Environmental Social Justice

I've known Ernest since 2022, andin that short time, I've watched him go from building prototypes to relocatingto my hometown of Detroit, where he set up shop with New Lab in MichiganCentral. It's been incredible to witness his journey over just threeyears—designing and building electric motorcycles and developing innovativemodular conversion kits that transform classic full-size road and streetcruiser ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) bikes into sleek, modern electricmachines. With modular and upgradable power options, there's a setup to matchyour riding style and the environment you ride in. www.ShandokaCycles.com 

Sam Baker, Co-Founder of Wrigglebrew isn't just making fertilizer, he is building a technology company that makesfertilizer through a process that not only breaks down Styrofoam to worm castings, but they have also developed strains of beneficial bacteria to help create the most effective organic fertilizer on the market.

Leah Rampy and Beth Norcross are co-authors of “Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees” a book that focuses on the wisdom we can learn from nature when we open ourselves to connect with them. Both authors draw on their extensive experience in science, forest ecology, and spirituality to explore our mutual relationship with trees, whose wisdom provides comfort, resilience, guidance, and hope during these challenging times.

PJ Brescia is the founder of Baby.Gay, a nonprofitthat combines storytelling, community support, and advocacy which celebrates and empowers individuals through their coming out journey.Their platform provides support through their signature Welcome-Wagon Box, featuring heartfelt SupportCards handwritten by community members, information on essential resources and providing a connection for those just beginning their journey. One of their proudest moment wasspearheading the initiative to establish National Coming Out Day as an official Los Angeles city holiday, working in partnership with LA City Council and The Black Cat. 

Renee Barker is Director of Circular Economy Partnerships for LiquiDonate, a non profit that is revolutionizing the retail industry with AI-powered solutions that prioritize sustainability and circularity where retailers can route unsellable inventory to nonprofits and schools, ultimately reducing reverse logistics costs by over 50%, fulfilling the needs of community organizations, and reducing unnecessary landfill waste.

Brian Thompson, CPCU, ARe, Senior Vice President at Descartes Underwriting, specializes in alternative risk transfer, pioneering innovative solutions to help the insurance industry adapt to an increasingly volatile world. As climate-related disasters grow more frequent and severe, Brian and his team leverage parametric insurance to streamline claims, bypassing lengthy processes to deliver rapid, transparent payouts—helping clients recover faster and more efficiently.

A Community Gathering for Support and LA Wildfire Relief Resources In light of the devastating wildfires that have impacted our local community, we are shifting the focus of our January event to address immediate needs and foster community healing. This gathering will provide a space for the LGBTQ+ community and allies that have been impacted by the LA Wildfires to come together, connect, access essential resources and information, and discuss next steps. JOIN US FOR: Healing and Support: A healing type of Town Hall to connect with others, share stories, find solace and how to navigate next steps. Resource Distribution & Access: Local organizations offering essential items, free services (including legal advice, insurance policies, environmental impact, crisis support, therapy sessions, dance, and yoga) and support for those in need. Community Building: A safe space to rebuild hope and solidarity during these challenging times. Together, we can begin to heal and support one another as we rebuild stronger, united, and more resilient than ever.

Ann Davlin, CEO of Cleantech Leaders Roundtable (CTLR), is focused on addressing the most pressing challenges in cleantech – getting the job done. CTLR connects members to industry leaders, government initiatives, and cutting-edge opportunities. By providing a platform for actionable insights, bipartisan collaboration, and industry growth, CTLR empowers its members to lead the transition to a clean energy future. By providing unparalleled access, influence, and resources to professionals and organizations, CTLR guides the reshaping of the cleantech landscape.

The Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act has the potential to generate $300 million for recycling, create 7,700 new jobs, and divert 950,000 tons of waste from landfills.   With the leadership of Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, Tennessee is advancing sustainability and economic development through this groundbreaking legislation, also known as the Tennessee Waste Reduction and Recycling Act (TWRRA). This initiative aims to establish a statewide producer responsibility organization, funded by corporations rather than taxpayers, to enhance recycling programs and expand service accessibility throughout the state. By boosting recycling efforts, the act will lower landfill costs for local taxpayers, minimize the need for additional landfills, create job opportunities, and supply local manufacturers with essential raw materials for production.    

Michelle Adelman, founder of Crossover Meats, is revolutionizing our food system and ground meat. Founded in 2019, this patented all-natural process makes burgers that are delicious, affordable, convenient, better for you & 50% more sustainable than conventional beef burgers. By using wholesome chicken to replace the lean protein in ground beef, pork, and lamb, Crossover Meats costs less, making it more accessible to everyone, especially in light of food inflation. https://www.crossovermeats.com/

Lena Welch, owner of Next Earth, specializes in decarbonizing physical film and television production using data-based optimization and cleantech implementation. Many people do not realize how much energy is used and waste generated during a film shoot, Lena's vast knowledge base excels in cleantech, data collection & analysis, carbon reporting, strategy, budgeting, communication, and management. She can do it all and keep the waste out of production.  

Adam Gallant, founder of Obsessive Coffee Disorder, is on a mission to deliver an unparalleled coffee experience based on freshness, ethical sourcing, and delicious flavor. This family-owned roastery is also committed to raising awareness and understanding of mental health issues, breaking down the stigma, and sparking conversations over a cup of coffee. A portion of their profits support related causes, blending their love for coffee with a mission that matters.

Drew Ann Long is the founder of Caroline's Cart, a special needs shopping cart for children and adults that was so successful in providing equitable mobility, that she was able to launch Caroline's Cause, a non-profit that offers scholarship money to the families of special needs children.

Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations is a full-service electronics and materials waste management corporation bringing circularity to the electronics world. Ashley Foreman, MBA, Adam Gallant, and their exceptional team take discarded electronics and refurbish, upcycle, or, when necessary, responsibly destroy materials ultimately keeping them out of landfills. As a bonus, the Nashville location has a remarkable museum of original Kodak cameras, Nintendo gaming consoles, and other historical materials salvaged from the recycling bin.

Tennessee is faced with a crisis that their landfills are nearing capacity, primary due to excessive packaging materials and the lack of resources to effectively recycle them. Senator Heidi Campbell is promoting the Tennesse Waste Reduction &Recycling Act, a bipartisan bill designed to reduce excess waste from landfills and promote recycling. The legislation, which is supported by the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, is intended to shift many costs of recycling to the companies who produce the packaging, ultimately improving recycling and increase recycling opportunities for Tennessee communities.

Dave Krikac is the Vice President of Resources and Business Development for Health Connect America, where he focuses on creating job opportunities across Tennessee and advocating for Employment for Adults with Special Needs. His extensive background has included information technology, software and business development, sales, marketing, city law enforcement, and working with the United States Department of Defense.   He is now dedicated to serving adults with disabilities in Williamson County by creating meaningful jobs and heading the three nonprofits, The Community Enrichment Partnership: Achieve Trade School, Electronics Recycling Solutions, and Launchpad.  

Sheryl Cababa is a seasoned design strategist with over 20 years of experience in human-centered design, particularly within the social impact sector. Her expertise lies in equipping designers with tools and methods to broaden their perspectives beyond traditional user-centered design, anticipate unintended consequences, and apply systems thinking. Recently, she led pivotal student voice research for the Gates Foundation's K-12 Balance The Equation Grand Challenge and collaborated with their teams to deliver equity-focused technical support to grantees. Sheryl also designed the Use Case Guide for demand-side initiatives and conducted extensive design research across U.S. Programs and Global Health teams. Her book, Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers is available wherever books are sold.

TerraGraphics International Foundation (TIFO) is an interdisciplinary team of scientists that applies environmental cleanup and health intervention methodologies to help low and middle-income countries affected by mining, recycling sites, industrial operations, and legacy sites. TIFO's work addresses environmental health issues in low-income countries that have inherited environmental diseases exported from high-income nations. The struggles to achieve healthy communities are real; their cleanup model includes community engagement; training and employing local workers; adapting proven interventions to local socio-economic realities; securing diverse funding for activities; and including responsible government and industry contributions that are sustainable and attentive to the underlying poverty that facilitated the original polluting activities.

Don Weatherbee of Regenx Tech is pioneering eco-friendly methods to recover precious metals from diesel catalytic converters, significantly cutting emissions and conserving water.

Joey Pham is the Founder of Eorte, a revolutionary sustainable uniform company that champions circular economy practices by upcycling hotel bed sheet waste into stylish, eco-conscious service uniforms. This forward-thinking approach exemplifies a commitment to reducing textile waste, promoting sustainable resource management, and fostering a regenerative economy.

Energy efficiency solution retrofits for 700+ manufacturing facilities throughout the USA to capture Inflation Reduction Act spending for the built environment.  

Zora Chung, CFO at ReJoule, recognized that the lack of accurate battery health information could lead to significant waste across the ecosystem, especially as batteries reach their end-of-life. In response, she co-founded ReJoule Energy, a company dedicated to setting a new standard for battery health with a mission to maximize the value of every battery.

Zero Circle uses their extensive relationships and AI-powered platform to help organizations find “green funding” incentivizing the transition to a sustainable and net-zero future. Their services and products are made to finance initiatives like sustainable agriculture, clean technology, affordable housing, and renewable energy that benefit society and the environment. In addition to assisting with the financial marketplace, they help businesses find opportunities to cut emissions and pollution throughout the supply chain and encourage suppliers to adopt sustainable practices.      

TerraGraphics International Foundation (TIFO) is an interdisciplinary team of scientists that applies environmental cleanup and health intervention methodologies to help low and middle-income countries affected by mining, recycling sites, industrial operations, and legacy sites.   TIFO's work addresses environmental health issues in low-income countries that have inherited environmental diseases exported from high-income nations. The struggles to achieve healthy communities are real; their cleanup model includes community engagement; training and employing local workers; adapting proven interventions to local socio-economic realities; securing diverse funding for activities; and including responsible government and industry contributions that are sustainable and attentive to the underlying poverty that facilitated the original polluting activities.    

Venus Jenkins, CEO of Chargenet Stations, and her team are building the most comprehensive EV charging network in the United States utilizing their patented software platform for quick-serve restaurants to offer customers a superior EV charge-up experience while satisfying their hunger. ChargeNet's ChargeOpt(TM) hardware-agnostic SaaS platform optimizes EV chargers and renewable energy to turn parking lots into profit centers.    

The Net Zero Conference convenes climate leaders to collaborate on global solutions for change in the built environment. The event is an all-inclusive hub to learn about Biomimicry, Biophilia, Built Environment, Design, Energy, Health & Wellness, Materials, Technology, Transportation, Urbanism, Waste, and Water from impactful speakers from multidisciplinary backgrounds such as Schneider Electric, JLL, Southern California Edison (SCE), Stantec, Jacobs, HDR, the County of Los Angeles, and more.    

Marquita Thomas is the President and CEO of the California LGBTQ Chamber and founder of Marquita Thomas Consulting. In her role she drives meaningful change by breaking barriers and advancing economic prosperity by highlighting the importance of supplier diversity and inclusive business practices in order to end wealth disparity.  

Hago Energetics converts waste materials to clean hydrogen with a negative carbon footprint. They help farms, waste management companies, water reclamation facility and other waste generators become more profitable by converting waste to high-value products, such as hydrogen and valuable carbons through the breakdown of organic matter, such as food scraps and animal waste, in conditions with no oxygen to produce a biogas that is later decomposed to hydrogen and carbon; this hydrogen is expected to sell at a lower cost and lower carbon footprint than the current methods.  

Mark Bernstein has worked in the renewable energy and technology sector for many years. He has honed his skills to teach people about sustainability, climate, and renewable energy in an entertaining manner where you do not even realize you are learning. Earthshot was created to gamify sustainability by working with Fortnite to build your own world using currently available technologies and energy to see what may be possible if we make the right decisions. He has also written a graphic novel that focuses on murder, mystery, and electric vehicles dashing from Boston to Los Angeles in pursuit of a $10 Billion prize. Be sure to visit his website https://earthshot.us/fortnite/   to experience the game for yourself.    

ONYX POWER was founded by Aaron Dyer, PE, PMP, Debarshi Das, and Casey Reams, who set out on a mission to enable clean power access anywhere and create valuable impact through partnerships resulting in empowered communities. https://www.onyxpower.io/

Neel Vasavada, Founder and CEO of Overdrive Energy Solutions is a driving force in the movement to bring green technology to the events industry and is committed to developing cost-efficient, reliable, and clean energy systems for live events and beyond. Overdrive has made history with the largest temporary solar field ever for a US festival, powering parts of Billie Eilish's headlining set at Lollapalooza Chicago. They have also provided power at notable events and venues such as Coachella, South by Southwest, Google's I/O developer conference, and Dodger Stadium, deploying over 10 MWh of energy.

Michael Vincent is the President / CEO Americas OPT - Ocean Plastic Technologies, Executive VP - Media and Partner Development - Trucking Tower, and CEO & Founder of Sustainiacs.com. He has a strong background in logistics and knows what it takes to get products supplied worldwide efficiently. Our discussion focuses on keeping plastic from our waterways, recycling, and repurposing what is captured while keeping the overall carbon footprint as low as possible.  

Cathy Caplener is a communications entrepreneur who effectively negotiates complex social relationships and environments with a focus on purpose-driven initiatives, technology for good, mental health and wellness, plant-based food, and global warming. Giving Purpose Organization is a 501 (c)(3) that focuses on creating societal healing campaigns to help us feel worthy. The flagship campaign of the cause, YOU ARE ENOUGH, was launched in Los Angeles on July 1, 2020, to help people feel worthy, seen, and held by sharing the words YOU ARE ENOUGH on billboards nationwide. Cathy works with mental health practitioners, educators, and corporate sponsors to create support systems for those who are dealing with mental health issues while also raising awareness as a spokesperson about how we can work together to combat mental health and wellness issues in our country.

Zena Harris is the President of Green Spark Group, which offers corporate sustainability strategies, on-production consulting packages, custom training programs, and online courses designed to simplify the integration of sustainability practices for the organizations, crew, and communities. Visit them at greensparkgroup.com or email them at hello@greensparkgroup.com Furthermore, they have partnered with Ereth Environmental in a collaboration with the US Green Building Council California to create a foundational certification for the entertainment industry workforce, called Sustainable Production for Entertainment Certification, SPEC https://usgbc-ca.org/sustainable-production/ Be sure to check out their new podcast, “The Tie-in”, launching June 25th https://www.tieinpodcast.com/, which takes you behind the scenes and hear about sustainability in action. Zena Harris and Mark Rabin talk shop with filmmakers, event producers, and entertainment professionals from around the world in a quest to amplify the voices of people who are innovating, leveraging their influence, connecting ideas, and inspiring crews to make the entertainment we love more sustainable.  

Erik Distler is the Head of Sustainability at AEG, where he leads AEG's initiatives to operate their venues responsibly. AEG has been a pioneer in sustainability by minimizing environmental impacts since 2008 by making decisions based on science and metrics, valuing collaboration over competition, searching for new technologies and methodologies, and using their platform responsibly and transparently.

Brian Moskal is an environmental attorney that represents clients in environmental litigation and counseling matters with a focus on contaminated sites and water and wastewater issues. He also has experience with insurance recovery in the environmental context. Brian's extensive background helps people navigate the State Water Resources Control Board's Site Cleanup Subaccount Program (SCAP), which provides funding for investigation and remediation of environmentally impacted sites whose owners don't have sufficient funds.

22nd Century Tribal Infrastructure Group (https://22ctribal.com) is a Native American and Woman-Owned firm that is dedicated to supporting tribal nations and indigenous peoples across the globe to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the areas of clean energy, water quality, and human and environmental health. Our portfolio of technology, services, and products is designed with the highest standards of safety, efficacy, and sustainability in mind. Led by Forest James, CEO of EnerTribe and Cynthia A. Phillips, PhD, Co-founder of 22nd Century by Design, 22nd Century Tribal Infrastructure Group advances disruptive technologies, engagement platforms, and workforce development programs that fight climate change, remove PFAS, advance the 17 UN SDGS, and provide non-toxic solutions for a new standard of safe and clean.  

Fires today are more dangerous and complex than ever. Access to sufficient water is limited, and the damage caused by fires is exacerbated by PFAS, the “forever chemicals” commonly used in fire suppressants, which are known carcinogens. We need innovative solutions. Geoff Bruder, Co-Founder and CEO of Sonic Fire Tech, presents a groundbreaking approach. Utilizing a patented acoustic wave suppression system, Sonic Fire Tech uses silent infrasound waves to effectively suppress wood and chemical fires from up to 10 meters away.

Relani Belous is the founder of BELOUS LAW CORPORATION, a law firm that focuses on media, Intellectual Property (IP), transactional law and technology. She is experienced in complex commercial and business transactions coupled with an in-depth knowledge of intellectual property (IP), business affairs, compliance, labor issues, marketing, production/licensing, consumer products, famous brands, privacy, and media regulation. She is highly skilled at interpreting twentieth century laws (which have yet to be updated) for twenty-first century situations and has an unwavering commitment to protecting companies' rights against the “Goliaths” of the world. She has worked in the past in-house with #StanLee, MGM, The #JamesBond Franchise, #TeenWolf, American Gladiators Fitness™ and #Penthouse, however she aims to help smaller companies, entrepreneurs, entertainers, influencers, and cutting-edge startups. She loves trademarks so much ---- she branded her own site, “THE TRADEMARK CHANNEL.”  

Karin Stein, the Iowa state organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMusica, returns to discuss how the EcoMadres are addressing asthma, air pollution, mercury poisoning, and environmental injustice for the Latin community through music with EcoMusica About Moms Clean Air Force: Our mission is to protect children from air pollution and climate change. We envision a safe, stable, and equitable future where all children breathe clean air. We are a community of 1.5 million moms and dads united against air pollution – including the urgent crisis of our changing climate – to protect our children's health. We fight for Justice in Every Breath, recognizing the importance of equitable solutions in addressing air pollution and climate change.  

There are few people like Dr. Paul Zeitz. He is a medical #doctor, a #rabbi, an #activist, and an #author to name a few. He has a unique ability to deconstruct what makes us “tick” and help people manage their triggers, ultimately leading to healing and repairing ourselves, our relationships, awaken political imagination, and stimulate a new vision of peaceful, revolutionary transformation. His book, “Revolutionary Optimism – 7 Steps for Living as a Love-Centered Activist”, is a must-read manual that leads you to a deepened understanding of yourself, your past traumas, and how to lead with empathy and understanding.

Adrian Hightower is the Sustainability and Resilience Manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), where he works in the nexus of water equity, affordability, and inclusion. His skill set is diverse, however his proficiency lies in communicating and collaborating with entities across 26 water agencies that serve 19 million people in 6 counties, having the ultimate goal of clean, affordable water for everyone.  

Dennis Calvert, is the CEO of BioLargo, Inc. (OTCQB:BLGO)- a cleantech and life sciences innovator and engineering services solution provider. Their core products address PFAS contamination, water and wastewater treatment, control odor and VOCs, improve air quality, and control infections and infectious diseases. The “Salt Battery” is their latest innovation, utilizing Sodium, Sulfur, and chlorides to generate efficient, cost-effective, and safe energy storage.  

Greg Gebhardt, Empathetic Leader, Iraq War Veteran, and Executive Director of Military Missions in Action, a registered 501(c)3 organization and a Gold GuideStar nonprofit Headquartered in Fuquay-Varina, NC, is dedicated to assisting Veterans with disabilities, homeless Veterans and members of the Armed Forces, and their families.

Tonya Chandler is the President of BioLargo, Inc.'s Equipment Solutions and Technology. She has spent her career in water and wastewater working with both municipalities and industrial corporations worldwide, where her efforts are focused on PFAS and water reuse.

Eddy Vertil has over 16 years of project management and consulting experience across multiple sectors. He is recognized for identifying and mitigating project risks and issues and for contributing significantly to organizational growth and expansion.

Karin Stein is the Iowa state organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMusica, an initiative launched in the fall of 2022 to address air pollution, climate change, and environmental injustice through music.  

Susan Angus is the Executive Director of the Commission on Voluntary Service & Action (CVSA) and Jennifer Perez is the Training Coordinator, Organizer, and Administrative Assistant. Both have dedicated their careers to the CVSA, which was founded in 1945 and is independent of government funding or ties. They have led CVSA to give a larger voice and influence to organizations that represent people and communities in need of systemic solutions to life-or-death economic, social and environmental problems.  

Catherine Greener has significant experience in the implementation of sustainability, lean manufacturing, and industrial quality management systems. She has led sustainability and resource efficiency projects for companies and clients, from entrepreneurial start-ups to the industrial facilities of multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies. Her industry experience includes hospitality, food and beverage processing, product manufacturing, retail, automotive, chemical, semi-conductor, facility automation (robotics), and construction. Ms. Greener has given numerous talks, facilitated visioning sessions, developed pragmatic sustainability strategies, implemented organization-wide employee engagement programs, developed zero-to-landfill initiatives, and provided executive sustainability leadership for her clients. Additionally, she has conducted classes in sustainability, innovation, and continuous quality improvement, and led problem-solving groups for manufacturing strategies. Ms. Greener has experience in ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and Six-Sigma.

EdieAnn Feigles is a Partner of WOVEN, a hands-on team of Cleantech and Renewable Energy specialists delivering a tailored program to propel innovation and growth  

Susan Brennan is the CEO of 5E Advanced Materials, a company that is positioned to become a vertically integrated global leader in BORON+ advanced materials with a focus on enabling decarbonization. BORON+ products target critical, high value applications within electric transportation, clean energy, food and domestic security. 5E's advanced materials business is underpinned by its low cost, light environmental touch boron resource in Southern California, which is designated Critical Infrastructure by the U.S. government and serves as the largest known new conventional boron deposit globally. 5E's resource quality, domestic supply source, and downstream processing capabilities provide a competitive advantage given customer product specifications, scarcity of resource, and reliance on unstable, international supply.