Astha provides research and analytical work for a variety of real estate and infrastructure projects.

Based in HR&A’s New York office, Astha’s work spans across real estate advisory, broadband strategy, and impact analysis. Astha joined the firm with a background in financial analysis and market research from her previous position as a high yield and leveraged loan analyst, covering corporate debt issuers in the technology and food and beverage industries. Prior, she completed coursework and internships focusing on economic development in Durham, NC and Detroit, MI.

Astha received a Bachelor of Science from Duke University in economics, with minors in computer science and visual and media studies.

Ejiro leads analytical and research support for projects at the intersection of resilient infrastructure, community empowerment, and environmental restoration.

She works across various HR&A practice areas, including Inclusive Cities, Climate, and Parks & Open Space. In her recent projects, she focuses on advancing a just transition, conducting inclusive community outreach, fostering cultural equity in placemaking and policy, ensuring public safety through community investments, and supporting small businesses in emerging, green industries.

Prior to HR&A, she supported projects that focused on identifying populations that are the most susceptible to climate change and proposed solutions that uplift the needs and agencies of these groups. Previously, as a Research Assistant at Penn’s Institute of Urban Research, she proposed a green port system for the Galapagos Islands. She received a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences from the same university.

Aram performs economic and policy analysis in support of efforts that advance equitable development and build community wealth.

Aram combines rigorous analysis with strategic planning to address a variety of issues facing urban communities, including housing affordability and economic inclusion. With an eye toward implementation, he focuses on developing pragmatic, equity-centered strategies that are firmly grounded in economic, fiscal, and political realities.

Prior to joining HR&A, Aram worked for three years as an urban planner, during which he consulted governments across the country on various community development issues. Earlier in his career, he also worked on an anti-displacement program for the City & County of San Francisco and performed extensive data analysis for the UC Berkeley Urban Displacement Project.

Aram holds a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Davis.

Laura specializes in real estate advisory, housing affordability, and economic development, supporting financial analysis and strategic advisory for public, private, and institutional clients.

Prior to her role at HR&A, Laura worked as an Analyst for Shorewood Real Estate Group on projects in the New York Metropolitan area. She researched market data for and underwrote potential acquisitions, and provided analytical support during property due diligence and predevelopment.

Prior to her work in Real Estate Development, Laura was a Staff Engineer at Langan Engineering, where she performed due diligence for site civil work and supported permitting efforts for projects in New York City. Laura coordinated with team members to solve issues in the field and inspected contractor site work during construction.

Laura holds a Master of Science in Urban Planning and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Carlos applies his expertise in economic development and public policy to improve the urban environments where we work and live.

Carlos provides a wide range of experience in several different domains, including economic impact modeling, fiscal analysis, market research, geospatial analysis, and economic equity. He has provided consulting services for clients in different sectors, namely government, transportation, healthcare and academia.

Prior to HR&A, Carlos served as an Analyst at Econsult, a Philadelphia-based economic consulting firm. He was the firms’ lead analyst for its University and Equity practice areas, focusing on socioeconomic equity and institutions’ impact on local economies.

Carlos holds a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University, where he studied Geography and Urban Studies.

Anna specializes in housing affordability, building decarbonization, and economic development, working with city governments and non-profits to implement community-centered and data-driven solutions.

Anna has worked to develop affordable housing plans and policies across various regions in the United States. Her experience uniquely blends housing with practical economic, environmental, and equity insights. She brings a wide range of expertise in market research, fiscal analysis, and community engagement.

Prior to joining HR&A, Anna served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Capital Clubhouse and CNHED. At Capital Clubhouse, she built partnerships with business and civic organizations to increase access to employment opportunities for DC residents living with mental health challenges. She brings additional experience from internships with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, PYXERA Global, and the City Government of Philadelphia.

Anna graduated from the George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Affairs and a minor in Sustainability.

Pasan helps clients reach their development and policy goals.

Pasan previously worked as an Associate with SB Friedman Development Advisors. During his time at SB Friedman, Pasan was involved with various development advisory services projects for municipalities and developers, ranging from transit-oriented development and downtown revitalization market assessments to financial feasibility analyses to forge public-private partnerships and bridge financial gaps for transformative development projects across the Midwest.

Prior to his work in Chicago, Pasan worked as a Development Associate for the Development Finance Initiative, where he assisted communities across North Carolina in attracting catalytic real estate development projects.

He holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning and Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Preston Rhea brings fifteen years of experience in telecommunications and public interest advocacy to HR&A. 

Preston’s work builds infrastructure with public purpose at the intersection of community-based governance and market realities. He advises public sector clients including states, cities, counties, and other authorities to build infrastructure that realizes access and adoption goals, reduces barriers to deployment of last-mile networks, supports next-generation smart cities applications, and unlocks opportunities for interconnection with public assets. 

Preston helped the California Department of Technology’s Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative Team (MMBI) to build its capacity to plan and deliver the statewide middle-mile broadband network – the single largest public broadband investment in the country. He has continued to support MMBI through establishing relationships with potential customers and local government stakeholders who will make use of the network once operations begin. 

Other notable projects include developing an assets and infrastructure strategy to activate and sustain the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting’s conduit and dark fiber network; working with the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department to build a community broadband program that is making major interventions for broadband competition and affordability in the country’s largest County; and building a regional coalition of more than two dozen San Francisco Bay Area government agencies, community anchor institutions, and nonprofits to unite the region’s digital equity ecosystems. Preston has served as a subject matter expert on numerous other projects at HR&A including program designs for broadband in affordable housing, engagements with utilities for broadband deployments in the State of New York, and coordinating workforce and economic development stakeholder convenings for the State of Texas’ Digital Opportunity Plan. 

Prior to joining HR&A, Preston spent six years at Monkeybrains, an Internet Service Provider based in San Francisco. As Director of Engineering, Policy Program, Preston coordinated partnerships with governments to build public fiber to affordable housing, broke barriers to affordable internet in large apartment buildings, and advanced gigabit network penetration in underserved areas. Preston developed the public policy program while managing the technician team at Monkeybrains. 

Prior to joining Monkeybrains in 2015, Preston worked at Code for America developing civic engagement practices with city governments and networks of civic technologists, developed and implemented a field curriculum for community wireless network deployment at New America’s Open Technology Institute in Washington, DC, and worked at a content delivery network startup in Beijing, China. 

Preston holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Nick works with cities, developers, and institutions to create value for their communities through innovative development.

As a director based in the New York office, Nick has conducted real estate financial analysis to support transformative real estate development, advised negotiations on behalf of public and private clients, and project-managed multidisciplinary teams for large-scale projects.

Previously, Nick was at Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, supporting capital raising and portfolio management efforts. Nick earned his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business with specializations in Real Estate and Finance and received his BBA in Finance from Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business.