TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Abigail Barrows

  Owner/Operator, Deer Isle Oyster Company

  With a BSc from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Philosophy in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic, Abby has been at the forefront of global microplastic pollution research since 2013. She has built the most extensive and diverse dataset on microplastics available to date, shaping international understanding and action on plastic waste in marine environments. Beyond research, Abby is a hands-on field scientist and educator, committed to raising awareness about plastic pollution and advocating for sustainable solutions. Currently, she is reimagining the future of aquaculture by designing and developing plastic-free gear for oyster and seaweed cultivation, paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future for our oceans.

• Andy Keller

  President and Founder, ChicoBag Company

  Andy Keller is the founder and president of ChicoBag Company, where he has dedicated his career to creating simple, effective solutions to some of the planet’s largest environmental problems. In 2004, after a striking encounter with plastic bag waste at a local landfill, he invented the first ChicoBag brand reusable bag to help people replace single-use plastics with durable, long-lasting alternatives. His mission to help humanity “bag the single-use habit” has empowered millions of people to adopt sustainable habits and sparked the creation of the Bag Monster™, a striking costume symbolizing one person’s annual plastic bag use. Keller’s activism and creativity gained national attention, even drawing a lawsuit from the plastics industry, which he successfully fought.

• Antonique Smith

  Actor, Singer and CEO and Co-Founder, Climate Revival

  Antonique Smith, the 2025 Ambassador of Earth Day, is a critically acclaimed Broadway, film, and television actor, a GRAMMY-nominated recording artist and writer, and a devoted social, climate, and environmental justice “artivist.” She first captivated audiences on Broadway in her iconic role as Mimi Marquez in Rent, later rising to fame portraying Faith Evans in the film Notorious. Known for her soulful, dynamic performances, Antonique has since continued to make her mark on screens and stages alike. Dubbed “the voice of the movement” by famed climate activist Bill McKibben, Antonique is mobilizing communities of faith and communities of color to address climate change as Cofounder and CEO of Climate Revival, co-founded with acclaimed climate champion Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. Through the power of music and storytelling, she inspires action, empowering others to join the fight for climate justice and a healthier, more just, and compassionate world.

• Arlene Blum

  Founder and Executive Director, Green Science Policy Institute

  Arlene Blum PhD, environmental health scientist, author, and mountaineer is the founder and executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute and a Research Associate in Biology at UC Berkeley. Her scientific work reduces the use of harmful chemicals, including flame retardants, PFAS, and endocrine disruptors commonly found in plastic. Blum led the first American—and all-women’s—ascent of Annapurna I, one of the world’s most difficult high mountains. She also co-led the first women’s team to climb Denali; completed the Great Himalayan Traverse across Bhutan, Nepal, and India; and hiked the length of the European Alps with her baby daughter on her back. She is the author of Annapurna: A Woman’s Place and Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life. Blum’s awards include selection for the Forbes Sustainability Leaders list of 50 global change-makers, 2022 Honorary Doctorate from U. of San Francisco, and Induction into the California Hall of Fame

• Dianna Cohen

  Co-Founder and CEO of Plastic Pollution Coalition

  Dianna Cohen is Co-Founder and CEO of Plastic Pollution Coalition, a non-profit communications and advocacy organization that collaborates with an expansive global alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a more just, equitable, regenerative world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. Dianna is a visual artist whose TED Talk “Tough Truths About Plastic Pollution” has more than one million views. She is the curator of TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch.

• Dr. Dagny Tucker

  Circular Design Pioneer, Co-Founder, Perpetual

  Dr. Dagny Tucker is a designer, entrepreneur, and non-profit founder focused on actualizing lasting positive social and environmental impacts through systems thinking and design. A pioneer in reusable packaging system design and implementation, she shares her technical and operational knowledge to support initiatives globally to scale reuse. Dagny's innovative ventures push the boundaries of how we think about everyday decisions, build better systems, and enable others with the capacity to have a meaningful impact on today’s pressing issues. A Fast Company World Changing Idea Finalist and Tishman Sustainability Award Fellow, Dagny resides in Paris, France. She formerly taught at Parsons The New School for Design, was Managing Director of Strategic Global Affairs for New Hope Natural Media, and Executive Director of Peace Initiatives Institute. She holds a doctorate in International Peace & Conflict and an M.S. in Design in Urban Ecologies.

• Dr. Jane Muncke

  Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Food Packaging Forum

  Dr. Jane Muncke is the Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Food Packaging Forum (FPF), a charitable foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland. She co-founded FPF in 2012 to share high-quality scientific information about health and environmental impacts of food packaging. In 2025, FPF has grown to a team of 9 scientists who, with diverse external partners and collaborators, have developed several publicly available evidence-based tools, for example the Understanding Packaging Scorecard and the Database on extractable and migrating food contact chemicals, FCCmigex. Jane is also part of the PlastChem project team, a member of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, and a board member of the Global Footprint Network. Jane has a PhD in environmental toxicology and an MSc in environmental science, both from ETH Zurich, and is an experienced improvisational theatre actor.

• Dr. Leonardo Trasande

  Director, Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

  Dr. Leonardo Trasande's research focuses on identifying the role of environmental exposures in childhood obesity and cardiovascular risks, and documenting the economic costs for policy makers of failing to prevent diseases of environmental origin in children proactively. He also holds appointments in the Wagner School of Public Service and NYU’s College of Global Public Health. He is perhaps best known for a series of studies that document disease costs due to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the US and Europe of $340 billion and €163 billion annually, respectively. Most recently, his team has documented $249 billion/year in disease costs in the US due to chemicals used in plastics.

• Dr. Sylvia Earle

  Oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer

  Dr. Sylvia Earle, known as "Her Deepness," is multiple TED talk speaker, TED Wish Prize winner, a pioneering marine biologist and National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence. Sylvia has made groundbreaking contributions to ocean exploration. She was the first woman scientist to live and work in an underwater habitat, has authored over 200 publications, and has received many prestigious awards, including being named TIME Magazine's First Hero for the Planet. Currently, Earle leads the Mission Blue / Sylvia Earle Alliance, focusing on protecting earth's biodiversity through "Hope Spots."

• Esteban Gast

  Comedian and Activist

  Esteban Gast is a comedian, writer, and host. He is Colombian, was raised in Puerto Rico and Illinois, and lives in LA. His work has been called "irreverent but aspirational" by Variety and, honestly, they nailed it. After teaching creativity and design thinking at the University of Illinois, he was President of a school in an eco-community in Panama. His time in Panama was captured on the TV show "Jungletown" which was executive produced by Spike Jonze. He is the host of podcasts that include Spotify Original "Identity at Play" and "Comedians Conquering Climate Change." He's written for screen (Thena which just premiered at Taormina Film Festival), for stage (co-writer and co-lyrics of Teacher of the Year), and travels and performs as a standup comedian.

• FPCAC Sr. Jazz Band

  Educator and Professional Musician

  Fernando Pullum, Executive Director and Founder, is an educator and professional musician. Despite his difficult childhood growing up on Chicago’s Westside, the city’s toughest neighborhood, Fernando earned his bachelor’s degree in music education (1981) and master’s in trumpet performance (1983). Fernando moved to Los Angeles in 1983 to follow his dream of becoming an educator and professional musician. He assumed the music program at L.A.’s Washington Prep High School. Under his tutelage, the program thrived.

• Fran Drescher

  Former President of SAG/AFTRA, Actor, Founder & Visionary of Cancer Schmancer

  Fran Drescher is an award-winning actress/producer, author, environmentalist, and the President of the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA.) With a reputation for passion and commitment, she received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as the lovable “Miss Fine” on CBS’s hit series The Nanny, which she both created and executive produced. She also created, executive produced, and starred in the groundbreaking TV Land sitcom Happily Divorced, inspired by her real life. Fran received the prestigious National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) writer’s award for her book Cancer Schmancer, which, along with Enter Whining, were New York Times Best Sellers. She also penned the celebrated children's book Being Wendy. Furthermore, Fran made her Broadway debut as “Madame” in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Tony-Award-winning production Cinderella. She has received numerous awards for her work in the health space.

• Gary Bencheghib

  Co-Founder, Sungai Watch

  The United Nations has described marine plastic pollution as “a slow-moving catastrophe” that threatens the health, economy, and well-being of communities across the globe. For Gary Bencheghib, this crisis is not just a statistic but a personal calling. Originally from France and raised in Indonesia, Gary was only 14 years old when he began organizing weekly beach cleanups with his older sister Kelly, then 16, and younger brother Sam, then 12. What began as a small family initiative quickly grew into a lifelong mission to protect waterways and oceans from plastic waste.

• Gina Ciganik

  CEO, Habitable

  From Real Estate Developer to Science Translator: Gina Ciganik is advancing human and environmental health and is a champion of equity and environmental justice. As CEO of Habitable, Gina is leading their bold new vision where all people and the planet thrive when the materials economy is in balance with nature. She works with their incredible team of scientists to translate their deep research into accessible, inspirational, and actionable solutions. Their latest built environment guidance, Informed, makes it easy to select healthier, low-carbon, and non-plastic materials. Prior to Habitable, Gina was Vice President at a real estate development firm, where she spent two decades creating thousands of healthy, high-performance affordable homes. In 2021 she received a Women in Sustainability Leadership Award. She authored a chapter in the 2023 Regenerative Materials Movement book, and was named one of Enterprise Community Partners “Resilient 7” in 2024.

• Hayden Begley

  Actor

  Hayden Carson Begley is an actor, writer, activist, and EMA Young Hollywood Board Member.

• Heather White

  CEO/Founder, OneGreenThing

  Heather White is the founder of OneGreenThing.org and author of Eco-Anxiety: Saving Our Sanity, Our Kids & Our Future (HarperCollins 2024), 60 Days to a Greener Life (HarperCollins 2024), and One Green Thing (HarperCollins 2022). Heather directed environmental education advocacy at the nation's largest conservation organization, served as executive director to an environmental health watchdog in Washington, DC, and led the nonprofit partner to Yellowstone National Park as President and CEO. Heather worked on Capitol Hill as energy and environment legislative counsel to U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) and a presidential campaign staffer and recount attorney to Vice President Al Gore. She has served as adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Tennessee College of Law.

• Hoa Doan

  Head of Impact & Sustainability, NOTPLA

  Hoa Doan is a climate policy expert with experience in consulting, public sectors, and entrepreneurship. She served as a Net Zero policy advisor in the UK Prime Minister’s Office, where she oversaw the delivery of decarbonisation programs. Currently, she holds the position of Head of Impact and Sustainability at Notpla, a UK-based startup that recently won The Earthshot Prize for its plastic-free consumer packaging products made from seaweed and plants.

• Jo Banner

  Founder and Director, The Descendants Project

  Jo Banner is the founder and director of The Descendants Project, a nonprofit she co-founded with her twin sister, Dr. Joy Banner, in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. Holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications, she uses her education to honor the legacy of enslaved people while defending descendant communities. Living in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, Jo is a fierce advocate for environmental justice, working to eliminate pollution from grain to petrochemicals. She represents frontline communities in global spaces like the UN Plastics Pollution Treaty, highlighting the health toll of plastic production on Black communities and other fenceline residents. Jo’s mission includes preserving the burial grounds of the enslaved and protecting the last 11 miles untouched by industrial development in Cancer Alley. Through her work, she envisions a just transition for people and land to achieve economic and environmental liberation.

• Johanna Hellrigl Wilder

  Chef, Restaurateur & Culinary Changemaker

  Johanna Hellrigl is the chef-owner of Ama, an award-winning, mission-driven Northern Italian restaurant located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Named for the Italian word Ama—meaning “love” and inspired by the poem Ama e fa' ciò che vuoi—the restaurant reflects Hellrigl’s belief that when love is the root, only good can grow. Raised between the kitchens of Midtown Manhattan and Northern Italy by her late father, celebrated chef Andreas Hellrigl, she grew up immersed in her family’s acclaimed New York restaurant Palio and Hotel Villa Mozart in Merano. She later graduated from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and spent years working globally on democracy building and women’s empowerment before ultimately returning to her culinary roots. She is also certified in Integrative Nutrition through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, merging her background in policy and advocacy with her commitment to nourishment and wellness.

• John Felts

  Co-Founder and CEO, Cruz Foam

  John Felts is the Co-founder and CEO of Cruz Foam. John holds a BS in chemical engineering from UC Santa Barbara and an MS in materials engineering from the University of Washington. John co-founded Cruz Foam in 2017 with the mission of saving our oceans and helping end the global epidemic of plastic pollution. He is an avid surfer and lives with his family in Santa Cruz, California.

• Karen Bass

  Mayor of Los Angeles

  Mayor Karen Bass has led the nation’s second largest city with unprecedented urgency that has delivered results for all Angelenos. Thousands more unhoused Angelenos have come inside in her first year than the year before, leading to a reported drop in homelessness for the first time in years. Under the Mayor’s leadership, LAPD received record numbers of applicants while homicides and violent crime decreased. 100,000 more city services like pothole repair and graffiti removal have been provided. Thousands of businesses opened. Hundreds of millions of dollars were secured through locking arms with state and federal partners as Los Angeles continues to urgently lead on climate. Mayor Bass was elected to make change for the people of Los Angeles by breaking with the status quo to deliver for the people of Los Angeles.

• Ken Cook

  President and Co-Founder, EWG

  Ken Cook, president and co-founder of Environmental Working Group, is widely recognized as one of the environmental community’s most prominent and influential critics of industrial agriculture, U.S. food and farm policy, and the nation’s broken approach to protecting families and children from toxic substances. Under Ken’s leadership over the past 20 years, EWG has pioneered the use of digital technologies to expose the harms done by misconceived crop subsidies, crop insurance, and runaway agricultural pollution. The organization has also empowered American families with easy-to-use, data-driven tools to help reduce their exposure to potentially harmful ingredients in foods, drinking water, cosmetics, and other household products. These unique digital resources are searched hundreds of millions times by consumers, journalists, and policy makers.

• Kris Thayer

  Director, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)

  Kris Thayer has served since May 2025 as OEHHA’s Director. In this role, she provides scientific and policy leadership for OEHHA. Prior to her current role, Kris was at the US EPA, serving as Director of the Chemical and Pollution Assessment Division and Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program. Before EPA, Kris held several positions at the National Toxicology Program within the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. These included Deputy Director of the Division of Analysis, Director of the Office of Health Assessment and Translation and Director of the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction.

• Kristy Drutman

  Founder, Green Jobs Board

  Kristy Drutman, otherwise known as “Browngirl Green” is a speaker, consultant, media producer, and environmental educator passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism. As an entrepreneur and climate communications expert, Kristy has educated hundreds of thousands of people across the globe about modern-day environmental issues through speeches and media content as well as facilitates workshops centered around environmental media and storytelling in cities across the United States. Kristy is also the Co-Founder of the Green Jobs Board, a climate tech start-up bridging the equity and inclusion gap within the green economy through conversations, resources, and pathways to bring more diverse talent into the environmental field.

• Lauryn Menard

  CEO and Founder, GOB

  GOB, founded by Lauryn Menard, was named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025 for creating the first biodegradable soundwear—earplugs engineered for comfort, performance, and designed to return to the earth within weeks. Lauryn launched GOB to challenge how we consume everyday products, blending cultural relevance with material innovation. Previously, she led PROWL, a regenerative design studio whose work was featured in The New York Times, Financial Times, Wallpaper, and Surface. She also teaches Biodesign at California College of the Arts, where she mentors future designers in sustainable and responsible innovation.

• Levi Evans

  Musician

  Levi Evans was born in Dublin, Ireland, and raised between New York City and Los Angeles. Growing up in a nomadic, musical household, he formed a deep connection to songwriting, absorbing the sounds and stories that surrounded him. After settling in LA, Levi began experimenting with production at just 16, laying the groundwork for what would become a deeply personal and multi-dimensional solo project. In 2021, he officially launched the Levi Evans project, embracing an aesthetic he calls "sophisticated simplicity"—a balance of refined songwriting and emotional depth that invites listeners into his authentic sonic world. Beyond writing, producing, and mixing all of his music, Levi is also the visionary behind his visuals, directing his own music videos, conceptualizing each project, and designing his own cover art. As both an artist and visual storyteller, Levi Evans is carving out a singular path—where every element reflects his creative fingerprint.

• Liz Havstad

  Managing Director and COO, Hip Hop Caucus

  Liz Havstad is Hip Hop Caucus’ Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, leading the diverse team, grassroots leaders, and cultural influencers that make Hip Hop Caucus one of the nation’s most dynamic 21st century civil and human rights organizations.

• Manasa Mantravadi

  Founder and CEO, Ahimsa

  Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician, public health advocate, and founder of Ahimsa, the first colorful stainless steel dishware for kids, recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. She’s been featured in The Washington Post, Forbes, Good Morning America, INC, and Fast Company for her pioneering work at the intersection of children’s health, environmental safety, and school food reform. Dr. Mantravadi is on a mission to prevent disease before it starts—reimagining how we feed children at home, in schools, and across the nation. She has gone from founder to CEO and now uses her successful consumer product business as a platform to amplify and scale her healthcare voice.

• Marcus Eriksen

  PhD. Researcher and Co-Founder, 5 Gyres Institute

  Marcus Eriksen is a researcher and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute. He studies the global distribution and ecological impacts of plastic pollution, which has included over 20 expeditions sailing across all 5 ocean basins, Bay of Bengal, Arctic and Antarctica, and many inland lakes and rivers. In 2013, the discovery and publication of “Microbeads in the Great Lakes” led to the 2015 Microbead-Free Waters Act, signed into federal law in 2015. Today Eriksen and his team are focused on researching alternative materials that could potentially replace the persistent plastic polymers and forever chemicals that contaminate the environment impact human health. This work is helping governments and public and private sector stakeholders adopt solutions to plastic pollution.

• Melissa Aguayo

  Interim Global CoCoordinator, Break Free From Plastic

  Melissa Aguayo is a movement builder, connector, and changemaker, serving as the Interim Global CoCoordinator for BFFP. For over 15 years, Melissa has contributed her passion and skills to the environmental and social justice movement—designing and fostering equitable spaces, bridging diverse communities, and sparking real change through strategic collaboration. Her experience stretches from grassroots organizing and bilingual education to coalition building, advocacy, and policy work, always centering those most impacted. A Garrison Institute Fellow, co-founder of Reusable LA, and Treasurer for Sustain Our Future, Melissa also lends her leadership to multiple boards. In every role, she champions environmental justice, uplifts community wisdom, and is relentless in her pursuit of systemic transformation. As a wife and mother of two, she brings both heart and strategy to the fight for a sustainable and just future for all.

• Nichola Tucker Gray

  Co-Founder and CEO, Kate McLeod

  Nichola Gray is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kate McLeod. An experienced operator with a passion for problem solving and innovation, she leapt at the opportunity to join Kate in bringing her business out of her kitchen and into the world. Since co-founding Kate McLeod in 2018, Nichola has led the company's efforts to scale its made-from-scratch manufacturing capabilities and double down on its sustainability initiatives. Kate McLeod creates innovative, plant-based solid moisturizers that intensely nourish dry skin and invite a magic moment of self care into your daily life. Handmade at our Hudson Valley workshop, each product is completely waterless, sustainable, and plastic-free.

• Pam Longobardi

  Artist, Activist, Regents' Professor, GSU/Atlanta

  Pam Longobardi as artist, activist, and educator works globally at the intersection of art/science/activism. Founder of the Drifters Project in 2006, she works collectively across the planet, removing tens of thousands of pounds of ocean plastics from wild nature, relocating it to social space, and transforming communities. Creating studio-based and public artworks ranging from paintings, collage, photography, large-scale sculpture and installation to performance, Longobardi’s art acts as metaphoric harbingers and messengers, further complicated by oceanic plastics’ resonant aura as hybrid natural/cultural materiality. Pam is a recipient of the prestigious Hudgens Prize, one of the largest artist prizes in North America. She has been featured in National Geographic, SIERRA magazine, the Weather Channel, numerous broadcast media and in exhibitions around the world. She is Oceanic Society’s Artist-In-Nature/Naturalist and is Regents’ Professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

• Phoebe Yu

  Founder and CEO, Ettitude

  Phoebe Yu is the Founder and CEO of ettitude, an award-winning luxury home goods brand on a mission to reduce the harmful impacts of textiles. She is also Co-Founder of PLNTmatter, a material science company turning tree-free plant cellulose into high-performance, low-impact materials through organic chemistry and waste-free processes. Phoebe pioneered CleanBamboo®, a sustainable alternative to cotton, silk, and bamboo viscose, and launched ettitude in 2014. The company was recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company in 2020 & 2021 and as one of the most impactful companies by Worth.com in 2024. Through PLNTmatter, Phoebe extends her vision for a regenerative materials revolution, making sustainable innovation scalable and affordable without compromising quality. She was named one of the 100 Most Influential Chinese by Forbes China in 2023 and frequently lectures on entrepreneurship and sustainability.

• Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr

  President and CEO, Hip Hop Caucus

  Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. is President & CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, a minister, community activist, U.S. Air Force veteran, and a leading voice in Hip Hop political life. He founded Hip Hop Caucus in 2004 to build power for communities most impacted by injustice and to elevate Hip Hop culture in civic life. Under his leadership, the organization launched Respect My Vote!, the longest-running Hip Hop voter engagement program, registering and mobilizing tens of thousands of young voters since 2008. After Hurricane Katrina, he led the Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign, protecting survivors’ rights and advancing recovery. A national leader in climate justice, Rev. Yearwood has fought fossil fuel expansion, championed clean water and air, and co-founded Think 100%, Hip Hop Caucus’ climate communications platform. He is also the host of the award-winning podcast The Coolest Show, Senior Advisor to Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals Campaign, and a strategist for racial and climate justice.

• Rick Smith

  President, Canadian Climate Institute

  For more than 25 years, Rick Smith has worked to protect people from the damaging impacts of pollution. He is President of the Canadian Climate Institute, Canada’s leading climate change research organization. He has written two books on the topic of toxic chemicals in the human body including the international best-seller Slow Death by Rubber Duck, which the Washington Post said “is hard-hitting in a way that turns your stomach and yet also instills hope."

• Rob Bonta

  Attorney General of California

  On April 23, 2021, Rob Bonta was sworn in as the 34th Attorney General of the State of California, the first person of Filipino descent and the second Asian-American to occupy the position. Attorney General Bonta's passion for justice and fairness was instilled in him by his parents, who served on the frontlines of some of America's most important social justice movements. It's why he decided to become a lawyer — to help right historic wrongs and fight for people who have been harmed. He worked his way through college and graduated with honors from Yale University and attended Yale Law School. Attorney General Bonta has led statewide fights for racial, economic, and environmental justice and worked to further the rights of immigrant families, renters, and working Californians.

• Samantha Morales Johnson Yang

  Multidisciplinary artist, environmental scientist, and ethnobotanist

  Samantha Morales Johnson Yang (she/her) is an Afro-indigenous (Gabrielino/Tongva) multidisciplinary artist, environmental scientist, and learning ethnobotanist. She received her B.S. in marine biology before attending graduate school for her certificate in science illustration. Samantha has worked with institutions like Pitzer college creating illustrated educational material for 4th and 5th grade environmental science curriculum aligning with California science standards and traditional Indigenous environmental knowledge. She has also created material around and speaks often on the campaign Protect White Sage, a social media initiative hoping to bring awareness to wild white sage poaching in the incense and spirituality movement. She focuses on educational artwork, traditional craft making like basket weaving, and environmental science.

• Sea Briganti

  Founder and CEO, LOLIWARE®

  Sea F. Briganti is the Founder and CEO of LOLIWARE®, an AI-driven materials innovation company on a mission to replace single-use plastics with seaweed-based materials, Designed to Disappear®. A category-defining leader in regenerative materials, Sea pioneered the use of seaweed as a scalable, high-performance, and cost-effective alternative to fossil fuel–based polymers. Under her leadership, LOLIWARE® developed SEA Technology®—a patented platform that transforms ocean-farmed seaweed into bioresins that are 100% certified plastic-free, home-compostable, scalable, and regenerative. These resins are compatible with existing plastics manufacturing equipment, enabling a fast, affordable transition to a circular materials economy.

• Sumona Majumdar

  Chief Executive Officer, Earth Island Institute

  Sumona Majumdar (she/her) is the chief executive officer of Earth Island Institute, and she brings a deep commitment to fostering a more just and sustainable planet where all beings can thrive. Prior to this role, she served as the organization’s general counsel and led groundbreaking lawsuits against plastic producers and corporate greenwashing. Sumona is also the mother of two young children, who are an endless source of joy and fuel her dedication to this work. Sumona’s favorite form of transportation is a bicycle; she finds mental clarity in the outdoors; and she recently rediscovered her passion for roller skating. Before joining Earth Island, Sumona spent seven years enforcing environmental laws with the U.S. Department of Justice. Sumona holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, obtained a B.S. from the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco.

• Suzanne Smoke

  Alderville First Nation Mississaugas of Rice Lake, Community Health Specialist for Society of Native Nations

  Suzanne Smoke is a Community Health Specialist and advocate committed to Indigenous wellness, justice, and environmental protection. She currently works in Community Outreach and Engagement with Muskoka Parry Sound Sexual Assault Services, focusing on anti–human trafficking initiatives, and serves as the Interim Director of the Indigenous Wellness Council at Taibu Community Health Centre.

• Suzie Hicks

  Climate Educator

  Suzie Hicks (they/them) is an award-winning filmmaker, author, and television host, specializing in climate and environmental communication for kids of all ages. As an Aspen Institute Future Leader and a Grist 50 Fixer, their work combines children’s media, music, and playful learning to highlight climate solutions and emotions. Suzie connects youth advocates and educator allies to role models advancing climate justice all over the world. Suzie is self-described as a "Big public media nerd."

• The Living Sisters

  Musicians

  The Living Sisters is a Los Angeles–based harmony group featuring Inara George, Alex Lilly, Eleni Mandell, and Becky Stark. Formed out of friendship and a shared love of singing, the quartet blends their distinct musical backgrounds—spanning folk, pop, jazz, and experimental songwriting—into a sound that is warm, playful, and timeless. Their harmonies nod to classic vocal groups while carrying a modern, individual spirit. Together, The Living Sisters have released three albums: Love to Live (2010), Run for Cover (2013), and Harmony Is Real: Songs for a Happy Holiday (2014). Whether on record or on stage, they bring humor, heart, and a deep sense of camaraderie—proof that harmony is as much about friendship as it is about music.

• Vasser Seydel

  President, The Oxygen Project

  Vasser Seydel is the President of The Oxygen Project, a nonprofit dedicated to defending the life support systems that keep us breathing and advancing a regenerative, conscious, and climate-resilient future through bold campaigns, innovative education, and powerful storytelling. She serves on the boards of Mission Blue, founded by Dr. Sylvia Earle, the National Center for Family Philanthropy, and the Turner Foundation. Vasser is an Arctic Angel for Global Choices and an advisory board member for One Earth. Recently, Vasser was named one of Inside Philanthropy’s most powerful people in philanthropy under 40.

• Vien Truong Shakman

  Co-Founder and CEO, Eco Equity

  Vien Truong is the Co-Founder and CEO of Eco Equity and a Harvard Climate Action Fellow, where she advances the business case for investing in community climate solutions. She has over two decades of leadership across the private, public, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors, shaping policies and investments that direct billions toward clean energy, sustainability, and equitable development. Vien has held senior roles at the highest levels of business, politics, and movement building. She was an executive at Nike, where she led global sustainability engagement, integration, and partnerships, and as Senior Advisor to Tom Steyer, co-authoring his Presidential climate platform and as a senior leader to the California COVID-19 Recovery Task Force and the Biden-Harris Clean Energy Advisory Council. While CEO of Dream Corp (now Dream.org), Vien led the team that passed historic progress in climate solutions, criminal justice reform and inclusivity in tech.