and New Jersey, an accredited LEED professional and Enterprise Green Communities Technical Assistant.

Nupur Chaudhury is a bridge builder and translator in the fields of urban planning and public health. For more than fifteen years, she has developed and implemented strategies to support residents, communities, and neighborhoods challenge power structures to build just, strong and equitable cities. She has led coalition building efforts after Superstorm Sandy, redeveloped power structures in villages in India, and developed a citizen planning institute for public housing residents in Brownsville, Brooklyn. At the New York State Health Foundation, she serves as the Program Officer for the Foundation’s Building Healthy Communities priority area, focusing on a multi-year place based initiative in 6 communities across the state. She is a member of the American Planning Association, co-chair of its Healthy Communities interest group, board member of the University of Orange, and founding chair of Made in Brownsville. She holds degrees from Columbia University (MPH), New York University (MUP), and Bryn Mawr College (BA in Growth and Structure of Cities). She is also an avid gardener and ceramist.

Daphne Lundi is a Senior Policy Advisor with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency. Prior to that she was an urban planner at the NYC Department of City Planning focused on climate resilience and neighborhood planning. She was also an Environmental Planning Specialist for Pinchina Consulting where she worked on agroforestry and reforestation studies for a community-led planning project in Petit Goave, Haiti.

Matthew is an interdisciplinary designer at Snøhetta, he currently manages and leads the design of the Willamette Falls Riverwalk, a transformative 22-acre post-industrial riverfront project with significant goals related to habitat restoration, re-development, historic interpretation, and public access. Matthew received his Masters of Architecture at Princeton University and bachelor degrees in biology and landscape architecture from The Pennsylvania State University.

Rohit T. “Rit” Aggarwala is Co-Head of Labs at Sidewalk Labs. Previously, he headed the sustainability practice at Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consulting firm that serves city governments. He is also an Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, and co-chairs the Regional Plan Association’s Fourth Regional Plan for the New York metropolitan area.

Rit served as Special Advisor to the Chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group from 2010-2013, guiding the organization’s strategic transformation into a global leader. During that period, he also developed the environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, which grew to a total of $145 million in grants under his management.

Rit served as Director of New York City’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability from 2006-2010, and led the creation and implementation of “PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York.” PlaNYC has been hailed as one of the world’s best urban sustainability plans, leading New York City to a 19% reduction in its carbon footprint since 2005. Prior to joining City Hall, he was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.

Elise Wagner is a partner in the Land Use department at Kramer Levin, where she concentrates her practice in land use, zoning, environmental and historic preservation law. She has substantial experience counseling for-profit and nonprofit property owners on the planning and development of new buildings and the reuse of existing buildings. She has coordinated the public approval processes for major public-private development projects involving cooperation between private developers and agencies of New York City and the state. She has negotiated numerous multiparty transactions for the transfer of development rights, and has performed due diligence on the purchase and financing of major properties.

Tricia Martin is owner of WE Design, a Brooklyn-based firm specializing in innovative, buildable design solutions for cities, landscapes, and the built environment. She is a licensed landscape architect with fifteen years of experience working on complex, urban sites ranging in scale from the region to a small lot. Collaboration (the WE, in WE Design), ecology, and a commitment to community participation are the principles that drive her practice.

Travis J M Bunt is the Director for One Architecture in New York, where he leads urban design and resiliency work for the Dutch firm in North America and Asia. Prior to joining One, Bunt was the Design Director for URBANUS in Hong Kong, where he led the design for architecture and urban development projects across China.

Digser is NYCHA’s Environmental Planner. She focuses on implementing environmental regulations for affordable development projects. Her passion for climate justice stems from her experiences at SUNY SBU Southampton. She joins the Forefront Fellows to advances the policies and local initiatives that aim to reduce environmental impacts and increase resiliency.

Lida believes in an urban future that is both resilient and just.  She leads HPD's neighborhood planning and climate adaptation in Rockaway, Queens. Previously, Lida led nation-wide urban resilience initiatives at The Trust for Public Land and managed public-private partnerships for community development in Arlington, VA.  She has presented internationally on cities, climate change and social equity.

Abraham’s work explores how architecture and urban design can cultivate community and influence policy. As a teacher and practitioner, his projects span scales and disciplines. He has explored atypical ways of working with experts outside of the design field, in an effort to go beyond traditional thinking and tackle some of the most pressing problems of our time.

Cyrus is a graduate student at NYU's Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP). His work focuses on data-driven approaches to urban design decision making. Prior to NYU, Cyrus was a Geospatial Analyst and Web Developer working in technology and real estate (Apple & CBRE). He holds his bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.

Brandon is a Senior Landscape Architect at Bjarke Ingels Group. Previously, he was an Associate Principal and Landscape Architect at SWA/Balsley. His strong technical and intellectual leadership skills are exhibited daily in the studio and he has proven to be an effective communicator and liaison between design team members, sub-consultants, contractors, and clients. He is a passionate and motivated professional who thrives in a collaborative team environment.

As an architect and long-time resident of NYC, Eileen is dedicated to thoughtful design promoting a resilient, equitable and diverse city. She works on affordable and supportive housing at Dattner Architects, where she also leads the Urban Infrastructure subcommittee of Dattner’s Sustainable Practice Group. Eileen is a registered architect, a LEED AP, and she holds an M.Arch I from Columbia University.

Renée is Project Manager for the NYC Compost Project hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center where she builds healthy soils and communities through the art and science of composting. With over 10 years of experience in community planning, Renée has been dedicated to building strong community-based programs with a commitment to advancing urban sustainability and social justice. She holds a double BA from Hamline University and a MS in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute.

Dorraine supports projects at the intersection of resilient infrastructure deployment, workforce development, and equitable economic growth.

Prior to joining HR&A, she was a project manager at NYC Economic Development Corporation where her portfolio included RISE: NYC, a $30 million Superstorm Sandy business recovery program that aimed to deploy innovative technologies to make the city more resilient. Dorraine was also responsible for developing a workforce strategy for the emerging offshore wind industry in NY state with a keen focus on creating robust pipelines that equitably connected New Yorkers to “green jobs”.

While in graduate school, Dorraine was a lead research assistant on a multi-disciplinary study where she examined the impact of micro-grids on communities’ sociotechnical resilience. Her thesis examined the potential for alternative ownership models to increase the deployment of renewables in small island nations.

Dorraine holds a Bachelors in Mathematics from Kalamazoo College and a double Masters degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in Public Policy and City & Regional Planning.

Lydia supports program design and organizational strategies, equitable economic revitalization, and climate adaptation planning. Currently, she is developing an equitable economic development strategy for Greenwood Park in Baton Rouge, and she is also supporting the historic and inclusive transition of Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s first female County Judge.

Annemarie is currently an Assistant Vice President at NYCEDC, where she manages large-scale neighborhood planning projects. She has been an architect in New Orleans, a Fulbright Fellow in Rio de Janeiro, and a public housing planner in Cambridge, MA. She holds a degree in architecture from Washington University in St. Louis and a Masters in City Planning from MIT.

Gregory is a Senior Analyst for NYCT’s Capital Program Management Division.  He has played an integral role in the successful construction and design of multi-million dollar projects such as the rehabilitation and mitigation of the Canarsie Tube and South Ferry Terminal.  Gregory has a strong passion for public service and has participated in numerous volunteer efforts in both economic development and community disaster preparedness in his local community of Staten Island.

Mike has worked in the sustainability field in various capacities and is currently an Assistant Director at The New School. He has worked at Elevate Energy, an energy efficiency non-profit along with various other environmental organizations. He obtained his MS in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management from The New School.

Michael is a vice president of construction at Hines and is responsible for capital projects within the Hudson Square Properties portfolio. Before joining Hines in 2017, he worked as a mechanical engineer in various capacities. He managed projects within a large capital program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center focusing on infrastructure resiliency, energy efficiency and life cost of systems.

Catherine is a registered architect with 3XN Architects working on urban scale and commercial and residential projects. Previously, Catherine worked at FXCollaborative Architects. Her design research focuses on developing intersectional and speculative design processes to address adaptability and resilience in the built environment as well as equity in urban space. As an educator, she has developed and taught curriculum focused on adaptive structural system, encouraging speculative and innovative design thinking.

As a landscape architect and urban planner, Gloria focuses on the intersection of public space, resilient infrastructure, and equitable design. As Director of Projects at Open Architecture/New York, she implements pro-bono design projects for underserved communities. Prior to joining Stantec, Gloria worked at HNTB and SWA/Balsley. She holds a MLA and MCP from University of Pennsylvania.

Amy specializes in providing clients with strategies to offset physical, operational and financial risk. Her experience spans four continents and includes reconnaissance following catastrophic hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, along with development of integrated, multidisciplinary resilience strategies. Amy leads the design of high profile risk reduction and climate change adaptation strategies for healthcare, commercial and real estate clients throughout the US northeast.

Rebecca is the Senior Urban Design Manager at the NYC Public Design Commission (PDC). Her work is concentrated on policy and design review of architecture and urban design projects, with a focus on affordable housing, mixed-use developments, and urban systems. She manages PDC's Designing New York: Quality Affordable Housing initiative and is committed to promoting equitable and inclusive design through interdisciplinary collaboration. Her prior experience spans architecture and anthropology, where she has explored a continued interest in the intersection of planning, policy, and design of the built environment.

Amritha is an urban designer at the NYC Department of City Planning. Her work entails advocating for the highest standards of urban design and a quality public realm. She was previously part of the agency’s climate resilience team, contributing to City initiatives that aimed to support the continued vitality and resiliency of New York City’s coastal communities. Amritha holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University GSAPP.

Pallavi is a Senior Energy and Sustainability Consultant in the Arup New York office. She has over ten years of experience in resource and energy planning at the city and community level, portfolio energy management, low-and net-zero energy buildings, and health and well-being. Most recently, she has been working with New York City agencies on topics such as extreme heat resiliency and carbon planning to meet 80x50 goals.

Kathy is an architectural designer with Grimshaw Architects working on large- scale infrastructure projects. She is interested in working closely with communities to develop grassroots approaches to resiliency. She received a BA from Wellesley College and an M.Arch from Tulane University.

Manuela is an Urban Designer at the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP). Within the Zoning Division, Manuela serves as the project manager for Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency, a zoning initiative that encourages the adoption of building-scale resiliency measures within the City’s floodplain. Prior to DCP, she worked in Brazil as an architect and a city planner and was a CNPQ research scholar, specialized in design for aging and ethnographic landscapes. Manuela earned her Master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University and her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urbanism from Universidade Estadual de Londrina in Brazil.

Jill is an urban planner committed to justice-oriented design and policy. She currently manages public-private partnerships and waterfront development projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Jill received her Masters in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design where she used interdisciplinary studios to explore planning for climate and social resilience.

As a sustainability specialist in the Gensler New York office, Mallory collaborates across disciplines to improve the built environment from social and ecological perspectives for current and future conditions. She brings an interdisciplinary approach to developing sustainability and resilience strategies for high performance buildings and communities.

Autumn is a Senior Landscape Architect at BIG leading the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) and the Brooklyn-Queens Park (BQP) projects. Her approach has been devoted to better preparing cities, communities, and regions for climate adaptation. This direction evolved into designing and developing climate resilient strategies for the national Rebuild By Design and The Mississippi River Delta Changing Course competitions.

Jen is a Senior Project Manager at Alloy, with a career in leading design and architecture teams for large-scale, mixed-use projects in Brooklyn & NYC. Jen is a board member of the gender equity nonprofit Architexx, programming committee member for ULI’s Young Leaders Group, and instructor at Boston Architectural College.

Andrew is an Architectural Designer at Dattner. A native New Yorker, he is deeply invested in the rich cultural traditions of New York’s neighborhoods. Through sensitive design, Andrew aims to celebrate their significance and preserve their value for the community. He holds an M.Arch from Pratt Institute and a B.A. in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys biking around the city, salsa dancing, and anything related to coffee.

Donna U. Hope worked for several years in environmental engineering firms and in public policy in the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability before founding the diversity, equity and inclusion company U-Hope Consulting. In 2018 she was awarded “Top Woman in Conservation and Environmental Justice” by EcoDiversity Magazine. In 2021, Donna became the Climate Justice Director for a new collaborative project fronted by Emerald Cities Collaborative and the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program. She will work with a national network of clean energy, environmental and economic justice organizations to guide private sector's climate commitments to ensure that low-income and BIPOC communities are beneficiaries of the clean energy future.

As the lead for CDP's strategic initiative to accelerate equitable climate and environmental action through partnerships between cities and businesses, William is driven by his desire for social equity in the new economy and draws on his experiences in sustainable finance, urban planning, real estate, and environmental sciences. He holds a MPA from Columbia, a MA in Environmental Social Science from ASU, and a BA in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Matt Khinda is a designer and urban planner trying to make cities better for the people who live in them. His work looks to inform and empower communities, helping them share the history and shape the future of the places they live. Previously, he's worked at the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity and was a Public Access Design fellow with the Center for Urban Pedagogy.

Sheila Lin is a Project Team designer at Adjaye Associates and a board member of the gender equity nonprofit Architexx. An advocate of equitable architectural practice and public service, her research has focused on developing speculative design methodologies to promote inclusion and participation in urban spaces. She is interested in working closely with communities of color to cultivate grassroots approaches to resiliency. She holds an M.Arch I from Princeton University and a BA from UC Berkeley.

Stefanie is a Landscape Architect at Snøhetta. Throughout her career she has worked with others to facilitate and design for equitable, environmentally conscious and loved landscapes, places and communities. She earned her Master of Landscape Architecture from University of Pennsylvania and holds a BA in Painting and Drawing and Community, Environment and Planning from University of Washington. 

As a Policy Advisor, Tiera supports the cross divisional efforts of the Workforce Development team. Prior to becoming a Policy Advisor, she was a Neighborhood 360° Fellow, during her time as a Fellow, she built intra-merchant communications and assisted merchants with addressing key business needs. She holds a BA from The University at Buffalo, a MUP and GIS Certificate from Hunter College.

Darina is a Project Manager with NYSERDA's clean energy workforce development and training program. Prior to joining NYSERDA, she produced multimedia distance-learning content for the Research Foundation for SUNY. Darina has extensive experience in community-based social work and holds a Masters in Sustainability in the Urban Environment.  

Cara is an urban planner at WXY Studio. With a background in studio art and sculpture, Cara continues to produce visual artwork and writing that highlights the structural inequalities and institutionalized racism that are perpetuated by the urban design field. She is a co-founder of Harvard’s biennial Black in Design Conference.

At LISC NYC, Thomas collaborates with local partners to invest in projects and businesses that help communities develop their social, physical, and economic assets. Previously he was based in Chicago working on New Markets Tax Credit transactions nationwide. Thomas attended Binghamton University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Financial Engineering.

Neil is a Mechanical Engineer supporting Arup’s building and infrastructure groups in the NY Office. His mechanical and sustainability designs range from large interdisciplinary campus projects to single room energy and airflow analyses. He is a LEED AP and holds a M.Eng and B.Eng from The Cooper Union.

Priya is a climate justice activist and urban planner based in Brooklyn, NY, working as a Project Manager at Hester Street Collaborative. She also serves as Board Secretary for BK ROT, NYC’s first bike-powered waste hauling and composting service. She was named a 2020 GreenBiz 30 under 30, recognized for her contribution to passing the NYS Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

Aden is an urban planner and artist. She serves as Senior Advisor in NYCHA’s Capital Projects Division, which carries out the Authority’s energy and sustainability programs. Aden is also a founding member of PublicWorks with The Public Theater, an arts-activist ensemble that seeks to put community at the heart of theater.

Karen works with ANHD’s member organizations on campaigns to promote equitable economic development throughout New York City. She has over seven years of experience leading campaigns for affordable housing, economic justice, and development without displacement in both New York and Massachusetts. She speaks Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Shachi is a people-centric urban designer dedicated to the regeneration and revitalization of neighborhoods. Her projects embrace different scales and disciplines and she is most interested in advancing ideas that embrace the complex dynamics of our urban, social and economic contexts. Shachi is founding principal of Metropolitan Urban Design (MUD) Workshop and an adjunct professor at Columbia’s GSAPP.

Alexandra is a Venezuelan urban designer at the NYC Department of City Planning. Her work entails advocating for the use of participatory design to achieve social equity. Prior to DCP, she led the transformation of public spaces and developed urban policies in Caracas. Alexandra holds a degree in Architecture from Universidad Simón Bolívar and she earned her Master's degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University.

Isella is a Chicana urban planner with a background in environmental justice organizing. She is a Senior Project Manager with Hester Street and holds a B.A in Latin American & Latina(o) Studies from Vassar College and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. She is a twin mom.

Kate is a Project Manager for Affordable Housing Development at Los Sures, a longstanding community organization in Williamsburg, where she leads the new construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing for Brooklyn residents. She is committed to integrating energy efficient and resilient design and technology into affordable housing to improve the public health of tenants and reduce operating costs. Kate has worked in several capacities as an urban planner and educator; she previously consulted on community engagement and economic development projects, connected with NYC youth as an environmental educator, and built green spaces with a landscape design/build firm. Kate currently organizes with APANYM Diversity Committee, where she engages young people in immersive workshops tackling urban planning issues.

Addison is an NYC-based Planner interested in the interaction of public policy, public space, art, and nightlife. At the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, he works closely with communities to ensure that housing investments are paired with infrastructure and services to promote equitable, livable places.

Annie is a city planner and manager of the Upper Manhattan Team at the Department of City Planning. As the liaison to local Community Boards and stakeholders in neighborhoods including Harlem, Inwood, and Washington Heights, she is committed to thoughtful community engagement and transparency in the planning process. Previously trained as an architect and urban designer, Annie has academic and professional experience in affordable housing, real estate development, and community-based economic development.

Ebony supports over 400 small businesses in developing and implementing critical workforce services at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Prior to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Ebony managed volunteer engagement for 1000+ volunteers at Student Sponsor Partners.  Ebony received a M.S. from The New School in Nonprofit Management.

A design project manager and entrepreneur, Ellen nurtures her passions through leading community-building activism, design-based philanthropy and high impact social justice & design advocacy projects. She currently works for Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), serves on various not-for-profit boards and runs a startup called ArchitectPins®.

Syed is a community coordinator who works for the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene concentrating on food policy and food insecurity across NYC. He is also one of the founders of The HEAL Collective, a volunteer organization that seeks to uplift mental health challenges across NYC.

Kiffa has over 10 years of non-profit experience, after being immersed into service while attending Saint John’s University she spent 2 years volunteering in New Orleans, Louisiana with Habitat for Humanity. She is dedicated to her commitment to community development and fighting food insecurity.

Charmaine is a Public Health Practitioner with a master’s degree in Global Public Health Nutrition dedicated to tackling food insecurity, malnutrition, and chronic disease prevention through the implementation of public health policies and programs. She has experience working with diverse communities as well as decision making stakeholders as a local project manager, public health strategist, and senior emergency COVID-19 manager. Most recently, during the height of the pandemic, she supported NYC’s first emergency food delivery program to tackle hunger caused by COVID-19.

Taylor is a former model agent and celebrity assistant. Motivated by the resurgence of energy in the Black Lives Matter movement during the summer of 2019, she decided to redirect her efforts towards pushing equity into the hands of Black and Brown food founders through her company Tiny Bodega. Her goal was to create equal access to healthy foods and celebrate Black and Brown culture simultaneously.

Tim works on strategic and cultural issues for some of the country’s largest corporations and nonprofits. He uses design to help people navigate complex systems from healthcare to consumer data usage. Tim holds a BA in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design.

Olivia is an urban designer, researcher, and strategist, motivated to create places that make life in cities happier and healthier. Through data collection and analysis, creative storytelling, and spatial design Olivia works with communities to create meaningful invitations for people to connect with one another and the places that surround them.

Genea is a NYC native, whose Afro-Caribbean ancestry has shaped their deep commitment to environmental and social justice. Genea is an urban planner who has worked with BIPOC youth and communities towards environmental justice, climate resiliency, health equity, and food sovereignty through participatory planning, popular education, and community organizing.

Rae is a mother, writer, and activist based in Brooklyn. For over 10 years she has affected change in all facets of the food system. Gomes is a founding board member of the Central Brooklyn Food Cooperative, chairs the Brownsville/ENY Food Advisory Council, and has facilitated the Diversity & Equity Working Group for the NYSDAM.

April is born and bred in the Bronx. Her research interests include food policy, housing policy, and cooperative development. April leverages her background in Spanish education and International relations, to organize her Bronx community across generational lines. April is currently building upon her neighbors placekeeping efforts around food security.

Nausher is a food equity practitioner, currently leading strategic expansion for Red Rabbit. His work focuses on providing public school children from underserved communities with nutritious and culturally familiar food. His impact to date has been focused on international education and financial inclusion in Chile and Pakistan. Nausher’s approach to social development leverages human-centered design with the aim of creating equitable systems.

Cristina is a public health professional dedicated to strengthening food systems, advancing food equity, and preventing diet-related chronic diseases. She works as a Data Analyst at the NYC Department of Education and collaborates in food policy and food systems research at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Cristina is an MPH candidate at Johns Hopkins and holds a BSc in Pharmacy-Biochemistry from Universidade de São Paulo.

Alexis is an immigrant, architectural designer and a team member at FE. He is passionate about the design for equitable cities in regards to food accessibility and spaces of assembly for communities of color and undocumented citizens. His office experience has focused on projects that harbor communal potential in their sightings. He holds a B.Arch and a Master of Infrastructure Planning from NJIT.

Diana is a Filipina-Immigrant, has been in the US for 21 years and speaks fluent Tagalog. She leads the Healthy Retail Program; She supports and helps increase capacity of emergency food programs in the City Harvest network and food retailers as well as recommends solutions to maximize program capacity and improve the distribution of healthy food. Diana loves gardening, collecting indoor plants and retail comp shopping.

Ezra is a city planner and manager of the Greater East Midtown Unit at the Department of City Planning. He has a deep background in planning and public space design, and collaborates with developers, legal teams, architects, landscape architects and local stakeholders to deliver equitable development and a world-class public realm in Midtown Manhattan. He holds an MSc in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics and a BA in Urban Studies from Trinity College.

During her time at Marvel, Chit has been working on projects of multiple scales, from educational improvements to city planning projects. Through her graduate studies, she focused on food and waste infrastructure in public spaces. Her research on city services and urban design reimagines current NYC infrastructure systems.

Fernando is a sustainable designer and city planner for DCP-Bronx Office and former Community Organizer for THE POINT CDC, who has worked around environmental justice in the South Bronx for five years and studied across four continents including Native American tribes. Ortiz holds a MS from Columbia, a MDes from the BAC and a BA from Pratt Institute.

Catherine is an urban planner, educator, and artist based in New York City. She is fascinated by how urban landscapes provide opportunities for resilience and expression. Catherine serves in NYC DOT’s Regional and Strategic Planning group, teaches about urban gardens and farms at NYU, and creates nature inspired art.

Joy is an urban planner who approaches planning with a person-focused perspective and currently manages a variety of projects at the Department of City Planning. She received her Master of Urban Planning degree from the University at Buffalo and Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from American University.

Ciara is a lifelong New Yorker, committed to growing food in educational spaces in NYC. She has farmed at the Queens County Farm Museum, taught with City Growers on Brooklyn Grange’s rooftop farms, managed Harlem Grown’s network of growing spaces, and currently manages the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Urban Farm — an educational farm, designed completely with teaching and learning in mind. Ciara is endlessly interested in engaging folks in learning and discussion around the intersections of farming, justice, community, and the urban landscape.

Kelvin is a community organizer from Brooklyn and the co-founder of East Brooklyn Mutual Aid (EBMA), which he helped to launch in April 2020. Previously, he served as the director of operations at Brooklyn Packers, a worker-owned and Black-led food distribution cooperative, and he remains an equity owner.

Despo is an Associate at SCAPE. With a background in architecture and urbanism, Despo continues to design and advocate for equitable and resilient neighborhoods, with a focus on climate adaptation, engagement, and visual storytelling. Despo leads interdisciplinary teams to develop strategies and next-century infrastructure that integrate social and environmental benefit.

Will is a certified arborist and landscape designer. Currently in the 2023 cohort for the Spitzer School's Master of Landscape Architecture program, he also holds a MSc in Environmental Science from the American University of Beirut and works as a consulting arborist with AECOM.

Originally from Syracuse, Kim is a food systems thinker who most recently served as NYC Director at NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets. Prior, she worked with small food businesses across the city and has been an active community gardener, master composter and sourdough bread baker based in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

Alejandro is a landscape designer at Field Operations with a passion for sustainable community-led public spaces. He is co-leading a series of projects in his native Miami, where he recently completed The Underline’s Phase 1. Alejandro is enrolled in Farm School NYC, which trains locals in urban agriculture, food access and racial justice issues. He earned his M.Arch and a Master of Landscape Architecture degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and his B.Arch degree from Florida International University.