Archive

  1. Summit: District Design Fellowship

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    Summit: District Design Fellowship

    Thursday, April 23, 5–8:30 pm
    303 Bond Street, Brooklyn

    Join us to celebrate the culmination of our District Design Fellowship, developed in collaboration with the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Building Creative Capacity initiative.

    ​Since October 2025, three NYC community leaders have partnered with designers to create “Buy Local” campaigns that celebrate neighborhood identity and harness the power of art and design to boost visibility and foot traffic for small businesses.

    ​Hear from our Fellows about their experiences, their Buy Local toolkits, and their urban design visions for their corridors. You’ll also have a chance to meet the design advisors who made this work possible.

    Light refreshments will be provided. ​Questions about the event? Contact Joseph Messana-Croly at jmessanacroly@vanalen.org.

    RSVP

    ​Teams

    ​Melrose, Bronx

    ​Fellow: Jamila Diaz of WHEDco

    Design Advisors: BD Feliz, Perkins Eastman, and Zhiyao Zhang

    Port Richmond, Staten Island

    ​Fellow: Evelin Caballero Omana of La Colmena

    ​Design Advisors: ORG, Thought Matter, and Rosanna Valencia

    Upper West Side, Manhattan

    ​Fellow: Becca Bran of LandmarkWest!

    ​Design Advisors: Brynn Anderson, Buro Happold, and Pentagram

    RSVP

  2. Zhiyao Zhang

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    Zhiyao (Jill) Zhang is a multidisciplinary designer focused on creating work that feels warm, thoughtful, and human. With a strong background in healthcare product design, she’s passionate about creating human-centered, accessible solutions that support physical and emotional well-being. She believes change happens through creativity; humor makes it more enjoyable.

  4. Evelin Caballero Omana

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    As La Colmena’s N360° Project Manager, Evelin leads commercial revitalization initiatives in Port Richmond. She joined La Colmena’s team to conduct the Commercial District Needs Assessment (CDNA) of Port Richmond and, through this assessment, was able to determine community priorities for the neighborhood. Following the CDNA, she implemented La Colmena’s Neighborhood 360° (N360°) and Public Realm initiatives which included the installation of the Welcome to Port Richmond mural. Born and raised in Staten Island’s North Shore, she graduated from Wagner College with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Civic Engagement.

  5. Becca Bran

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    In addition to being an Upper West Side resident, Becca has been working at Landmark West! since 2021. She obtained a Master’s of Architecture Degree and a Minor in Design and Urban Justice at Parsons School of Design, teaching her the importance of social justice in design. Whether working in school with community groups or remembering a neighborhood that is gone, people are the driving force behind her work. She believes preserving the neighborhood she inhabits will also preserve community.

  6. Quinn Moss

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    Quinn is a multidisciplinary artist, photographer, and community liaison. At Central Astoria, she has planned and executed the Steinway Street Art Walk with more than 40 local artists and 12 participating stores. Prior to Central Astoria, she has worked as a production designer for a global advertising firm, a pitch deck designer for a financial services firm, and as a volunteer Events Manager for the service industry-centered 86 Logic Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys connecting with nature, collaging, sewing, and exploring the city on foot. See more of her work at quinnthecreative.com.

  7. Jamila Diaz

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    Jamila was born and raised in the Bronx, and her passion for community development has always been rooted in her neighborhood. Before joining WHEDco, she served as Assistant Vice President of Community and Economic Development at the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBRO) and as a Director at John Jay College’s Institute for Justice and Opportunity. Throughout her career, Jamila has worked closely with City, State, and Federal partners to create opportunities for underserved neighborhoods across the Bronx and Manhattan. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Urban Policies), with minors in Sociology and Economics, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Jamila is also a proud alum of the Coro Leadership Fellows program.

  8. Ashley Dominguez

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    Ashley is a Senior Consultant for the Strategy & Policy team located in Buro Happold’s New York office. She has a background in transportation planning, urban revitalization, and economic development. As the previous Supervising Transportation Planner for Hudson County, she has worked directly with the public sector with experience in developing Hudson County’s Economic Development Strategy, regional feasibility studies, and comprehensive plans. She worked on Hudson County’s Vision Zero initiatives, participated as an Alternative Board member of the NJTPA, and sat on several of their committees including the Project Prioritization, Regional Transportation Advisory, and the Planning and Economic Development Committees. She also participated in the County’s Economic Development Strategy Committee, publishing their 2020-2024 Strategy Plan. Ashley has spent time exploring the intersection of economic revitalization, urban development, and mobility both academically and in practice in Long Island New York. Her work heavily focuses on advancing equity and sustainability in urban and suburban development through strategic planning and collaborative stakeholder engagement.

  9. Garine Boghossian

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    Garine Boghossian is a Lebanese-Armenian architect, urban designer, and researcher based in Brooklyn. She is a Senior Urban Designer at ORG NY and has taught architecture and urban design at NJIT, MIT, Northeastern University, and the Boston Architectural College. Garine holds a master’s in architecture and Urbanism from MIT and a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University of Beirut. Her work bridges research, design, and advocacy across local and international contexts. In New York, she has contributed to the Sunnyside Yards Master Plan, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Vertical Manufacturing Facility, and the Stop the Cross Bronx Expansion coalition.

  10. Brynn Anderson

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    Brynn Anderson is a graphic designer based in New York City. She holds an MFA in Communications Design from Pratt Institute and a BS in Communication from Boston University. She currently works in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Brynn is passionate about community-based design, social impact, and the intersection of design and the physical environment. Beyond her corporate work, she has participated in public observation research with Gehl, served as a Graduate Trustee for Pratt Institute, and volunteered her design services for nonprofit organizations. Outside of work, she enjoys expanding her creative practice through screen printing, risograph, drawing, and other analog mediums.