Welcoming our new Managing Director: Daphne Lundi

We are thrilled to introduce our new Managing Director: Daphne Lundi. As Urban Ocean Lab evolves to meet the moment, she is incredibly qualified to take the helm — to translate vision into strategy, build a strong team, and deepen our policy impact.

Daphne is an urban planner and climate policymaker whose work spans environmental justice, community resilience, and design. Previously, she served as a Deputy Director at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, leading initiatives on extreme heat mitigation, social infrastructure, and open space access. She has also held roles at the NYC Department of City Planning and FEMA, working on post–Hurricane Sandy recovery and neighborhood planning. Most recently, she has worked as an independent consultant, partnering with cities and nonprofits on climate programs.

Her civic and cultural work includes co-founding and serving on the board of BlackSpace, serving on the board of the Center for Zero Waste Design, and advising the Octavia Project. A Brooklyn native with Haitian roots, Daphne is an avid cyclist, writer, self-taught garment maker, and believer in the power of imagination to shape better cities. More about her previous work: www.daphnelundi.com.

Daphne will be leading us in strategic planning this fall, as we hone in on how UOL can be most useful in this socio-political moment. In winter we’ll be hiring to execute on that plan, so stay tuned for job announcements coming soon.

Please join us in welcoming Daphne!

Onward,
UOL co-founders