Dr. Letise LaFeir serves as the chief of conservation and stewardship at New England Aquarium, overseeing animal care, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, conservation learning, conservation policy, and community engagement. LaFeir most recently served as a day-one Biden-Harris administration appointee in the role of senior advisor to the under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Before holding that position, LaFeir was a program officer and later director of federal policy at Resources Legacy Fund; California ocean policy manager at Monterey Bay Aquarium; policy analyst and later national outreach coordinator for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; and director of government relations and education program coordinator at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. She also spent one year as a Sea Grant Knauss marine policy fellow for now-retired Congressman Sam Farr of California.

In 2014, LaFeir founded and still co-owns Upwelling Consulting, LLC. During her career, she has been honored with several awards, has had numerous public speaking engagements, and has served on several professional advisory boards. In addition to authoring or coauthoring several scientific publications and a book of poetry, she is a certified scuba diver (Advanced and Nitrox) and has traveled to all seven continents and the seafloor. LaFeir holds a B.S. in aquatic biology and a B.A. in English (with honors in creative writing) from Brown University, and a Ph.D. in marine biology from the University of Delaware College of Marine Studies.

Marta Segura serves as both the Chief Heat Officer and Director of Climate Emergency Mobilization for the City of Los Angeles and is one of 10 Chief Heat Officers worldwide. Segura is policy thought leader in extreme heat, environmental justice, climate, public health and stakeholder engagement, and has extensive expertise in leading public, philanthropic, private, institutional, and non-profit sectors to design, implement, and drive equitable climate policy promoting healthier and more engaged communities.

Segura’s extensive track record in environmental health sciences, climate, and environmental justice policy equips her well for her current roles in the City of Los Angeles. Segura is spearheading internal and external strategic partnerships for the work ahead in the development of our Climate Vulnerability Assessment, Heat Action Plan, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and our City’s Climate Action Plan to prioritize climate equity and health metrics and outcomes. Segura is committed to connecting community voices to achieve healthier, thriving, climate-adapted communities and shaping equitable climate policy for the City of Los Angeles.

Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on November 8, 2022 and assumed office on December 5, 2022, after serving as a City Councilmember and the longest consecutively-serving Mayor for the City of West Hollywood. Supervisor Horvath’s career has been defined by tackling the hardest problems, building diverse coalitions, and delivering results for her community.

Supervisor Horvath’s commitment to serving others was shaped by her family and faith, which instilled in her a strong work ethic and made her a tireless advocate in addressing the complex problems facing Angelenos throughout LA County.

Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath made history as the youngest woman to ever be elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. She is the first millennial, and currently the only renter to serve on the Board, bringing a much-needed perspective to LA County leadership.

Supervisor Horvath has a long history of civic and social justice advocacy. She has spearheaded policies to make West Hollywood an “Age-Friendly Community” to better serve residents of all ages. She also led the City to become the first in the nation to impose financial sanctions on Arizona for its discriminatory, anti-immigration SB-1070 law. Supervisor Horvath created the first-ever West Hollywood Community Response Team to Domestic Violence.

She has worked on a broad range of transportation and mobility issues, from her service as a Transportation Commissioner to championing Metro rail projects in the District. She initiated the West Hollywood Bicycle Task Force, and through her leadership, West Hollywood was named “The Most Walkable” city in the entire state.

Supervisor Horvath is widely known for her leadership on women’s issues and served as a Global Coordinator for One Billion Rising, a global campaign of the V-Day movement to end violence against women and girls. She was the founding President of the Hollywood Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and previously served as President of National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) – LA Westside.

She is also a champion for LGBTQ+ rights, having served as a Board member of the Victory Fund and a founding Board member of the NOH8 Campaign. In 2009, she represented the City of West Hollywood in the National Equality March in Washington DC. She has also advocated for LGBTQ+ older adults through her work on the Board of Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE). (Continued) Supervisor Horvath served on the West Hollywood City Council for nine years, appointed in 2009, elected in 2015, and re-elected in 2019. In addition to her work as a Councilwoman and Mayor, Supervisor Horvath previously served in a number of roles, including: President of the California Contract Cities Association (CCCA); Board Member for CalCities (formerly the League of California Cities); Board Member for the National League of Cities (NLC); President of Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) for the National League of Cities; Chair of the Contract Cities Liability Trust Fund Claims Board & Oversight Committee; and Executive Committee Member and Legislative & Regulatory Chair for Clean Power Alliance of Southern California.

Supervisor Horvath received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management & Fundraising from UCLA Extension. She resides in West Hollywood with her dog, Winston.

Nathalie is a specialist in sustainable development policy, environmental governance & climate change diplomacy. She has played a key role in shaping low-carbon strategies & GHG emissions reduction policies across the Dominican Republic’s government and the Latin America & Caribbean region.

Her international experience includes working in the United Kingdom under the European Regional Development Fund as a Renewable Energy Researcher. She also held senior technical & administrative roles at the Secretariat of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, where she provided legal assistance to over 50 countries in UNFCCC carbon market negotiations & supported GHG inventory training for the Agriculture, Forestry & Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector.

She previously served as Coordinator of the Sustainability Committee for the British Chamber of Commerce in Santo Domingo, collaborating with businesses, civil society & academia to promote cleaner operations while protecting nature.

From September 2020 to August 2023, Nathalie was Director of Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation at the Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic. She later worked as a consultant in strategy & government affairs, advising on various boards.

In June 2023, she was elected Vice-Chair of the UNFCCC’s Subsidiary Body for Scientific & Technological Advice, with her mandate extended in June 2024 & reelection at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. She has actively served in this role at the Bonn Climate Talks & COPs, acting as a pro bono Senior Advisor to the Dominican Republic’s government in global negotiations.

After 15 years in national & international public service, Nathalie transitioned to the private sector at StoneX Group, Inc. to drive opportunities & manage risks in commodity trading, shaping solutions for a greener present & future as Vice President of Carbon Markets – Strategic Accounts.

Thomas Crowther is a professor of ecology at ETH Zürich and the founding chair of the Advisory Board for the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. His research lab focuses on global-scale ecology to understand the role of biodiversity in regulating the Earth’s climate. Using a holistic approach, the lab publishes papers on the global extent and potential of biodiversity to impact human well-being. Their research has revealed that the planet is home to approximately 3 trillion trees, quantified carbon losses from high-latitude Arctic soil as the planet warms, and mapped the extent of mycorrhizal fungi that structure ecosystems worldwide. This interdisciplinary work has led to several international policy mechanisms, including the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Trillion Trees campaign, aimed at promoting global biodiversity conservation for the well-being of people around the world.

In 2020, Crowther founded Restor.eco, an online platform supporting hundreds of thousands of community-led restoration projects globally. By democratizing access to funding and data, the mission is to find and empower the millions of local stewards of land worldwide who are crucial in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change. Currently, the platform supports over 200,000 local community-led projects, including those by farmers, indigenous populations, and local communities, spanning over 160 million hectares. It provides access to monitoring data and financial resources necessary for sustainability. By increasing visibility to customers and funders, Restor.eco helps distribute over $11 million per year to these local initiatives. Due to these impacts, Restor.eco was celebrated by Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, and in 2021, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Erik is an award-winning editor and podcast producer for the global environmental news source Mongabay, which keeps five million monthly readers apprised of the latest developments in conservation news and science in six languages via five international bureaus. He’s also a freelance photojournalist for publications ranging from The Guardian to Yale Environment 360, and his writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, National Geographic, The Sun, Northern Woodlands, and Earth Island Journal. Previously, he was a columnist, photographer, and podcaster for the award-winning literary journal of the environment, Orion, for 13 years.

Erik’s an exhibiting member at the Vermont Center for Photography, his images have been acquired for private and art public collections, and he has exhibited his work widely. Erik is also a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and an editorial board member for the venerable and award-winning online publisher Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built and Natural Environments.

Find his latest thoughts at Bluesky and view his photojournalism projects and fine art photography via Instagram at @erikhoffner or www.erikhoffner.com.

Nina, from the Sarayaku People in the Ecuadorian Amazon, is a leading advocate for Indigenous rights and climate justice. Sarayaku is known for its landmark victory against the Ecuadorian government and oil companies, setting a legal precedent for Indigenous rights throughout Latin America.

Nina’s advocacy extends to global forums, including high-level UN Conferences, where she consistently champions the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the urgent need for climate action. She has co-led numerous impact campaigns, most notably the #SíAlYasuní international campaign. Her efforts contributed to a historic moment in Ecuador when the nation voted in a referendum to permanently ban oil exploitation in Yasuní. Nina also co-led the #PanamaTeQuieroVerde campaign, successfully urging Panama’s Supreme Court to declare the Panama Cobre mine unconstitutional, protecting the Bosque Donoso National Park.

As a co-founder of Mujeres Amazónicas collective, their work, rooted in cultural and spiritual connection to the land, manifests through peaceful resistance, capacity building, and challenging policies jeopardizing indigenous rights, women’s wellbeing and environmental sustainability. 

Central to Mujeres Amazónicas’ work is women’s leadership, equality, healing, autonomy, recognizing women as pivotal to the preservation of their territories. By fostering solidarity and resilience, they ensure cultural continuity and community wellbeing. Their initiatives, such as the Leadership School, Women’s Center, Legal Fund, underscore the critical role of indigenous women.

Honored with the Matilde Hidalgo de Prócel Medal by Ecuador’s National Congress, they continue to highlight the essential link between women’s empowerment and environmental stewardship. In a world grappling with crisis, Mujeres Amazónicas exemplifies the resilience and resolve needed to protect our planet. 

Adenike, a first-class graduate in agricultural economics, is an ecofeminist and climate justice leader. In 2019, she was invited to the first-ever United Nations Youth Summit in New York and was awarded the Ambassador of Conscience Award by Amnesty International for her efforts in climate justice and human rights. She has served as a Nigerian youth delegate to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of the Parties since COP25 in Spain, including COP26, COP27, and COP28, and was recently appointed as Education Cannot Wait’s new Climate Champion.

Adenike has published articles in several international newspapers and was the first climate justice activist from Africa to join the Fridays for Future movement, mobilizing millions globally for climate action. She currently leads a pan-African movement called the “I Lead Climate Action Initiative.” As a past fellow at The New Institute in Hamburg, Germany, she focused on black feminism and polycrises, highlighting a novel link between polycrisis and carbon coloniality. Adenike has also worked as a consultant for various international bodies addressing climate change, including United Nations agencies, and has been featured as a UNICEF young advocate in Nigeria. Recently, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awarded her the International Climate Protection Fellowship for her work on the Lake Chad peace and conflict resolution pathway. She has used remote sensing technology to aid in the conservation of Lake Chad, which has shrunk by 90% since the 1960s.

Dr. Rascha Nuijten is a conservation biologist with a strong academic background. She leads the Future For Nature (FFN) foundation in its mission to support young, talented and ambitious conservationists committed to protecting wild species and their habitats. She combines her PhD in movement ecology, her strong interest in nature conservation and her aptitude for management and organization in this role.

In 2016, Rascha co-founded the Future For Nature Academy, a student platform that shares a passion for nature conservation and motivates each other to stay hopeful and make a change. This platform transformed to being a part of FFN and in 2020 Rascha was named director of the organization. Since then the FFN Family of laureates has gained momentum and impact, receiving continuous support from FFN.

Rascha holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree from Utrecht University (The Netherlands), a PhD from the university of Amsterdam and conducted various postdoctoral projects (at Oxford University and Wageningen University). Her work was published in high-ranking journals.

Rascha lives in the Netherlands with her partner and two kids. She enjoys spending time with her family, going out in nature, and going for a run.

Elias Jabbe is a native of Los Angeles and multilingual world citizen who has studied at campuses including Los Angeles Trade–Technical College and UCO Angers in western France. He is the founder of the global Sustainability Stories journalism series covering projects launched by California’s green leaders including IoES professors as well as international initiatives in Paris and Dubai during the road to COP21 and COP28.

After living in both cities and taking part in MIT Media Lab Dubai Workshop with IDEO, he joined the U.S. Green Building Council California ‘Green Building Corps’ volunteer program and supported Southern California gardens such as the Reverence Project and RootDown LA’s KitchenPod as a gardener. He became a UCLA Center for Diverse Leadership in Science NSF Climate Resilience Fellow during the summer of 2024.

Elias Jabbe’s extended biography and UCLA CNSI symposium presentations organized in collaboration with UNESCO Paris are available on the USGBC-CA website along with his contact information and media portfolio on Elias213.com.