Chiara Gorodesky

Chiara Nicole Catherine Gorodesky (née Kantor) is a lawyer, conservationist and performing arts executive based in New York City. She is known as the founder of vildwerk. a non-profit organization registered as Vildwerk Foundation Inc, which raises global environmental conservation awareness through dance; her work for Turtle Conservancy founded by Eric Goode and for her philanthropic work supporting a variety of other charitable organizations. 
==Early Life and Education== 
Gorodesky was born and raised in Munich, Germany and enjoyed a classical education at St. Anna Gymnasium. In 1983 she relocated to California with her family for three years shortly after the birth of her brother, photographer and director Nicolas Kantor, after which the family returned to Munich where her father operated an international fine arts dealership. 
In 1996 Gorodesky moved to London, England where she received a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) with Honours from London Metropolitan University and was admitted Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 2002 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Gorodesky successfully practiced law in England before relocating to New York City in 2013. 
==Legal Career, Social and Philanthropic Engagement== 
Gorodesky specialized in litigation, with an emphasis in property disputes and advocacy. After training at international law firm BDB Pitmans, she practiced at Salans and Housing and Property Law Partnership. Notable cases she worked on include Shirayama Shokusan Company Ltd v Danovo Ltd, which lead to the Saatchi Gallery’s eviction from County Hall, as well as in complex social housing disputes acting for most of England’s major housing associations. Gorodesky was honored for her voluntary social legal engagement by Federation of Private Residents' Associations (FPRA) and TAROE The Tenants and Residents Organizations of England.
Over many years, Gorodesky actively supported Magen David Adom UK and she developed its youth division as a founding member. 
Her great passion for ballet lead Gorodesky to join The Ballet Association committee by invitation as its youngest standing member, supporting The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet and to promote interest in all aspects of their work. 
In New York City, Gorodesky has worked with several performing arts organizations, most notably the MET Orchestra Musicians during its transition phase of becoming a stand-alone non-profit organization from The Metropolitan Opera.
==Conservation and Dance== 
In 2019 Gorodesky shifted her focus to wildlife philanthropy and conservation awareness advocacy.
With a particular emphasis on turtle and tortoise conservation, Gorodesky is a staff member of Turtle Conservancy (TC) focusing on development and outreach efforts, as well as being part of the editorial team of The Tortoise. 
At the same time, she joined the Zena Rommett Floor-Barre® Foundation and accepted the role of executive director of a local dance group until 2022, which she developed into a legally structured non-profit company.
In September 2022, Gorodesky founded vildwerk. with the vision of giving a voice to conservation organizations around the world through performing arts.
==Boards and Committees==
Board Member vildwerk. 
Board Member Pusteblume International 
Committee Member The Ballet Association 
==Articles==
High Schoolers Open Their Doors for Confiscated Turtles
Mud Turtle Found in NYC
Giants in the Classroom
Fergus the Ballet
News from our rescue center
Category:Lawyers
Category:Conservationists
Category:Performing arts
Category:People from Munich