Thursday, March 27th
In this session, several leading activists and advocates for tropical forests and the Indigenous people who inhabit them (and are usually their best stewards and protectors), will share their perspectives on the current status of these threatened ecosystems that are among the most biodiverse and critically important in maintaining the biosphere’s climatic stability. They will also share their ongoing campaigns, successes, and strategies going forward, including in the lead-up to the fall 2025 COP 30 meetings in Belém, Brazil (the closest major city to the mouth of the Amazon). With: Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director of Amazon Watch; Jettie Word, Executive Director of the Borneo Project; Ginger Cassady, Executive Director of the Rainforest Action Network. Moderated/hosted by: Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay, the exemplary conservation and environmental science news platform.
March 27th | 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm | Goldman Theater, Brower Center
Panelists
Leila Salazar-López
Executive Director | Amazon Watch
Leila Salazar-López has worked for 25+ years to defend the world’s rainforests, human rights and climate through grassroots organizing and international advocacy campaigns. She has been the Executive Director of Amazon Watch since 2015, leading that organization’s work to protect and defend the bio-cultural and climate integrity of the Amazon rainforest in solidarity with Indigenous and forest peoples.
Rhett Butler
Founder and CEO | Mongabay
Rhett Ayers Butler is the founder and CEO of Mongabay, a non-profit news organization that covers issues at the intersection of people and nature via a network of about 1,000 journalists in more than 80 countries. Beyond Mongabay, Rhett has advised a range of organizations and institutions, while his writing and photography have appeared in hundreds of publications. Rhett's work has been recognized with the Heinz Award and the Parker/Gentry Award, among other honors.
Jettie Word
Director | The Borneo Project
Jettie Word has dedicated her career to empowering rural communities globally, advocating for environmental justice and addressing threats to livelihoods and resources. Since 2014, she has led The Borneo Project, which works to advance Indigenous managed forest protection in Sarawak. Previously, she worked with the Oakland Institute, supporting community-driven land rights campaigns in Papua New Guinea and Senegal. She began her journey in social justice at a community education program in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Ginger Cassady
Executive Director | Rainforest Action Network
Ginger Cassady, Executive Director of Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and board member of Amazon Frontlines, has, for more than 25 years, been a leader at the intersection of environmental and social justice, leading global campaigns to hold some of the world’s largest corporations and financial institutions accountable for their impact on communities, human rights and our planet. Her vision and drive have scaled innovative philanthropic initiatives — such as RAN’s Community Action Grants, providing core funding for Indigenous and frontline communities — to create transformational, systemic positive social change.
Friday, March 28th
3:00 pm: Thriving Together: How Women-Led, Community-Based Solutions Are Transforming Our Planet
Hosted by the Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA)
The Women’s Earth Alliance, a global alliance working at the intersection of gender justice and environmental resilience, has as its guiding principle that “When women thrive, the Earth thrives.” This session will highlight women-led, community-based solutions to the interconnected challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and social inequity. Through storytelling, discussion, and collaborative art-making, participants will celebrate grassroots leadership and explore actionable pathways to build a just and sustainable future in which both people and the planet thrive. With:Daniela Perez, Regional Director for North America and the Pacific at WEA; Sarita Pockell, WEA’s Senior Program Architect; and WEA leaders Crystal Cavalier-Keck Ph.D., Tashanda Giles-Jones; Morning Star Gali; Lil Milagro Henriquez.
March 28th | 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm | Magnes Museum
Panelists
Daniela Perez
Regional Director for North America and the Pacific | Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA)
Daniela Perez, originally from Tijuana, is the Regional Director for North America and the Pacific at Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA), overseeing programs in the U.S., U.S. Territories and Mexico that advance women’s leadership, climate justice, social equity, grassroots capacity-building, mentorship, network building, gender equity, and community resilience. With over a decade in the nonprofit sector and a proven track record in regenerative agriculture, food sovereignty, health equity, and gender and climate justice, Daniela excels at facilitating transformative dialogues, coalition-building, and leadership development for systemic change.
Sarita Pockell
Senior Program Architect | Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA)
Sarita Pockell is Senior Program Architect at Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA), where she co-designs transformative programs that equip women environmental leaders with capacity, tools and networks to drive change in their communities. With a background in education for sustainability, Sarita uses a holistic approach to create immersive, collaborative learning experiences that support regenerative solutions to social and environmental challenges. Before joining WEA, Sarita spent nearly seven years in curriculum leadership at Green School in Bali and has designed and implemented educational programs in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Croatia, and Indonesia. A lifelong artist and storyteller, Sarita is also a musician, playwright, theater director, and devoted gardener and land-steward.
Crystal Cavalier-Keck
Co-Founder and CEO | 7 Directions of Service
Crystal Cavalier-Keck is co-founder and CEO of 7 Directions of Service (an Indigenous-led collective rooted in environmental justice and community organizing, operating on the ancestral homelands of the Occaneechi-Saponi in rural North Carolina) and of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women NC Coalition. An Adjunct Professor at Salem College, Crystal has extensive experience in the nonprofit and government sectors and has worked extensively with the Women’s Earth Alliance on a number of projects. She is also currently working toward a Master of Legal Studies in the Indigenous People’s Law Program at the University of Oklahoma School of Law.
Tashanda Giles-Jones
Co-Designer | Women’s Earth Alliance’s Black Girls/Green Futures Program
Tashanda Giles-Jones, an environmental educator cultivating a network of like-minded individuals, organizations and activists eager to support the learning and growth of urban youth in Los Angeles, develops human impact lessons adapted for her student population and provides engaging learning activities through garden-based education. She has volunteered and held positions with several nonprofit fundraising, leadership, and youth committees, and, most recently, Tashanda has been co-designing and implementing the Women’s Earth Alliance’s Black Girls/Green Futures Program in South Los Angeles.
Morning Star Gali
Director | Indigenous Justice
Morning Star Gali, a member of the Ajumawi band of the Pit River Tribe in Northeastern California, is the Director of Indigenous Justice and has served for 16 years as the California Tribal and Community Liaison for the International Indian Treaty Council, dedicated to advancing the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. Her work focuses on the recognition and protection of Indigenous rights, treaties, traditional cultures, the fate of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), climate and gender justice, and the preservation of sacred places. Morning Starr is also currently a Design Team member for Women’s Earth Alliance North America Programs.
Lil Milagro Henriquez
Founder | Mycelium Youth Network
Lil Milagro Henriquez, M.A. (detribalized Nahuat Pipil), a 20-year, multiple award-winning social and environmental justice activism veteran, founded Mycelium Youth Network, a renowned organization dedicated to preparing and empowering frontline youth for climate change, in 2017. Among other achievements, she spoke as a panelist at the White House’s launch of the 5th National Climate Assessment report in 2023 and currently sits on the Advisory Board for the American Public Health Association's Center for Climate Health and Equity and the National Academy of Medicine's Climate Communities Network.
4:45 pm: Achieving Digital Inclusion for Social Equity and a Clean, Green Future
Hosted by Women in Cleantech and Sustainability (WCS)
Digital equity is vital to achieving sustainability by ensuring all individuals have access to the digital tools, resources, and skills needed to thrive in a connected world. Bridging the digital divide empowers marginalized communities, enabling participation in education, economic opportunities, and environmental initiatives. Access to technology supports smart solutions such as climate data analysis, sustainable energy systems, and eco-friendly urban planning. Promoting digital inclusion enhances social equity, reduces resource inequality, and accelerates innovation toward sustainable development goals. Digital equity ensures no one is left behind as we advance sustainable solutions for a more resilient, equitable planet. Come hear from leading experts who will share their strategies to make the dream of full digital inclusion a reality. Hosted by: Sara Eve Fuentes, founder/President, SmartWaste, board chair, WCS. With Claudia Garcia, Director of Programs at Tech Exchange; Rhianna C. Rogers, formerly the Biden-Harris Administration’s Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief DEIA Officer at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; Jessica Groopman, founder of The Regenerative Technology Project.
March 28th | 4:45 pm to 6:00 pm | Golden Bear Room, Hotel Shattuck Plaza
Panelists
Sara Eve Fuentes
Chairwoman | Women in Cleantech and Sustainability
Sara Eve Fuentes, Chairwoman of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, is the founder and President of SmartWaste, a minority women-owned and operated start-up with a focus on Waste Technologies, Waste Systems and Vendor Management for Zero Waste programs with core values of “transparency, circularity, and people." With 10 years of experience in the waste and recycling industry, Sara has become a dynamic leader in abating commercial waste as well as a passionate advocate for women.
Claudia Garcia
Director of Programs | Tech Exchange
Claudia Garcia, a dedicated advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in education and workforce development, is the Director of Programs at Tech Exchange, where she leads strategic initiatives to promote digital equity, career readiness, and STEM access for underrepresented communities across California. With over a decade of experience in student advising, program management, and partnership development, Claudia has designed and implemented impactful initiatives that have helped first-generation college students and marginalized communities succeed in higher education and beyond.
Rhianna Rogers
Co-Founder | Sustainable Progress and Equality Collective (SPEC)
Rhianna C. Rogers, Ph.D., is a global leader in digital equity, public policy, and interdisciplinary research with 20+ years’ experience in the federal, academic, and non-profit sectors. Formerly the Biden-Harris Administration's Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief DEIA Officer at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, she led initiatives in diversity, AI policy, and digital equity. Also a co-founder of the Sustainable Progress and Equality Collective (SPEC), former Director of RAND's Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy, and an Ernest Boyer Presidential Fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, she has spearheaded multimillion-dollar research and community-engagement projects on equity in technology, health, infrastructure, and education.
Jessica Groopman
Founder | The Regenerative Technology Project
Jessica Groopman, founder of The Regenerative Technology Project, a platform that seeks to encourage and accelerate the tech industry’s shift towards supporting societal and ecological health, is a technology industry analyst and author who studies the intersection of emerging technologies and regeneration, and advises forward-thinking leaders globally on disruptive innovations. She has published over 50 reports on emerging tech applications and their implications and recently co-authored The Fast Future Blur. Her previous roles include: founding the research firm, Kaleido Insights; Principal Analyst at Tractica, Harbor Research, and Altimeter Group; and Senior Innovation Advisor at Intentional Futures.
4:45 pm: Sacred Activism: Reimagining Awakened Action
An Emergent Conversation
Although a great deal of human rights and ecological activism is rooted in secular rationalism and scientific materialism, there are also illustrious lineages of spiritually based social justice champions, including many prominent figures in the Civil Rights and various anti-war movements, and quite a few contemporary eco activists who draw from Indigenous teachings that view the entire web of life as ensouled. In this session, three leaders from very different backgrounds and generations working in very different fields but whose vision is anchored in a deep sense of the sacred will share their perspectives on how to bring one’s full heart and spirit to the quest for healing our relations with ourselves, each other, and the earth. With: Pat McCabe, a Diné mother, grandmother, activist, artist, writer, and ceremonial leader.; Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, Founder of Spiritual Social Medicinal Apothecary (SSoMA) and Our Bodhi Project, lifelong meditator, spiritual practitioner, artist, and activator; Kazu Haga, a trainer and practitioner with over 25 years’ experience in nonviolence and social change work, author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. Hosted by Nina Simons, author, co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer of Bioneers.
March 28th | 4:45 pm to 6:00 pm | Magnes Museum
Panelists
Sonali Sangeeta Balajee
Founder | Our Bodhi Project
Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, an artist, organizer, and mindfulness/yoga instructor, is the founder of: the Spiritual Social Medicinal Apothecary (SSoMA), a spiritual and political project; and Our Bodhi Project, which focuses on healthy movement-building through enlivening the connection between social and spiritual wellness. Sonali previously spent 13 years in U.S. local government, creating, leading, and managing social justice and racial equity initiatives and has had a long community organizing background focused on climate and racial justice, youth development, death-and-dying, and HIV/AIDS-related advocacy and service. She also currently serves on the boards of Bioneers and Worldtrust.
Kazu Haga
Author, Trainer, Practitioner
Kazu Haga, a trainer and practitioner of nonviolence and restorative justice who works with incarcerated people, youth, and activists from around the country and has over 25 years’ experience in nonviolence and social change work, is a core member of Building Belonging, the Ahimsa Collective, and the Fierce Vulnerability Network. Kazu is also a Jam facilitator and the author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. He and his family are residents of the Canticle Farm community on Lisjan Ohlone land, Oakland, CA.
Pat McCabe
Woman Stands Shining
Pat McCabe, (aka “Woman Stands Shining”), of Diné ancestry, was adopted into the Lakota spiritual way of life. She is currently beginning the stewardship of a piece of land at one of the four sacred mountains of her people, as part of the “Rematriation Movement.” McCabe, a proud grandmother, has long spoken and taught widely, nationally and internationally, sharing cultural and spiritual insights.
Nina Simons
Co-Founder and Chief Relationship Strategist | Bioneers
Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers and its Chief Relationship Strategist is also co-founder of Women Bridging Worlds and Connecting Women Leading Change. She co-edited the anthology book, Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart, and most recently wrote Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership. An award-winning social entrepreneur, Nina teaches and speaks internationally, and previously served as President of Seeds of Change and Director of Strategic Marketing for Odwalla.
Saturday, March 29th
Modernity has stripped many of us of our ancestral lifeways. In this interactive session with Maija West and Hilary Giovale, we will explore the reclamation of matriarchal principles, practices, and ways of knowing. Calling on our supportive ancestors, we will create small circles within our larger circle, to sense this reclamation in our bodies, imagine it in our hearts, and begin speaking it into being. How can people of all genders come together and respectfully embody the ancestral teachings that connect us to land, water, and each other?
March 29th | 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm | Lotus Cafe, Dharma College
Panelists
Maija West
Author and Consultant
Maija Danilova West, a retired attorney, author, and consultant with 25+ years’ experience advising nonprofits, businesses, tribes, and government agencies, specializes in utilizing reconciliation strategies to foster strong agreements within diverse communities. Her Latvian heritage has deeply influenced her leadership vision, emphasizing the importance of relationships, traditions, and honoring life's transitions. This cultural grounding, combined with her extensive professional experience, informs her work as a peacemaker. Maija's recent book, "Matriarch Makeover, a 30-Day Invitation," is an ecological call to action for women leaders.
Hilary Giovale
Author and Activist
Hilary Giovale, a ninth-generation American settler, descended from Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, and Indigenous peoples of ancient Europe, is an active “reparationist” who seeks to “divest from whiteness” and seeks to follow Indigenous and Black leadership in support of human rights, environmental justice and equitable futures. She is the author of Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair.
4:45 pm: Worlds Within Us — Ancestral Wisdom, Courage, and Healing
A Conversation and Book Presentation with Distinguished Women Elders
The recent book Worlds Within Us, conceived and pulled together by Katsi Cook, whose work as Director of the Spirit Aligned Leadership Program includes supporting Indigenous women elders in transferring their knowledge and experience to younger women, presents the stories and perspectives of eight extraordinary Indigenous women elders from across North America, each representing a distinct nation and carrying the wisdom and traditions of countless generations. In this session, we will get the extremely rare privilege of being present as some of the legendary contributors to this remarkable collection share their stories and ways of seeing. With: Tekatsi:tsia’kwa Katsi Cook (Wolf Clan, Mohawk Nation); Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook (Oglala Lakota); Sarah James (Neets’aii Gwich’in).
March 29th | 4:45 pm to 6:00 pm | Crystal Ballroom, Hotel Shattuck Plaza
Panelists
Katsi Cook
Executive Director | Spirit Aligned Leadership Program
Tekatsi:tsia’kwa Katsi Cook (Wolf Clan member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation), an Onkwehonweh traditional midwife, lifelong advocate of Indigenous midwifery and Native women’s health throughout the life-cycle (drawing from the longhouse traditionalist teaching that “woman Is the first environment”), is Executive Director of the Spirit Aligned Leadership Program. Her work over many decades has spanned a range of worlds and disciplines at the intersections of environmental reproductive health and justice, research, and policy. Katsi’s groundbreaking environmental research of Mohawk mother’s milk revealed the intergenerational impact of industrial chemicals on the health of her community, and she is a major figure in a movement of matrilineal awareness and “rematriation” in Native life.
Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook
Teacher | Seven Sacred Ceremonies
Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook (Oglala Lakota, Pine Ridge, South Dakota), endowed with extraordinary memory, curiosity and intelligence, was chosen by her elders to uphold and teach the Seven Sacred Ceremonies to coming generations. Her lifelong leadership in Sun Dance ceremonial cycles and in mentorship among women follow the teachings of her mother, renowned spiritual elder Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance, who for fifty+ years guided many Lakota families (tiospaye) in the preservation of their traditional lifeways. Loretta is currently at the forefront of the struggle over the central cultural issue of her people—the resolution of use and ownership of the sacred Black Hills.
Sarah James
Gwich’in Eco and Indigenous Rights Activist and Legacy Leader
Sarah James, (Neets’aii Gwich’in), an award-winning, world-renowned activist who been at the forefront of the struggle to defend the rights of the Indigenous peoples and the natural world and all its creatures in the far northern world of interior Alaska for decades, has traveled globally to advocate for the protection of the Porcupine Caribou herd from oil development and climate catastrophe. Sarah, a deeply respected Legacy Leader, still works from her village and remains devoted to passing on ancestral teachings to younger generations.
