OUR TEAM | 

Ryan Lo
​Co-Founder

M.U.P., B.E.S.

Ryan Lo is an urban planner, community engagement practitioner, and youth advocate. As Co-Founder of Urban Minds, he bridges the gap between youth and decision makers by developing youth engagement strategies with municipalities and community partners. His work includes organizing the annual 1UPToronto Conference and the 1UP Leaders Lab program, where high school students learn about city building and gain practical skills in civic leadership. Ryan is also a Project Coordinator at internationally renowned non-profit, 8 80 Cities, with extensive experience in facilitating engagement events for placemaking and transportation projects across Canada and the US.

Maya Lekhi
president

Maya is a student at Thornlea Secondary School. She is eager to work with other bright youth leaders and to learn more about the industry. She is excited to develop an environment where youth can create opportunities for like-minded individuals. In her spare time, she loves to paint and walk her dog. 

Ranveer Sahrawat
director of finance

Ranveer is a student at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School. He hopes to influence students in his school community to take initiative and actively assimilate themselves into the realm of urban planning. He enjoys running, dance, solving puzzles in his free time, and is interested in learning about business development.

Matthew James
DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT

Matthew is a student at Ajax High School. He hopes to develop a greater understanding of the relationship between diversity, sustainability, and design to create inclusive and impactful conversations. He enjoys athletics, chess, and exploring creative opportunities to help others. Through 1UP Toronto, Matthew looks forward to connecting with other youth to highlight the power of creativity and young ideas as a conduit for change!

Angela Ng
co-founder

M.Arch., B.Arch.Sci.

Angela Ng is an architectural designer, educator, and youth advocate. As Co-Founder of Urban Minds, she elevates youth voices in the decision-making process of cities by delivering educational school workshops about urban planning and by mentoring a growing network of high school students. Angela is the recipient of the Sappi Ideas That Matter Grant, which funded the production of her 1UP Starter Kit, a key resource for high school students to lead their own community design-build projects. Her design expertise is recognized as winner of the City of Toronto’s Everyone is King: Design-Build Competition with her team’s youth-friendly curb lane public art installation, #WouldYouRatherTO.

Catherine Wang
director of design

Catherine is a student at St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School. Through creating various designs, she hopes to continue improving and learning more about graphic design for personal growth and future endeavors. In her spare time, she will often sing, read, and cook with friends even when they're terrible chefs.

Katie Wang
Director of PUBLIC RELATIONS

Katie is a student at the University of Toronto Schools. She hopes to engage like-minded youth in the urban design process and create an open platform for inspiring change in their communities. She enjoys painting in her free time, walking her dog, and exploring nature.

Lucy qi
graphic designer

Lucy is a student at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute. She looks forward to making a difference in her community and introducing youth to amazing opportunities 1UP has to offer. She spends her spare time playing volleyball, creating new art pieces, doing karate, and practicing the piano.

Santessa Henriques
Program Manager

Santessa is a dedicated motivator for equity-seeking groups in the city building dialogue. As Program Manager for Urban Minds, she is committed to leveraging opportunities for youth to express themselves. As an urban planner, Santessa shares her skills through visual communication, community involvement and research.

With previous experiences at the City of Toronto, Evergreen, Ontario Ministry of Environment and the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Santessa always finds unique ways to engage in the city. You can find Santessa running around town (literally), catching a new superhero flick or playing with some mapping technology.

Jessica Yuan
director of technology

Jessica is a student at York Mills Collegiate Institute. She hopes to learn more about environmental sustainability using new technology and find ways to improve architecture using computer science. In her free time, Jessica watches movies and hangs out with her friends in Downtown Toronto. 

Elmirah AhmAd
PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER

Elmirah is at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute. She believes that a better tomorrow for the city can be created by working together and finding ways to achieve sustainability. She is interested in Medical Sciences. Elmirah spends her spare time doing arts and crafts, baking and editing pictures.

Joy CHeng
graphic designer

Joy is a student at St. Robert Catholic High School. She hopes to meet like-minded individuals with similar passions, and broaden her own knowledge about urban planning. During her spare time, you can find her working on new art pieces, editing her vlogs, or watching sci-fi movies and documentaries.

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