My name is Yaritza Guillen, and I am an urbanist, storyteller, and unapologetic optimist. My focus lies in interdisciplinary practices, community-based design, and story mapping. As a cultural producer and community planner, I've engaged in various projects, including the Nuestra Herencia: Legacy Film Project, which you can stream on WTTW’s website. I documented the experiences of elders in my community during the pandemic, emphasizing the positive impact of green spaces. Storytelling became my passion as I used it not only to share community stories but to preserve and make them accessible for others, unintentionally becoming a storyteller in the process.

I also create zines to archive project details and residents' narratives. Additionally, I led an Ethical Storytelling Training for Environmental Justice Lawyers at the Environmental Defense Fund. On a personal note, I'm a Mexican American Chicagoan and the eldest daughter, driven by a passion for world-building and creating a sense of home wherever I go. I use storytelling to empower my community, showing them that they can influence our built environment through documentation and active participation from start to finish.