Giovanna Araujo, LFA
Executive Director

Giovanna was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in one of the State’s first social housing developments. Having experienced the detrimental impacts of systematic disenfranchisement, she is dedicated to applying the tools of design in service of under-resourced communities - elevating grassroots agency in implementing visionary ideas.

Giovanna is a Sustainability Strategist and Social Impact Designer. As a Queer, Latina, first generation immigrant, she is dedicated to reimagining the role of architects in systemic change. She believes dignifying spaces empower people to become the best version of themselves.

Giovanna has nearly a decade of experience in Architectural Design and Construction, Certifications, Data Management, Education Programs, Business Development, Community Organizing, Research, Advocacy, Justice, and Equity. She has worked as a Designer at MASS Design Group on the design of hospitals, memorials, and affordable housing projects throughout the North American and African continents; as a Manager on the Buildings Team at the International Living Future Institute, supporting project teams pursuing certifications - including The Living Building Challenge, Core Green Building, Zero Carbon, and Zero Energy; as a Project Manager at YouthBuild Boston on the design and construction of LEED affordable housing projects; and as the AIA 2030 Fellow with the Boston Society of Architects on the collection, analysis, and report of the AIA 2030 Challenge yearly data for the New England region. She studied Architecture with a focus on Sustainable Building Technology at the Boston Architectural College.

Salma is a California native with a lineage tracing back to India. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, she discovered her fascination with the built environment through attending open houses with her father, a real estate agent. As she progressed through grade school and eventually onto university in Los Angeles, she became acutely aware of the wealth and opportunity disparities ever-present in modern society. Through her years of volunteer work with unhoused communities in the East Bay and the STEM outreach programs she spearheaded at schools in underserved communities of LA, she uncovered her passion for bridging the gaps between opportunity, availability, resiliency, and sustainability.

Salma received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2018 and 2019. Since obtaining her Professional Engineer’s license in 2022, she has broadened her area of expertise to encompass sustainable material specification and embodied carbon reduction, co-chairing her engineering firm’s sustainability committee and spearheading its education sector.

Salma spends her free time teaching yoga, traveling, writing poetry, and trying her hand at new hobbies, such as surfing and ceramics. She is a deeply empathetic individual inspired by the interconnected nature of all beings, which motivates her to pair her passion for equity with her technical expertise to design and deliver sustainable, creative, unique projects aimed at improving the quality of life in disadvantaged communities around the world.

Gabriela is an architect from a small town in the South of Brazil. She is passionate about sustainability and determined to use her unique set of skills to impact the built environment by designing greener, healthier projects.

Gabriela received her Bachelor's degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Unisinos, a Brazilian university, and has since spent 9+ years as a self-employed business owner of an architectural and interior design firm. Her work incorporates biophilic and passive design strategies aimed at fostering well-being and health of the projects’ occupants. She is a LEED Green Associate and strongly believes in the power of sustainable architectural design practices to change the planet by diminishing the effects of social and environmental impacts on local communities.

When Gabriela isn’t designing green buildings, she enjoys teaching yoga, singing, traveling, and spending time in nature. She loves to stay active and push herself to new heights in every endeavor she pursues.