Maria Aiolova is an innovator, architect, urban designer, educator, and community builder in New York City. Her work is focused on environmental design, sustainable development, and resilience for cities. In 2021, she joined AECOM as the Global Principal of iLAB, an Integrated Research Development and Innovation Initiative pioneering the future of Net Zero Carbon within the Buildings and Places Global Multidisciplinary Practice. Her role is to lead research and innovation initiatives across market sectors and practices and execute strategic initiatives that support the development of the culture of innovation. Maria co-founded Terreform ONE, an internationally recognized non-profit architecture and urban design research-based group to combat the extinction of all planetary species through pioneering acts of design. She is an inventor, holding 18 technology patents. Maria has won many honors, including: ​“Woman of the Decade in Science and Design Leadership” at the Women Economic Forum 2020 in Cairo, Egypt.