Paulina Martínez is the Director of Business Development at World Business Chicago (WBC). Her work focuses on retention of manufacturing in the Chicagoland region and helps build a vision for the future of manufacturing and implement it.

Cat Vielma is a Director of Acquisitions at Red Stone Equity Partners. She originates, underwrites, and closes tax credit transactions across the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, and Chicagoland.

Lobna Anous is an entrepreneur and founder of U for Urban Impact , based in Egypt, and a graduate student at UIC in the Master of Urban Planning and Policy program. WPD first connected with Lobna at our summer member appreciation picnic, and we are amazed by her passion in regenerating underdeveloped areas. She co-founded U for Urban Impact along with another urbanist, Salma Osman, with a vision for creating a global platform based in Cairo, Egypt, that tackles the rising urban challenges worldwide. This social enterprise focuses on the intersection between social and urban impacts. Placing the individual at the center of the process, the enterprise uses travel and event-based strategies as tools of integrating the community in urban regeneration through community events, competitions, and local and global exchange opportunities.

Kate Portillo is Staff Planner III with Rolf Campbell Associates. In her role, Kate provides community planning, zoning analysis and process support, economic development services and staff augmentation as a consultant to municipalities and private clients. We recently sat down with Kate to learn more about her career journey and perspective on planning.

Laurie has 45 years of experience in providing planning services to municipalities, businesses, developers, and nonprofit organizations. She was also present at the very first WP+D meeting over 25 years ago. Laurie recently retired from her career as a planning consultant, working with other consulting firms or doing some work solo. She also served as the technical adviser to DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute, which partnered with APA Illinois, providing plan commission training around the state. We recently sat down with her - virtually! - to learn more about her career, community engagement, and where she sees the industry going forward.