Our Team
Thriving Cities Group aims to embody its understanding that communities thrive when they learn to live well across difference. As such, our team is comprised of researchers, software engineers, urban planners, sociologists, writers, and a wide variety of others who contribute to our common thriving through their own unique skills, background insight, and experience.
Josh Yates
President & CEO
Josh founded the Thriving Cities Group out of research performed at the University of Virginia, where he continues to serve as Research Assistant Professor of Sociology. At the University of Virginia, Josh also serves as Director of the Program on Culture, Capitalism, and Global Change and the Thriving Cities Project at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. Josh holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Sociology, from the University of Virginia. Josh has written and lectured extensively on civic design.
Contact Josh
Charlie Henderson
Technology
In 2016 Charlie was named "Trending 40 Entrepreneurs Under 40" by DCA Live in Washington D.C. and was selected to Mindshare Class of 2015. Charlie has been granted 7 patents by the US Patent & Trademark Office on graph data. Charlie has consulted to publicly-traded market leaders in finance and retail on data architecture and engineering.
Micah Kessel
Design Strategist
Micah is a strategic designer and former founder of Sherlocked Amsterdam, the most 5 star rated immersive experience worldwide on TripAdvisor.
Micah has advised or designed concepts for Google, Disney, Microsoft, the Diabetes Fund and European Governments. He’s also sung opera with Pavarotti and Domingo, speaks 5 languages and is a 2019 Byron Fellow.
Chris Elisara, Ph.D.
VP Strategic partnerships
Chris is a champion of urban design and placemaking that makes places better for all, not only in the US, but internationally through leadership roles with organizations like UN-Habitat where he chairs their SDG Cities task force and serves on their World Urban Campaign’s secretariat.
Chris founded the award-winning film studio, First+Main Films, who’s mantra is “a story can change a city,” and the international Better Cities Film Festival hosted annually in Detroit, MI.