Emma is a recent graduate from UC Davis, working as an Everlane Ambassador and intern at htm.elle.
“Turning Green really helped me see the passion I had for the environment and how I could help incorporate sustainability into everyday life. I know consumer education is vital in our journey to a more environmentally friendly world and I want to take part in that.”
One word to describe Turning Green? Impactful!
Darya is working on a Masters of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry, focusing on Business and the Environment.
“Turning Green taught me that young people can have a great impact. My involvement with Turning Green has inspired my academic path and future career.”
One word to describe Turning Green? Inspirational!
Eryn is a student at Florida State University and works for the Florida League of Cities in Tallahassee.
“Participating in PGC in high school gave me the tools I needed to make changes in my lifestyle. PGC was a fun and engaging way to learn about sustainability, but impactful enough that it stayed with me. Since PGC, I have focused on a goal each year, which gives me time to change my habits in a practical, sustainable way.”
One word to describe Turning Green? Impactful!
Ruthie recently earned her PhD in Geography from the University of Minnesota, where she was also a Population Studies Trainee in the Minnesota Population Center. Her research examines population-environment interactions, with a specific focus on the effects of climate conditions on undernutrition in low-resource settings. Prior to receiving her PhD, she was a master’s student at Johns Hopkins University, where she also worked as a researcher on food systems at the Center for a Liveable Future. She is currently a research contractor with Project Drawdown, a nonprofit committed to advancing science-based climate solutions to stop climate change. She is passionate about interdisciplinary, inclusive science addressing effects of climate change on health and wellbeing. Ruthie was a PGC finalist in 2012 and has since supported Turning Green as a challenge reader, ambassador, and mentor.
Sophia is a recent graduate with a degree in Foreign Languages – French and living in Germany for the summer.
“The impact from Turning Green has been huge, in many small and big ways. I think many of the habits that I formed from PGC in 2011 have stuck with me until now. It helped me learn how to have a voice, form opinions, and then engage others in the problems I was seeing. It helped me be a leader, step out of my comfort zone, and be comfortable with speaking up.”
One word to describe Turning Green? Empowering!
Emily Raab is the Canadian Trade Commissioner for Climatetech and AgTech in San Francisco. She leads two accelerator programs and works with startups looking to solve some of our biggest sustainability challenges, from water management, reducing GHG emissions to harvest loss reduction. She previously worked as director of Innovation Solutions at the German-American Chamber of Commerce, and has a background in international trade, policy and environmental governance. Having grown up in Germany, France, Slovakia and Canada, she has a unique perspective on cross-cultural sustainability practices and is thrilled to work with you through PGC!
Nolan is a founding principal of Impact Urban, a real estate development company that advances innovation, sustainability and social and economic value to create positive impacts in the built environment. 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, Mr. Zail 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.
Wendy Tobiasson spent a career designing, implementing, and evaluating Energy Efficiency programs across the United States as well as working on numerous International Energy projects. She is enthusiastically applying herself to local food system projects in her quest to work on local, sustainable, climate positive initiates. She is currently immersing herself in collective impact work happening across Marin county. She worked on the Drawdown Marin Local Food and Food Waste team which identified local initiative to help our communities reduce CO2 emissions and sequester carbon. She brings her love of numbers and the stories they can tell along with data analysis, program planning, and collaboration skills to support various projects. Wendy has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is rapidly learning more about the food system through local courses, connecting with community initiatives, and growing food at both a community and personal garden. Wendy and her family are often out hiking in the hills of Marin, bike riding, or rowing on the San Francisco Bay. She is an avid baker and chocolatier and enjoys turning home grown produce into special meals for the family.
Heidi recently retired as a Partner of Bain & Company, a global strategy consulting firm where she worked for 20 years. She was a leader of the firm’s performance improvement capability area and managed Bain’s marketing and client development efforts on the West Coast. Prior to joining Bain in 1993, Heidi worked in investment banking for Goldman, Sachs & Company and spent time in brand management with Colgate-Palmolive Company. Heidi earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Politics and Economics with highest honors from Middlebury College, including course work at the University of Paris. Heidi began volunteering for Turning Green with its first Search for the Cause campaign a decade ago. She has served in numerous roles, including Board Chair for several years.
Taylor is co-founder of co/maed, a marketing agency devoted to elevating the voices of ethically conscious businesses. With an aptitude for creating strong and rooted connections, Taylor focuses on sharing the client’s story through earned media to elevate brand exposure. Her career history includes a fellowship at Turning Green, where she focused on creating stakeholder relationships in the sustainable fashion realm, and working in the boutique PR industry, ranging from nonprofit fundraising, events and product launches. In response to the BLM movement, Taylor was inspired to spearhead the Stinson Beach Social Justice Collective in her town, starting at the local level to bring diversity, equity and inclusion to her community and beyond. In her spare time you can find her reading nonfiction, practicing yoga, dipping in the Pacific Ocean, hiking Mt. Tamalpais, or exploring the beach with her husband and dog.
