Get to Know Alana

March 25, 2024 | Interview by Emilia Charno

Visiting a participatory budgeting project in San Pedro Garza Garcia.

The mountains near Williams College in the Fall. 

What did you study in school?

I majored in History and German at Williams College, and also took a lot of Environmental Studies classes. My favorite class was about the history of the American suburb, and the policies that made American cities look like they do today. Most of my work experience revolved around thinking about cities, and how they can be improved to become more sustainable and more livable. During my internship at the Ecologic Institute in Berlin, I conducted research regarding policy tools that have been implemented in Latin American cities to help support sustainable urban planning and nature based solutions. Another initiative that I worked on was the participatory budgeting system of San Pedro Garza Garcia, in Mexico, which is the municipality I grew up in. 

What are you excited to work on at Kyanite Partners?

I am excited to get to work with many clients and support them with their projects and visions. I recently started working on a project with America Achieves, focused on supporting regions across the United States access federal infrastructure funding and implement projects that advance economic transformation and equity. I am hoping to be on projects more directly related to climate change adaptation, which is the area that excites me the most. 

What are the values that drive your work?

I have always had a passion for nature and the environment, and want to be a part of addressing the climate crisis. Climate change can feel like an unstoppable force, but I feel really lucky to be in a place where I can work towards making a change.

What are the places that have deeply shaped you?

One of them is Monterrey, Mexico, the city where I grew up. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains, which I love and miss constantly. Monterrey is a very car-centric place that has followed the American urban sprawl type of growth. When I was a kid I visited Paris with my mom. That is another city that shaped me. After spending a little time there, I felt like I knew Paris better than I knew Monterrey. Even as an 8 year old, I could navigate the city, and had agency over where we were going. I loved the big tree-lined sidewalks, and telling my mom which metro we needed to take. Paris made me understand that cities could be different from the ones I knew in Mexico and the United States, and spurred my interest in urban planning.

What is something not many people know about you?

When I was a kid I was scared of everything inflatable: balloons, beach balls, and of course, bouncy houses. No one knows how I developed that very specific fear, but the first time I ever went into a bouncy house (I was three) I somehow managed to break my arm. Even so, I was able to overcome my fear, which I do not really remember having.

Is there anything that you’re reading or watching that’s inspiring you?

I recently finished reading Babel, by R.F. Kuang. It is a fantasy book that addresses issues of translation and colonization through its magic system, which I thought was really interesting.

"Climate change can feel like an unstoppable force, but I feel really lucky to be in a place where I can work towards making a change."

Visiting Paris, one of her favorite cities. 

At her college graduation with friends.