Archives: People

Danielle Jezienicki is the Director of Sustainability for Grove Collaborative, a B Corp that delivers eco friendly home essentials, including household cleaning, personal care, baby, kid, and pet products to consumers around the US. Prior to that, she was the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) where she oversaw ESG reporting and sustainability initiatives for the Company and its West Coast brands including Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, Williams-Sonoma, Rejuvenation and Mark & Graham. Prior to joining WSI, Danielle was an Impact Analyst at Sonen Capital, an impact investment firm that prioritizes social and environmental outcomes as well as financial returns. Danielle began her career in corporate communications and investor relations, where she spent over five years at leading firms in San Francisco and New York. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Management at Presidio Graduate School and BA from Brown University.

Hansel Carter is a New York City born screenwriter, filmmaker, and digital marketing professional. Working in college departments of international education, residential life, student government, and sustainability over the four years of his education, Hansel sought out the most environmentally-friendly options when it came to project planning for campus-wide events. He became a PGC Finalist with Turning Green in 2018 and graduated with a degree in filmmaking from Champlain College in 2020. His passion for the environment began in his middle school years living in India, analyzing the effects of water pollution in the Yamuna River. PGC honed his focus on fast-fashion and wildlife preservation. He plans to incorporate themes of climate change and biodiversity in future screenplays. Hansel spends his time on film sets, exploring natural wonders, and planning the perfect audition tape for Survivor.

Meryl is thrilled to be joining as a Project Green Challenge mentor for her third year! She graduated Duke University in 2018 where she studied Public Policy, Economics and Energy & Environment. She is currently a Consultant at Bain & Co. in Austin with a personal passion for enabling sustainable business practices. In the long-term, she hopes to specialize in sustainable retail strategy and help companies deliver eco-friendly and impactful products to consumers. In her free time, she loves adventuring outside, including hiking, camping and rock climbing.

Finian Makepeace is the co-founder of Kiss the Ground and a renowned presenter, media creator, and thought leader in the field of regenerative agriculture and soil health. His dedication to Kiss the Ground’s mission of “inspiring participation in global regeneration, starting with soil”, has motivated him to develop training programs, workshops, and talks designed to empower people around the world to become confident advocates for this growing movement. As part of the Kiss the Ground media team, Finian has worked with leading experts, farmers, and businesses to bring the ideas of regenerative agriculture and soil health as hopeful solutions to world’s problems in clear, comprehensible and thought-provoking formats to audiences everywhere. Simply, he has helped Kiss the Ground succeed in sharing this message across the globe. His background as a leader of a band and lifelong activist has given him the unique opportunity to blend his artistic vision with his ability to organize and advocate for this growing, global, and diverse community. His “calling” is that people experience being a part of making history and he believes that with enough new advocates promoting the ancient wisdom and new science of regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration we can heal our planet.

Susan Griffin-Black is the co-founder and co-CEO of EO Products, the California-based parent company of two leading personal care brands: EO® and Everyone for Every Body®. For nearly 25 years Susan has been a pioneer of the personal care industry, and has built a successful, exemplary company rooted in responsible business practices. Susan is an expert on safe, healthy personal care products and essential oils. She is involved with numerous advisory boards including Turning Green and Bay Cycle Project.

Kendra Klein, PhD is Senior Staff Scientist at Friends of the Earth where she leads work on food and farming solutions. She is a writer, researcher, and advocate with over seventeen years of experience in environmental sustainability, food, agriculture, and environmental health. Prior to joining FOE, she coordinated farm-to-institution work at the California Healthy Food in Health Care campaign and worked at Breast Cancer Action on chemical policy reform and corporate accountability related to pink ribbon fundraising. Kendra has apprenticed on organic farms in California and Hawaii. She is a 2011 Switzer Environmental Fellow and has written for The Nation, The Guardian, Gastronomica, Civil Eats, and EcoWatch. She holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University of Ohio and a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy & Management from UC Berkeley.

Anna is a national bestselling author and an internationally recognized expert on food systems. The author or co-author of three books and contributing author to a dozen more, Anna is a recipient of the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award and a TIME magazine Eco Who’s Who. Her most recent book, Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork, was recognized as an environmental book of the year by Booklist. Anna is the founder or co-founder of two national organizations, the Small Planet Institute and Fund and Real Food Media. At Real Food Media, Anna and her team work with partners nationwide to catalyze creative storytelling about food, farming, and sustainability. The former co-host of the PBS show, The Endless Feast, Anna hosts the podcast, Real Food Reads, and regularly speaks to audiences around the country. In addition, Anna serves as a consultant to philanthropists funding food system transformation and is the director of the Food & Democracy for a family foundation based in Marin. Anna lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their two daughters.

Marti has volunteered at Turning Green since the beginning, more than 14 years ago. She coordinates prizes for Project Green Challenge, helps with the annual Road Tour, and other Conscious Campus projects. Marti is married with two boys, Jason (28) and Seth (25). She is an instructor and has owned her own training company (Workshops that Work) for 38 years. She works with clients in all levels of the public sector, both throughout the United States and overseas. Marti helps employees be better at their jobs through communication, presenting, meetings, interviewing, and other professional skills classes. She has had cancer 3 times and is now cancer free!

Mohit is a litigator who loves, in equal part, advocacy and resolution. He also believes in the law’s potential to be an equalizer and maintains an active pro bono practice. Outside of his legal career, Mohit teaches writing and oral advocacy, is an ardent theatregoer, and a passionate ally of The Conscious Kitchen. Mohit earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School, an LL.M. from The London School of Economics, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts and Economics, summa cum laude, from Brandeis University. Mohit serves on the Board of Directors for the Brandeis Alumni Association.