Dr. Josh Yates
Founder & Vision Architect

Josh is a cultural sociologist and systems thinker passionate about reimagining the future of cities. As the Founder of Thriving Cities Group and Executive Director of the Belmont Innovation Labs, he integrates over two decades of research and practice to explore what it truly means for communities to thrive. Josh’s work bridges sociology, civic innovation, and theology, offering new frameworks for leaders seeking to foster human flourishing in complex social systems. Previously, he served at the University of Virginia, where he founded the original Thriving Cities Project, and at Duke University, where he directed the Ormond Center and its efforts to support thriving congregations and communities. A frequent speaker and collaborator across academic and nonprofit sectors, Josh continues to shape national conversations around civic renewal, institutional trust, and the common good. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his family.

Tim Day
Interim CEO, Strategic initiatives

Tim is a strategic leader with a passion for community transformation and a strong background in guiding mission-driven teams. He serves as Interim CEO of Thriving Cities Group through his consultancy services, where he provides executive oversight for key initiatives such as the Community Insight Platform and the Community Craft Curriculum. With deep experience in platform development, curriculum design, stakeholder engagement, and organizational leadership, Tim brings a thoughtful, relational approach to equipping community leaders with the tools they need to help their communities flourish. He works regularly from Nashville, Tennessee, out of the Belmont Innovation Labs offices.

Chantal Buard
Chief Product & Design Officer (CPDO)

Chantal is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive specializing in user experience, technology, and social impact. As Co-Founder and CEO of Impact Atlas, she has led the development of a real-time case management and impact measurement platform deployed in over 25 countries. Previously, she co-founded Amplifier Strategies, where she created innovative digital solutions for philanthropists and mission-driven organizations. Chantal also co-created Battery Powered, one of the largest giving circles in America, and co-founded Uplift, a global initiative scaling the Graduation Approach to combat ultra-poverty. With over 20 years of experience designing data-driven solutions for the nonprofit sector, she is dedicated to advancing human-centered technology that drives meaningful change. Originally from Paris, she holds an MBA in Arts and Media Management and a Master's in Change Management. Chantal resides in Greenville, SC.

Kevin Phang
Lead Data Scientist, community insight

Kevin is a data scientist dedicated to leveraging AI and data for social good, with a particular focus on geospatial analysis and community wellbeing. As a former data scientist at WayBase and Digital Brilliance, Kevin worked at the intersection of technology, analytics, and nonprofit impact, helping organizations harness data to drive meaningful change. With over 15 years of experience spanning tech, academia, and finance, he brings a multidisciplinary approach to understanding human flourishing through the lens of both the social sciences and humanities. He lives in Toronto, Canada.

Tim Broomer
Technical Architect

Tim Broomer is a seasoned full-stack developer and technical architect with extensive experience leading digital initiatives for prominent brands such as Home Depot, Mondelēz, Kraft, Canada Dry Mott’s, and PepsiCo. At Thriving Cities Group, Tim plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing scalable, user-centric digital solutions that drive community engagement and social impact. His expertise spans the entire development lifecycle, from front-end design to back-end architecture, ensuring robust and effective technology platforms.

Sam Fischer
Project Manager

Sam is a project manager and oversees the continued development of our RoundTable application. He has ten years of experience building software solutions for the nonprofit, banking, and logistics industries. He co-founded the tech startup, Lightbulb Machine Inc. in 2017 where they designed and built the first prototype of TCG's Roundtable platform. He also serves on the executive council at McGuffey Art Center and maintains a public fine art studio.

RILEY MCMEEKIN
SENIOR DESIGN TECHNOLOGIST

Riley is a design technologist who works across product strategy, design systems, and AI automation to make the complex feel effortless. With more than 20 years of experience, Riley has led product design for clients including Intuit, Moneris, Brookfield Properties, Oxford Properties Group, Mitsubishi Electric, ASICS, Onitsuka Tiger, and Haglöfs. A standout project is a climate risk intelligence platform for the University of Waterloo, recently presented to the World Meteorological Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. At Thriving Cities Group, Riley leads UX and UI design for the Roundtable platform, solving the challenge of turning rich community data and complex tasks into clear, intuitive experiences for funders, nonprofits, and community leaders. For almost 10 years, Riley has also served as a volunteer firefighter, seeing firsthand how communities thrive when people show up for one another.

Micah Kessel
Design STRATEGIST

Micah is a design strategist and researcher whose focus areas are in the social science of empathy, emotion and belonging. He’s led teams that have developed immersive training technology used by 100+ world class organizations including Meta, Deloitte, Google, Progressive, Massachusetts General Hospital, United Way and The American Board of Surgery.

At Thriving Cities, Micah helps our partners think about how the principles of community thriving can be better represented through data and technology. He strives to be a global citizen, speaks five languages and began his career as an opera singer, with degrees in classical music and multimedia design.