OUR TEAM |
Ryan Lo
Co-Founder M.U.P., B.E.S. Ryan is an urban planner, community engagement practitioner, and youth advocate. As Co-Founder of Urban Minds, he bridges the gap between youth and decision makers by developing youth engagement strategies with municipalities and community partners. His work includes organizing the annual 1UPToronto Conference and the 1UP Leaders Lab program, where high school students learn about city building and gain practical skills in civic leadership. Ryan has extensive experience in facilitating engagement events for placemaking and transportation projects across Canada and the US. |
Angela Ng
co-founder M.Arch., B.Arch.Sci. Angela is an architectural designer, educator, and youth advocate. As Co-Founder of Urban Minds, she elevates youth voices in the decision-making process of cities by delivering educational school workshops about urban planning and by mentoring a growing network of high school students. Angela is the recipient of the Sappi Ideas That Matter Grant, which funded the production of her 1UP Starter Kit, a key resource for high school students to lead their own community design-build projects. Her design expertise is recognized as winner of the City of Toronto’s Everyone is King: Design-Build Competition with her team’s youth-friendly curb lane public art installation, #WouldYouRatherTO. |
santessa henriques
program advisor Santessa is a dedicated motivator for equity-seeking groups in the city building dialogue. As Program Advisor for Urban Minds, she is committed to leveraging opportunities for youth to express themselves. As an urban planner, Santessa shares her skills through visual communication, community involvement and research. With previous experiences at the City of Toronto, Evergreen, Ontario Ministry of Environment and the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Santessa always finds unique ways to engage in the city. You can find Santessa running around town (literally), catching a new superhero flick or playing with some mapping technology. |
alex smiciklas
outreach Manager Alex is an urban planner, public engagement specialist, and visual communication enthusiast. Hailing from Vancouver, he moved to Toronto in 2018 to shift education paths and learn in a bigger urban playground. Alex is interested in innovative and creative ways to ensuring results-driven outreach that helps to elevate the city-building conversation with youth. With experience in facilitation at Swerhun Inc., and as a CityStudio Vancouver alum, Alex is passionate about ensuring that young people feel informed and empowered to bring change to their cities. He enjoys theatre, is an aspiring plant collector, and is usually found wandering around looking at interesting architecture in the city. |
AREEJ ASHRAF
program coordinator Areej is a transportation planner with a keen interest in community development and youth engagement in city building. She has worked on a diverse set of transportation projects including transit planning, parking and active transportation in the GTA and Halifax. Areej is passionate about championing diverse voices in planning and incorporating equity and inclusivity in her work. As a Program Coordinator, she helps develop and facilitate key programming with the Urban Minds team and its partners. When she isn’t wearing her planning hat, Areej enjoys hiking and practising calligraphy. |
RIA HAQUE
prOGRAM COORDINATOR Ria is completing her second Master’s at Western University studying Research for Policy and Evaluation with a background in Political Science from Western University and the University of Toronto. She is an active youth advocate for marginalized groups with a focus on making city building equitable across the GTA. As a Program Coordinator, she is committed to ensuring that youth have the proper resources and platform to have their voices heard especially when it comes to city building and youth engagement. When she is not finding ways to stay in school longer or discovering opportunities to strengthen community engagement, she can be found watching true-crime documentaries and exploring different recipes for her new air fryer. |
Jane Law
project COORDINATOR Jane is an aspiring urban planner with experience in arts-based community engagement for equity-seeking groups. She is interested in exploring how engagement processes can be made more creative, approachable, and compelling for people of all abilities and ages. Jane has previous experience working in the role of community engagement with the City of Toronto, the Toronto Youth Food Policy Council, the Toronto Ward Museum, and multiple Business Improvement Areas. Besides planning, you can find Jane participating in zoom ballet class in her basement, baking new recipes in the kitchen, and reading books in the comfort of her room. |
BRIANNE LEE
PROJECT Coordinator Brianne is a young city builder, energized by opportunities to make our cities more resilient and inclusive. She currently supports residential development projects in the GTA challenging the status quo - integrating ambitious sustainability goals, user-centric technology and meaningful public space. With previous experience at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Brianne values research and engagement prioritising young and underrepresented voices. |
ENOSH CHEN
Outreach Coordinator Enosh Chen is a first-year undergraduate in the Honours Planning program at the University of Waterloo and an Outreach Coordinator at Urban Minds. He chose to study urban planning because he believes that there are always opportunities to enhance communities around the world. Besides urban planning, he is interested in designing graphics and teaching kids. |
ADRIANA CERIC
Growth Coordinator Adriana is a grade 12 student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute in Waterloo, Ontario. Since she was young, she has always noticed problems in the way her community was built and her dream is to one day innovate sustainable, life-sized and inclusive cities for all. As a 17-year-old, she believes that age is no barrier for what one can achieve, and she knows that youth input is the key to add solid foundations to our work, play and home environments (pun intended). When she is not doing schoolwork, she can be found editing her podcast or trying out online recipes. |
OUR ADVISORY BOARD |
AMUNA BARAKA-CLARKE
Amuna is passionate about access. She has almost three decades of experience working in the areas of homelessness, education, social justice, legal advocacy and policy. Currently, she works as the Director of Human Resources and Operations for the Jane/Finch Centre. She is also a CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow and sits on various boards. She has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and English Literature and a Master’s degree in Public Policy, Administration and Law. 
catriona moggach
Catriona is a recent graduate of the professionally accredited Master of Planning degree in Urban Development at Ryerson University, Toronto. She is passionate about cities and creating equitable environments in which individuals are able to facilitate positive change in their lives. Her areas of interest include Indigenous housing policy, affordable housing, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, and creating vibrant communities in Canada and internationally. |
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Our 1UP Executive Team serves as our youth advisors on our projects and initiatives.