Meet the L.B.U. Consulting Team
Kelvin Ayala |
Principal - Economic Development Strategist / Projects Manager
Kelvin Ayala is principal urban planner and economic development adviser at LBU. He has a strategic focus on small business growth, community empowerment, place-making, commercial development, and other initiatives that stimulate job creation and build strong communities. Kelvin promotes racial equity, transparency, collaborative governance, and civic engagement techniques for best practices in the field. During his 25 years, he has helped launch over 250 retail and hospitality businesses throughout New England and has consulted and managed various mix used commercial developments. Kelvin has over 15 years of expertise in Organizational Management, Urban Renewal, and Strategic Business Initiatives. He brings an unmatched depth of understanding to community led revitalization, public policy, and resiliency efforts. Kelvin holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Urban Planning from USC's Sol Price School of Public Policy. He has served on various boards, as program director of Project Main Street in Bridgeport, CT. and was the co-founder of the CoLLab Exchange, a hybrid retail accelerator and co-workspace located in downtown Bridgeport. |
Natalie Pryce |
Principal - Special Projects Coordinator / Workforce Specialist
Natalie Pryce is lead Business and Workforce strategist at LBU & Associates and community projects coordinator at LBU. Natalie is a skilled career business coach and workforce professional with over 15 years of experience helping individuals acquire transferable skills for career readiness. She serves as lead coordinator for our framework and systems that we institute within all our projects. She is certified as a Strategies in Action for Communities (SiaC) consultant with our strategic international partner, Resilient Futures. For the past 6 years, she has facilitated the Platform 2 Employment (P2E) program for the Workplace, Inc. She has spearheaded Downtown Thursdays, Bridgeport Arts Fest, and the Collab Exchange as community development initiatives for our client, the Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council. She has also served as a consultant for Bridgeport Innovation Places in partnership with CTNext. As a former outreach coordinator for the minority resource office of Bridgeport, she understands the impact of public policies and the importance of community and business engagement to pursue policy decisions. Natalie is currently the project manager for leadership programs and curriculum development for Leadership Greater Bridgeport, THRIVE & Women's Leadership Network. She is a recognized thought leader in workforce and professional development. Natalie is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and TedX Speaker. |
LBU Associates Team
Gerald brings an artistic approach to training and communication frameworks for civic engagement. As a valued associate of the LBU team, he builds on the power of creativity and design principles to spark conversation. He has facilitated workshops on communication, team building, and socioeconomic disparities at major corporations, school systems, and social service agencies. |
Jennifer Cuevas
Communications and Marketing Manager Jennifer is brand strategist and communications specialist. She leads project messaging, logo design, website tools, and social media campaigns to impact community outreach and engagement. Her understanding of community inspired progress has been leveraged in the success of LBU projects. |
Alicia McCallup
Business Onboarding & Systems Alicia is our back-office systems coordinator tracking performance indicators and maintaining our stakeholder databases, processes, and systems. Alicia’s administrative responsibilities include coordinating events, scheduling calendars, logistics, and database management of key systems utilized by the LBU Team. She is an integral component to LBU’s tactical urbanism and placemaking programs. |
