Meet the 2026 Pritzker Environmental Genius Award candidates #6-10
The next five nominees for this year’s Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award share a similarly kaleidoscopic spectrum of interest areas, including investing in ocean conservation, developing cutting-edge wildlife census tools and amplifying…
The next five nominees for this year’s Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award share a similarly kaleidoscopic spectrum of interest areas, including investing in ocean conservation, developing cutting-edge wildlife census tools and amplifying environmental connections and narratives around the globe. Of course, their shared commitment to their work and our planet shine through.
Heather Fipps
Architect of community experiences and media projects that transform environmental narratives into cultural movements.
Heather Fipps is transforming climate communication by bringing together storytelling, entertainment and environmental action. As co-founder of the Hollywood Climate Summit, she has helped build the largest annual climate gathering in the entertainment industry, connecting thousands of creatives, companies and climate leaders to inspire meaningful cultural change.
Through her work at The Redford Center, she helped guide millions in grants to more than 50 environmental documentaries, films that have changed policy, sparked communities and uplifted key voices.
She has also partnered with organizations including the UN Environment Programme and NRDC to advance climate storytelling in the gaming industry, while mentoring the next generation of filmmakers through an innovative program she founded at California State University, Los Angeles. By building platforms, partnerships and pathways, Fipps is helping inspire broader public engagement and action on the climate crisis.
Steven Fox
Venture capitalist investing in ocean-climate companies that use science and technology to address climate change.
Steven Fox is advancing ocean conservation by investing in innovative businesses that deliver both environmental and economic impact. As a venture partner at Propeller, which is affiliated with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, he identifies and supports early-stage entrepreneurs developing solutions in sustainable ocean food systems, regenerative aquaculture, nature-based carbon removal and clean energy.
His leadership is helping accelerate innovations that strengthen ocean health while building financially viable enterprises. Previously, Fox led Impact Global Education, expanding experiential learning and supporting social and environmental ventures across 13 countries, and managed investments in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture at Sunizorro Investments. Through his longstanding commitment to impact investing, he is helping drive scalable solutions for a more sustainable future.
Konstantin Klemmer
Researcher who models the dynamics of our cities and the planet with neural networks.
Konstantin Klemmer is advancing environmental science by making complex Earth data more accessible and useful for decision-making. His work bridges satellite imagery, sensor data and artificial intelligence, transforming technical environmental information into formats that can be searched, interpreted and applied by researchers, policymakers and conservation practitioners.
By combining cutting-edge research with practical tools, Klemmer is helping translate vast amounts of environmental data into insights that support more effective action on climate and biodiversity. His unique blend of academic excellence and real-world innovation is making it easier for people to understand, monitor and protect the natural world using the growing power of geospatial and AI technologies.
Hunter Arey Listwin
Conservationist and technologist dedicated to equipping conservationists with cutting-edge technology to enhance their impact.
Hunter Arey Listwin and his team at the Conservation Technology Accelerator (CTA) are developing practical tools that make conservation fieldwork faster, more accurate and more scalable. Drawing on his engineering background and close understanding of field researchers’ needs, he helps design technologies that directly improve how biodiversity data is collected and used.
One example is a LiDAR drone and AI-based survey system created with the Global Penguin Society, which significantly reduces the time required for population censuses while maintaining high accuracy. This approach demonstrates how conservation technology can be adapted across species and ecosystems to deliver broad impact. Through CTA, Listwin is helping ensure that conservation is actively shaped by the tools it needs, accelerating more efficient and data-driven approaches to protecting wildlife.
Jack McDonald
Advocate and policy researcher focused on the environmental impacts of the oil and gas industry.
Nominated by Sandra Steingraber
Jack McDonald is a fossil fuel researcher and videographer whose work brings visibility to methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure, particularly in the Permian Basin.
Combining science, policy insight and optical gas imaging, he documents and analyzes greenhouse gas leaks that are otherwise invisible, helping improve understanding of their scale and impact. As a certified thermographer, he uses advanced imaging technology, including vehicle-mounted systems, to capture emissions in real time, providing both scientific data and powerful visual evidence.
His work highlights gaps in regulatory oversight while contributing valuable information to the scientific community. Through this blend of research and visual storytelling, McDonald is helping to make the climate crisis more tangible and better understood.