Nader Afzalan is a Ph.D. in Design and Planning with over 15 years of experience managing, researching, and implementing projects related to urban planning, technology, and data analysis. He is an expert in GIS, civic media, and big data, and has extensive experience in teaching, advising, and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds. Currently, he is the Manager at the Data Integration Unit of the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, where he leads a team to design and develop an integrated homelessness data warehouse to support inter-agency collaboration and policymaking. Prior to this, he served as a Senior Planner/Air Pollution Specialist at the California Air Resources Board, where he helped shape policies and programs to reduce air pollution across California. He has also worked as the Director of Business Development and Sales for Civic and Academic Programs at UrbanFootprint, providing urban planning solutions to cities and organizations worldwide. As a confident and articulate communicator, Nader has produced numerous scientific and academic publications, conference abstracts, and professional reports, and has delivered invited presentations at more than a dozen national and international conferences.