VisionKeepers™

The Equine Assisted Growth And Learning Association (EAGALA) incorporates horses to address mental health and personal development needs. “Non-verbal is 90% of all communication, and that’s what the horses respond to.” The horse may become an aspect of a person’s personality, reflected back to them. Lynn/EAGALA provide a space for that person to interact with the horse and in turn the lessons learned from the experience translate into better relationships with others and more enjoyment in life within themselves.

Dustin Morin explains the process of land reclamation, in which he updates and maintains Alabama’s state inventory of abandoned mine land features and conducts environmental assessments prior to the undertaking of mine reclamation projects. Learn what makes Alabama unique, the positive impacts in safety, and how the landscape is being improved.

Marty Williams shares his experience with family-owned shrimp farming and the importance of location and environment to providing a high quality product. Working on saving the mangroves, maintaining water quality, and helping out in the local communities – Sahlman Seafoods has a product they are proud of.

Jake Danehy, Founder of Fair Harbor Clothing, shares how a beach where he and his sister, Caroline, spent their summers inspired the innovative creation of swim wear made from recycled plastics. Fair Harbor’s mission is to reduce and promote the mitigation of single use plastics is successfully being accomplished through an integral board of advisors and a passion for the cause.

Christina Bicchieri, S. J. Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Norms in the Wild,” explores decision theory and all it involves, including fundamental attribution bias, confirmation bias, pluralistic ignorance, time discounting, and the foundational beliefs that shape societies. Working with UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and the World Bank, Dr. Bicchieri hopes to influence developing countries to adopt small changes that will benefit their communities.

Cassie Slone, who started The Foster Care Council in 2012, heads up Studio Thrifty for the Kids with her colleague, Lindy Hester. Many children arrive at foster homes with nothing but the clothes are their back, so Studio Thrifty for offers them an individualized personal shopping experience where everything is free, they feel like celebrities, and they can get the supplies and clothing they need.

Jim Ziolkowski shares how BuildOn empowers youth from some of America’s toughest neighborhoods to be the change they want to see in the world through acts of service with homeless, seniors, and children in their communities. BuildOn lights a fire in the hearts and minds of these youth, who go in search of more opportunities to serve and ultimately achieve their high school diplomas – something that only 60% in these communities accomplish outside of the program.

Helen Lowman joined Keep America Beautiful as President & CEO in May 2017 with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the areas of international diplomacy and development, youth engagement, environmental education, disaster resilience, global leadership, volunteerism, social justice and human rights.

Veronica Rajadnya enlightens us on the innovative options available to recycle what we might have thought we couldn’t recycle. Offering many free recycling programs to raise money for non profits and easy solutions for every day individuals – Terracycle is bridging the gaps.

Democrats to Republicans, conservatives to liberals, old to young - one this is for sure, we all desire things like clean water, energy efficiency, and air quality but we often find ourselves at a fork in the road. Amy Sohner and Bluegrass Greensource are working to figure out a path we can all agree on and walk down it together.

Lawrence Sheffield , a teenage entrepreneur, firefighter/paramedic, and now Founder of Magic City Woodworks, joins us today to share the moving story of his humble life up to this point. Creating a space for social impact where young men who may be stuck in a rut can become apprentices, join a brotherhood, and learn tangible skills to take with them the rest of their lives.

Ely Folk School brings young and old together to teach and be taught traditional skills passed down from the ancestors who founded their beloved town. Paul draws from his lifelong interest in outdoor adventure to remind us that our daily encumbrances pale in comparison to the magnificence of the natural world around us.

Suma Rosen, Executive Director of InsideOut in Detroit, MI offers a window into the souls of our youth and gives them the means to express it through poetry. InsideOut Detroit nurtures creative thinking and creates a space for possibility.

Steve Nygren, chats about how a farm purchased near Atlanta, Georgia inspired a community filled with hope to live out life comprised of free range children, home grown food, butterfly bushes, edible gardens, and diverse community – welcome to Serenbe.

Lynn Thomas, LCSW is Eagala’s founder and CEO. Under her leadership, Eagala advanced the first professionalized standards for equine-assisted psychotherapy, developing Eagala’s certification program into the industry’s global standard. Her efforts developing the Eagala Model, while spearheading operations both domestically and abroad, have augmented Eagala’s global presence. Lynn Thomas received her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Utah and has over 16 years’ experience working with adolescents, families, individuals, and groups in various settings including youth corrections, wilderness and ranch programs, private practice, and mental health agencies. Lynn served as Executive Director for the Aspen Achievement Academy, a wilderness therapy program.

Colin Tomkins-Bergh educates consumers and businesses on the issues at the nexus of food and sustainability by working with startups across the country. He has an education in sociology, entrepreneurship and scientific communication with a specific focus on sustainability throughout the food value chain. Colin’s career demonstrates his ability to bring innovative ideas to market to make a more equitable and sustainable food system.

Amanda is a college biology instructor living in Savannah, GA who began picking up litter in September, 2017 in an effort to mitigate flooding from oncoming Hurricane Irma. Amanda continued removing litter from Savannah streets, sidewalks, and parking lots after the 2017 hurricane season ended. Her goals include single-handedly clearing 200 thirteen-gallon bags of litter from her community every year and increasing scientific literacy via social media.

Highly driven and articulate biomedical scientist and educator with expert knowledge in HIV/AIDS virology, clinical disease/pathogenicity, drug treatments and drug resistance development. Exceptionally gifted in communicating abstract concepts to audiences of diverse education backgrounds whilst effectively advocating an idea, product and/or organization. Strongly pursued for advisory, communication and training skills throughout career with success targeting large groups impacting direction and perception of new HIV infection prevention strategies and technologies. Skilled writer as demonstrated by impressive publication record with an intrinsic passion to empower others with knowledge.

Brynne MacCann joined Southern Research in 2016. She is responsible for providing administrative and tactical support associated with the organization’s fundraising strategy, in addition to public relations responsibilities associated with the fund development activities.

Dr. Vinod Namboodiri graduated with a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His research interests have been in the design, analysis and evaluation of systems that solve challenges in Mobile Computing, Wireless Networks, and Smart Electric Power Grids. Dr. Namboodiris current research interests are in the design and application of technology to make communities more accessible for those with disabilities.

Adam joined the Waterfront Partnership team in 2011. He received his Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his experience includes working for the Water Resource Division of the Maryland Department of Planning. He is a passionate conservationist, and is involved with protecting and restoring the rivers and streams of his community. He enjoys helping to lead Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, and looks forward to one day swimming in the harbor.

Mike Grigsby is Vice President of Marketing & Technology for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and former CIO for the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD). He has been involved with numerous innovation efforts throughout the Kansas City region, including leading several transportation and public safety technology initiatives.

Michael hails from Charleston, SC, and has managed to keep GRO headquartered there to this day. He attended The Citadel – Military College of South Carolina, where he earned his a BS Degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering.

Featured as a 2017 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 emerging leader in sustainability, Jarami Bond lives to serve people and steward the planet. Rooted in the belief that responsible business can help solve the global challenges we face, Jarami helps businesses cast vision, strategize creatively, and realize unique opportunities to maximize their platforms and leverage their influence. He accomplishes this by building high-impact initiatives that create channels to business growth and value for all key stakeholders (society, environment, employees, & customers).

Kathryn Kellogg the founder of Going Zero Waste and forthcoming author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste breaks eco-friendly, sustainable living down into an easy step by step process with lots of positivity and love! All of her trash for two years fits in a 16 oz mason jar, but don’t let that intimidate you. Her blog is full of small, actionable tips you can implement to make the world a little greener.

Andrea Sanders is an environmental educator, mindfulness advisor, TEDx speaker, traveler, artist, and dog mom. Her work focuses on encouraging ecological responsibility, day-to-day mindfulness, and compassionate eating through a plant-based diet. Andrea is also a zero waste influencer and educator on Instagram with a global outreach of over 75,000 followers.

Michael Pegues is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Aurora, Illinois. Michael began his career working in various IT Support roles for AT&T and Pepsi-Co in the Greater Chicago Area. Michael has worked for the US Department of Defense as a civilian Automation Management Officer at US Army Garrison in Vicenza, Italy. In addition, Michael has held various senior IT positions in Hewlett-Packard France, Vodafone Hungary and Morgan Stanley in Budapest Hungary and New York New York. Michael holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from DeVry University and an Executive MBA, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management from Central European University Business School in Budapest Hungary. Michael is a proud Veteran of the US Army.

Peter Krull is the Founder, CEO and Director of Investments at Earth Equity Advisors, a leading socially and environmentally responsible investment management firm located in Asheville, NC. Founded in 2004, Earth Equity Advisors works with individuals, trusts, institutions and non-profits to help them align their investments with their values.

Marty Williams joined Sahlman Seafoods in 1996 and has served the company in various capacities. Mr. Williams is currently President of Sahlman Seafoods, Inc. and is responsible for overseeing day-to-day activities of the company, which has operations in Tampa, Florida as well as Nicaragua, C.A.

Janna is currently the Public Affairs Administrator for the City & County of Denver’s Office of Sustainability, where she works internally to develop sustainability as a core value for the municipality and externally with the community on sustainable behavior change initiatives. She is also the Vice-Chair for the Colorado Renewable Energy Society’s state board and was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to the Colorado Pollution Prevention Advisory Board, a position she presently holds.

David Dionne is the President of Integrated Park Management, LLC a company dedicated to building and improving parks and communities across America. His work has been consistently recognized as both visionary and innovative by both park professionals and government leaders at every level across the country. David has been a featured or keynote speaker at park and trail conferences more than 50 times, and served for many years as a consultant to design firms, government agencies and nonprofit corporations. His ideas and practices are frequently copied and consistently praised for their simplicity, function and cost efficiency.

Michael serves as the executive director of green|spaces, a nonprofit based in Chattanooga, TN that works to advance the sustainability of living, working, and building through education, training, consulting, and demonstration development. He is a licensed architect with experience in commercial interiors, commercial architecture, single and multi-family residential, graphic design and urban design, all with a focus on maximizing quality of life while minimizing impacts on the environment. Michael serves on the US Green Building Council's Market Leader Advisory Board for Tennessee, the Interior Design Advisory Board at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Board of Directors for the ACE Mentor Program of Chattanooga and as a mentor for the Cleantech Open and CoLab. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design, attended the ETH-Zurich as a guest student, and practiced architecture in Washington, DC at Envision Design and Perkins+Will before moving back to Tennessee to become the executive director of green|spaces.

Taylor Campbell sees herself, in her words, as a “pilgrim” having put a hold on pursuing medical school until she cultivated/lived out a certain aspect of life. Taylor-Ann has a B.A. in Sociology, Post-Bacc in Biology. She is painfully curious about the themes of philosophy, narrative, and meaning at the level of the individual life.

As Chief Sustainability Officer for Interface, Erin leads a global team that provides technical assistance and support to the company’s global business, addressing sustainability at all levels –from operations and management, to employees and customers, and in policy forums. Erin and her team are also responsible for developing industry-leading approaches to measurement, driving transparency and innovation in the field of sustainability. This includes creating a framework for and implementing the company's newest sustainability mission Climate Take Back, while also capturing successes as the company nears its Mission Zero targets in 2020.


Dustin Morin is a Land Reclamation Inspector for the Alabama Department of Labor, Abandoned Mine Land Program. Before he began a career in public service he worked as an environmental consultant to the U.S. EPA which provided him a strong scientific background and technical skill set. He is passionate about environmental and conservation issues and uses his experience to accomplish the goals of the Abandoned Mine Land program and restore land and water resources impacted by coal mining to a more natural condition.

Chris Durbin is the Lead Engineering Instructor for Project Lead the Way. Chris started his teaching career in 1994, as a Career Technology educator in Danville, IL. The focus for this urban clientele, was to help students understand that knowing something now was not going to be enough for a complete life. Technology and our culture are so fluid that we must learn how to learn in order to be relevant in the future.

Blake Miller is a serial entrepreneur with expertise in growth marketing and the Internet of Things. He currently serves as the CEO of Homebase.AI and is a partner at Think Big Partners. Blake joined Think Big in 2009 as the Director of the Accelerator, managing the accelerator program portfolio and internal technology operations for Think Big. At Think Big, Blake has championed several new initiatives that grew out of Think Big including; the Kansas City Smart Initiative which won a 2017 Edison Innovation Award and Homebase.AI a joint venture partnership between Think Big and Sunflower Development group.

Deb designed and patented several hydroponic intelligence systems and then launched the world’s first franchise model for sustainable food production. Desiring to bring hydroponic benefits mainstream, she works in tandem with top chefs and fortune 500 companies to rethink fresh food production and distribution methods.

Denise is the co-founder and managing director of the Berlin-based Sustainable Food Academy which offers B2B services for executives working in food business contexts. Denise is a sustainability expert and trend scout with the thematic focus on "Future Food“. As a strategic policy consultant, project manager and researcher, Denise previously worked for the United Nations (UN), the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the areas of ​​climate policy & economic development.

Kathleen is the President and Founder of Databuoy Corporation. She is an entrepreneur with a synthesis of technology research, system engineering and management experience. She founded Databuoy Corporation in 2006 to develop and field tactical, embedded sensor networks, including the ShotPoint gunfire localization system that is now a market leader.

Katie is the Director of Community and Public Relations for Red Mountain Park, where she gets to spend her days introducing her community to an amazing and historic outdoor space.  She enjoys leading the Park team on best communications practices, public relations planning and crisis communication tactics.  She is married to David and has two sons, Trey(3) and Sullivan(1).  She enjoys hiking with her kiddos, cooking and planning her next weekend road trip adventure.  

Philanthropy and nonprofit involvement has always been a priority. Whether it has been serving as a founding board member for Girls on the Run of Austin, a mentor for The Jonas Project, or an active member of The Junior League, Jodi tries to make a positive impact wherever she can. When she is not working or volunteering, Jodi loves spending time with her family and friends as well as training for various marathons across the country.

Bob Bennett became the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, in January 2016 after a 25-year career in the US Army. He leads the Smart City initiatives, a suite of projects including: data analysis, Public Wi-Fi, digital kiosk installation, and smart lighting programs in the city’s downtown core. Kansas City’s initiatives earned an Edison Award (Gold) for “Collective Disruption” and civic innovation in 2017, and Bob was named one of GovTech’s 25 Dreamers, Doers and Drivers in 2018. He is currently working on plans to extend Smart City infrastructure throughout the 318 miles of KCMO with an emphasis on Digital Inclusion and partnering with Avis on deployment of the first fully Connected Vehicle Fleet in a municipality. 

Crystal Lassiter is the Sr. Director, Global Sustainability & Environmental Affairs at UPS. Her responsibilities include developing and driving the strategies, initiatives, and reporting activities that advance UPS’s sustainability goals.

Kelley is the founder and owner of ADX, founder of Portland Made, author, consultant, public speaker and teacher. Kelley is currently working with developers, school districts, private investors, city economic development agencies and communities around the globe to help them grow and sustain their local maker ecosystems.

Dr. Edward White, Jr. (Eddie) has lived in the Lowcountry for most of his life, graduating from Wando High School in 1978, then Furman University in 1982. He completed his degree at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine in 1986.

Jennifer has an M.S. in biogeography, is an ISA-certified arborist and municipal specialist, and has over twenty years’ academic and practical experience in plant ecology, environmental science, and forest dynamics with a focus on urban environments.

Jason Gregory is a registered landscape architect and the Sr. Educational Facilities Planner at Georgia Institute of Technology located in Atlanta, Georgia. His responsibilities include a wide variety of projects across Georgia Tech’s campus.

Svetlana Pell manages the Green Street Steward program with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services. She organizes a program that empowers volunteers to take an active role in maintaining the City’s green infrastructure.

Max Elliott is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Urban Roots in Austin, Texas. Max holds Masters Degree in Environmental Studies and Social Work. He has a certificate in Ecological Horticulture from the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Gordon Garrett is a high profile, innovative and dynamic business executive with 25+ years of senior leadership experience across broad industries, products, services and technologies.