Internships, fellowships & entry programs abroad

ILEKTRA PAPADAKI

Senior Expert UN and EU systems. Former Team Leader at the European Commission

Based in Greece

I advise policy makers of international organizations, national and local governments how to turn complex urban and environmental challenges into actionable strategies, implement and monitor them.With a decade of experience in EU and UN systems, I specialize in policy design, strategy setting, monitoring and reporting, stakeholder engagement, and building high-impact partnerships. I also lead teams and manage multi-year projects. I am committed to support you navigating public sector careers and roles in international organizations, leadership positions, career changes, upskilling and training paths, finding your lost motivation, and dealing with challenging work environments. Also happy to exchange if your career is focused, or you want to focus it, on policy, climate change issues, affordable housing, or monitoring. Don't hesitate to get in touch!Some highlights from my work experience:-As Team Leader and Policy Advisor to management, I led and shaped initiatives for the construction sector and the urban environment at the European Commission (2017–2023), coordinated High Level Fora and multi-stakeholder initiatives, designed and implemented international projects, authored institutional reports.-Senior Expert for the Sustainable United Nations Facility (2024– ), driving sustainability performance improvements and coordinating annual reporting across the UN system toward climate neutrality.-Active in research and practice at the global and EU levels: PhD(c) Spatial and Urban Engineer, with focus on international climate and development policies and their influence to national and local strategies.-Experienced mentor and advisor: URBACT Lead Expert, Cities Forum Mentor, with a track record in city mentoring programs (New European Bauhaus, Net Zero Cities). Mentored over 15 trainees and younger colleagues in their early career, as manager in international organizations.

Venugopal AV

Based in India

As a Program Manager working in urban development, I’ve learned that transforming cities is as much about transforming systems and mindsets as it is about infrastructure. My journey has centered on collaborating with government agencies, from city corporations to national ministries, to translate people-first ideas into funded projects and adopted policies. I’ve navigated the complexities of building consensus, strategizing for scale, and turning setbacks into learning opportunities within the public sector. I can offer support to mentees exploring: · Government Engagement & Policy: Strategies for effective collaboration, communication, and technical input to influence policy. · Project Strategy & Scaling: Moving from a pilot concept to a budgeted, city-wide or national program. · Navigating Professional Growth: Building a purposeful career in the public/social impact sector, handling motivation, and learning from challenges. · Personal Branding: Communicating your work and impact authentically to different audiences. If you're passionate about creating change within systems and seeking a thoughtful sounding board, I’m here to share insights from my own journey and what I've learned from peers.

Frank Dhondt

Based in Greece

Gargi Roy

Senior Urban Planner

Based in Germany

As a conscious urban designer and planner, I have always taken steps toward an evidence-based, people-centric approach that weaves various design informants—political, social, and economic —into synergistic relationships to create responsive environments. With ten years of experience in both the public and private sectors, I have been involved in nation-building efforts that include capacity building and providing technical assistance to government and public-sector organizations in India, Germany, and across the globe. I have supported government entities in building collaborations and formalising strategic partnerships through the signing of MoUs.

Maria Natalia Paulino Araujo Alcantara

Senior Mobility Planner

Based in Italy

Senior Mobility and Transport Planner with an international academic and professional background, grounded in architecture and urban planning. She currently works on complex mobility and transport planning projects across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and Latin America, contributing to large-scale urban developments, major venues and international masterplans. Her professional path spans Europe, the United States and Brazil, combining academic excellence with hands-on experience in multidisciplinary, international environments.She holds two Master’s degrees in Urban Studies and Urban Planning, including the Erasmus Mundus 4Cities program, and brings a strong ability to bridge spatial thinking, analytical reasoning and design-driven problem solving within mobility and transport planning contexts. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for translating complex data, spatial analysis and stakeholder inputs into clear, structured and implementable mobility frameworks. Her work focuses on creating alignment between planning, design and delivery, supporting informed decision-making and robust project outcomes in complex, high-stakes settings.As a mentor, she will support individuals navigating international careers in urban planning and mobility, particularly those seeking clarity on professional positioning, international transitions and long-term career direction. She can support mentees in structuring their profiles, refining CVs and portfolios, and navigating the transition from academic or early professional stages into complex, real-world planning and mobility environments. Her mentoring approach is practical, structured and outcome-oriented, focused on building strategic clarity, confidence and concrete next steps rather than generic advice. She works best with motivated professionals who are ready to take ownership of their path and translate ambition into informed, achievable decisions.

Alexandru MATEI

Senior Officer Urban Agenda and Partnerships | Speaker | Moderator | Guest Lecturer | Urban Agenda for the EU | Oxford AI Alumni

Based in France

Alexandru is a passionate urban (re)thinker and senior urban professional working at the intersection of cities, communities and European policy. With over 15 years of experience, he supports places across Europe in the design and implementation of just, sustainable and integrated urban development. Having lived and worked in nine cities and one village across four European countries, he is known as a connector of cities, networks and actors, and for his resilience in navigating complex career paths and cultural transitions. As a mentor, Alexandru supports urban city practitioners by combining strategic urban expertise with insights from psychology, including flow, positive psychology, meaningful work, relationship building, trust, resilience, communication, public speaking, conflict management, passion and purpose. His mentoring focuses on helping professionals navigate complexity, strengthen confidence, improve collaboration and align personal motivation with long-term impact. He brings particular experience in building a career in a different country and reflecting on the balance between personal and professional life goals. In 2022, he took over the restructuring of the Support Services for the Urban Agenda for the EU as part of the European Urban Initiative, leading its conceptualisation and implementation, advising multiple partnerships and managing a multidisciplinary team. His work covers EU urban policy, programmes and networks, and he is recognised for generating synergies between institutions and policies. His main interests include integrated, place-based and sustainable urban development, territorial strategies, regeneration, the common good, European spatial planning and the societal impact of artificial intelligence. He has initiated and managed numerous EU-funded projects and is also interested in photography as a tool for observation and exploration.

Didier Vancutsem

Based in Germany

Justin Paul Ware

Urban Planner and Project Manager at Interboro Partners

Based in United States

I am an urban planner, architectural designer, and creative strategist committed to promoting social justice, human dignity, and sustainability in the built environment. I seek opportunities to collaborate with communities on the creation of cities and spaces that cultivate equity, inclusion, and long-term resilience. I currently work as a senior planner and project manager at Interboro Partners, a multi-disciplinary ideas-based firm offering inventive and inclusive planning, urban design, and architectural design services grounded in good listening, keen observation, and productive community engagement. I also freelance and operate Spatial Politics, an applied research and design platform established to pursue initiatives with overtly political and social dimensions. I mentor students through the Architecture League of New York’s Mentorship Program and act as a poll worker for New York City elections. With more than twelve years of professional experience, I’ve worked as an urban planning consultant to the Planning for Humanitarian-Development Practice at UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) and as a project manager and architectural designer at firms such as Mapos, Grizform Design, and Urban Nouveau. I hold a Master of Emergency Architecture and Urban Resilience from Università IUAV di Venezia and a Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Patricia Gimenez Franco

Senior Urbanist | Architect | International Advisor

Based in Paraguay

Urbanism is about people’s everyday life — and that conviction has shaped my professional journey. I am an architect and senior urbanist with over 20 years of experience across architecture, urban and territorial planning, and geography. I have built an international career working in multicultural and multidisciplinary environments, living and working in different countries, with strong language skills and high geographical mobility. My professional path spans the public and private sectors, advising cities, governments, development projects, and international cooperation programs in Latin America and Europe. My core areas of expertise include urban policy, planning and design; housing, land management; real estate; public space; urban regeneration; urban governance; resilience; capacity building, among others. I have contributed to complex urban initiatives with institutions such as the WB, IDB, UNDP, UN-Habitat, EEAS, the EU, LILP, KRIHS, and Gehl, among others, through projects, advisory roles, workshops, and learning programs. Beyond academic frameworks, my work is grounded in practice and real-world complexity, shaped by governance constraints, institutional dynamics, implementation gaps, and the relational dimension of urban management — understanding not only how cities are planned, but how they actually work. I write to reflect on practice, translate complexity, and share urban knowledge. As a mentor, I support professionals navigating career transitions, international and consulting pathways, and complex decision-making processes, offering clarity, grounded strategic thinking, and a pragmatic understanding of how urban work unfolds in practice. My mentoring approach is reflective and structured, helping mentees work through moments of uncertainty or stagnation by reconnecting skills, experience, and direction. Despite extensive experience, I continue learning from practice, context, and people — because urban work is dynamic, and context matters.

hemalatha M C

Master Planner

Based in India

Policy, Planning and Design professional in the fields of Urban Development, Industrial corridor planning, Smart Cities, Master Planning including Project Management Consultancies and Project Management Units. Experience working in Middle-east, India, Zambia and Nepal. Team mentoring, and Project Structuring. Experience formulating and strategizing projects from inception upto project implementation methods. Supports program management through conducting Techno Economic Feasibility studies, Land suitability/Capability studies and detailed Site assessments. Company representative and Client fronting.

Merve Akdag

MSc Architect and Urban Researcher

Based in Turkey

Merve Akdağ is an interdisciplinary designer with a background in architecture (B.Arch, Istanbul Technical University) and a Master’s in City and Architecture from Özyeğin University. She has led teams and developed public strategies as a design professional. As the founding leader of Şehrine Ses Ver, she has initiated award-winning participatory projects, interdisciplinary workshops, and interactive urban panels. Her work is grounded in inclusive design, urban justice, governance, public engagement, and data-driven design. She is committed to authentic thinking and effective coordination in shaping equitable urban environments. Her studies focus on producing innovative content, fostering team & community engagement, and developing and detailing unique artificial programs and collaborations in The Spatial J/U/S/T Art & Design Collective.

Dagmar Köhler

Strategic Advisor Sustainable Mobility

Based in Germany

I am a strategic advisor at Mobycon and with extensive expertise in sustainable transportation incl. walking, cycling, road safety, urban transport and mobility projects. I focus my work to helping cities and regions to improve walking, cycling and make their transport systems more sustainable. At Mobycon, we are able to add a Dutch perspective on cycling projects, the only place in the world with a truly inclusive approach to make cycling a real option for transport for everyone. Prior to Mobycon, I have led the German Cycling Academy at the German Institute of Urban Affairs in Berlin and worked for almost a decade at the European city network POLIS in Brussels. I conducted my academic studies in geography and communications at universities in Leipzig, Stellenbosch (South Africa) and Madrid. I have led and contributed to numerous European and German mobility projects, research initiatives, and training programs. I am among the founders of Women in Cycling Germany and continue to support Women in Cycling internationally.

Lucía Mejía Dorantes

Senior specialist in sustainable mobility and urban development

Based in Germany

Senior transport and urban mobility specialist with extensive experience advising European and international institutions on sustainable mobility, transport equity, and inclusive urban development. Combines strong analytical skills with deep expertise in transport economics, mobility behaviour, and policy evaluation. Proven track record delivering high‑quality research, strategic guidance, and evidence‑based recommendations for the European Commission, the European Parliament, the JRC, and the IDB. Experienced in working across disciplines and coordinating transdisciplinary collaborations, applying quantitative and qualitative methods, and integrating gender, diversity, and social equity into transport planning. Skilled communicator with international teaching, mentoring, and conference experience. Currently supporting cities, institutions, and organisations in designing equitable and inclusive mobility strategies.

Bernadette Gordyn

Sustainable Urban Development Specialist

Based in Spain

Bernadette Gordyn is an urban planner and architect from Buenos Aires, Argentina, currently based in Barcelona, Spain. She holds a degree in Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires, a European Master's in Urbanism from UPC Barcelona and KU Leuven, a postgraduate degree in Cities and Urban Policies from Di Tella University, and a Public Policy Analysis Certificate from UCL. With over thirteen years of experience in sustainable territorial and urban development, Bernadette has worked across Latin America, West Africa, and Europe. Since 2019, she has served as Urban Development Consultant with the World Bank, supporting operations in West Africa and Latin America. Her work encompasses project management of loans and technical advisory services, policy dialogue with governments, research and data analysis, and technical publications. She has contributed to projects in Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Panama, Togo and Angola, focusing on slum upgrading, housing, urban regeneration, transit-oriented development, climate resilience, and territorial planning. From 2016 to 2019, Bernadette worked with UN-Habitat's Mexico Country Office, where she coordinated programs on housing, the SDGs, and urban prosperity indicators, helping local governments to localize global agendas. Earlier in her career, she advised local governments in Argentina and Colombia on strategic planning and urban development. Bernadette has co-authored numerous publications with the World Bank and UN-Habitat and has taught urban planning at the University of Buenos Aires. She is fluent in Spanish, English, French, and Catalan. Her work is characterized by a commitment to inclusive and sustainable cities, participatory processes, and evidence-based decision-making that translates global frameworks into local realities.

Angela Lopez

Associate - Urban Planner and Designer at ARCADIS | Architect LEED AP BD+C | MSc Cum Laude Urbanism + Technology in Sustainable Development (TISD) Specialization

Based in Mexico

Urban designer & planner committed to make a positive impact on the people around me and my environment: my city, my country and the world. My wish is that my dedication to sustainability and sustainable living at home and at my workplace ‘practicing what I preach’ will inspire others to follow my lead. My goal is to encourage sustainable designs and practices as my way of making a difference in my professional practice. During my years of professional experience in the construction industry I have sought to combine the success of clients with improving the quality of life of people and caring for the environment. With more than 15 years of professional practice, I have had the opportunity to accumulate experience in the design and development of Interior Design, Architectural, and Urban Design & Planning projects, as well as their execution and coordination. I enjoy new challenges, as evidenced by my educational and professional experiences abroad. As a result of my multi-cultural background I am extremely adaptable which has been essential for my professional career. During my role as the Urban Design Team Lead and Sustainability Coordinator for a small practice in Mexico City I was part of an interdisciplinary team of professionals dedicated to the development of Sustainable Master Plan projects in multiple Mexican cities such as Colima, Culiacán, Durango, Mérida, San Luis Potosí and Mexico City. I joined IBI Group (now Arcadis) Mexico City practice in December 2020. Since then I have participated in master planning, urban design, and sustainability & resilience consulting projects in North America and Latin America, mainly in Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil. The Pedestrianization and Parking Management Consultancy for Oaxaca Historic City Center in Mexico was one of my latest projects where I played a key role as the project coordinator between the client (IDB), the beneficiaries (Municipality) and the community involved.

Federica Risi

Senior Policy and Project Officer, European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN)

Based in Italy

A natural connector and trained sustainable urban development practitioner, Federica has been shaped by living and working across different countries and urban realities. For the past 10 years, she has worked at the interface of action-research, participatory planning, and sustainable urbanisation, engaging with complex challenges such as everyday urban risks, informality, migration, inclusive city-making, and global environmental justice. Her work focuses on translating research into policy, particularly across Europe and South America. With a strong background in action-research and project management, Federica has contributed to participatory initiatives in several countries (i.e. the UK, Portugal, Peru, Brazil, and South Africa) across different sectors. She also has consultancy experience with international organisations such as the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and Silent Spring Consultants, supporting policy-relevant research and programme design. Mentorship is an important part of Federica’s practice. In 2024–2025, she served as a mentor for the Public Space Academy, an experience that deeply enriched her and reinforced her belief in learning as a reciprocal and collective process. She currently works as a Senior Policy and Project Officer at the European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN), where she manages multiple EU projects related to nature-positive urban development and planetary health, being the team's go-to expert on just-green urban transitions. At the EUKN, she also provides strategic advice to EU national ministries responsible for urban matters, contributing to intergovernmental cooperation and multi-level governance frameworks. Federica holds an MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development from University College London and a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from LUISS Guido Carli. She speaks Italian (native), English and Spanish (fluent), and Portuguese (intermediate).

Shuwen Sailer-Zhou

Based in Germany

Shuwen Zhou is an urban and digital geographer. She is currently leading the International Center for Social Equity and Participation. Her expertise lies in the interaction of urban governance, digitalization and social equity. Shuwen has professional experience with the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank Institute, and international NGOs, working on poverty reduction, urbanisation, and community development. She holds degrees in urban planning and public policy from the University of Oxford, the University of Tokyo, and University College London.

Nadeem Ahmed

International Urban Development / Urban Planning

Based in Saudi Arabia

International Urban Development professional with over 10 years of experience and a strong background in sustainable urban planning in the UK and global markets, with in-country experience in Nepal, Myanmar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Most recently in Saudi Arabia, supporting the development of Strategic Urban Plans in Riyadh and Jeddah. Prior to this working on IFI projects (EBRD, World Bank, FCDO), coordinating and delivering strategic urban plans, inclusive economic development, and resilient infrastructure. Demonstrated proficiency in identifying and prioritising green and resilient city actions and supporting their implementation. A chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Cornelia Dinca

Sustainable & Smart Cities

Based in Netherlands

I am an urbanist, consultant and educator focused on sustainable urban development. I am the founder of Sustainable Amsterdam, a boutique consultancy specialized in transferring Amsterdam and Dutch approaches to sustainable urban development internationally through experiential learning programmes. I have extensive experience working with governmental and semi-governmental partners such as the City of Amsterdam and Amsterdam Smart City, with a strong focus on international collaboration and knowledge exchange. Throughout my work, I have been involved in various mentoring roles, including as mentor city representative in the EU Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC), supporting other European cities in their urban innovation and sustainability journeys. I have also mentored startups through different EIT and New European Bauhaus programmes. I also support individuals in their career development paths, particularly (young) professionals moving to Amsterdam / the Netherlands who are navigating the local urban and sustainability ecosystem. My mentoring approach combines practical urban experience with reflection, learning and personal guidance in complex sustainability transitions.

Bram Dewolfs

Director of Placemaking - Educational & Living Lab Expert - EU Projects Director

Based in Belgium

Bram Dewolfs is a placemaking expert, trainer & EU project developer who co-founded and director of Placemaking of Urban Foxes, an NGO working at the intersection of youth participation, placemaking, public space, and inclusive city-making. His work focuses on helping (young) people & children (including those with fewer opportunities) to analyse their neighbourhoods through fun tools, co-design interventions, and turn ideas into tangible pilots that strengthen belonging, safety, play, climate resilience, and everyday quality of place often through an Urban Living Lab model. With strong experience in Erasmus+, Creative Europe and other European collaborations, Bram supports cities and partners to translate ambitious goals into concrete methodologies, workshops, toolkits, and deliverables, while keeping projects realistic, evidence-informed, and implementable on the ground. He is particularly skilled at bridging grassroots creativity with institutional contexts: aligning youth-driven processes with municipal realities, sustainability, accessibility needs, and long-term policy embedding. As a mentor, Bram is practical, creative, ethical and encouraging. He helps individuals and teams move from a compelling vision to a credible project design: clarifying the “why,” sharpening objectives, building partnerships, designing participatory journeys, and stress-testing workplans and budgets so delivery remains fair and feasible. He also brings strong facilitation skills (online and offline), a toolbox of playful and inclusive placemaking methods, and a clear eye for storytelling, supporting participants to communicate their ideas in a way that convinces stakeholders, funders, and communities alike. On top of this, through his NGO, Urban Foxes also is able to potentially provide fully funded EU City Labs (including transport, accommodation and meals) on the above mentioned topics to the mentees. This way building practical knowledge and skils in a real life setting.

Clinton Moore

UNDP Asia-Pacific - Urban Governance Specialist

Based in Thailand

I'm now leading a new flagship initiative - UNDP's Future-Ready Urban Governance training programme, working closely with 10 cities across Asia-Pacific. I am also a recognised expert on secondary cities strategy and urban governance, and am working on a book and projects on supporting secondary city development across Asia-Pacific. As a mentor I bring honest insights into the urban field in Asia-Pacific - how to build a career here, and insights into urban regional trends. I bridge the personal and the professional in my sessions – what is your personality like? What kind of person are you? How are you tapping into that and being a better urban professional? How are you showing me impact and output in your communications?The below are sample questions I have helped others with on their journey:What does it take to make or break an urban career in the Asia-Pacific?Is the UN still a viable career path for an aspiring urban professional?How does one transfer from local government professional to the UN system and connect to other international opportunities?How do you deal with the frustrations of projects ending as an urban contractor or consultant?How does one balance being a 'generalist' and finding a niche?What's it like to work on reinvigorating UNDP's urban programming?Anyway - more about me I guess? I am Australian and based in Southeast Asia with UNDP's Bangkok Regional Hub, where I am UNDP's focal point for urban governance - doing the groundwork of connecting, leading, and making sure that UNDP's urban portfolios in Asia-Pacific are grounded in cutting-edge urban thinking and practice and strong partnerships. Previously, I worked with UN-Habitat and UN ESCAP in Bangkok, but the life of a UN consultant is often not as glamorous or rewarding as one assumes.Southeast Asia has become my home, and where my expertise has grown. I have a rare "street to strategy" perspective. Before Bangkok, I spent almost 10 years with City of Melbourne in Australia in direct community facing, planning, policy, strategy, and Councillor support roles. I loved this work. This gave me an excellent foundation in how to work across a complex community, organisation, and political system - including as an Assistant to now Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Nick Reece.My journey is not linear. I have moved between local government, regional roles, and the United Nations. This diversity is a strength. This is also not by choice - contract and funding issues, and organisational re-shuffles have built my resilience - so if you need help trying to navigate change and an international career, contact me!

LAURELINE LHUILLIER

Based in France

I am an architect and urban planner specialized in urban resilience, climate adaptation, and water governance, with over ten years of professional experience across Latin America and Europe. My work lies at the intersection of urban planning, architecture, public policy, and applied research, with a strong focus on how cities can respond to climate and social challenges in systemic, inclusive, and realistic ways. I have worked extensively in Mexico—including Monterrey, Mexico City, and the Caribbean region—on metropolitan resilience strategies, water-related urban systems, and climate-vulnerable territories. These contexts, shaped by water scarcity, flooding, rapid urbanization, and institutional complexity, have deeply influenced my understanding of cities as living systems. Collaborating with local governments, planning agencies, international organizations, and community actors has given me first-hand insight into how urban visions are negotiated, implemented, and constrained in practice. Alongside this, I have contributed to projects and research initiatives in France, Spain, and Ecuador, focusing on resilience frameworks, nature-based solutions, and territorial adaptation. Working across diverse geographies has strengthened my ability to connect scales, disciplines, and stakeholders, while keeping social equity and long-term impact at the center of planning processes. As a mentor, I offer a practice-based, honest, and non-linear perspective on building a career in urban planning. My own trajectory has been shaped by international mobility, interdisciplinary work, uncertainty, and professional reinvention. I support early-career urban planners in clarifying their professional positioning, navigating complex institutional environments, and transforming strong values into coherent and sustainable career paths.

Iria Lopez-Carreiro

Assistant Professor at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)

Based in Spain

I am an Assistant Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and a researcher at the TRANSyT–UPM (Transport Research Centre at UPM). My background combines architecture, urban planning and transport research, with a strong focus on sustainable mobility. I hold a PhD in Urban and Mobility Planning (2021) and a Master’s in City Sciences (2016) from UPM, as well as a Master’s in Architecture (2015) from the Universidad de Navarra. I began my professional career as an urban planner in Ljubljana, Slovenia. That experience gave me first-hand insight into the real-world challenges of implementing planning strategies and led me to realise that I wanted to better understand the systems underpinning urban mobility and human behaviour. This motivated my return to academia in 2017, when I joined TRANSyT–UPM as a pre-doctoral researcher. In 2021, while completing my PhD, I moved into a European innovation environment as a Sustainable Mobility Project Officer within the City Club Team at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) – Urban Mobility. There, I worked with cities and stakeholders across Europe, while continuing my collaboration with TRANSyT–UPM as an external researcher. In 2023, I returned to academia full-time after being awarded a competitive post-doctoral fellowship. This included one year at the Smart Public Transport Lab at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), The Netherlands, followed by a second year back at TRANSyT–UPM. As a mentor, I would love to bring a perspective shaped by both practice and research, international experience, and movement between academia and applied innovation. I understand that career paths are rarely linear, and I am particularly motivated to support others in navigating transitions and defining their own professional direction.

Giselle Sebag

Executive Director | Founder

Based in Spain

I’m Giselle Sebag (MPH, LEED AP)—an architect, urban planner, and public health practitioner focused on improving health by design. I work at the intersection of urban planning, public health, mobility, climate resilience, and equity, helping cities and civil society partners translate evidence into place-based strategies that improve everyday life—how we move, what we breathe, how safe we feel, and how connected we are. I serve as Executive Director of the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), a global network advancing the field of urban health and strengthening the bridge between evidence and real-world action. I also founded Vital Cities, an evidence-driven advisory practice that partners with city governments, the private sector, and mission-driven organizations to ensure urban investments deliver the greatest possible impact—improving health, quality of life, and economic outcomes. My career has been built in the “in-between spaces” where change is hardest—and most promising: between planning and health, policy and design, infrastructure and community life. I’m especially interested in how practical shifts—safe walking and cycling, public-space activation, access to nature, healthier housing and neighborhoods, and inclusive community life—can transform places and reduce inequities. I’m based in Barcelona and New York and work internationally. What I offer as a mentor: Strategic, practical support for mentees who want to create measurable impact across disciplines. I can help you (1) clarify your direction and refine your professional story, (2) translate research and data into implementable urban strategies, (3) navigate cross-sector stakeholder dynamics, and (4) apply a place-based approach that breaks down silos and builds shared purpose. Bring a real challenge—an initiative that’s stuck, a career crossroads, or a project that needs a sharper strategy—and we’ll work together to move from insight to action.

Betty Chemier

Director at ReURBE

Based in Panama

Hi, I’m Betty—a self-made urban professional from Panama City. I started the journey that led me here because there was no park in my neighborhood, so I decided to build one. Together with my neighbors, we planned it, raised funds, and built and planted the park we had been dreaming of. That was my first real experience with participatory planning, co-design, and tactical urbanism (I only learned those terms after we finished). That project changed my life. I leaned into learning—taking courses with Gehl, Project for Public Spaces, and participating in design charrettes at Harvard—then came back home and founded a social enterprise, ReURBE. With my team, I’ve led projects across the country focused on creating more livable, inclusive, and meaningful places. Later, I joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs network, where for three years I helped test and scale practical solutions for challenges that shape our cities—disaster risk reduction, circular economy, waste management, and more—using systems thinking, experimentation, and a “learn fast” mindset. I’m now back in my own practice with ReURBE, working with clients on projects that mix place activation with sustainability strategy—turning big goals into real-world pilots, partnerships, and measurable impact for the territories and people they serve. If you’re a young professional who wants a mentor to help you navigate participatory processes, design projects with communities, structure experiments, or bridge urban practice with sustainability and systems thinking, I’d love to support your growth.

Oliver Lah

Based in Germany

Oliver Lah coordinates the Urban Urban Living Lab Center, a UN-Habitat Collaborating Center co-hosted by Technical University Berlin, Wuppertal Institute for Climate Environment and Energy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the director of the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative and an Adjunct Professor at the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH). Prior to that Oliver worked with UN-Habitat, UN Environment, UNDP, OECD/ITF and GIZ on urban mobility and climate change issues. He was a lead author for the Fifth IPCC Assessment Report, was a member of the Habitat III Policy Unit on Urban Services and Technology and worked at the Ministry of Transport of New Zealand and the Minister of State to the German Federal Chancellor. Oliver holds a Bachelor of Art in History from Humboldt University, a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Political Science and a Master of Environmental Studies from Victoria University of Wellington and a PhD in Urban Ecology from Technical University Berlin.