Pinchina

06/30/2018

Excited to share that Pinchina's CEO was named a 2018 recipient of the 'Impact Award - Young Women Rising' by the American Women for International Understanding! Vanessa was honored for her diplomacy and global advocacy in improving communities and for bettering the lives of women and girls.

The award was presented by Ambassador Ruth A. Davis - the first woman of color to be appointed as Director General of the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service and the first African American Director of the Foreign Service Institute.

01/14/2018

Vanessa here, of Pinchina. Check out my reflections on the anniversary of the 2010 Haiti earthquake and my remembrance of the selfless contributions of Haitian descendants to the United States - then and now.

The Paradox of RemembranceJanuary 13, 2018 in Haiti, Inside Pinchina To be honest, the month of January has been weird for me for almost a decade now. I find myself stuck between being super grateful to have made it to a new year, simultaneously celebrating the emergence of the world’s first black...

06/12/2017

Pinchina's CEO, Vanessa Leon, named to the Presidential Commission for the Reconstruction of the Haitian National Palace! Read more and stay tuned for updates.

In the weeks and months following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, one of the most devastating aspects for me is that I would never get to see the Haitian National Palace for myself. My parents would often share with me their childhood memories of walking in front of the palace and, as the first American-...

03/20/2017

Join Pinchina CEO Vanessa Leon next Tuesday March 28th from 6-8p at Brooklyn College for a panel discussion on "U.S. Foreign Policy in Haiti."

Also on the panel will be Kenneth Merten, former US Ambassador to Haiti and former Executive Secretary to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

09/17/2016

Super excited that in addition to being a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise in the City of New York, Pinchina is now MWBE firm with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey!!!

On to the next one!

05/10/2016

Check out Hope4Cities interview with and Vanessa Leon!

When I have children, I’m buying them Legos, buying the SIMS game for them and I will do city tours with them.  That’s it, no question about it.  Why? Perhaps I would like to live throu…

05/05/2016

Consider joining our team! Pinchina is looking for a NYC-based senior planning consultant for a government contracting opportunity.

Interested or know someone who might be? Don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] for more information!

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03/31/2016

Pinchina turns five this year and we are celebrating in Northern Haiti!

Be sure to check out our all-inclusive six-day, five night travel and tour experience this October with Belle Vue Tours.

We hope to see you there!

To commemorate Pinchina’s birth 5 years ago in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, join us this October 2016 as we pay homage to the country’s birthplace in this celebratory travel and tour experience! Facilitated by Belle Vue Tours, we will take a historic six-day, five night al…

01/07/2016

It's SO good to be back with our partner communities in Petit Goave with Community2Community-Haiti this week!

Be on the look out for the pictures and blog post soon!

12/09/2015

Our policy-based research portfolio largely involves the institutional development of the Haitian state, in addition to other critical areas necessary to advance the country.

Our CEO Vanessa Leon takes on the need for statebuilding and why this must be Haitian-led.

In Haiti, the Role of Security and Development in Building a Nation-State December 9, 2015 By Vanessa Leon In Haiti, News Feed / I had no way of knowing that my beloved Haiti ushered in the second generation of disaster, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes worldwide prior to taking Pr…

12/07/2015

We are THRILLED to have just received our certification as a Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) in New York City!

10/28/2015

Pinchina is excited to be partnering with Urbane Development on a transformative project right in the heart of NYC's Caribbean community!

More detailed to come for sure. As always, stay tuned!

It’s a big day for the Urbane family and a blog post 2 years in the making! We are delighted to announce that Urbane Development has been selected as part of a joint venture to redevelop and …

10/06/2015

On overcoming insecurity, exhaustion and heartbreak as Pinchina's CEO...

Vanessa Leon takes us on an emotionally vulnerable journey that has translated into some of her greatest strengths.

Unwilling to Pretend October 6, 2015 By Vanessa Leon In Inside Pinchina / One of the most difficult lessons of entrepreneurship for me was realizing that I do not always have to have it all together. In addition to that was accepting that I am not the only person on this planet of billions walking…

09/29/2015

Whether we are working directly with vulnerable communities or engaging one-on-one with individuals across different walks of life, we as urban planners have to constantly 'check' ourselves in terms of the vantage points we are approaching a situation.

Our CEO talks to us about a recent experience in Haiti where she was forced to check her "Privilege and Perception."

Privilege and Perception (in Haiti and Beyond) September 29, 2015 By Vanessa Leon In Community2Community, Haiti, Inside Pinchina / Coming to terms with one’s privilege is often a smack in the face. For me, every now and then, I am reminded of my reality as a member of Haiti’s Diaspora in every day…

09/23/2015

Life is full of opposition and challenges - even when your intent may be to do good.

What we have learned through our various experiences here at Pinchina and beyond is that we have to PLAN through it ANYWAYS.

Planning Through the Opposition September 22, 2015 By Sonide Simon In Economic Development, Haiti / I began my journey as a planner with big hopes and big dreams. However, I wasn’t ready for the emotional toll that can some times come along with this profession. Last year, my experience during a g…

09/17/2015

As we celebrate FOUR years of Pinchina this month, check out one of our CEO's favorite blog post - written only a few months after she founded the firm.

Don’t Go Trying to Save the World (You Can’t) March 2, 2012 By Vanessa Leon In Inside Pinchina / Let’s face it. People have been trying to solve global poverty, world hunger and a myriad of other societal issues for generations now. So why have the lofty idea that I, or my generation, can solve th…

09/09/2015

When it comes to meeting the needs of developing countries, how effective has the United Nations been at doing its job?

The United Nations has saved millions of lives and boosted health and education across the world. But it is bloated, undemocratic – and very expensive.

09/08/2015

A key part of urban planning is actually TALKING to the community that one is trying to serve.

Our COO Jessica tells us more!

Let’s Talk! September 8, 2015 By Jessica Jean-Francois In Inside Pinchina / In a world full of chaos, planning is how I hope to make sense of it all and work towards some solutions or at the least, some improvements. I spend mornings reading through dozens of headlines spanning topics such as heal…

09/02/2015

Have you ever found yourself walking along a busy street and suddenly feeling a sense of 'cognitive (over)load'?

Read more to consider if urban environments really do impact our mental wellbeing!

Rapid developments in behavioural science and data technology offer the prospect of urban streetscapes helping to alleviate ailments such as stress, anxiety and boredom – and even reducing the likelihood of crowd trouble

09/01/2015

Our CEO Vanessa Leon takes a moment to reflect on our trajectory after our rebrand this summer.

Share your thoughts with us and be sure to stay updated on what we have going on!

Reflections of a Visionary September 1, 2015 By Vanessa Leon In Inside Pinchina / Pinchina Consulting started off as an idea. An idea that in the midst of such suffering and tremendous need – after the 2010 Haiti earthquake – that I could actually make a difference with the little bit of schooling…

06/03/2015

Please meet our Senior Urban Planner Sonide Simon. Sonide is responsible for identifying and creating project opportunities pertaining to Pinchina’s mission and vision as well as maintaining oversight of the firm’s project portfolio. Her specialization is in participatory planning as well as in social and community development in Haiti.

Be sure to check out her bio: http://bit.ly/1G44U54

06/01/2015

Pinchina Consulting has grown quite a bit since we were founded almost four years ago. After working so hard these past couple of years and months, we are absolutely DELIGHTED to share with you our new website and brand identity! Take a look here: http://bit.ly/1AIjO0i

04/13/2015

This week in Nairobi, we are participating in PrepComm2 at the headquarters of UN-HABITAT with the goal of informing the "New Urban Agenda" in preparation for the Habitat III conference next year in Quitio, Equador.

Habitat III takes place every 20 years and our goal is to ensure that these global conferences include better linkages between urban development, local governance and climate change adaptation.

Be sure to also follow us on twitter for active updates!

Habitat III is the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development to take place in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016. In resolution 66/207 and in line with the bi-decennial cycle (1976, 1996 and 2016), the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene, the Habitat III Conf…

01/28/2015

Here are the Haitian Americans Making A Difference in America. We are the keepers of our legacy....

Guess who is on the list? Vanessa Leon, Principal @ Pinchina Consulting

Congrats!! More info at http://thehaitianroundtable.org/

01/12/2015

We are thrilled to be partners on the initiative!

Join the on
Mon, January 12, 2015

01/09/2015

A great write up on our colleague and friend, Justin Garrett Moore, on his role as an urban designer.

We had the pleasure of joining last year's Vanguard Class as "40 Urban Leaders Under 40"!

As part of our Next City Network initiative, each week we highlight one of our readers and their work to advance their city.

01/03/2015

Check it out! http://youtu.be/KlXOrshW0zA

Host Team We Remember Haiti Partner's Video Invite

12/23/2014

In the South Bronx, concerns of pollution and increased traffic lead to protests over new manufacturing headquarters for the online grocer Fresh Direct.

The online grocer plans to offer hundreds of new jobs, but opponents say the increased truck traffic will worsen the air quality in an area with high asthma rates.