Our Team

Adriana Abizadeh-Barbour is the executive director of Philadelphia-based Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT). The mission, duty, and purpose of the KCT is to utilize collective ownership to direct investments on the corridor that preserve culture and affordability while building neighborhood power and wealth in Kensington. Adriana is also a policy fellow at Princeton University and Rutgers University.

With deep interests in public policy, Adriana has taken every opportunity to utilize her privileged position as a nonprofit leader to speak out for what she believes in and to lift the voices of impacted community members. Immersed in policy initiatives, she has facilitated community collaboration to address the intersectionality between immigration status, housing, poverty, and race.

Adriana has a BA in Political Science from Rutgers University with a minor in Security Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. She also has an MS in Public Policy from Drexel University. She has committed herself to serving on several boards that reflect some of her deepest passions: immigration, racial and health equity, and youth development. When Adriana isn’t serving her community, she is at home with her husband, their four children, and their two dogs.

Lou Hemler is a creative generalist who loves being anywhere where living things gather and grow outside the structures of commodification. Their work sits at the intersection of people and the environment, bridging relationship-building, stewardship of land, and multidisciplinary sculpture. This manifests as a combination of site-specific installation, land tending, mural painting, sculpture fabrication, puppetry, and illustration.

Driven by curiosity and collaboration, Lou is moved to connect people and ideas toward more liberatory futures that are only possible through collective imagination and action. They carry the different chapters of their life as medical professional, teacher, sculptor, and gardener into these pursuits with a hands-on approach to creative problem solving, a keen eye for craftsmanship, and a fierce desire to cultivate what people truly need to thrive and be well.

Lou was born and raised in South Central Pennsylvania and planted roots in Philadelphia in 2015. After graduating from Uarts in 2020, they delved into community-based work by volunteering at Iglesias Gardens and serving as a teaching artist with Spiral Q. Both of these organizational connections remain strong anchors to their practice of lived values. You can catch them in a green space, looking for bugs or yapping with people on the street.

Dymir Akins is the Operations and Property Manager at Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT). He is deeply aligned with the mission of KCT, feeling fortunate to be part of an organization that has a meaningful and lasting impact on the community. KCT’s efforts go beyond investing in local assets; they focus on empowering the people of Kensington by giving them a voice and fostering a sense of ownership and pride in the area’s growth and development.

With a strong background in operations, Dymir brings a wealth of experience from his previous role with one of the largest real estate development companies in Philadelphia. His work there provided invaluable insight into managing large-scale projects and navigating the complexities of urban development. Additionally, Dymir ran his own vending machine business based in Kensington, which allowed him to become intimately familiar with the local community and its unique needs. This combination of corporate expertise and hands-on entrepreneurial experience has shaped his approach to both property management and community engagement.

At KCT, Dymir is dedicated to using his skills and experience to drive the organization’s goals forward, ensuring that the trust continues to create lasting, positive change in Kensington and beyond.

Jasmin Velez is a Puerto Rican nonprofit leader from Kensington, Philadelphia, with over a decade of experience dedicated to community engagement, education, and advocacy. She holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Geography, Environment, and Urban Studies at Temple University, where her research focuses on gentrification and displacement within the Latine/x community.

Throughout her career, Jasmin has worked on a wide range of initiatives, including vaccine and policy education, environmental justice, community gardening, and land justice. Currently, she focuses on strategic fundraising efforts at the Kensington Corridor Trust to secure vital resources for community-driven projects.

Outside of her professional work, Jasmin enjoys spending time in nature, gardening, and exploring new places through travel.

Gloria "Smooches" Cartagena Hart is a dedicated community Activist, leader, and advocate. Gloria is well known in Philadelphia as Smooches, where her motto is “It gets greater later.” Gloria sees the potential of what the Kensington community can offer. She has tirelessly advocated for residents and business owners, focusing on creating safer, more connected neighborhoods.

Whether providing technical assistance to local businesses, spearheading beautification projects, or disseminating crucial resources to residents, Gloria's efforts have consistently been driven by a deep love for Kensington and a desire to uplift its people for the past 42 years since the age of 10 years old helping her father translate for the Latino community in assisting in election time. Her dedication is evident in her long-standing involvement and the positive changes she has helped foster in the community.

In recognition of her impactful work in Philadelphia, Gloria received the prestigious Dorothy Richardson Community Leadership Award from NeighborWorks America in 2018. Gloria previously served as the President of Somerset Neighbors for Better Living, President of Town Watch, 24th Police District PDAC, and Block Captain, where she worked on the development and quality of life in Kensington, where she resides. Gloria is trained in Trauma-Informed Care, Community Health Worker, Community Peer Counselor, Mental Health First Aid, CPR, and Narcan.

Josh Harris is the construction project manager for the Kensington Corridor Trust. Josh is an innovative design build industry professional whose career spans sustainable building practices from passive house to adaptive reuse. He also has experience with visual arts fabricating for contemporary artists and exhibition projects for museums and cultural institutions. Josh is passionate about work that contributes to the economic, social, and environmental fabric of the city.

Josh was born and raised in New York City and moved to Philadelphia in 2007. Upon moving to Philadelphia, he briefly enjoyed work as a teaching artist with Mural Arts and was selected by the Philadelphia Museum as a teaching artist for several years while running his general contracting company.

As a small business owner of his company, Design Art Build Co., for over ten years, Josh recently completed as Construction/Project Manager a 25-unit net positive solar apartment complex for Onion Flats called “the building of the future” by Inquirer staff writer Inga Saffron. Josh has focused his energy on the urban environment and how he can contribute to a healthier city. His experience running his own small business has reinforced his commitment to helping other small business by assisting them to navigate city government and establishing fundamental best practices.

Josh is an active Board Member for Fairmount Soccer Association and served on the board of Taller Puertorriqueño, from 2020-24 where he chaired the spring fundraiser, El Fashion Show. He is always looking for ways to combine his diverse professional experience to become more civically engaged and improve the quality of life in cities. When not at work, he enjoys playing soccer and cooking with his young twins and Venezuelan wife.

Jasmin is an applied practicing anthropologist and an almost life- long resident of the Kensington neighborhood. Jasmin grew up in Puerto Rico and moved to Philadelphia when she was five years old. She attended Bloomsburg University of PA, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology, and later graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with her master's in Medical Anthropology. Missing the diversity of her community and the east-coast city vibes, she returned to Philadelphia following her studies and returned to her neighborhood to begin her career. She has been working in community engagement for several years throughout North Philadelphia in community beautification, community gardening, and environmental stewardship and justice.