Staff & Consultants
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.
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.
Originally from Colombia, Ana Gabriela holds an MA in Fine Arts from the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and a BA in Architecture from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She is a highly skilled professional with over ten years of experience coordinating tasks and projects within the cultural and educational fields. Ana Gabriela has contributed to various local organizations, including The Clay Studio, The Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and most recently, The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. She joins the Community Design Collaborative with a wealth of project management experience, committed to incorporating diverse perspectives and voices throughout the design process. In addition to enjoying life in a vibrant city while mothering, biking, and reading, Ana Gabriela volunteers with organizations supporting the immigrant community.
Tyler A. Ray is a Program Manager at the Collaborative. He is trained as planner, community designer, and historic preservationist, and his perspective doing this work is deeply rooted in his experiences growing up in North Philadelphia. As a graduate of Temple University’s Urban Planning and Historic Preservation programs, Tyler has made it his life mission to revive, amplify, and activate historic buildings and sites in the marginalized communities of Philadelphia and beyond. Tyler has experience conducting community engagement and helping community members navigate city processes through his prior work at the city’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems.
In her 5th year of Drexel University's Architecture program, Tazianna is elated to be a part of the Collaborative's Team! Through the passions of her professors and mentors, she found the Collaborative. She started with the course, Community Engagement and Design, which added an additional key factor to the design process that the Collaborative values as well. She could be found in other community-engaged design courses, a Housing Justice Futures conference upon other conferences dealing with anti-racism and involving the architect's greatest client, the community. With this new position, she hopes to keep learning about how Architects can enact Justice and lift up the community.