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Quilian Riano
I practice and teach: Architecture / Urban Design / Art
Professional Background
Quilian Riano is a renowned architectural and urban designer actively shaping the future of urban environments. Currently serving as the Assistant Dean and Visiting Associate Professor at Pratt Institute's School of Architecture, Riano brings a wealth of experience honed through years of strategic design and academic leadership. His journey in the architectural field has seen him excel at both teaching and practice, leading innovative projects that enhance community engagement and promote social justice through design. Before joining Pratt, Riano was associated with Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC), where he played a pivotal role in urban design strategy, applied research, and curriculum development.
Riano's portfolio is as impressive as it is diverse. He has contributed significantly to public institutions, including a tenure as a lead design strategist for New York City’s Department of Design and Construction and as an urban design consultant for the National Park Service. His vast experience spans both academic and practical realms, ensuring that his work is deeply rooted in comprehensive research and real-world application.
In addition to his academic role, Quilian is the founder and lead designer of DSGN AGNC, a forward-thinking design studio that explores revolutionary concepts within political design, fostering new dialogues around architecture, urbanism, and the arts. Under his guidance, DSGN AGNC has produced celebrated work showcased at prestigious venues like the Venice Biennale, Harvard University, and the New Museum, among others. These platforms highlight Riano's commitment to thoughtful design and public consciousness.
Education and Achievements
Quilian Riano's academic foundation is anchored in his extensive education, which includes a Bachelor of Design in Architecture (BDes) from the University of Florida, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and a Masters of Architecture (MArch) from Harvard University’s esteemed Graduate School of Design. These achievements set the stage for his successful career, equipping him with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for a transformative impact in the field of architecture.
Riano's accolades extend beyond formal education. His innovative work has earned him recognition from several prestigious organizations, including the Vilcek Foundation, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the Boston Society of Architects. Moreover, his contributions to academia and practice have garnered him fellowships from notable institutions such as the Design Trust for Public Space and the Institute for Public Architecture, reflecting his dedication to both scholarly research and community engagement.
Community Engagement and Future Vision
As an active member of Dark Matter University, Riano aligns himself with a collective mission that emphasizes inclusivity and anti-racism within design practice and education. This initiative seeks to expand the traditional boundaries of design, integrating new methodologies, theories, and practices to foster resilience and agency within communities. By championing such a vision, Riano is not only shaping the future of design education but also contributing to the broader discourse on equity and social justice in the built environment.
With over a decade of teaching experience, Riano has held teaching positions at notable institutions including Harvard University, Columbia University, and Syracuse University, among others. His pedagogical approach encourages students to engage critically with architectural practices and urban design, fostering a generation of designers equipped to address contemporary challenges with creativity and empathy.
Recognition and Awards
Riano’s contributions to architecture and urban design have received prestigious awards, showcasing his impact on the field. Not only has he been recognized for excellence in design, but his work has also sparked conversations about the social responsibilities of architects and the role of urban design in shaping equitable cities. His participation in influential architecture competitions and exhibits serves as testaments to his innovative spirit and commitment to advancing architectural discourse.
In summary, Quilian Riano is a remarkable figure in the architectural realm, combining academic rigor with practical expertise to create designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also socially responsive. His roles at Pratt Institute and DSGN AGNC highlight his commitment to education, community engagement, and the exploration of powerful design strategies that seek to redefine urban landscapes for a better tomorrow.
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
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Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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