Anchored in confronting the status quo, she works to ensure historically marginalized communities are at the forefront of building more just and equitable cities.

As Special Assistant to the Managing Partner of the Inclusive Cities Studio, Adriana serves as a strategic and functional right hand to Andrea Batista Schlesinger, providing executive and analytical support to advance the studio’s mission of centering racial equity and economic justice in public policy and planning.

Prior to joining HR&A, Adriana managed communications and community engagement at the Arab-American Family Support Center in Brooklyn, connecting immigrant New Yorkers to culturally responsive social services. She previously served as Country Program Manager for Free to Run in Kabul, Afghanistan, overseeing programs, and operations for Afghan women to reclaim public space through sport, and began her career as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. Adriana also served as a Policy Fellow in the Office of the Bronx Borough President and as a Biodiversity Finance Fellow with the United Nations Development Programme in Istanbul, analyzing gender equity and Indigenous representation in biodiversity finance plans in more than 30 countries.

Outside of the office, Adriana can be found exploring NYC’s immigrant neighborhoods through the intersection of running, food systems, and movement organizing. Adriana holds a Master of Arts in International Political and Economic Development from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Citizenship and Civic Engagement from Syracuse University