OUR TEAM | 

Ryan Lo
​Co-Founder

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

Ryan 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 has 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. 

Lulu Deluca
director of finance

Lulu is a student at Havergal College. She hopes to help facilitate youth civic engagement in her community through working with the 1UP team. She enjoys participating in Model UN conferences, baking bread, reading, and volunteering with a variety of city-based organizations. She looks forward to engaging with those similarly passionate about creating opportunities for Toronto youth interested in urban design.

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.

Lucy qi
Director of design

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.

Vinson Zhang
Director of PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vinson is a student at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in East York. He is eager to work with fellow youths to improve communities and foster a more equitable, accessible Toronto for all. He is passionate about urban transit, and how it affects the way cities grow. In his free time, he enjoys playing Cities: Skylines and catching up with the latest happenings on social media.

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. 

Emily Xu
DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT

Hi! I'm Emily, and I'm a student at University of Toronto Schools. In my free time, I'll be reading, playing piano, or skating. I look forward to helping introduce youth to city building and urban planning through the unique events and projects 1UP offers.

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