TEAM
In finding creative ways to tell these stories, Brick & Story provides engagement strategy and implementation, facilitation and convening, creative storytelling, and planning and policy support services to real estate developers, non-profits, urban planning, housing, and economic development agencies, and other organizations whose work is centered in the built environment.
Brick & Story brings over 15 years of experience in urban planning, affordable housing, strategic business development, and engagement and advocacy, as well as expertise in and a passion for the built environment, to this practice.
MEET THE TEAM
LaToya Thomas
PRINCIPAL & FOUNDER
LaToya Thomas is the Principal & Founder of Brick & Story and has nearly 15 years of experience working in the built environment. Trained in urban and regional planning, Ms. Thomas has worked in various capacities in the field of real estate, including overseeing business development and marketing efforts for architects domestic and international, as well as managing development projects and leading community engagement efforts for mission-driven real estate developers.
Ms. Thomas has a unique focus in the areas of affordable housing, urban revitalization, and community development. She has a strong commitment to creating opportunities for marginalized populations, - particularly those in urban areas. Her career has merged her knowledge of urban planning and policy with her talents as a strategic business developer, marketer, facilitator, and consensus-builder.
Ms. Thomas obtained both a Master of Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies with a Concentration in Architecture from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She is active in the affordable housing and community development spaces through through her involvement with The Aspen Institute's Weave: The Social Fabric Project and the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers, where she serves as a member of both the Program Committee and Braintrust. She has also previously served as a Campaign Coordinator for the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development and lent her policy expertise as a contributor to the report entitled “Bridges to Opportunity - A New Housing Strategy for D.C.” that was produced by the Mayoral Affordable Housing Task Force in 2012. Ms. Thomas is a member of the 2012 Vanguard Class of Next American City.
STAFF
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ACCOUNTS & OPERATIONS MANAGER
Carolina Cabezas-Tadesse is the Accounts and Operations Manager at Brick & Story. She has over 15 years experience in the Human Resources field, working at various sized for-profit and non-profit organizations. Carolina received a Bachelors in Economics, with a minor in French Studies from the University of Maryland College Park and a Masters in Interdisciplinary Management from the University of Maryland University College.
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Regan Carver is a recent addition to the team and brings extensive training, marketing communications, and community outreach experience in the DC community to Brick & Story.. In particular, during almost ten years at Georgetown University, he conducted countless outreach events throughout the DC-metro region in English and Spanish to meet potential students where they live and work, resulting in several thousand students recruited for community ESL programming. Carver has also used his facility in project management and training to help Georgetown University and several government consulting groups to implement complex projects on behalf of the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center’s for Disease Control (CDC).
Consultant Partners
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Yerodin Avent is the Owner of Dofat-Avent Group and brings over 25 years of community-building and organizing experience to Brick & Story. He has extensive experience working in multifamily communities and with low/moderate income residents to support community-building and resident-led initiatives. He also works extensively along the East Coast and in partnership with other institutions and consultants, including the National Institute on Mixed-Income Communities and Trusted Space Partners. He is a resident of Prince George's County.
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Khyati Desai-Seltzer is the Owner of Engagement + Impact Consulting and focuses on community development in affordable and mixed income housing. Her twenty year career Khyati involved working on a number of social issues from hunger and homelessness to domestic violence and education. She realized she had a particular passion for housing during her work as the Director of Resident Engagement at a not-for-profit housing developer in the DC area. As a consultant now, she works with a team to support owners and property management staff on how to engage residents in an authentic way to create thriving communities. Khyati graduated from LSU with a Bachelors in Sociology and International Studies and from GMU with a Masters in Public Administration in Nonprofit Management.
Khyati is also the owner of Vyana Infant Massage, where she teaches parents the art and science of massaging their babies for short term and long term benefits addressing sleep, gas/colic, immunity, bonding, congestion, growth, and so much more. Khyati lives in Arlington,VA with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys yoga, meditation, travel, dancing, and exploring new places in her free time.
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Joni Kaden is a community engagement consultant with nearly a decade of experience working for public policy and advocacy organizations dedicated to building equitable, inclusive, and just communities. Joni has managed numerous projects to advance bold reform related to mixed-income and affordable housing, economic and community development, and criminal justice. She has extensive experience providing technical assistance to local governments, designing and implementing community-network building strategies, and facilitating conversations amongst community members and government stakeholders. Joni holds a Masters in City Planning from UC Berkeley.
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Emily is an urban planner and educator, with a gift for organizing ideas into action. She has the ability to be both strategic and detail oriented; a good listener and facilitator. Complicated, important, and high intensity projects are her best work. Prior to her consulting work, Emily managed and co-wrote the curriculum update for the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI’s) Urban Plan program. While at ULI headquarters, she trained over 100 teachers, professors, and volunteers. At ULI’s Washington chapter, Emily grew the Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) program from zero to six Panels in one year. In this capacity, she has become a well-respected practitioner in the region for her adept ability to recruit experts, scope projects, guide clients, write meaningful reports, and facilitate across lines of difference. Emily earned her Master’s in Urban Planning from Georgetown University and currently serves on the Board of Teach for America’s DC Region Alumni Association.
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Molly Jamison Juárez is a Project Manager and Community Engager at Brick and Story. In her 7 years of community engagement experience, Molly has experience working with a wide array of stakeholders, including many Latin American immigrant communities, as a liaison and strategic team member, working to bring less-heard voices into public processes. As a strong communicator and critical thinker, Molly offers strategic planning and meaningful facilitation to projects that address challenging issues. She also brings project management experience ranging from her leadership founding and managing a non-profit organization in El Salvador to her collaborative work with residents in affordable housing communities in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Molly is passionate about supporting individuals and organizations to build communities where all people feel a sense of belonging, have opportunities to contribute, and feel empowered to seek their full potential, as individuals and collectively.