Sustainable cities, resilient cities, smart cities

Elle has spent her career making it easier for the public and private sectors to work together to solve problems. Prior to co-founding The Atlas, Elle served as the Director of Strategy & Partnership at re:focus partners, where she managed a $3 million grant program. She also served as Special Assistant and Communications Director in the U.S. EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs, where she managed an initiative that facilitated city-to-city learning on urban innovation, designed a program that supported environmental entrepreneurship, and developed a strategy that educated stakeholders about EPA’s international success stories. Elle is a USMC spouse, dog-mom to Hugo and Charlie and lover of flat water.

Elle has an MBA with a marketing concentration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and a B.A. in Public Policy from the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Ellory leads city engagement in addition to product design and development at The Atlas. She has extensive experience working directly with local government officials to identify and implement strategies that solve complex infrastructure problems. Previously, Ellory was a Partner at re:focus partners, where she worked with cities and utilities to design and finance innovative stormwater management projects. Before that, Ellory held a fellowship at the Science and Technology Policy Institute, where she acted as the executive secretary of the Obama Administration’s Climate Data and Tools Initiative, and more broadly, provided analytical and technical support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on a wide range of infrastructure, energy and environment issues. She frequently contributes to the ongoing conversation about cities, infrastructure and innovation in outlets like Architect Magazine and the Brookings Institution. Ellory is a USMC spouse and dog-mom to Gidget. She can be found hiking and gardening during her free time.

Ellory has a B.A. in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Public Policy with a minor in Water and Energy Sustainability from Rice University.

Angela provides technical vision and leadership at The Atlas, where she oversees all engineering activities. Angela has more than 9 years of professional full-stack web development experience and is passionate about using software to solve the world’s biggest problems. She is responsible for ensuring The Atlas platform creates value for all users and delivers on its mission to help cities and innovators connect to make communities safer, smarter and more sustainable. Previously, Angela worked in software startups where she gained experience managing teams while also prioritizing, designing and building technology solutions that deliver on business needs. Most recently, she was a Full Stack Software Engineer at Recovery Brands and prior to that, was Lead Web Developer for Smart Industries. Angela is dog-mom to Hamilton. She’s a San Diego-native who loves late nights and shooting pool.

Angela studied Ethnic Studies and Political Science at University of California, San Diego and received an Associate of Science (A.S.) in Web Development and Business Administration from Cuyamaca College.

Dr. Vajjhala is widely recognized as a thought leader in resilient infrastructure design and finance. Shalini currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of re:focus partners. Previously, she served as Visiting Associate Professor of Environmental Policy at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Special Representative in the Office of Administrator Lisa Jackson at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of International & Tribal Affairs at the US EPA and Deputy Associate Director for Energy & Climate at the Obama Administration’s White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Shalini received her Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy and B.Arch in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.

Michael, a 2-term Mayor and 15-year veteran of Philadelphia’s City Council, has dedicated his life to public service and urban innovation. Since leaving government, Mayor Nutter has maintained active involvement in media, public policy, politics, business, and academia across the country. His work includes serving as a Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s SIPA, is a political contributor at CNN, Senior Fellow for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities program, and Chair of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Equity Advisory Council. In addition, he serves as a Code for America Board member, Distinguished Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, and continues to work with mayors all across the United States through US Conference of Mayors, where he previously served as President, National League of Cities, and Cities United, which he created while mayor of Philadelphia.

Michael has a B.A. in Economics from University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School of Business, and Honorary Doctorates in Public Service from Drexel University and Saint Joseph’s University.

RJ, a former two-term Mayor of Albuquerque, is known for his innovative approach to government. His passion for bringing diverse groups together to solve persistent and complex urban challenges resulted in efficiency measures that produced $34 million in taxpayer savings, expanded use of public-private partnerships, streamlined infrastructure planning and financing, and improvements in educational attainment and workforce development. He oversaw $1.2 billion dollars in infrastructure and public projects during his tenure, including everything from smart city systems such as LED streetlight conversions and renewable energy projects, to more traditional infrastructure like road upgrades and airport improvements. He also oversaw the development of America’s first all-electric bus rapid transit system. Prior to public service, RJ was an accomplished entrepreneur who grew several construction and design/build companies. Since leaving government, RJ has continued his associations with organizations that support urban innovation and the development of next generation’s public-sector leaders including: Cities of Service, Results4America, What Works Cities, Harvard City Leadership Initiative and Yale’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute.

RJ has a BA in Finance and Administration from University of New Mexico.