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Crafting Tomorrows Cities Today
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Our Team
Meet the experts driving urban transformation
Team
Riddhi Shah
Founder
Riddhi Shah is an urban planner and strategy consultant with 10 years of experience across the USA and India. Her work has focused on providing affordable quality homes in thriving communities for all people in America and advancing racial equity by working with affordable housing developers and local city agencies on strategic planning, climate mitigation and energy justice.
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Riddhi Shah is trained as an architect from NMIMS, India. With a masters in Urban & City Planning from MIT USA, she brings an innovative approach for urban development in community design, conservation, housing and infrastructure development. She has led the strategic initiatives at MIT's LCAU Lab, the Boston Mayor's Housing Lab, MIT-Tata Centre for Technology & Design and UDRI, Mumbai. Riddhi has a special interests in developing stimulating environments for children.
Shail Bajaria
Urban Design Lead
Shail Bajaria is an architect and urban researcher based in Mumbai. Following a degree in architecture, he has pursued theoretical studies from Jnanapravaha Mumbai, accruing a post-graduate diploma in Critical Theory, Aesthetics and Practice, as well as BICAR, assisting on architectural theory courses.
He has been the recipient of a research fellowship at the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies, and has taught Architectural Design as a visiting faculty at the institute. He has also contributed to social impact ventures and organisations, most notably at Pani Haq Samiti, a Mumbai-based collective advocating universal water access.
Shail spends his time reading, writing, drawing and engaging with cinema—exploring urban life through its encounters with the natural and the built environment from a broad range of practices and perspectives.
Team
Nikita Bhatt
Project Manager
Nikita is an architect and urban planner specializing in the creation of sustainable and inclusive urban environments. With a Master of Urban Housing from CEPT University and a Bachelor of Architecture from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, she combines academic rigor with hands-on experience.
Nikita has been integral in designing and executing architectural projects at TRAANSPACE and has contributed to innovative urban solutions during her time with Shelter Associates. Her work spans housing strategies and urban research, reflecting her dedication to addressing complex urban challenges.
Nikita’s passion for urbanism drives her to continually expand her knowledge and deliver impactful solutions in the field.
Harshiv Vaghela
Junior Architect
Harshiv Vaghela is an Architect with over two years of experience in design and architecture. His diverse portfolio encompasses projects of varying scales and typologies, showcasing his adaptability and expertise.
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A accomplished designer, Harshiv was a runner-up in the prestigious Solar Decathlon competition. He has also mentored students participating in the same event, sharing his knowledge and expertise.
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During his academic tenure, Harshiv contributed to documenting and publishing research on various cities, demonstrating his passion for urban planning and design.
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Vishal Parab
Technical Manager
With over 10 years of professional experience in interior design, Vishal has successfully completed a wide range of projects across residential, commercial, hospitality, and F&B sectors. He specializes in creating stylish, functional interiors that reflect both aesthetic vision and practical needs.
Vishal's expertise includes space planning, color coordination, site execution, and detailed drawing, ensuring that each project is delivered on time and within budget.
He is dedicated to transforming spaces into personalized, inspiring environments that enhance the overall experience.
Consultants
Ali Al-Sammarraie
Transportation Lead
Ali Al-Sammarraie is a seasoned urban strategist and mobility expert with over 17 years of experience. As Head of City Planning at Etihad Rail, he led the National Railway Masterplan and spearheaded key railway station designs.
He has consulted for prestigious institutions like Harvard, MIT, the World Bank, and the DC Government. His work spans major urban projects globally, focusing on sustainability, equitable resilience, and technology's impact on cities.
Al-Sammarraie holds degrees from MIT, Harvard, and the American University of Sharjah and is an MIT-certified professional in Urban Design.
Kanhaiya Lal Chaurasiya
Technology Lead
Kanhaiya is a doctoral candidate at IISc Bangalore, specializing in applying advanced machine-learning techniques to characterize novel materials.
With 8 years of combined industrial and research experience, I hold 4 Indian Patents and have led pioneering projects at IIT Kanpur, including SMA-powered bionic arms, variable stiffness actuators, pipe health monitoring robots, and cargo hyperloop mobility systems.
My core expertise includes New Product Development, Product Lifecycle Management, Mathematical Modeling, Python, and MATLAB.
Consultants
Karthikeyan Kuppu
Product Manager
Karthikeyan Kuppu is a product manager and strategy consultant with 6 years of experience across the U.S., India, Canada, and the UAE. He has a strong background in Public Transport Strategy, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), ACES Mobility, and First Mile Last Mile solutions.
Karthikeyan holds a Master of City Planning from MIT, where he was a researcher at the Urban Mobility Lab, and a Bachelor of Architecture from IIT Kharagpur.
He works with Etihad Rail as a strategy expert and has led initiatives at Accenture, the World Bank, and Oxford Policy Management. Specializing in digital transformation, product development, and strategic planning, he focuses on leveraging data and technology to drive innovation in urban mobility for transportation startups, automotive companies, and public transport agencies.
Parshav Sheth
Urban Data - Scientist
Parshav Sheth is a strategist, specializing in the integration of architecture, technology, and urbanism. He is the Co-Founder of @L.A.B.S, a digital platform dedicated to advancing education in design and technology through innovation.
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Parshav is also a Professor of Urban Design and AI at the Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, Mumbai and the DY Patil School of Architecture, Navi Mumbai. He has earned a Master’s in City and Technology from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia.
Notably, he was a Norman Foster Affordable Housing Scholar in 2022 and previously served as a Research Fellow at the Charles Correa Foundation.
Pushpaleela Prabakar
Systems & Data Manager
Pushpa is a multidisciplinary systems engineer specializing in sensors, systems integration, data automation, and analysis. Her career encompasses various stages of medical device development and product testing within the semiconductor industry. By leading data analysis and automation initiatives, she has significantly enhanced efficiency in engineering processes, reducing data processing times and improving system performance. Her empathetic and systematic approach to problem-solving allows her to identify pain points and provide practical hardware and software solutions.
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She holds dual Master’s degrees in Integrated Design and Management & Mechanical Engineering from MIT, along with a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore. In addition to her engineering work, Pushpa has travelled internationally to teach and design programs that empower students in human-centred design and rapid prototyping, integrating hands-on learning with technical skills to foster innovation and creativity.