Venesa Alicea-Chuqui, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, is an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Architecture in Kean University's Michael Graves College, where her teaching focuses on community-engaged learning. She is also Founding Principal of NYVARCH Architecture, a practice dedicated to advancing equity through design, and a registered architect in New York and New Jersey with more than fifteen years of experience creating sustainable, community-centered environments.

A longtime advocate for equity in the profession, she was an initiator and core organizer of Dark Matter U and Design as Protest. She serves as an NCARB Architect Licensing Advisor, guiding emerging professionals on the path to licensure, and is an active member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).