The COLLABO team enriches every project with its experiences and perspectives.
Adam Rosa
Principal
COLLABO is led by Adam Rosa, AICP. Over his twenty-five year career, Adam has focused on making a difference through serving people and places in need, while ensuring a positive community impact through local empowerment and implementation.
He has had the opportunity to work with diverse communities across the country to develop lasting strategies that capture the culture, spirit and potential of the local place.
Through his work, Adam has developed a robust network of resources and partners that can be tapped to help overcome difficult challenges. Projects led by Adam have received numerous awards at the local, state and national levels.
Maria Cristina Chicuen
Associate
Maria Cristina comes to COLLABO with a passion for planning more equitable, accessible, and sustainable cities where residents can thrive. From being part of Miami-Dade County’s first community-driven bus system redesign to supporting the passage of a transformational climate bond in Miami Beach that strengthened climate resilience and mitigation efforts, Maria Cristina has sought to empower residents in the planning process while delivering tangible results for communities. With expertise in community engagement, public affairs, and bilingual communications, she aims to co-create community-led planning strategies that place residents at the forefront of critical decisions about their neighborhoods.
Lily Sider
Urban Planner
Lily Sider is a recent graduate the University of Cincinnati. With a major in Urban Planning and a minor in Sociology, she is particularly interested in the way equitable housing and community-oriented planning practices create thriving communities. Lily has experience in community engagement and housing advocacy through her previous internships both nationally and abroad, and hopes to utilize this skillset with a diverse set of communities to provide a unique approach to local outreach. Her main focus will be on the revitalization of affordable housing projects in various states of need.
Benito Garcia
Associate
Earning his Masters in Urban Planning with a focus on spatial planning and design from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Benito has a multidisciplinary background that has allowed him to work on a wide range of projects for nonprofit, government and private sectors. From corridor studies, to Special Service Areas and developing comprehensive plans, Benito has focused on helping people enhance their communities. He uses tools such as ArcGIS, Adobe Suite and SketchUp to render scenarios that help communities reimagine their environment. He utilizes various visual engagement programs to help translate complex data into information that can be understood by all users. Benito specializes in planning and designing places that work for people. Benito is a LEED Accredited Professional for Building Design and Construction.
Aesha Acharya
Urban Planner
Aesha Acharya is an urban designer who views cities as living systems shaped by people and place. With a Master’s in City Design from the University of Illinois Chicago and a foundation in architecture from India, she brings a dual lens to COLLABO- one rooted in design perspectives and the other in community voice. Her work consistently asks how spaces can advance equity, resilience, and everyday joy.
Vanessa Alvarez Diaz
Associate
Vanessa Alvarez Diaz graduated from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor with a Bachelors of Science in Architecture. Vanessa’s aspiration is to serve her cultural community through the design of shared spaces and experiences. Vanessa has had the opportunity to work with the LatinX Community in Flint, MI through a non-profit organization. She connected with local youth, community leaders and organizations to work on grant funded neighborhood revitalization projects. She saw the need for community engagement in the design process of a project because the community lives, shapes and experiences these spaces first hand. Vanessa continues being a community steward, building relationships and sharing experiences with underserved communities. Vanessa was selected as a Next City Vanguard 40-under-40 in 2022.
Patrick Brunner
Consulting Designer
While studying traditional architecture and urban design at the University of Notre Dame, Patrick decided to dedicate his career to designing cities, towns, and neighborhoods. He works both regionally and across the country. As an accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, a previous Seaside Prize speaker, and certified planner he instills the lessons he has learned everyday into each project.
Urban Planning Co-op
In partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, COLLABO is proud to host one co-op student every semester to provide students with experience-based learning.
Meet Carly Jones!
Carly is a fourth-year student in Urban Planning at the University of Cincinnati. She has a minor in public relations, further fueling her passion for community engagement. She is passionate about placemaking, urban design, community engagement, biophilic design, and connecting with people and communities. Carly has gained experience in community engagement, urban infill projects, site planning, comprehensive planning, development, and environmental planning through her previous co-ops. At COLLABO, she hopes to continue growing her skill set to support and benefit diverse communities, while also supporting neighborhoods and advancing her professional growth.
Previous Co-ops
Caroline VanBuskirk
Dylan Gomez
Joshua Johnson
Kyra Williams
Sydney Geckler
1990 – 2023