Amelia M. Arria grew up in Santa Barbara, California, and moved east to attend Cornell University. After receiving a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, she completed her doctoral studies in epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. She currently is on the faculty at the University of Maryland.

Her professional background in public health is the cornerstone for understanding the need for innovative approaches to preventing and dealing with major social problems such as health disparities, violence, drug use and incarceration. While never pursuing a degree program in the arts, she has been actively involved in photography and other visual arts since an early age. Cityshapes has allowed her to combine her lifelong interest in photography with her personal mission to be an agent of social change. See Detailed Bio.

Carey J. Kriz has been involved in a combination of technology and health care ventures since the early 1980's. His interests span the issues of health services to community development. Carey is involved in the commercialization and growth of the Cityshapes concept in the retail and non-prof it markets.