YARITZA GUILLEN

Yaritza Guillen is an urban planner, horticulturist, and environmentalist with a strong focus on interdisciplinary practices, community-based design, and story mapping. She has a background in collaborating with nonprofits and designers to educate institutes on effective ways to work with BIPOC communities in Chicago. She has worked for and collaborated with Lurie Garden, Chicago Park District, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion, and UIC Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition.

She enjoys exploring natural ecosystems throughout the world and learning about the historical and cultural significance of plants. Originally from Chicago, she is passionate about including eco-friendly philosophy into urban design and considers herself a social pollinator.