Emily Penn is an oceans advocate, skipper and artist; a graduate of Cambridge University with a degree in Architecture. She has organised the largest ever community-led waste cleanup from a tiny Tongan island, trawled for micro plastics on a voyage through the Arctic Northwest Passage, rounded the planet on the record-breaking biofuelled boat Earthrace, and worked on a sailing cargo ship trading western supplies for coconuts. Emily was recently honoured with the Fitzroy Award at the 2016 Ocean Awards and is also the youngest and only female recipient of both the Yachtmaster of the Year, awarded by HRH Princess Royal, and the Seamaster of the Year award. An experienced public speaker, Emily has spoken around the world at conferences, universities and global companies, sharing both her adventures and an understanding of the issues relating to our oceans, human mindset and future society.

Sabina is currently a Junior Professional Consultant Intern with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and is pursuing her M.S. in Sustainability Management at the University of Toronto. In her current role at UNICEF, she is working in the Private Fundraising and Partnerships department with the Child’s Rights and Business team. She graduated with an HBSc in Chemistry from Wilfrid Laurier Univeristy and is studying in Geneva, Switzerland in the Fall of 2016. Her personal interests led her to a Kung Fu academy in China for two years under Shaolin monks in order to increase her work ethic and personal awareness. It was in China, where she saw people living without basic sanitation, water and food, which led her to pursue a career in sustainability. In Toronto, she is a radio co-host at Green Majority Media. She speaks fluent English and Albanian with working knowledge of French and Italian.

Arbazz is the Co – Founder of Sahaba Initiative, a community organization based in San Bernardino which he began at the age of 17, he is also a board member with the Islamic Shura Council, an umbrella organization for mosques in Southern California. Arbazz is committed to meaningful social change through community building at a grassroots level and in the future he hopes to contribute through media and academia. Arbazz is an advocate for many causes which include interfaith, mental health, environmental justice, education reform and community.  

Arbazz has completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and is an expert in nonprofit development, previously working as the Director of Riverside County’s Nonprofit Resource Center. Arbazz ls currently completing a two undergraduate degrees in Islamic Studies and is seeking his Master’s degree in Communications. In his free time, Arbazz enjoys reading about philosophy, digital media, and holistic living.  

Carly Puzniak is the Assistant Editor to The Middle East Journal, the oldest peer-reviewed publication dedicated solely to the study of the Middle East. The Journal provides the background necessary for an understanding and appreciation of the region’s political and economic development, cultural heritage, and ethnic and religious diversity. Carly also runs the Middle East Institute’s Leadership Development Program, designed to provide students or recent graduates considering a career in a Middle East field with hands-on experience at a DC-based, nonprofit organization. Every year, 75 interns obtain guidance, experience, and exposure to the Washington policy and scholarly community while developing professional skills. Prior to joining MEI, Carly received a yearlong Boren Scholarship to Morocco, where she studied Arabic, taught English, and volunteered at Rabat-based NGOs. She had previously conducted research on development issues in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Nick is a multimedia producer and filmmaker currently pursuing his MFA in Film and Electronic Media at American University. Nick’s background in Biology has taken him to the Virgin Islands, where he traveled with a team of biologists on an expedition to aid efforts in the conservation of a critically endangered species of iguana. As a graduate student at American University, Nick has had the opportunity to film on the Chesapeake Bay aboard Coast Guard vessels, hike through Costa Rican rainforests, and repel into crevasses of Alaskan glaciers. During his recent travels to Mexico he combined his passions for the natural world and film by documenting stories related to the Monarch Butterfly, highlighting what needs to be done to restore declining populations. He is currently producing and directing his upcoming documentary Saba: The Unspoiled Queen, which highlights the people of the island of Saba and their efforts to conserve their natural treasures. Nick strives to find and share meaningful stories that shed light on environmental and wildlife issues, and he hopes that his films will inspire viewers to take action.

After receiving her LEED Green Associate, Elana became a Project Analyst with Energy and Resource Solutions in North Andover, MA. In her role, she helps utilities, governmental, and commercial and industrial end users to solve energy and resource issues. Elana holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont. Her interest in sustainability blossomed after studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark and quickly found herself working the solar industry shortly after her return back to the U.S.  She has previously worked with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, SolarFlaire Energy, and Common Sense Energy.

Courtney was selected as a 2016-2017 John Gardner Fellow by the University of California at Berkeley, and is serving her yearlong fellowship with the Health and Human Rights division of Human Rights Watch in New York City. Courtney entered Berkeley as a Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholar, and graduated in 2016 with high honors in political science and international relations. She served as president of the Law in Practice Club, worked as a research assistant on projects in political science and sociology, and edited for the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal. Beyond campus, she gained exposure and experience in public service at the local, state, and national levels, as well as in the nonprofit sector. From 2009 to 2012, as an active member of the Oakland Public Library Youth Leadership Council, she advised the Oakland Public Library on improving its service to youth and spoke out against library budget cuts during the 2010 city budget crisis. She went on to intern with the Office of California Assemblymember Rob Bonta, the Director’s Office of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, and the Universal Rights Group in Geneva. She also had the opportunity to study tribal groups at risk of displacement during and internship at Survival International, and to aid refugee resettlement in the Bay Area through an internship with the International Rescue Committee.

Kellie Gerardi is a space science communicator who has worked with a number of commercial space companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to research, develop, empower, and communicate the progress of the spaceflight industry. Gerardi is the Media Specialist of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and serves as an Advisor to Masten Space Systems and the Waypaver Foundation. An avid science communicator, Kellie has authored dozens of essays, white papers, and research studies. She has appeared on popular television shows such as ABC’s “The View” and “Nightline” and has been interviewed on multiple NPR podcasts. She has been profiled in a variety of popular publications, including The New York Times, the Huffington Post, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, and Vogue. Her thought leadership enabled her to become a science and exploration influencer to over 15,000 followers across social-media platforms. In 2015, Gerardi was named a “Rising Talent” by the International Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society and was competitively selected by the Kruger Cowne Agency as a “Rising Star”.

Aly is dedicated to ocean sustainability. She will begin her master’s degree in Coastal and Marine Management at the University Centre of the Westfjords in Iceland. As a Fulbright Scholar, she will learn about sustainable fisheries in Iceland and bring this knowledge back to the United States. Aly has also sought to encourage ocean sustainability through professional and non-professional means. She is the Ocean Ambassador Program Associate for the SEVENSEAS Marine Conservation and Travel Magazine. She has spoken about the ocean to underrepresented K-12 students in the Pittsburgh, PA area, a class at Penn State University, and more. Aly hopes to spread the word about ocean conservation so that generations to come can enjoy the benefits of a healthy ocean. She holds a B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh with majors in international and area studies, biological sciences, and sociology with a minor in chemistry. Aly also holds a certificate in Latin American studies and has held research positions with the Walter Carson Laboratory in Pittsburgh, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, and SeaTrek BVI in the British Virgin Islands. 

Elise Roberts is a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse University, where she is pursuing a double-major track in International Relations and Public Policy and Administration. Elise completed a Bachelor of Arts at the State University of New York at Buffalo, with majors in Political Science, International Studies, and Italian, and minored in French. Her major research interests include conflict management and international institutions, and how organizations such as the European Union can be used to facilitate post-conflict reconstruction.

Conor Duggan currently serves as the Business Development Coordinator at Moon Express, a commercial space company aiming to become the first private entity to land on the Moon by 2017. Moon Express is driven by the economic potential of lunar resources and the necessity to develop these resources for humanity’s future in space and on Earth. Conor previously served as the Government Affairs Associate at Moon Express where he facilitated the company’s policy and regulatory work in Washington, DC. This includes the company’s involvement in the space resources provision of the 2015 Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act and the first ever federal approval for a private company to land on another celestial body. He began his professional career interning in NASA Headquarter’s Office of International and Interagency Relations and the International Partnerships Office at NASA Ames Research Center. Conor graduated with a B.S. in Political Science from Santa Clara University in 2015, where he became passionate about the role of science and technology policy in fostering global peace, progress, and prosperity. In 2014, Conor received the inaugural Bob Richards Scholarship for Peace Through Space.

Will is a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania, pursuing a Bachelor’s in International Relations and dual-minors in African Studies and Development. At Penn, he is the founding director of Global Impact Collaborative, a non-profit research and consulting team. He has over 5 years of experience working in international educational development (IED), with regional concentration in West Africa and Central America. His work has centered on monitoring & evaluation, program management, teacher training, and curriculum development, with particular focus on participatory design and asset-based learning. Will has held positions with a range of public, private and social sector development groups, including Fabretto Children’s Foundation, FHI 360, and USAID’s Global Development Lab. 

Claudia Calderon is passionate about using innovation and technology to foster social and economic development. Her favorite topics include social innovation, open data, and informal economies. Claudia worked with the Leadership, Learning, and Innovation Vice-presidency and the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice at the World Bank Group. She was also part of the Changemakers team at Ashoka and Global Health Policy team at the Center for Global Development. Claudia holds a B.A. in Economics and Management from Luther College and attended to UWC Red Cross Nordic. Claudia considers herself a world traveler, she has lived in Bolivia, Norway, and the United States and believes on promoting international and intercultural understanding to make a positive change in the world.

Adesanwo Rachael is currently serving at Enugu State Ministry of Health, in the Nutrition Unit of the Department of Public Health. She holds a BSc in Nutrition and dietetics from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria. She’s also a creative writer and has vast experience in research survey and in assessing a person’s nutritional need. She’s a positive and professional person who loves helping people look and feel the best they possibly can.

Laura Adelman is a 2017 MBA Candidate at the MIT Sloan School of Management pursuing the Sustainability Certificate within this degree. Laura also works in the MIT Office of Sustainability as a Campus Planning Fellow and serves as the Mentorship Director for the 2016 MIT Clean Energy Prize. Prior to attending Sloan, Laura worked in energy efficiency strategy for National Grid in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Skidmore College and is a certified LEED Green Associate with a passion for sailing, skiing, and scuba diving. 

Luke is currently a 2L JD/MBA student at American University Washington College of Law. He serves as the Associate Executive Editor of the Sustainable Development Law and Policy Brief which is dedicated to reconciling the tensions between environmental sustainability, economic development, and human welfare. Luke is also a junior staffer on the American University Business Law Review and is currently writing a comment on Green Bonds and the lack of a clear-cut “green” definition. Luke previously served as a policy intern for the American Sustainable Business Council advocating for policy changes at the federal and state levels that support a more sustainable economy. In his free time Luke enjoys skiing at Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts, the first ski resort in North America to power its ski lifts by wind turbines.

Conner Tidd BA (McGill), MSc Candidate (University of Toronto), is an avid sustainability and innovation strategist. He strongly believes that a successful sustainability and innovation strategy is fluid and goes beyond responding to future challenges and issues. He is the Senior Sustainability and Innovation Officer at the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) in which he manages a team of over 200 across the globe. In the summer of 2016, Conner worked in the Department of Innovation and Public Affairs at Bayer CropScience where he worked with the executive team to help recognize the changing agricultural value chain and worked to align Bayer with new stakeholders in order to increase market acceptance and allow for the successful development of new products. At the University of Toronto, Conner has worked in the Department of Leadership and Learning where he developed and taught leadership programming designed to allow students to transfer their academic skills into real world project management.

Anna’s dedication to freedom of press and open information has been demonstrated throughout her entire academic career. As a student of Peace and Conflict studies, she has undertaken her bachelors while simultaneously being involved with many independent organizations.

In 2015, she was a researcher on corruption within the EU at the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals.  She is currently working for the Post-Conflict Research Centre in Sarajevo, Bosnia, where she is undertaking individual research for the University of Toronto on the History Department’s Samuel Rotenberg Travel Award. She is also conducting research for WelcomeHomeTO, an organization that aims to coordinate aid initiatives for refugees in Toronto. 

Jennifer is a 2017 MBA Candidate at MIT Sloan School of Management. Her interests include impact investing, the greening of sports, renewable energy and corporate implementation of sustainability. Prior to Sloan, Jennifer worked at Morgan Stanley Investment Management in New York City. Separately, albeit simultaneously, Jennifer created an editorial website, www.thesustainableinvestor.net, composed of narrative and economic analysis which demonstrate that profitability and environmental/social impact need not be mutually exclusive. Jennifer continues to write weekly blog posts for her website (3,000+ global subscribers) as she pursues her MBA. In 2014, Jennifer became trained as a Climate Leader with AL Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This past summer, Jennifer spent her MBA Summer Internship at the National Hockey League, working on the League’s environmental platform. Jennifer is a Level III CFA Candidate and holds a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from Lehigh University.

Matt is a city planner and a leader in the future of small town transit and community development. His professional life is dedicated to the restoration of America’s social capital through establishing multi-modal transportation, revitalizing public space, and developing sustainable commerce. Matt has authored and co-authored a wide range of planning documents related to main street revitalization, traffic safety, regional economic development strategy, and education policy. His work with tribal communities on improving rural ambulance service has been published by the US Department of Transportation and cited in UCLA’s American Indian law journal. A master’s degree candidate at Eastern Washington University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, a national leader in tribal and small town planning, Matt holds a B.A. in Anthropology (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed archaeological field training through the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Beyond city planning, Matt is an amateur travel photographer and an avid world music fan.

Leslie is a graduate student at American University’s School of International Service, pursuing a dual masters in international affairs and natural resources & sustainable development. Her interests in the environmental field started at a very young age, having lived in China (Hong Kong and Shanghai) for 16 years. After an extensive period of time searching for her true calling, she finally narrowed her interests to marine policy and marine protected areas. This summer, she is interning with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries as a constituent and legislative affairs intern. This experience has allowed her to further understand the US marine sanctuary system and to identify similarities and/or differences between US and non-US systems. The bulk of her research has been on marine protected areas in Indonesia and she has started to dip her toes in Costa Rica’s system as well. As her graduate program quickly comes to an end, Leslie plans on writing her final substantial research paper as a comparative analysis of marine protection systems from different pockets of the world. Outside of her studies, Leslie is an avid recreational diver and is constantly looking for new diving destinations. So far, she has seen the magnificent corals of the Great Barrier Reef, Turks and Caicos, Malaysia, Panama, and Costa Rica.

Alexander Rittershaus serves as Legislative Director and Legal Counsel to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy for the Massachusetts Legislature. In his time with the Joint Committee, he has led initiatives in all areas of renewable and energy policy including solar, wind, and energy efficiency. Recently, Alex oversaw the drafting, advocacy, and ultimate passage of An Act Relative to Energy Diversity. This law calls for the largest procurement of renewable and clean energy in the history of the Commonwealth, including the construction of the largest off-shore wind farm in the United States.
In his free time, Alex is a board member for the Friends of Lynn Woods, a local non-profit centered around the conservation of a 3,200 acre urban wooded park. He has also volunteered with Village Help for South Sudan, a non-profit that increases access to education for South Sudanese villagers. Alex credits his grandfather’s dedication to environmental conservation for inspiring him to pursue environmental law. He holds a B.S. and a J.D. from Suffolk University.

As a civil servant with the U.S. National Park Service, Kristine has dedicated her career to facilitating a public dialogue on the importance of sustainability in our national parks, historic sites, and threatened ecosystems. By connecting universal concepts with tangible objects and intangible ideas, she has created opportunities for diverse audiences to reflect and draw relevance in their own lives to the consequences of unsustainable human activities. Starting as a volunteer for the National Park Service in 2010, Kristine is now a permanent employee who consistently promotes conservation and preservation efforts at the federal, state, and local levels through public outreach. She has worked in eleven NPS units across the country from Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys to Muir Woods National Monument in San Francisco. Kristine works to shape the future of sustainable thinking by inspiring coworkers, stakeholders, and the public by motivating young people to preserve and protect our precious, limited natural and cultural resources. She is dedicated to youth education and engagement, focusing on connecting with new audiences through social media. Kristine completed her master’s degree in Public History and has extensively researched and analyzed policy initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels that dictate how park managers work to develop sustainable tourism that contributes to marginalized communities, the self-sovereignty of indigenous cultural practices, and conservation of biodiversity. 

Donya Nasser graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. John’s University as an Honors student, McNair Scholar, and Truman Scholar. She is passionate about advocating for gender equality domestically and internationally; empowering youth and minorities, and combating stigmas/stereotypes about the Middle Eastern and Muslim community. She has interned for the White House, the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Middle East Program, and the Brennan Center for Justice. She is also the youngest Board Director for both the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Action Fund and the 2015-2016 U.S. Youth Observer to the UN. Donya was a 2014 Glamour Magazine Top 10 College Woman, L’Oréal College Woman of Worth, and one of PTE and Forbes’ “100 Most Influential Persian Entrepreneurs and Innovators of 2015″. She has been featured on ABC, Al Jazeera, HuffPost Live, the L.A. Times, MSNBC, and USA Today. Donya will attend SOAS University of London in the Fall as a recipient of both the John Loiello and Kamran Djam Scholarships to earn an MA in Iranian Studies.

Charles Harris is an accomplished policy analyst and media specialist, with expertise in space and science policy, media production, and social media. He is a creative thinker who is passionate about space exploration advocacy, the private space sector, STEM education, and the exciting future of national & international space policy and law. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014 with a double major in Public Policy and Communication Studies, and a minor in Astronomy. Starting this September, Charles will serve as Manager of Washington Operations for the Space Foundation. He has previously worked as a Research Associate for the Space Studies Board and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and as a Junior Associate with the independent policy firm PoliSpace, providing clients in the commercial space sector with government relations services and strategic consulting. In this position he helped promote vital legislation including the 2015 U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, to encourage growth in the commercial space industry and protect the future of private space access and development. He has held internships with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters and with the Committee on Science, Space, & Technology in the U.S. House of Representatives. Charles has accumulated a wealth of experience in the policy arena, and hopes to continue a career in Washington, D.C. in space, science, and technology policy.

Graeme Cranston-Cuebas is a young academic whose current work focuses on the nexus between conflict and development. Graeme is a two time winner and recipient of USAID/AidData/ITPIR research grant competitions and used these grants to fund his research on aid allocation in conflict zones, specifically in Nigeria during the Boko Haram conflict. His second award is being used to verify the effectiveness of event data collection in capturing Non-OECD aid flows. Graeme will be presenting the results of his research at the USAID TechCon 2016 at MIT. Beyond his own research, Graeme served as the senior research assistant helping supervise the 23-person Tracking Underreported Financial Flows team at the AidData research group, which has created and maintains the world’s only transparent database of Chinese, GCC, and other Non-OECD donor aid. Graeme is currently a third year International Relations major in a joint degree program between the College of William and Mary and the University of St. Andrews

As a Fulbright Scholar, Abigail is an English Teaching Assistant at the Technological University of Panama. In this globalizing world, she is focused on bringing educational opportunities to those who want it and on promoting the mutual understanding that can only come through cultural exchange. She has given several presentations to students across Panama highlighting the value of language learning and of international experiences. However, in the true “Fulbright way” of exchanging knowledge, Abigail is also happily engaged in the Latin Dance community of Panama City, in exploring the indigenous Emberá culture of the Darién jungle, and in perfecting the Panamanian culinary art of fried plantains. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the State University of New York with a B.A. in Spanish, a minor in Education and Global Scholar Distinction, LaPlaca was an Honors College Scholar and a Presidential Scholar. During her undergraduate studies, she worked both as an intern teaching in a Spanish-English bilingual classroom in her hometown of Buffalo, New York and as an intern teaching English in low-income schools in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Rebecca has a passion for startups, education, and the amazing things that happen when they are combined. She loves to work with dedicated, excited, and passionate people and brings them together to make great things. She is often called Director of MIH, which stands for Making it Happen. Rebecca was on the 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for education and has had many incredible experiences, especially for someone of her age. She founded two startups by the age of 20, had the opportunity to live in Kenya and completed environmental research in Western Europe. Rebecca loves public speaking, the word “plethora,” and motivating people, especially on Mondays. She has a passion to learn as much as possible by being a student of life and questioning almost everything. She loves kayaking and other types of boats, but knows that the best ship is friendship!

Brianna Curran is passionate about the vitality of women’s participation in the peace and conflict resolution process, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. She believes that the success of these processes is dependent on inclusive participation, including the participation of local women. However, she recognized that women face many barriers to actualizing their right to educational and job opportunities. She founded Half of Humanity with the goal of lifting one of these barriers by ensuring that women have the necessary products to continue engaging with civil society during menstruation. Brianna’s former work with Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, promoting tolerance in a diverse world, has taught her the necessity of being responsive to the expressed needs of others. Because of this experience, Brianna is committed to developing programs that are culturally appropriate and based on feedback of target demographics.

Sustainability and the environmental sciences have always been a central part of Michael’s world. Upon graduating from Fairfield University, he went on to receive his Masters of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University. Since then, Michael has held numerous internships and positions, all focusing on sustainable culture and living. His most recent position at AECOM, one of the world’s leading environmental and sustainable engineering firms, has been focused on creating a sustainability team within the Clifton, NJ office.