Allison Fretwell
Senior Project Manager, Clif Bar
Allison leads project teams in bringing wholesome, organic, sustainably made energy bars to market at Clif Bar in Emeryville. As a Project Manager, she helps cross-functional teams generate and validate new product ideas, design and finalize the details of the product offerings, and execute on the final vision. She’s passionate about the process of making ideas become reality – about figuring out how to put all the pieces together and how to solve any road blocks that get in the way.
Adam Kesselman
Sustainable Food Systems Entrepreneur
Adam is an entrepreneur and organizational leader with a passion for stimulating systems change, solving big problems that bring value to people’s lives, and creating delicious food that delights. His career has criss-crossed the intimacy of taste, the culture of food, and the breadth of large scale social innovation. Adam is currently leading Emes Nutrition, a healthy snacking company founded on the belief that every eating occasion is an opportunity for pleasure, for health, and to connect our values with our choices. Formerly, Adam was the Executive Director of the Center for Ecoliteracy, a non-profit dedicated to education for sustainable living and school food reform, and recent co-sponsor of California’s School Meals for All Act of 2021 that led to California becoming the first state in the nation to fund Universal Free School Meals. Adam is currently a member of Turning Green’s Board of Directors.
Brian O’Connor
AP Human Geography, Colegio Nueva Granda
Brian is a passionate bilingual social studies educator that currently works at Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogota, Colombia. As an anthropologist from the University of Iowa interested in ethnobotany and Latin American studies, Brian spent much time studying in Mexico and Colombia. After a few years studying abroad, teaching, and social work he entered the MAT in social studies teaching at Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR to pursue a life path for continual learning, hope, and change through working with youth. After three years teaching US and World History in Spanish in Woodburn, Oregon, social justice and student empowerment were clearly his passion. Brian and Colombian wife Marta moved back to Colombia in 2007. Brian’s passions in teaching are engaging students in social and environmental justice through climate change, sustainability and activism as he teaches AP Human Geography, AP Seminar and a new course with PGC being the central curriculum. Brian met Judi Shils in Bogota in 2011 and has been inviting students to take this incredible challenge ever since. Over his 16 years at Colegio Nueva Granada, Brian has written and taught various courses in sustainability, run our PGC and GIN clubs, organized plantings of over 250 native trees on our campus, organized multiple projects of engaging the local biodiversity of our campus and city. Brian lives with his wife and their two sons Alejandro and Benjamín in Bogotá. As a family we road trip to the far corners of this amazing country finding great wisdom and hope in its lands, cultures, and peoples.
Ruthie Burrows
PhD Candidate, University of Minnesota, PGC 2012 Finalist
Ruthie is working on her PhD in geography studying the impacts of climate change on agriculture and health in Senegal. She is passionate about interdisciplinary, inclusive science and is using her background in epidemiology and spatial science to explore creative ways to study climate and health. Turning Green set a precedent for how she thinks about her individual actions within the bigger picture of environmental degradation and climate change. She believes that her experience with Project Green Challenge served as a catalyst for living her life with intention, not only in regards to conscious lifestyle decisions but also in regards to her education and career. Ruthie was a PGC 2012 Finalist. One word to describe Turning Green? Family!
EDEN BRUKMAN
Senior Green Building Coordinator, San Francisco Department of the Environment
Since 1996, Eden has focused on establishing socially and environmentally responsible solutions for human habitat as a licensed architect, outreach strategist, and standards developer. She coauthored Living Building Challenge and directed its evolution and global deployment from 2007-2012; served as the first Technical Director of the Health Product Declaration Collaborative; and contributed to the early development of other programs such as Declare, the Pharos Project, and EcoDistricts. She currently serves as the Senior Green Building Coordinator at the San Francisco Department of the Environment. Eden was a named recipient of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge award, and was designated one of the Forty Under 40 in Portland, Oregon, as well as a Living Building Hero by the International Living Future Institute. She is a LEED Fellow and has received the Women in Sustainability Leadership Award. Her advocacy efforts have led to policy reform, decentralized building and community developments, and the creation of a network of local action groups in cities all over the world.
EMI LAFOUNTAIN
Sustainability Integration Manager, Turner Construction
Emi works for Turner Construction, the largest construction company in the United States. As a Sustainability Integration Manager, Emi is in charge of integrating new and existing sustainability practices into operations within Northern California by working with project teams, subcontractors, and designers to include sustainability language in contract documents. Previously, she managed the company’s embodied carbon and jobsite emissions program at the national level. She has spoken at numerous green building events, including Living Future and Greenbuild, and is an active and founding member of the Bay Area Sustainable Construction Leaders group. Emi graduated from Rice University in 2015 with a degree in Civil Engineering and is currently studying for her Masters in Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge.
Emi was a PGC 2014 Finalist.
JENNY FANG
Product Manager, PGC Finalist 2015
Jenny was born and raised in the East Bay and attended Claremont McKenna College and Washington University in St. Louis, studying Economics and Engineering. She spent some years interning with Turning Green and in 2015, she was a Project Green Challenge Finalist. Jenny isn’t a same old same old kind of person and is known by her friends to be a seeker of new meaningful experiences; you will always find her doing something that fills her with joy. She’s a professional at sparking connections and currently works as a product manager at a tech startup.
Jessica Hurtado-Hansel
Marketing & Communications Director, Good Earth Natural Foods
Jessica is the Marketing and Communications Director for Good Earth Natural Foods, a Marin-based grocery chain with a deep commitment to organic sourcing. She has over a decade of experience in the natural products industry, holding previous positions in both Marketing and Learning and Development at Whole Foods Market, as well as marketing roles at Revive Kombucha and Non-GMO skincare brand, Andalou Naturals. Jessica studied literature and creative writing at Sonoma State University, and uses her background in communications to tell the stories of the dedicated farmers, producers, and merchants striving to make positive change in the food system. When she’s not busy exploring new, organic products at Good Earth, she loves to read, listen to music, watch sci-fi, and spend time with her husband, Phil, and beloved cat, Ripley.
Kevin Grossman
Social Entrepreneur & MBA candidate, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Kevin has spent his career in the organic food industry. Most recently Kevin worked at Clif Bar, where he held various roles ranging from managing Grocery retail accounts to developing go-to-market strategies for new product launches. During his 7+ years, he gained comprehensive knowledge of the US’s food system and how a business can lead in social and environmental stewardship. Kevin sits as an Advisory Board Member for Conscience Kitchen and as a Student Advisory Board Member for the Berkeley-Haas Center For Responsible Business. Kevin is passionate about the intersection of food, entrepreneurship, and social impact.
MISSY MARTIN
Chief Sustainability Officer, Sapien Network, PGC 2015 Champion
Missy Martin is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Sapien Network, focusing on areas such as novel regenerative business models, social impact through blockchain, and DeSci. Previously, she supported business development at circular economy platform, Loop, as well as led leadership development and mentorship programs at Tesla and the Bay Area Environmentally Aware Consulting Network. In her free time, she volunteers working on climate justice issues with Climate Reality and also enjoys supporting her local food community. She graduated from UC Berkeley with highest distinction where she studied Society and Environment with a concentration in US Environmental Policy and Management. Missy is a long-time Turning Green supporter. She won PGC in 2015, interned for two years, and worked for a year as the organization’s Director of Happiness.
Nolan Zail
Founding Principal, Impact Urban
Nolan is a founding principal of Impact Urban, a real estate development company that advances innovation, sustainability and equity to create positive impacts in urban environments. Nolan contributes over 30 years of experience in real estate development including design and construction, developing and re-developing residential, commercial, historic and mixed-use projects. Nolan’s mixed-use and residential development experience includes founding principal of Transform Urban (CA), Senior Vice President of Development with Carmel Partners (CA) and development manager with Santa Clara Development Co. (CA). In addition, Nolan has commercial development experience with Cushman & Wakefield (NY) and non-profit housing redevelopment experience with Common Ground Community (NY). Prior to real estate, Nolan has worked for award winning architectural firms on residential and commercial projects. Nolan was the Project Executive with Carmel Partners for UC Davis West Village, a 130-acre planned net zero energy mixed-use development that received the Urban Land Institute Global Award of Excellence. Nolan received a Master of Science (Real Estate) from New York University; a Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Horticulture) from the University of Melbourne; and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Notable Projects include UC Davis West Village, Davis, CA; Grand Central Terminal Redevelopment, New York; Prince George Affordable Housing Redevelopment, NY and ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia.
Sarah Trager
Strategist, Advisor, Problem Solver
Sarah is a mission-driven strategist, advisor, and problem solver who has worked with entrepreneurs from around the world, governments, and nonprofit organizations to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges. She has an MPH in Humanitarian Health, loves learning from others and is excited to support this project however she can. This will be her third year as a PGC mentor.
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