Robyn Griggs Lawrence introduced mainstream America to sustainable, healthy lifestyles as editor-in-chief of Natural Home magazine for 11 years and was one of the first Westerners to write about the Japanese art of imperfection with The Wabi-Sabi House and Simply Imperfect: Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House. She wrote the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and an early academic title, Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis. Robyn has been an editor with Boulder Magazine, Sensi, Mother Earth News, Mountain Living, The Herb Companion, and Organic Spa and ran successful blogs on Huffington Post, Care2.com, and Motherearthnews.com. ​

She raised two great kids in Boulder, then spent two years traveling up the West Coast in an Airstream before returning to settle down in Lafayette. ​

My name is Michal Duffy, I use they/them pronouns (elle en espanol), and I live in the mountains outside of Boulder. I have been lucky to grow up and live in the mountains my entire life and I credit that with influencing my sensibilities as an environmentalist. An appreciation for and dedication to our natural environment has been a central tenet of my entire life. I am from western North Carolina, where I acquired a Masters degree in Appropriate Technology and Environmental Design and worked within the local sustainable agriculture movement. I then spent 4 years in Vermont again participating in the local sustainable agriculture system, state-level compost and recycling, as well as working for a nonprofit that supported cooperative coffee growers in Latin America to diversify their income to better survive the impacts of climate change on their cash crop. When I relocated to Colorado, my professional focus shifted to equity and inclusion thanks to the opportunity to work for Out Boulder County; I still weave sustainability into my work whenever possible. While I am interested and motivated by all different fields and aspects of environmental sustainability, I am perhaps most excited by and most experienced in closed-looped systems at the connection of waste management through compost and recycling and local agriculture. My work in Boulder County over the past 6 years has also reinforced and enhanced my understanding of environmental justice and the importance of keeping equity and sustainability front and center, together. ​

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Kiran Herbert grew up all over the world and has settled in the foothills outside of Boulder, Colorado. For the past decade, she’s worked as a writer and editor covering the outdoors and culture — she currently manages content for PeopleForBikes and moonlights as an officiant. Kiran serves on the Executive Committee of the local Sierra Club chapter and is passionate about creating a more equitable, biodiverse, and livable future. In her free time, you’ll find Kiran at the farmer’s market, hiking, sitting in community, or listening to Tiny Desk Concerts. ​

Dai Kato, MA is a mental health family therapist certified by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. He is the founder of the Five Rings Program at SMART Therapy Center in Colorado. ​

In 2007, before he became a family therapist, Dai managed one of the largest events in human history for climate change called “Live Earth 2007” as a member of vice president Al Gore’s Live Earth executive management team. Live Earth reached two billion people using all traditional and social media to raise awareness for climate change. Dai was solely in charge of branding and strategic activations of the venues in Japan. He was a negotiator with the Japanese government, and the Ministry of Environment in order to host a press conference of the event at the ministry. Dai moved to Colorado in 2006, he was the first Sustainability Specialist at Colorado Mountain College to create B.A. and B.S. degrees in Environmental Science and Sustainability Studies in 2008. ​

In 2010, he moved to Boulder to become a research fellow at CU-Boulder, Center for the study of Conflict, Collaboration, and Creative Governance under Dr. Stan Deetz. He initiated projects in community disaster resiliency and hosted the first Colorado Resilience Initiative at CU Boulder with centers at CU and local government officials. ​

As the result of four years of research at CU Boulder, he concluded that the most effective intervention for climate change could be intervention to change our root cause of dysfunctioning behaviors using awareness-based interventions. Then, he activated his clinical registration as a psychotherapist in Colorado. He integrated Japanese Eastern wisdom and Western Medicine to develop the Five Rings program. The Five Rings program is a whole-brain approach that can help to raise our awareness of our culture, perceptions, identities, emotions, and somatic body sensations in order to balance holistic intervention to this planet of Earth without separating us from our local community and environment. ​​

He is originally from a Japanese Samurai family and started his Zen meditation practice at the age of seven at Eiheiji Soto Zen Head Monastery. He still practices Zen and Zen Archery called Kyudo in Boulder. He also attended a Japanese Private Christian school for ten years. Dai is open to any faith and research domains from all over the world. ​

Berenice Garcia Tellez, a Mexican native and travel enthusiast, received her master’s degree in Environmental Engineering in Saudi Arabia. She has lived in Turkey, Italy, and Norway, where she worked researching climate change. Berenice currently works at City and County of Denver implementing equitable policies for the new Energize Denver Building Performance Ordinance. Before, she managed the Sustainable Business Program at the City of Longmont and worked with the business community on implementing sustainable and DEI practices that lead to the creation of the first equitable sustainable business program in the country. ​​
She also sat at the Latino Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 4 years. Through her work with the Chamber, Berenice has supported hundreds of Latino businesses through the COVID-19 crisis, coordinated community equity clinics and advocated for equitable financial resources distribution. ​
Some of Berenice’s favorite figures are Elon Musk and Batman. Though the two have very different origin stories, they both rose to make a great impact in their respective communities. While Batman may be fictional, both he and Elon Musk inspire Berenice to one day do something that influences the world. ​

Hey there! My name is Audrey Thames and I am a fourth year at CU Boulder pursuing a major in environmental studies with a focus in public policy. I was born in Texas but have lived in the Boulder area since I have been 7 years old. I have never been a big outdoors sports girl but I have always had an appreciation for the outdoors. Going on afternoon strolls, coffee on the porch, or outdoor live music has been more of my speed. Because of this, my love of natural sciences and interest in policy, I found my path in environmental policy. It also doesn’t hurt that I was the kind of kid that was told I should be a lawyer. Which we all know is a nice way of saying I was stubborn. Alongside being a student I also work for the Environmental Center at CU where I have found a community of supportive driven young climate change leaders. I also do internship work for clean energy action, a grass-roots nonprofit that aims to inspire, train, and support activists. Outside of school and work you can typically find me getting a beer and playing pool, watching survivor, or going to a concert. ​

Andrea Yoloteotl Nawage creates opportunities for reparations towards Indigenous and BIPOC communities. Andrea, currently graduated with an Environmental Studies degree at Naropa University, focused on environmental and social justice on behalf of our planet. Additionally, she graduated with a minor in Peace Studies, Food Justice along with a Permaculture Design Certificate. She is originally Indigenous from Mexico, and she has become passionate about creating social justice and equity for people. She is the Chief Executive Director, and Founder the non-profit Harvest of All First Nations (HAFN), an Indigenous-led collaborative empowering communities through projects and education, which is focused on Indigenous-led reparations, rematriation & Earth based Decolonization for the benefit of BIPOC peoples for cultural enrichment & health equity .HAFN was able to host the first annual Corn Festival in Boulder County, focused on Land Back, Indigenous leadership and regenerative agriculture. Her cultural, ceremonial and ongoing community background has helped to offer an opportunity for generation healing for the next generations including my children. HAFN’s focuses on reclaiming Indigenous ways of governance models within the non- profit world and societies so it could be adapted to help break patriarchal colonialistic systems. ​