Surabhi Shah has been working at the intersection of environmental protection and community work for three decades. At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, she has led programs in community revitalization, environmental justice and water quality. Surabhi’s leadership in building partnerships with communities, government agencies, NGOs and the private sector was recognized by the Partnership for…
Sean Potts leads the Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreement Program for the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. Sean was bit by the agriculture bug while serving as a PCV in Cameroon from 2015-2018 and joined USDA in 2021 after finishing grad school in DC. A permaculture enthusiast, Sean lives with his…
Zen is an NGO worker with extensive experience in developmental and humanitarian work, demonstrating a strong commitment to the community empowerment of the basic masses. With significant involvement with diverse groups, such as Filipino farmers, workers, women, street children, urban poor, and environmental advocates, Zen focuses on effecting positive change. A registered social worker with…
Alain is an Environmental Engineer and technology enthusiast, who founded a digital project called NEB that raises awareness of solid waste presence everywhere from the perspective of communication and socializing knowledge and information. With more than 15 years of experience, he began working at a landfill on waste management operations, and later realized there was…
Gary Liss has 50 years of experience in recycling, is a leading advocate of Zero Waste, and has worked on more Zero Waste Plans than anyone else in America. He is Vice-President of Zero Waste USA, Chair of the Zero Waste International Alliance Certifications Committee, past President and Lifetime Honorary Board Member of the National…
Linda (she/her) handles the social media and creative media – website, graphic design and video editing – needs of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Population and Sustainability program. She is also an organizer for the Center’s Food Justice Film Festival. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in visual communications from Hawaii Pacific University, with a…
Jo Banner co-founded The Descendants Project, where she channels her affection and knowledge into challenging systems, primarily legal systems that have exploited the descendants, such as herself, of those enslaved to plantations. She is now working to gain recognition of the burial grounds of the enslaved as sacred sites and aims to protect such sites…
Jeremy Drake is a Zero Waste consultant with over 10 years of experience in project management, program planning and implementation, collection system procurement, stakeholder engagement, technical assistance, and education. He holds a MA in Urban Sustainability from Antioch University – Los Angeles and is a Zero Waste USA-certified Zero Waste Associate. After a decade in…
As the new CEO of Repowered, Heather combines her experience as a business leader with her chemical engineering education to drive a passion for people, planet and technology. Her career has developed across many markets including automotive, consumer products, business software, industrial chemicals, and now electronics recycling and reuse. Whether she is developing new products,…
Zeynep Çelikel is an Adviser in the Human Rights & Humanitarian Team in the Office of the President of the 77th session of the General Assembly. Zeynep is a career diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye since 2015. Before assuming her duties at the Office of the President of the General Assembly, she…