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 more than a dozen 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.
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.
With a background in Architecture from Drexel’s 2+4 B.Arch Program, Tazianna is elated to be a part of the Collaborative's Team! Through the shared passions of her professors and mentors, she developed an interest in human-centered design. In conjunction, she found the Collaborative. She started with the course, Community Engagement and Design, which highlighted the key factor of co-design. Tazianna has gained architectural experience from her prior work at James Wentling Architects, teaching middle and high school students from both the Lindy Center and PhilaNOMA's Project Pipeline; and developing the power of telling your story with Drexel University's Student Ambassador Program. You can find her where her communities are, whether it be at a NOMA meeting, skill building Conference, or neighborhood event. She intends to keep learning about how architects can enact justice through working with the greatest client, the community.