BOARD OFFICERS
Lesley Roth, Chair
Lamar Johnson Collaborative
Daniel Cervantes, Secretary
Skills For Chicagoland’s Future
Aviv Shalgi, Treasurer
Solar Simplified
BOARD MEMBERS
Romina N. Castillo Guerrero
MUSE Community + Design
Vera Douma
Residential Architectural Designer
Terry (Vic) Howell
Focus
Mike Newman, Co-Founder
SHED Studio
Helen Tsatsos
Rock Candy
STAFF
Helen Slade, Executive Director and Co-Founder
Helen is responsible for strategic initiatives, partnerships, fundraising, marketing, and program frameworks for Territory NFP. For design team projects, Slade provides network-building and design-skill-based curriculum development. Slade is a licensed architect and an experienced project manager, curator, and public artist with a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois Chicago and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Yale University. She collaborates closely with Territory’s board of directors and community partners to develop young leaders.
Isobel Araujo, Program Manager, Advanced Studio Programs
Isobel manages the advanced studios and a portfolio of projects executed by Territory youth. Watching youth empowerment in action has been one of the most inspiring experiences of her life. She is also currently a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, obtaining her Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy and working as a researcher on issues of gender, housing, and cities. She’s passionate about using public space policy and design as a tool for building more just cities. Chicago is her home and she feels a strong responsibility to give back to the communities that shaped her.
Keishjuan Owens, Program Manager, Intro Studio Programs
Keishjuan is a multidisciplinary freelance artist specializing in mural creation, fashion designing/modeling, videography, acting, and youth development. As a current Aspen Fellow and a Lead Facilitator at Territory NFP, he strives to bring change in underdeveloped neighborhoods through funding, art, urban design, networking, and fundraising. Some notable precedents of his art include murals in Bronzeville and Little village, participating in 2 fashion shows in Chicago and Milwaukee, and more.
Rashmi Ramaswamy, Program Advisor and Co-Founder
Architect and co-founder of SHED Studio, a mission-driven architectural & sustainable design collaborative. Founding member of Territory, educator, non-profit board consultant, and practitioner, currently working in Chicago and Boston.