Senior Climate Scientist and Director of Climate Science for the Climate and Energy Program

Brenda Ekwurzel works on the national climate program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). She is leading UCS's climate science education work aimed at strengthening support for strong federal climate legislation and sound U.S. climate policies.

Managing Attorney (retired)

Deborah Goldberg is the Managing Attorney of Earthjustice's Northeast regional office, where she supervises and conducts legal advocacy and litigation related to global warming and environmental health. Her arrival at Earthjustice in July 2008 marked a return to the practice of environmental law, where she spent the first decade of her legal career. She was lead counsel at the U.S. Supreme Court for the county intervenors in New York v. United States, 505 U.S. 144 (1992) (overturning portions of the Low Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act).

Senior Scientist and Deputy Director, Science Center Program

Kim Knowlton PhD is a senior scientist with the Health and Environment Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), researching and publishing on links between global warming and health, specifically mortality in a changing climate; interactions between climate, ozone and pollen; and disease.

Creator/Host/Producer

Betsy Rosenberg is an award winning broadcast news veteran turned green radioactivist. After working as a reporter/anchor for the CBS Radio network for several decades, Betsy decided to dedicate herself to bringing environmental content and consciousness to the mainstream media airwaves and audiences. For the past 15 years she has hosted and produced green radio programs, including the nation’s first daily green-themed show on the Air America Radio network. Betsy is also founder of the Don’t Be Fueled! GASroots campaign and co-founder of the newly launched WEATHER WE CARE campaign.

Senior Methane Policy Coordinator

Daphne Wysham is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and is the founder and director of the Sustainable Energy and Economy Network (SEEN). She has worked on research and advocacy at the intersection of climate change, human rights, fossil fuels, international finance, carbon markets and sustainable economies since 1996. SEEN's pathbreaking research has resulted in shifts in public policy and investment at the national and international level.

CEO

CLEAN ENERGY

Soma Bhadra, CEO of PROTEUS Consulting, is an Innovation Consultant and Technology Integrator across Water, Energy, and CleanTech Sectors. Soma has the intuitive ability for identifying gaps in markets and developing new markets in those gaps. Soma has a BE is Civil Engineering from Bengal Engineering and Science University, India; and a MS in Environmental Engineering from University at Buffalo (SUNY), and has over 14 years of experience in design, construction, and operation of water, wastewater, ultra-pure, and recycled water treatment plants and conveyance systems.

President

Kateri Callahan brings more than 20 years of experience in policy advocacy, fundraising, coalition building, and organizational management to her position as the president of the Alliance to Save Energy. A non-government organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Alliance’s mission is to advance energy efficiency worldwide to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment, and greater energy security. Callahan leads a staff of more than fifty, oversees a budget of approximately $10 million annually, and works with the Alliance Board of Directors – which includes Members of Congress, state and local officials and top corporate and NGO executives – to establish and oversee the core objectives and strategic plans for the organization.

Energy & Environment Journalist

Kate Galbraith Kate Galbraith is a San Francisco-based journalist covering energy and environmental issues. Previously, she covered energy and the environment for the Austin-based Texas Tribune and reported on clean energy for the New York Times and its Green blog. She continues to write a column on green issues for the International New York Times once a month and also contributes to Foreign Policy. She is the co-author of The Great Texas Wind Rush, a 2013 book on how the oil and gas state took the lead in wind.

International Specialist

Linda Gunter is an environmental leader who founded the international advocacy nonprofit – Beyond Nuclear – in 2007. She serves as the organization’s lead spokesperson on the myths and realities of the French nuclear power system, an area she has researched in-depth. In addition she works as the Director of Media and Development. She has spoken at seminars and conferences, including Bioneers By-The-Bay, Peace Action, and Earth Day. She created the Uranium Mining and Human Rights program at Beyond Nuclear to draw attention to the disproportionate impact to indigenous peoples from uranium mining around the world.

CEO

CONSERVATION, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND SUSTAINABILITY

Jamie Bechtel is the Co-Founder and CEO of New Course and is a highly regarded leader in international conservation and development efforts. Her work has led to strategic advances in the fields of natural resource management, poverty reduction, sustainable finance, and biology. Jamie is an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative and was recently honored in Fast Company Magazine as 1 of 60 women heroes. She is represented by the prestigious National Geographic Speakers Bureau. She is a lecturer at University of Washington’s School of Law. Jamie has a Ph.D. from Boston University and a law degree from Boston College.

Senior Manager

Jane Carter Ingram is the Director of the Ecosystem Services Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), where she works with WCS staff and partners around the world to identify and develop innovative approaches such as Payments for Ecosystem Services that stimulate the sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystems.

Managing Director

Shazia Z. Rafi was, from 1996-2013, secretary-general of Parliamentarians for Global Action, an association of more than 1,350 individual legislators from 131 national parliaments. PGA programs promote peace, democracy, justice and sustainable development around the world. As a direct implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action, PGA became the first parliamentary organization to appoint a woman as secretary-general and to amend its constitution with a 60:40 gender rule for executive committee elections.

Advisory Board Member

Vanessa Vadim is an environmental activist, and a syndicated columnist with the Mother Nature Network (MNN.com). Her widely reprinted column, “Ask Vanessa,” tackles everything from environmental impact of food production to head lice to disposing of pharmaceuticals to the energy grid and relative merits of a Carbon Tax. She also does weekly environmental radio spots in her hometown of Atlanta, reaching over 800,000 listeners. She is an engaging speaker, and regularly called upon to address issues ranging from biofuels to the economic potentials of a Green New Deal.

President

Tensie Whelan serves as the president of the Rainforest Alliance. She has been involved with the Rainforest Alliance since 1990, first as a board member, and then later as a consultant, becoming the executive director in 2000. Whelan has been working in the environmental field for more than 25 years, during which time she served as the vice president of conservation information at the National Audubon Society and executive director of the New York League of Conservation Voters.

Facilitator/Chair Women’s Committee

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

Susan Carlson is Chairperson and Facilitator of the World Farmers' Organisation Women's Committee. Susan is an advocate for women’s role in agriculture, as well as collective action and organization of farmers. She is an expert on climate change adaptation and mitigation techniques. A farmer from North Dakota, Susan was a dairy farmer in Wisconsin until 2009. She is past president and first and only woman to serve as Wisconsin Farmers Union President (2003-2009) and the first woman on the National Farmers Union Executive Board.

Executive Director

Anna Lappé is a national bestselling author and public speaker on food politics, sustainable agriculture, globalization, and social change. Named one of Time Magazine’s 2006 Eco-Who’s Who, Anna has been featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, O Magazine, Food & Wine, and Vibe, among other outlets.

Author; Co-Founder

Frances Moore Lappé is the author of sixteen books, beginning with the 1971 three-million-copy bestseller, Diet for a Small Planet, which awakened a whole generation to the human-made causes of hunger and the significance of our everyday choices. Her newest book, Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, & Courage in a World Gone Mad, arrived in bookstores in September, 2007.

Farmer and Consultant

Denise O' Brien is a farmer and community organizer from Atlantic, Iowa. She is the former Director of the Women Food and Agriculture Network. She has farmed with her husband, Larry Harris, for thirty one years in the southwest corner of Iowa. Larry is a fourth generation farmer and has lived on and farmed this land all of his life. On the farm, she maintains sixteen acres of fruit and vegetable production. She is also a poultry producer who raises turkeys and chickens using organic practices.

CEO andPresident

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES

Mindy S. Lubber is the President of Ceres, the leading U.S. coalition of investors and environmental leaders working to improve corporate environmental, social and governance practices. She also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), an alliance of more than 65 institutional investors representing over $5 trillion in assets. INCR coordinates U.S. investor responses to the financial risks and opportunities posed by climate change.

Founder & CEO

Diane MacEachern, the founder and president of Big Green Purse and The World Women Want, LLC, is passionate about using the marketplace to protect the planet. A best-selling author and award-winning entrepreneur, Diane launched the only company in the U.S. focused specifically on harnessing women’s enormous consumer clout for the benefit of the environment.

Executive Producer, Host, ESG consultant: sustainable business, innovation and women’s careers

Joan Michelson, creator, Executive Producer and Host of Green Connections RadioTM, is an award-winning, creative business and communications leader and public speaker who has generated millions in revenue and branding for top companies, government agencies and non-profits. She has also served as a reporter with top media organizations, and has a blog on the Huffington Post.

Executive Director

Patricia A. Daly has worked in Corporate Responsibility and Socially Responsible Investing for 35 years. She serves as the Executive Director of the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, an organization of 40 Roman Catholic Dioceses and Congregations of Women and Men in the NY metropolitan area. Pat represents these institutional investors to the national Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility: 275 Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish organizations holding more than $110 billion in investments. Pat is also the Corporate Responsibility Representative for the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, NJ and consults for the American Baptist Churches in their Socially Responsible Investment Program.

President

Dana Gunders is a Staff Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). She leads NRDC’s work on reducing food waste and is the author of a widely distributed report “Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40% of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill”. She also recently co-authored a report called The Dating Game, revealing how confusing food dates lead to food waste in America. In addition to working on reducing the amount of wasted food, Dana works on market and policy oriented initiatives to promote sustainability throughout food systems and supply chains. She is part of the Steering Committee for the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops and a participant in the Sustainability Consortium. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University.

Executive Director

Heather McTeer was appointed by President Obama to serve as the Regional Administrator for Region 4 of the Environmental Protection Agency. In her new role, Mrs. Toney is responsible for the eight southeastern states, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee, as well as six federally recognized tribes; making Region 4 the largest of ten regions. In addition, she leads efforts to maintain and enhance the quality of work life for Region 4’s approximately 1,000 employees while effectively managing a budget of more than $500 million.

Professor

Dr. Vivian E. Thomson is Associate Professor in the Departments of Environmental Sciences and Politics at the University of Virginia. Dr. Thomson is an environmental policy expert with 30 years of practical and academic experience at the local, state, national, and international levels: Vice Chair and Member of the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board (appointed by Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine), 2002-2010.