A Lot With Little Chicago

Paola Aguirre Serrano is a native from the Mexico-US region, urban designer, and partner at Borderless since 2016. Borderless is a design and research practice based in Chicago and San Antonio focused on approaches and collaboration frameworks addressing spatial justice and equitable design while cultivating collaborative design agency. With emphasis on interdisciplinary exchange, Borderless explores creative civic design and engagement interventions that address the complexity of urban systems and spatial equity by looking at intersections between architecture, urban design, infrastructure, landscape, planning, and community processes. Borderless’s work has been recently recognized by The Architecture League of New York with the Emerging Voices Award (2022), and the John and Catherine MacArthur Foundation’s Creative Placemaking Award (2022).

After an early career focused on Healthcare Architecture, Max Komnenich moved to Lamar Johnson Collaborative to broaden his professional experience. In his role as an Associate Principal focused on design, he has cultivated a passion for projects that directly contribute to the welfare of the Chicago community, particularly through his involvement in nonprofit initiatives. Over the past five years, the Aspire Center in Austin has stood as the focal point of Max’s community-centric endeavors. His involvement spans the entire project lifecycle, from the initial conceptualization through competitions and funding submissions, culminating in the current construction phase with an estimated completion in Q3 2024. In parallel, Max has played an instrumental role in the development of the Chicago POP! Program, a venture aimed at transforming vacant lots into community parks including POPF!T at Aspire Center.

Darnell Shields is the Executive Director at Austin Coming Together (ACT), a nonprofit organization located on Chicago's West Side. A passionate builder of relationships and innovative developments, Darnell is a lifelong Austin resident and co-owner of HairTech the Salon, a local business he started with his wife. In 2010, Darnell joined Austin Coming Together as a volunteer, helping the organization improve their technology and business development systems. It wasn’t long after that he was offered a staff position moving him from IT to Director of Operations and in 2016, the board nominated him to become the Executive Director. Darnell was named a 2015 Fellow of the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago. In addition to this distinction, he has received the following awards: Community Leadership Award in 2017 from the United Way of Metro Chicago; Martin Luther King - Keepers Of The Dream Award in 2019 from the Leaders Network; 2019 Community Service Award by the Austin African American Business Networking Association; and was named one of the top twenty nonprofit executives in 2019 by the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management. He was also honored with the Mayor’s Medal Of Honor in recognition of his leadership as a founding member of the city's Racial Equity Rapid Response Team and recently recognized among Crain’s 2022 Notable Black Leaders and Executives.

Sana Syed is the Chief Growth & Strategy Director at the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), where she leads big impact, innovation, and mission advancement opportunities such as Weekend Warriors, Fresh Market, Go Green on Racine, and the Health & Wellness Corridor Vision. Trained as an architect, theologian, permaculturist, and community organizer, Sana has worked with diverse global communities through several nonprofits in Sweden, Egypt, Yemen, Spain, Somaliland, India, Switzerland, and the United States. Sana is a graduate of the 2022 Civic Leadership Academy at the Harris School of Public Policy and a recipient of the Emerging Leader Award by Caux Dialogue for Land & Security, Switzerland, and the Extraordinary Service in Leadership Award by the Chicago Theological Seminary. Born in Mumbai, Sana has lived in Chicago since 2008 and loves to travel, garden, bake, and be.

Ya Vaughn Harlston is a licensed architect and the Director of Architecture at Nia Architects. She has twenty-two years of experience in architecture working in healthcare, commercial, institutional, and residential sectors. Her role as the Director of Architecture is managing and mentoring staff in the architecture department and actively leading and participating in project phases within a project team and striving to meet the needs of the clients she serves and collaborating with consultants. Ya Vaughn is working on her MBA degree with a dual concentration in Finance and Healthcare Management. Since 2009, Ya Vaughn started as a mentor for the NAACP ACT-SO DuPage County program, mentoring high school students in the architecture category who have won gold and silver medals. Currently, she is the co-chairperson for the ACT-SO Chicago Southside Program, mentoring high school students in architecture, music (vocal/instrumental), and sustainable building categories for the local and national competition. In 2020 and 2021, her high school student team won gold medal in the sustainable building category at the NAACP ACT-CO National Competition.