A trained architect, Tya comes to the Collaborative after serving as the Director of Project Planning & Design for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia. Her experience also includes working for the Philadelphia Housing Authority and Logan Community Development Corporation. She brings a deep understanding of the Philadelphia design and community development landscape to the work of the Collaborative, and has a deep commitment to using design as a way to tackle social justice issues.
Diana Nguyen joins the Collaborative intersecting her passions for community development and creative design solutions. Throughout her schooling at Drexel University’s architecture program, Diana developed her skillsets in community-based design through her experiences at interdisciplinary architecture and planning firms driven with mission focused projects. As a recent graduate, she is excited to continue to grow alongside partnerships that make Philadelphia a more vibrant city. A lover of the city and its food scene, you can always find Diana scouting out a new restaurant to try.
Jesse Blitzstein is a community development professional with ten years of experience in community engagement, commercial corridor revitalization, real estate development, grant writing, and nonprofit management. He believes in an asset-based approach to equitable development that empowers community residents and local businesses. He possesses deep knowledge of Philadelphia-specific policies, organizations, and best practices, and is proficient in strategy development, fundraising, and project implementation. He previously spent eight-and-a-half years at The Enterprise Center, most recently as the Director of Community and Economic Development, where he helped plan and implement the nonprofit's community engagement and neighborhood revitalization initiatives in West Philadelphia. Jesse has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, and a Master of City Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
As an urban planner and historian, Julia is passionate about equitable development and climate justice at the neighborhood scale, recognizing communities as interconnected social, cultural, economic, and environmental ecosystems. She is particularly interested in the idea of healing through community-led design and preservation interventions. Previously, Julia has worked with Fairmount CDC, PennPraxis, The San Francisco Legacy Business Program, Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation, The American Planning Association, The National Park Service, and Fairmount Park Conservancy. Julia holds masters’ degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in City and Regional Planning and Historic Preservation.
Kim has an extensive marketing career, for 20 years developing communications strategies to connect with the motivations and emotions of audiences by marrying the strategic and creative side of business. She has deep experience in many facets of professional realms: corporate, non-profit and small business. Kim now owns a private coaching and consulting practice, where her passion for mission driven work, her business acumen and transformational journey come together.