Eugene Cordero
Founder Green Ninja
Eugene Cordero is a scientist with a deep love for data and numbers, a Ph.D. in atmospheric science, and a background at NASA, and most importantly, an incredibly inspiring passion for catalyzing environmental solutions through education. As a professor at San José State University, he led a research team funded by NASA and the NSF, revealing how students yield significant improvements in engagement and achievement when provided the opportunity to make a difference in real-world problems. Mobilized by his findings, Eugene created Green Ninja, an innovative, project-based middle school science curriculum that cultivates environmental literacy and leadership.
DEBBIE RAPHAEL
Consultant Bloomberg Foundation
In May of 2014, Mayor Ed Lee appointed Debbie as the Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment, a city agency that creates visionary policies and programs to ensure a sustainable future for San Francisco. Raphael returned to San Francisco after three years leading the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, where she worked to balance stakeholder interests in protecting the public and environment from toxic harm.
Raphael believes that cities like San Francisco are incubators for bold action that results in meaningful change. Her approach to environmental decision-making focused on using the best available science and robust stakeholder interaction to ensure that all voices are honored. This perspective has allowed her to succeed in addressing some of the most challenging environmental problems, including the rollout of California’s landmark Green Chemistry Initiative.
In 20 years of public service at city, county, and state levels, Raphael has crafted and implemented groundbreaking policies around toxics reduction, green building, business engagement, integrated pest management, and environmentally preferable purchasing. Raphael has since left the Department of the Environment to work as a consultant with the Bloomberg Foundation. She graduated with honors in biology from the University of California, Berkeley, was a Smithsonian and National Science Foundation fellow, and has a Master’s degree in Physiological Plant Ecology from UCLA.
Aadya Joshi
Founder of The Right Green
Aadya Joshi is a junior at Stanford University from Mumbai, India. Through her cleaning and greening of a dump yard at her local police station, Aadya actively acquired knowledge on the importance of native plants, recognizing their ability to “bring nature home”. Empowered by her research and experience, she founded The Right Green, a passionate non-profit organization that conducts workshops for youth and aims to build a comprehensive database of plant-insect feeding relationships for the Indian subcontinent to spread awareness and spur action towards planting natives and bringing our butterflies, insects and birds back to their cities.
Colin O’Brien
Managing Deputy Attorney Earth Justice
Colin is a deputy managing attorney at the San Francisco location of the California EarthJustice regional office where he has worked since 2015, an indisputably impressive nonprofit environmental law organization that has successfully secured major environmental wins through the power of law and partnership. Prior to this, Colin led an impressive law career focused on earth advocacy in New York and Alaska, the latter where he was recognized as “Conservationist of the Year” in 2013 by the Northern Alaska Environmental Center for his work to protect air quality in the Arctic and in Fairbanks Alaska, and where he skillfully litigated to secure protection for the endangered Steller sea lions and the rich ocean ecosystem North Pacific. More recently, his work has been focused on protecting communities from harmful oil and gas developments. Colin received a bachelor’s degree in political science summa cum laude from The Ohio State University and is also a graduate of Yale Law School (J.D.) and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (Master of Environmental Management).
ERIN SCHRODE
Co-Founder Turning Green
Erin is a citizen activist, social entrepreneur and writer. Since co-founding Turning Green in 2005, she has developed eco education and action platforms to inspire, educate, and mobilize millions of students and the global public with this non-profit and beyond. This leading voice on millennials, sustainability and social impact and vocal advocate for environmental action, public health and equal justice recently ran an unprecedented campaign for US Congress in California’s District 2 – working to redefine civic engagement, reinvigorate public service, and expand the definition of politician for a generation and a nation.
