by 
Co-Founder | Tiny WPA
A cheerleader of possibility, Alex Gilliam is the Co-Founder of Tiny WPA. He believes that great design, rich learning, citizen-driven innovation, play, and equity building are not mutually exclusive but deeply interconnected. Uniquely combining his skills as a designer, teacher and skilled builder, Alex is redefining the way youth and adults participate as citizens and leaders in the design and building of their communities. He is widely recognized as an expert on participatory design, loose parts and adventure play, placemaking, design-oriented workforce development programs, and K-12 design education. ‘Play’ is routinely both a product and an essential part of his youth and community-led design processes when working with organizations from Philadelphia to Taipei. His work has been featured on NPR, Fast Company, NBC’s Today, and the Kelly Clarkson Show and is included in numerous books on participatory design, placemaking, equitable design, and learning innovation. Alex received his B.S. Arch from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas in Austin.
