Our Team

We are a passionate team of urbanists, innovators, and citizen-centered designers.

  • Founder + CEO

    Alex Johnston is the founder and CEO of Cities Reimagined, a human-centered design firm that uses a combination of data and the lived experience of residents to help civic leaders diagnose and solve urban problems. Her background in business gives her a knack for developing solutions with a triple bottom line: systems that benefit people, planet, and profit. Alex’s work is focused on addressing systemic challenges in mid-size cities that prevent economic growth, social mobility, and human connection.

    Since founding Cities Reimagined in 2013, Alex has worked with corporate philanthropy, local government, and global NGOs to design citizen-centered systems that build trust and facilitate connection between people living in urban cities. Alex’s work in Detroit was awarded the HUD Secretary’s Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships.

    Alex holds a Masters in Cities with Honors from the London School of Economics, an MBA, and a certificate in Creative Cities from NYU. She is also a graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. Alex is also a Senior Fellow for the Institute of Social Innovation at Babson College where she collaborates with social entrepreneurs to address social, economic, and environmental challenges in cities.

  • Chief of Staff

    Mari joins Cities Reimagined with more than 10 years of experience in administrative support and project management in the banking industry. A master multitasker and lover of details, she plays a central role in strategizing, coordinating, and ensuring the seamless execution of projects and initiatives across the organization.

  • Finance Director

    Courtney has worked with Cities Reimagined since 2020, and previously served as a senior accountant in the insurance industry where she performed the accounting over a $75B investment portfolio. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University where majored in accounting and graduated Cum Laude.

  • Project Manager

    Meg comes to Cities Reimagined after more than ten years in Institutional and Brand Marketing and is thrilled to be joining the team in Detroit. She is a storyteller, performer, and problem-solver with a passion for people (and her rescue dog Fran). Meg leads project implementation for the Cities team.