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.

Patrycia Menko
Project Coordinator

​Patrycia is a recent graduate of the MES in Planning program at the University of Waterloo (UW). She is an aspiring urban planner and currently works as a Planning and Public Health Research Assistant at UW. Patrycia is passionate about inclusive placemaking and equitable healthy food access in cities. Her research interests are largely in food gentrification and intersectionality from a planning perspective. Patrycia is also closely tied to the communities of which she is part of and has held several leadership roles, including Co-Chair of the City of Waterloo Pollinator Group and Social Officer for the Association of Graduate Planners during her master’s studies. Patrycia is motivated by the prospect of amplifying voices still invisible in planning processes, strengthening allyship between the planning profession and public health, and forevermore continuing her education through practice.

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.

Matthew James
Growth Coordinator

Matthew is a student at Mohawk College studying Urban Planning & Geographic Information Systems. He has experience as a facilitator and mentor, and is keen on continuing to develop his understanding of design and policy to contribute to a new generation of practitioners. In volunteering with Urban Minds, Matthew aspires to assist in furthering the influence and impact of nuanced collaborations between youth, municipalities, industry professionals and the public for equitable dialogue and enhanced education outside of the classroom.

Vincent Lee
​Growth Coordinator

Vincent is passionate about building products that have a positive impact on society and the environment. He is currently completing his MBA at Wilfrid Laurier University, with previous experience in digital marketing, strategic planning and operations, and coaching youth sports. Most recently, he has been involved in consulting projects that focus on developing innovative solutions to combat the food waste crisis and climate change. In his free time, he loves to read, travel, play badminton, and snowboard.

Adriana CeRic
GROWTH COORDINATOR

Adriana is a grade 12 student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute in Waterloo, ON Canada. 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 it age is no barrier for what one can achieve, and she knows that youth input is 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.

ENOSH CHEN
Engagement Strategist

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.

​CATHERINE CAETANO-mACDONELL
​​OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Catherine is passionate about designing with quality communication to understand users' needs and create moments of joy in peoples' daily lives. In June 2020, she graduated from Carleton University's School of Industrial Design with a Bachelor of Industrial Design and a Minor in Technology, Society, and Environmental Studies. In the past three years, she has been designing websites, graphic designs, communication materials, and physiotherapy products. She has been involved in research projects looking at co-design as a democratic design process.  She hopes to become an Urban Designer in the future and improve walkability and transportation in the city. In her free time, Catherine loves dancing, doing yoga, studying new languages, and exploring the city.

KELLY gINGRICH
oUTREACH cOORDINATOR

Kelly is passionate about environmental and sustainability education and getting youth involved in climate action. She has a particular interest in climate justice on the local level. Holding a Master of Education from OISE/UT, and looking forward to beginning a Master of Environmental Studies at York University, Kelly is eager to learn about participatory and community-based research, youth engagement and co-creating new narratives to build collective futures. Kelly has more recently begun advocating in her community of Simcoe County for complete communities, active transportation and more democratic and collaborative planning processes. In her spare time, Kelly loves to read, learn how to grow vegetables and nerd out enjoying sci-fi. 

JENNIFER KHUU
​program coordinator

Jennifer is an urban planning student at Ryerson University who is passionate about youth empowerment, social planning, and environmental conservation. She is always eager to learn more about fostering sustainable and thriving communities that boost the wellbeing of all citizens. Her passion for community engagement developed through working with Secure the Food Mississauga and Volunteering Peel. Jennifer also enjoys playing the piano and learning new languages in her free time.

Cynthia Tia
​​program coordinator

Cynthia is a Political Scientist currently in the postbaccalaureate program  at Ryerson University with the School of Urban and Regional Planning. She is passionate about climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, environmental sustainability, and community development within the BIA realm. As program coordinator, she hopes to provide interested youth with opportunities to help transform their communities into resilient, adaptable, and beautiful spaces. In her free time, Cynthia enjoys watching youtube videos of restaurants to visit when travelling and recreating her mom's recipes. 

Maryam Sheikh
Program coordinator

Maryam is a Justice, Political Philosophy, and Law student at McMaster University. She is passionate about community engagement, global health equity, and learning from those around her. She’s excited about creating accessible platforms for youth to learn more about sustainable and inclusive city planning and get engaged with these processes in her role. Outside of work, you can find her reading, spending time outdoors, baking, and hoping that the Leafs advance past the first round of playoffs one day.

MATTHEW CHAN
​pLACEMENT STUDENT

Matthew is an Urban Studies and Psychology student at the University of Toronto. He is passionate about empowering and encouraging youth engagement in the urban planning field; precisely, by facilitating and creating inclusive spaces for youth to confidently participate. With experience in peer mentorships, leading in peer support groups, and facilitating workshops; Matthew is eager to help foster an environment for aspiring youths in the urban planning field.

Rian Matthew Moreno
​Placement student

Rian Human Geography, GIS and Environmental Studies student at the University of Toronto. Rian is passionate about shaping the city towards greater public participation, and equity. He is excited to create accessible and inclusive spaces for youth to participate. On top of this, he is excited to be able to participate in community outreach and work directly with the community. With experience in GIS and youth planning research, Rian is excited to contribute towards the development of spaces for youth success in the field of Urban Planning.

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. She works as a Senior Human Resources Leader in Community Healthcare and is an active volunteer across many communities. She has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and English Literature and a Master’s degree in Public Policy, Administration and Law.

wesley Reibeling

Wesley Reibeling (he/him) is the Toronto Program Manager at Park People and Co-chair of Jane's Walk, with the recent addition of joining the advisory board at Urban Minds.
Wesley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from York University and is working toward a Certificate in Community Engagement at Toronto Metropolitan University where his recent mentorship skills assisted TMU School of Urban and Regional Planning students through Public Life studies on Urban Parks and equitable consultation. 
 
Wesley Reibeling is a multidisciplinary artist and urbanist whose work has a focus on community, psychogeography, belonging and equity in cities. He is also a member of the Arts and Letters Club in Toronto and dabbles in street photography, podcasting, and other art forms in his spare time.

Daniel Rotsztain

Daniel Rotsztain is the Urban Geographer, an artist, writer and cartographer whose work examines our relationship to the places we inhabit. The author and illustrator of All the Libraries Toronto and A Colourful History Toronto, Daniel’s work has also been featured in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and a regular column on CBC Radio's Here and Now. As a frequent patron of libraries, malls, and strip malls throughout the Greater Toronto Area, Daniel's projects seek to understand and support the diverse settings of the city’s public life through walking tours, residencies, and landscape interventions. He is a project manager at ERA Architects and is the co-lead of plazaPOPS, a community-lead approach to transforming strip mall parking lots into comfortable, safe, and accessible gathering places in Toronto's inner suburbs.

Eugenia Ochoa

Tatiana Soldatova

A tenacious entrepreneur with a passion for realizing complex problems through innovation, Tatiana pushes the boundaries of design research and brings together industry leaders to help guide projects with award-winning results. She co-founded Syllable Inc. - a Toronto-based, people-centric design and architecture studio specializing in corporate interiors, low rise multi-residential suites, and boutique retail spaces. Her role within the firm oversees managing business strategy and operations, providing internal mentorship, and driving the company's growth and continued excellence year over year. Key clients include Chanel, Moderna, Achievers, and Kraft Heinz Canada.   

In addition to her private practice, Tatiana is involved with Toronto's Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) as a EOA Social and SAP Chair and previously served on ARIDO's Board of Directors (Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario). Tatiana graduated from Humber College with a Bachelor of Interior Design and subsequently earned a Master of Science in Strategic Design and Management from Parsons School of Design in New York City.

J.C. Eli m. bAWUAH

Jc Elijah (Eli) M. Bawuah (he/him) is a practicing Urban Planner and Public Consultant with multi-disciplinary experience gained by working in a spectrum of city and community-building roles. He has worked on development applications, master plans, social plans, mobility/transportation projects across Ontario. Eli has co-developed equity initiatives centering the lived experiences and voices of Toronto’s diverse urban stakeholders, while fostering collaborative environments that generate values of reciprocity and sustainability. To Eli, leadership is about allowing yourself to be vulnerable while advocating for what you believe in that may benefit someone other than yourself. This is why he co-founded the Mentoring Initiative for Indigenous and Planners of Colour (MIIPOC). With the goal to advance diversity and representation amongst city-builders and leadership, the Mentoring Initiative for Indigenous and Planners of Colour (MIIPOC) focuses on establishing a national network between experienced planners and emerging planners from marginalized communities. As a former Committee Member of the City of Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ Council Advisory Body, he advised and helped to inform strategies aimed at removing barriers faced by the queer community.

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Our 1UP Executive Team serves as our youth advisors on our projects and initiatives. 

Youth Advisors