My name is Oshrit (Oshi) Reis and I grew up in a Kibbutz in the south of Israel. I graduated from the architecture faculty at the Technion- Israel institute of technology. Since I was always drawn towards social and sustainable causes, I worked with NGOs and local communities in Central and South America on a wide range of projects including natural building, food security, disaster response and education while working professionally as an architect at Studio Ma, an urban design office in Tel Aviv. During my experience of living and volunteering in Rocinha—the largest Favela in Brazil, I conducted an independent study of the socio-spatial relations in the self-design of favela homes. My experiences in Rocinha enhanced my passion for the humanitarian and development fields, and made me realize the essential role economy plays in the development sector. This led me to pursue MSc. Mundus Urbano International Cooperation in Urban Development from Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany and choose MESCI for my second year specialisation to gain expertise in development economics.