Anand Varma grew up exploring the woods near his childhood home in Atlanta, Georgia. As a teenager, he picked up his dad’s old camera on a whim and found that he could use it to feed his curiosity about the natural world—and to share his discoveries with others.

Anand graduated with a degree in integrative biology from UC Berkeley and now uses photography to share the story behind the science on everything from honeybee health to hummingbird biomechanics.  He works to reveal the invisible details around us with the goal of sparking a sense of wonder about our world.

Since receiving an Early Career Grant from National Geographic in 2010, he has photographed numerous stories for National Geographic Magazine, including the 2014 cover story called “Mindsuckers”.  His recognitions include National Geographic Media Innovation Fellow, Rita Allen Civic Science Fellow, and World Press Award for best nature story. 

Amelia Wenger is an associate conservation scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and a research fellow at the University of Queensland (UQ). She completed her Ph.D. in coral reef ecology at James Cook University (JCU) in 2014.

Wenger works with and alongside managers, scientists and communities throughout the Indo-Pacific to identify and model the impacts of water pollutants and to develop management strategies to reduce pollution levels. Her multidisciplinary and outcomes-focused advice informs hydrodynamics, land management practices, municipal wastewater systems, public health, coastal development and public policy.

Her achievements have been recognized through scholarships, grants, and awards, and include the JCU Dean’s Award for her Ph.D. dissertation, the UQ 2020 Faculty of Science Rising Star Award as the Australian nominee for the 2020 Asia-Pacific APEC ASPIRE Award and as a finalist for the Australian Museum UNSW Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research.

Her solution-oriented approach has already delivered multiple, on-the-ground wins for the environment, including the world’s first evidence-based management guidelines for protecting coastal fisheries from dredging activities and contributing to convincing island landowners to support the development of one of the largest protected areas in the history of the Solomon Islands. She is currently leading a working group of practitioners, technical experts, policymakers, and development partners from 22 organizations, which is developing resources for governments, NGOs, and local stakeholders on designing and implementing ocean-friendly wastewater management that can meet public health and ecosystem health goals.

Dr. Alejandra Echeverri is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist currently working as a postdoctoral scholar in the Natural Capital Project based at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California, U.S.A.

She studies how people’s behaviors towards the landscape, such as habitat conversion, impact the species that are able to persist in such landscapes. She also studies the social and psychological perception of animals, by looking at the factors involved in people’s motivation to protect biodiversity. Her current research looks at how to integrate natural capital into Colombian and Costa Rican biodiversity policies.

Dr. Echeverri has a B.Sc. degree in biology from Universidad de Los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), an M.Sc. in resource management and environmental studies from University of British Columbia (UBC, Canada), and a Ph.D. in resources, environment and sustainability (UBC, Canada).

She worked as a tropical ornithologist in environmental consulting firms in Colombia (Plyma S.A. and AmbientalMente). Dr. Echeverri also volunteered to do sustainable development work and peace education in Norway, Colombia, and other countries (with CISV International, the Norwegian Peace Corps, The Norwegian Youth Council, CISV Colombia). 

As an advocate for the engagement of youth in environmental issues, she represents Colombian and global youth at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. She is also a National Geographic Young Explorer, and a Stanford Rising Environmental Leader (2021). 

For the past 32 years, Martha has served in the non-profit sector as an advocate, community organizer, and coalition builder. She joined PSR-LA in 1998 to launch the environmental health programs, and became Executive Director in November 2007. She is committed to making the credible voice of physicians a powerful instrument for transforming California and our planet into a more peaceful and healthy place.

Martha grew up in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. At the young age of 14, she made a lifelong commitment to effect social change after seeing her friend killed by a school security guard. While working as a health educator in the 1990s, Martha had an epiphany — she realized that although early detection can prevent death from breast cancer, it does not prevent breast cancer, which has been increasingly linked to the exposure of environmental toxicants. Since that realization, Martha has dedicated her career to the environmental justice movement, and has lectured nationwide on the use of precautionary principle policies.

As a coalition builder, Martha has emphasized the need for local grassroots advocacy working in partnership with statewide policy actions. She is an active board member of numerous organizations, including Californians for Pesticide Reform, the California Environmental Rights Alliance, and Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy. She also co-founded the Los Angeles County Asthma Coalition and the Coalition for Environmental Health and Justice, and was appointed to Cal/EPA’s Environmental Justice Committee and the California Air Resources Board’s Global Warming Environmental Justice Advisory Committee.

Debbie Franco is Managing Director of the Water Solutions Network. The Network provides an intensive cohort-based learning experience designed to expand and diversify the community of water leaders crossing boundaries, connecting resources, and choosing bold action while collaboratively working toward equitable and sustainable water stewardship.

Before joining the Water Solutions Network, Debbie spent 10 years in the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, ultimately serving as the Senior Advisor on Water and Rural Affairs. In that role, she was known for her commitment to collaboration across agencies, and between agencies and stakeholders. Debbie served on Governor Brown’s Drought Task Force as the Local Drought Liaison, focusing on local government and local agency assistance and household water supply shortages. She served on the Forest Management Task Force that spanned the Brown and Newsom administrations, leading the Rural Economic Development Steering Committee/Wood Utilization Work Group. Debbie also participated in and contributed to the development of California’s historic Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Debbie got her start in the water sector at the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW), where she first became known as a coalition builder and collaborator. In partnership with the Planning and Conservation League, EJCW co-founded the California Water Summit, a gathering designed to build alliances across sectors on progressive water policies. The state’s groundbreaking Human Right to Water bill emerged at a Summit gathering, and Debbie shepherded the campaign until she joined the Governor’s Office.

Debbie sits on the Board of Directors for the California Water Data Consortium and the Advisory Council for the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center. She was the inaugural recipient of the Debbie Davis Graduate Student Award, a recognition named in her honor (maiden name) and still awarded by the UC Irvine Associated Graduate Students. She also received the Planning and Conservation League’s Environmental Justice Advocate of the Year Award in 2010. Debbie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Davis and a Master of Arts degree in Social Ecology from UC Irvine.

Rudy Espinoza is the Executive Director of Inclusive Action for the City, a non-profit, Community Development Financial Institution based in Los Angeles whose mission is to bring people together to build strong, local economies that uplift low-income urban communities through advocacy and transformative economic development initiatives.

Rudy specializes in designing economic development initiatives in low-income communities, researching the informal economy, building private/nonprofit partnerships, and training the working poor to participate in the socio-economic revitalization of their neighborhoods.

Under his leadership, Inclusive Action helped legalize street vending in Los Angeles, has deployed over $700,000 in low-interest micro-loans to under-served entrepreneurs, and co-created a unique commercial real estate initiative that preserves small businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods. He has also co-created initiatives to activate vacant lots in Los Angeles and helped design a purchasing cooperative to support small corner stores in food deserts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rudy and his team helped deploy over a $1,600,000 in cash assistance and grants to street vendors and working families throughout Los Angeles. Rudy serves on the East LA Area Planning Commission and the Board of the Center for Nonprofit Management and Abode Community Housing.

Jordan’s journey into environmental science began at Savannah State University. Fueled by an unyielding work ethic and an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Jordan dove headfirst into the realm of research during an eye-opening internship at the Medical University of South Carolina. There, he delved into the intricate world of fecal indicator bacteria, unraveling the mysteries of disease-causing viral contamination in recreational waters.

Throughout his undergraduate years, Jordan’s passion for research blazed brightly, leading him to prestigious research opportunities at NASA, UNAVCO’s Research Experiences in Solid Earth Sciences for Students (RESESS), and the Marine Biological Laboratory’s Partnership Education Program (PEP). But his journey wasn’t just about academic pursuits; it was about giving back to his community.

As a student at a historically Black institution, Jordan’s dedication to public service shone through. Leading initiatives like “Clean the Streams” and “Campus Clean Up” through the Environmental Science Club at SSU, he empowered his peers to become stewards of the environment. But his commitment didn’t stop there. Jordan’s advocacy extended to tackling issues like hunger prevention, food insecurity, environmental justice, and voter suppression, leaving an indelible mark on his community.

During his master’s journey at Colorado State University, where he earned his M.S. in Ecology, Jordan continued his mission of service as an Oasis mentor for high-risk youth. His dedication to making a difference didn’t go unnoticed, as he also served as the student representative on the AGU council.

Today, Jordan stands at the forefront of sustainability and science policy. With a keen understanding of the urgent need to address climate change, resource depletion, and ecosystem degradation, he is on a mission to forge a path towards a more harmonious future. By applying scientific principles to real-world challenges, Jordan seeks to create sustainable practices that strike a balance between societal progress and ecological well-being. He is passionate about bringing people together to work towards a greener, brighter, and inclusive future for all.