As Principal and Chief Marketing Office of the Boston studio of Perkins&Will, Yanel is driven by the belief that we are all meant to do good in the world. For her, design is most powerful when it is inclusive, resilient, and purposeful, creating positive change for people, communities, and the planet. A member of the firm’s Board of Directors since 2021, she brings strategic leadership grounded in clarity, empathy, and care for the client experience.
Over the course of her career, Yanel has held numerous positions, including project architect, project manager, researcher, council member, and client engagement leader. In 2021, she was elevated to the firmwide board of directors and named managing director of the Boston studio, where her empathic leadership style helped build a thriving culture of inclusivity and client care.
Yanel is known for her ability to simplify complex challenges and build consensus. Over the years, she has leveraged those skills not only in her work, but also in civic engagements and philanthropic efforts. In 2017, she founded ResilientSEE, a global alliance of architects, designers, urban planners, academics, and others committed to helping rebuild communities on the island of Puerto Rico that were devastated by Hurricanes Maria and Irma. De Angel was born and raised in Puerto Rico. The Early Resilient Framework Plan, a project that emerged from the ResilientSEE initiative, received a Design Excellence Award from the National Organization of Minority Architects. Today, ResilientSEE operates in other regions, as well.
Yanel holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design from the University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture, a master’s degree in Architecture 1 from the Syracuse University School of Architecture, and a master’s degree in Design from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design with a concentration in History and Theory of Architecture. She has taught at Syracuse University, Maryland Institute College of Art, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and Northeastern University. Yanel was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in February 2020.
A longtime champion of equity and inclusion in the design profession, Yanel co-chaired the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Women in Leadership national summit in 2023. In 2025, she won the Women in Design Award of Excellence from the Boston Society of Architecture, one of the largest AIA chapters in the country. Today, she serves on committees for the Women Who Build Summit, the CREW Network, and the National Latinx Architects Coalition. She also serves on advisory boards for Sociedad Latina of Boston, Syracuse University School of Architecture, and Wentworth Institute of Technology School of Architecture.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Yanel leads the firm’s global marketing strategy with optimism, aligning brand, storytelling, and client engagement to define how we show up around the world. Curious and open-minded, she values partnership as a way to broaden perspectives and build trust.
