oUR TEAM
ATISHA VARSHNEY, AICP
Founding Principal
Practice Area: Design, Planning, Land Use and Development
With +14 years of interdisciplinary experience in architecture, urban planning, and real estate development, Atisha is an expert in land use and community development,. Her recent work focused on multi-family housing development, including affordable housing, mixed-use master plan communities, long-range planning, education institutions and faith communities. In the last five years, her work has contributed to developing 500-plus housing units and other community programs, jobs, and essential amenities.
She is a seasoned development manager representing public agencies on TOD projects and private developers on a variety of project types. She has synergetically managed large teams involving government agencies and real estate developers, community stakeholders, investors, and legal professionals. Atisha has successfully delivered project designs, entitlements, and RFPs, negotiated land transactions, including surplus land, executed pre-development loans and grants, and managed a large team of consultants. She takes an agile and lean approach to project management, working collaboratively with her team and her partners to find high-value solutions.
Atisha is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, American Planning Association, SV@Home, participates on local committees and commissions, and provides probono consulting to local non-profit organizations. Atisha holds a bachelor's in architecture from SPA New Delhi, a master's in landscape architecture from RISD and a certificate in real estate development from SJSU. Atisha is a certified planner( AICP).
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VIANEY GIBBONS, LEEP AP
Practice Area Lead: Housing and Development Management
Vianey Gibbons has been a real estate residential development professional for over 20 years. She first started out in community development, enabling neighborhood leaders to implement redevelopment plans. Vianey then spent the next five years working on market-rate housing, i.e., for-sale condominiums and for-rent apartments in Northern and Southern California, before focusing on affordable housing in the Bay Area. Vianey project manages development from acquisition to operations. She manages teams to take projects through entitlements, financing and construction. She builds rapport with community leaders, agency staff and public partners to collaborate in the process.
Vianey’s focus is to improve the financial, health and educational outcomes of individuals and families so they can become self-sufficient through housing and community. She values thriving, shining, diverse communities in both culture and socio-economics. Vianey believes that a vibrant and well-maintained built environment can positively affect how we feel about ourselves and how invested we can become in our communities. For this reason, preserving, producing, and protecting affordable housing, as well as supporting policies that are good for thriving communities and offering economic opportunities, are important to her.
Having been born in Mexico City, she is bi-lingual and bi-cultural. Vianey earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California Santa Barbara double majoring in Latin American Studies and Law & Society and a Master’s Degree from San Jose State University in Urban Planning.
CINDY MA, AICP
Practice Area Lead: Urban Design & Community Engagement
Curious and compassionate, Cindy brings 15+ years of professional experience in Urban Design and Planning in both the private and public sector. She is an expert in urban design, land use planning, master planning, specific plans, design guidelines, objective standards, site feasibility, and community engagement and workshop facilitation. In her work she integrates data with the lived experience to create, re-imagine, and improve communities that are sustainable, resilient, and celebrate the people and things that make each of them a Place.
Cindy approaches each project and problem with an inquisitive and open mind; not afraid to ask the tough questions so that a creative solution can be achieved. Cindy has successfully led and managed over hundreds of projects over her career, working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams to create and deliver thousands of housing units and development communities in California, Nevada, and overseas in China.
Her passion for urban design and planning stems from her experience growing up in the Bay Area, and coming from an immigrant family living near accessible transit, and community amenities and resources, within diverse neighborhoods. Cindy believes in the power of civic engagement and is involved in her community in multiple faucets including as part of the SF Urban Land Institute’s Urban Plan steering committee and the American Planning Association Asian Pacific Islander steering committee. Previously for 9 years, she was a a co-chair of the Diversity Committee of the American Planning Association California Northern Section.
HOLLY AMES
Practice Area Lead: Business Management, Accounting and Operations
For over 20 years, Holly has leveraged a unique blend of architectural, operational and accounting expertise to excel as a financial controller. During her career, she has worked at many architectural firms in an array of real estate markets while developing her analytical, contract, and project management skills. Her background has proved invaluable in viewing financial data through the lens of team project management, construction costs, project lifecycles, and strategic planning.
Throughout Holly’s career, she has held progressively responsible Controller positions at leading architectural firms such as Page & Turnbull, San Francisco and VITA Planning & Landscape Architecture, San Rafael.
Holly has successfully Implemented and overseen robust financial systems that handle large, multi-year projects and ensure accurate and timely financial reporting—providing insightful financial analysis to support management’s decision-making and managing various clients, including government, developers, corporate, and private entities. Holly has effectively collaborated on cross-functional teams, including architects, consultants, project managers, interns, and executives, managing the scopes and project budgets, contracts and invoicing. Holly’s passion lies in bridging the gap between finance and operations. She is a highly motivated and results-oriented professional, adept in collaborative environments, and communicates well financially within and with clients.
Konstantin Voronin
Practice Area Lead: Acquisitions and P3 Solicitation
Konstantin Voronin is a seasoned real estate development professional with over eight years of experience in land acquisition and project management. Working for full-service real estate investment and development companies, Konstantin has played a pivotal role in developing over 1,500 residential units and 250,000 square feet of commercial space across multiple California cities, with a combined value exceeding $1.8 billion.
Konstantin's expertise spans site selection, team assembly, financial underwriting, and overseeing development activities throughout a project's lifecycle. He has a proven track record of analyzing investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, and creating comprehensive financial models for high-profile mixed-use developments. His experience includes working on joint development projects with various partners, including public transit agencies and private developers.
Konstantin has managed several notable projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, showcasing his ability to handle complex, large-scale developments involving multiple stakeholders and diverse property types. These projects often include a mix of multifamily housing (both market-rate and affordable), commercial retail space, and transit-oriented developments.
With a Bachelor of Science in Finance from San Jose State University and a CRE Certification from Cornell University, Konstantin combines academic knowledge with practical experience.
Konstantin's skill set encompasses operating/capital budgeting, mixed-use and mixed-income development, joint-venture partnerships, public-private collaborations, and market research. His analytical approach and ability to leverage data from various sources make him a valuable asset in the real estate development industry.
Shreya Chowskhi
Land Use and Development Intern
Shreya, a passionate advocate for affordable housing and vibrant urban spaces, aims to impact people’s lives positively through thoughtful urban development and design. With a strong foundation in design principles from her multi-generational creative family in India, Shreya’s career journey includes roles such as Junior Architect at J Architects and Development Project Manager at Catalyze SV. Her experiences encompass market assessments, project financing, site acquisition, zoning analysis, and construction oversight.
Believing in collaboration and community engagement, Shreya envisions working with communities, policymakers, and stakeholders to create sustainable and livable cities that address affordable housing and urban resilience. Her approach focuses on fostering community engagement, ensuring that development projects benefit all community members, especially the under-served and marginalized. Shreya holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from San Jose State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from India.