Julian Villafuerte Diaz is an urban development and transportation planning professional based in Montreal. His background in regional economic development, housing, and transportation includes leading key research and tool development projects centered around open data. As an avid user of open data and a believer in democratized and participatory social systems, he is eager to serve the Canadian Open Data Society in building bridges between open data stewards and users. He sees open data as a gateway to knowledge, opportunity, and civic vibrancy. Currently, as a transportation planner, he is part of the team redesigning the bus network at the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM).