A cheerleader of possibility, Alex Gilliam is a co-founder and Director of Design + Learning of Tiny WPA. He believes that great design, rich learning, citizen-driven innovation, play, and equity building are not mutually exclusive but deeply interconnected. Uniquely combining his skills as a designer, teacher and skilled builder, Alex is redefining the way youth and adults participate as citizens and leaders in the design and building of their communities. He is widely recognized as an expert on participatory design, loose parts and adventure play, placemaking, design-oriented workforce development programs, and K-12 design education. ‘Play’ is routinely both a product and an essential part of his youth and community-led design processes when working with organizations from Philadelphia to Taipei. His work has been featured on NPR, Fast Company, NBC’s Today, and the Kelly Clarkson Show and is included in numerous books on participatory design, placemaking, equitable design, and learning innovation. Alex received his B.S. Arch from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas in Austin.

​(Top left photo: Tiny WPA at the Kelly Clarkson Show)

Renee Schacht is a co-founder and Executive Director of Tiny WPA. Prior to forming Tiny WPA with Alex Gilliam and moving to Philadelphia in July 2015, she was the Director of Development at The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Long Island City. From 2008-2011, Renee served as the Executive Director of Open House New York (OHNY), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting a greater appreciation of New York City’s built environment. While at OHNY, Renee partnered with Alex Gilliam to launch a National Endowment for the Arts-funded youth community design leadership program for Bronx middle school students to better engage children in the architecture and design of their school. She received a Bachelor of Individualized Study from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts from New York University.