Leslie Ponce-Díaz

About Leslie

Leslie Ponce-Diaz is a first-generation Mexican-American architectural designer whose work centers on educational architecture, regenerative design, and cultural heritage. Born in Kansas City, she was raised in an environment shaped by construction and labor. Growing up on her family’s ranch, the inventive reuse of building materials sparked her early curiosities in the built environment and ecology.

Leslie earned her Master of Architecture II at Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she was awarded the Dean’s Merit Scholarship and named a 2024 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. Upon graduating, she was awarded the 2025 Harvard GSD Rafael Moneo Rome Prize to pursue architecture research in Rome, Italy. She obtained her Bachelor of Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design with double-minors in nature sustainability and Latin-American cultural studies.

Stemming from her personal experiences, Leslie founded First-Gen Chisme, a community organization dedicated to empowering first-generation youth through the intersections of culture, design, and education. Inspired by her Mexican-American heritage, she designed the educational resource to resemble a traditional Mexican ice cream shop, creating an exciting, culturally resonant experience for Latin American students and their families. Her community efforts were awarded start-up grants from Brown University, RISD, and MIT, helping her organize multiple events that gifted school supplies from an ice cream cart in Kansas City.

Currently, Leslie is a 2025-26 Princeton | Chicago Architecture Center Fellow, designing an educational and ecological sanctuary for migrant youth in Chicago.

Leslie loves to study scripture, reflect and explore nature on a bike, hike, or run!