The New York City Green Festival Expo, www.greenfestivals.org,
will take place April 24th-26th, 2015, at the Javits
Convention Center, NYC. This inspiring, community event will feature
fifty-seven expert speakers on aspects of Green living including alternative
energy sources, food and nutrition, media, the arts, climate change, gender equality, environmentally conscious
investing, running socially conscious businesses, creating a sustainable future
for the planet and more. There will be a green product marketplace, non-profit
organizations, yoga classes and organic Vegan food. Below is a list of speakers
and their biographies. Upcoming Green Festival Expos will take place in
Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland. – E. Joyce Glasgow,
www.artsandculturescene.com
Green
Festival Speakers
New York 2015
Speakers at Green
Festival® are articulate, powerful advocates for a just and sustainable world.
From authors and filmmakers to politicians, musicians and scientists, these
renowned individuals inspire packed audiences with their expertise—one of the
most compelling draws to Green Festival® since 2002. Our tremendous speaker
line-up exemplifies why Green Festival® is the largest, most-respected event of
its kind.
Lara Allen is an
M.S. in History of Art and Design candidate at Pratt Institute. Her thesis
focuses on the similarities of Japanese Design and Manitoga, the house and
garden of twentieth century industrial designer Russel Wright. She is also the
author of “Returning to Manitoga,” a blog that explores the interiors of the
home. Her article Beyond Transparency: A Discussion Around Glass in 19th
Century Paris is scheduled to be published in Belvedere: Journal of the History
of Art & Design at Pratt Institute, Spring 2015. She received a B.A. from Scripps
College and an M.A.L.S. from Hollins University.
DAVID ALSTON
(Musician) born in Durham, NC began showing interest in percussion instruments
in 1990. He was enrolled at Durham School of the Arts where he began his formal
study of the cello and percussion. Since his early exposure to music, he has
had an opportunity to work with many companies including the Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater, Forces of Nature Dance Theater, and Harambee African
Dance Company all located in New York. He has also performed numerous times
with Balafon West African Dance Company (Pittsburg PA), and Elegeba Folklore
Society (Richmond VA). He has toured with the African American Dance Ensemble
as lead Djembe Musician and participated in many events such as, Afr’AmFest
(Norfolk VA), Dance Africa (Dallas TX/Washington D.C.), United Nations Annual
South-South Day for cooperation event (New York, NY), and the Eerie Music Fest
in (Toronto OT). Alston is the Musical Director for VashtiDance Theater.
Eric Alterman is a
Distinguished Professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College and CUNY
Graduate School of Journalism, ""The Liberal Media""
columnist for The Nation, and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American
Progress, the Nation Institute and the World Policy Institute.
Alterman is the author of ten books, including most recently Inequality and One
City: Bill de Blasio and the New York Experiment, Year One (2015), The Cause:
The Fight for American Liberalism from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama
(2012, co-author), Kabuki Democracy: The System vs. Barack Obama (2011), Why
We're Liberals: A Handbook for Restoring America’s Most Important Ideals (2008,
2009), and the national bestsellers What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias
and the News (2003, 2004), and The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads
America (2004, co-author). The others include: When Presidents Lie: A History
of Official Deception and its Consequences, (2004, 2005). His Sound & Fury:
The Making of the Punditocracy (1992,1993, 2000), won the 1992 George Orwell
Award and his It Ain't No Sin to be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce
Springsteen (1999, 2001), won the 1999 Stephen Crane Literary Award, and Who
Speaks for America? Why Democracy Matters in Foreign Policy, (1998).
Termed ""the most honest and incisive media critic writing
today"" in the National Catholic Reporter, and author of
""the smartest and funniest political journal out there,""
in The San Francisco Chronicle. In recent years, he has also been a columnist
for: Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, Moment, The Forward, the Daily Beast, Worth,
The Sunday Express (London), MSNBC-TV and MSNBC.com, and a history consultant
to HBO Films. He has also been the winner of the George Orwell Award, the Jack
London Literary Prize and the Mirror Award for media criticism, and has been a
Hoover Institution Media Fellow at Stanford University.
A former Adjunct Professor of Journalism at NYU and Columbia, Alterman received
his B.A. in History and Government from Cornell, his M.A. in International
Relations from Yale, and his Ph.D. in US History from Stanford. He lives in New
York City. He lives with his family in Manhattan
Mordechai Alvow is a
global hairstylist and the creator of Yarok Haircare, a vegan, organic and
botanically-based line of restorative hair care. The entire line is free of
parabens, sulfates, and cruelty to animals and is sold around the world.
Mordechai has delivered high performance products that are healthy for both
clients and stylists. When he's not focused on product innovation or his NYC
salon, Mordechai travels the world as an editorial artist and his work has
appeared in Allure, ELLE, InStyle, Marie Claire, New York Magazine and Vogue.
Ashe', a Poetry Jam
Band Experience was created in a 9x10 9x12 bedroom in an adult family shelter
in the South Bronx, NY and had their first performance at the Bronx Relay for
Life on May 31st 2014. Leonard "Gypsy Sun" Veras is a self taught
electric guitarist who has played for 33 years. His experience as a guitarist
expands to a variation of genres, including Hip Hop, Abstract, Rhythm &
Blues, Rock, and now, performing with his wife and lead poet, Kesha "Sha
Kimono" Veras, who is also a self taught visual artist. Ashe', a Poetry
Jam Band Experience is consistently evolving. Gypsy Sun & Sha Kimono will
share their vision through their art and establish a mobile non profit to teach
economically deprived kids & adults the cultural value in music, arts,
agriculture, fashion, theatre, and entrepreneur education.
Erik Baard founded
and operates Gotham Orchards, a volunteer project that has planted orchards
with partners in all five boroughs since 2008. Species range from apple trees
from the ancestral Kazakh forests to indigenous beach plums and blueberries.
For these works and others in estuary ecology, he was designated the
"Greenest New Yorker" by the state government. He's also a writer,
published in the New Yorker, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Village Voice,
Economist, NPR, and other media.
Elizabeth Barry is a
true entrepreneurial spirit. She has run a successful strategic marketing firm
for ten years, she's the TEDxHoboken and TEDxHobokenWomen curator and was named
the very first Hoboken Woman in Business of the year. She resides as the
Business Development Director at Inflexion Interactive, a powerhouse digital
agency. Her days consist of brand building and her journey is heavily involved
in yoga, meditation and living a positive life with a beautiful outlook. She
brings the energy you're looking for in a speaker. Don't miss her talk.
John Bates is in
business to bring out what is awesome inside every person so it can live in the
world and make a real difference.
His group training is world famous and executives from companies like Johnson
& Johnson, Second Genome, Care Fusion and more recommend him to their
colleagues as the best communications and leadership trainer working
today.
John's training is based in human evolutionary biology and human
neurophysiology so you learn not only what works, but WHY it works. That gives
you principles which allow you to achieve ever increasing success and the
ability to play and create in the areas of communication and leadership.
John has trained hundreds of TED and TEDx speakers all over the world. John
also works with C level executives at top companies to make their
communications "TED-Worthy."
Joy Bauer is one of
the nation's leading health authorities. As the nutrition and health expert for
NBC’s TODAY show, Joy shares reliable, practical, and straightforward advice
that helps millions of Americans eat better and lead healthier, more fulfilling
lives. She also hosts the program’s popular “Joy Fit Club” series, which
celebrates determined people who have lost more than 100 pounds through diet
and exercise alone.
Most recently, Joy debuted her brand new PBS special, Joy Bauer’s Food
Remedies, and launched her own food line, Nourish Snacks, an online service
which delivers a wide variety of healthy, wholesome snacks to your home or
office. Check them out at NourishSnacks.com.
As a monthly columnist for Woman’s Day magazine and the creator of
JoyBauer.com, Joy continues to be a leader in developing and delivering fresh,
cutting edge health content to millions. She’s been featured countless times in
prominent publications like The New York Times, Washington Post, People, US
Weekly, Cosmo, Vogue, SELF, Glamour, and Wall Street Journal, to name a few.
Joy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with 11 books under her belt,
including her latest releases, The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan &
Inspiration and Joy Bauer’s Food Cures.
Joy is the nutritionist for the New York City Ballet and has a clientele that
includes high-profile professionals, celebrity actors, fashion models and
Olympic athletes (including Gold-medal winners).
Joy received her Bachelor degree in Kinesiology from University of Maryland and
a master of science in nutrition from New York University. At the beginning of
her career, Joy completed a five-year post as Director of Nutrition and Fitness
for “Heart-Smart Kids”, a program for underprivileged children that she
developed for The Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Department of Pediatric
Cardiology in New York City. Joy also served as a nutrition consultant for
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, was a clinical nutritionist with the
neurosurgical team at The Mount Sinai Medical Center – and taught Anatomy and
Physiology and Sports Nutrition at New York University’s School of Continuing
Education.
Passionate about delivering scientifically sound health information, Joy
received the 2010 National Media Excellence Award from the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics, and the 2012 American Society of Nutrition Science Media Award.
Joy lives in New York with her husband Ian, her daughters Jesse and Ayden Jane,
and her son Cole. She strongly believes that it’s never too early or late to
reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Maxine Bédat (née
Kay) is the co-founder of Zady.com, a shopping platform and lifestyle
destination for the next generation of consumers who care about the origins of
the items they purchase. Zady launched to rave reviews in August 2013, and was
featured on the cover of The Wall Street Journal’s “Off Duty” section with an
article entitled: Feel-Good Fashion: The New Black.
What Whole Foods has done for the organic food movement, Zady does for sourced
products. Zady is amongst the first online retailers to seamlessly integrate
commerce, rich media content and social media to provide customers with a
dynamic shopping experience. On Zady, customers can learn about the conscious
consumer movement and purchase beautiful goods that were created with
craftsmanship and artisanship – qualities that have been sacrificed in a world
of cheap prices and fast production. Early this year, Zady was named one
of
The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Retail by Fast Company and one
of 22 Instagram Accounts Fashionistas Should Follow in 2014 by
Buzzfeed.com.
With a background in diplomacy and the United Nations, in 2010 while in law
school, Maxine established The Bootstrap Project, an organization dedicated to
changing the lives of artisans in developing countries. The origin of The
Bootstrap Project began one year earlier, when Maxine was clerking in Tanzania
for the United Nation’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the court
that prosecutes those responsible for the genocide. Maxine used her free time
in Africa to explore, hoping to deepen her understanding of economic
development.
On one excursion, she went to the country of Swaziland. There, she came across
Thembenkile, a local craftswoman who made beautiful, meticulously carved wooden
dishes. Thembenkile told Maxine how she learned the craft from her father who
in turn had learned it from his. She told the story of her family and five
grown children: only two had jobs, none were following the family trade, all
were living in. Maxine asked why she was not passing down her unique skills.
“No one will buy my things,” she said. “My people can only pay for plastic that
comes to us from far away, so my kids don’t have a reason to learn.” From this
encounter, The Bootstrap Project was born.
Since then, The Bootstrap Project has become a platform for enterprising
artisans to learn new skills, expand their businesses, share their customs and
traditions, and revive the world’s most beautiful crafts. Five percent of
proceeds from every sale on Zady.com benefits The Bootstrap Project.
Maxine received her Juris Doctorate degree with honors from Columbia Law
School. She lives in New York City with her husband Stéphane.
Johann is the U.S.
CEO of Transformational Leadership for Excellence and has been a practitioner
of meditation for more then 16 years. As thought leader he has been invited to
the White House Sustainable Business Summit and as a speaker and facilitator
at: TEDx London, GE Health Care Health Ahead Summit Paris, Wharton School of
Business, Dartmouth On Purpose, Stanford University's Compassion and Business
Conference, and UC Berkeley's Leadership Symposium, among many other leading
institutions.
Over the years, Johann has been very involved in innovative pro-social
initiative launching projects like: I Meditate NY a program endorsed by Mayor
Bloomburg that was featured in the NY Times, and ABC News, while reaching more
then 25,000 New Yorker and forming partnerships with Guggenheim BMW Labs, Whole
Foods, and the New York Public Library. He also sit on the board of both
domestic and international social ventures.
Becky Beyer has been
teaching classes on farming and soil science for the last six years. She also
teaches primitive skills all around the South East. She holds a degree in Plant
and Soil Science from the University of Vermont and continues to learn, write
and teach about plants, ethnobotany, Earthskills and organic farming in the
beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Her musing on folk magic,
ethnobotany and Appalachian traditions can be found at
www.bloodandspicebush.com.
Kate Black is the
founder and editor-in-chief of Magnifeco.com, the digital source for
eco-fashion and sustainable living. Kate is also the founder of EcoSessions®, a
global platform bringing together designers, industry and consumers to discuss
change. She is regularly featured on the Huffington Post and is highly in
demand as a speaker on ethical fashion at regional and national green living
events. Her book Magnifeco: Your Head-to-Toe Guide to Ethical Fashion and
Non-toxic Beauty will be released in August.
Mike Brooks is
President and owner of Nuclear Chowder Marketing, a Digital Marketing Agency.
He is passionate about helping businesses and entrepreneurs get customers
online. Website development, advanced search strategy, social media, email
marketing and mobile are just a few of the ways Mike helps local business owners
with their online marketing. Mike is the host of two popular podcasts, The
Nuclear Chowder Show and Road To TED. He also speaks and trains people and
businesses all over the world.
Charles Chen is
healthy chef, tv host, and eco lifestyle expert. Founder of CharlesChen.tv a
thriving community focused on healthy living, inspiration and empowerment with
over 575,000 subscribers. Charles used to weigh 260 pounds ate Mcdonalds
everyday, pre-diabetic, and depressed. Now he is eating goji berries and
sipping on green juice. At age 26 he has transformed his life through adopting
a whole foods lifestyle and is passionate about helping others to do the same.
Charles is the youngest chef & wellness expert to tour all over Whole Foods
Markets! Recently appeared on TNT with Chef Emeril Lagasse executive produced
by Mark Burnett ( Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank) Hulu, Yahoo!, AOL, Mind Body
Green, Natural NewsTV,Amazon.com & More! Charles' friendly and light
hearted approach inspires people of all ages to create healthy delicious meals
for beauty, energy, and longevity!
Misha D. Clive is
the Green Business Network Communications & Marketing Manager at Green
America.. Before joining Green America, Misha was an entrepreneur in the
international music industry. She combines her years of experience in
organizing for social and environmental causes with her small business
background to serve the green business community. Misha is proud to be the 50th
Founding Member of Hub DC, a center-in-progress for social innovation in the
WDC metro area that serves as an incubator for social enterprise.
Learn more at www.GreenBusinessNetwork.org.
Dr. Kevin Danaher is
a Co-Founder of Global Exchange, Co-Founder of FairTradeUSA, and Co-Founder and
Executive Co-Producer of the Green Festivals. His 1985 PhD in sociology from
the University of California at Santa Cruz was based on his dissertation, “The
Political Economy of U.S. Policy Toward South Africa.” He is the author and/or
editor of 11 books, including his latest, “The Green Festival Reader: Fresh
ideas from Agents of Change”; and "Building the Green Economy: Success
Stories from the Grass Roots". Described by The New York Times as the “Paul
Revere of globalization’s woes,” Dr. Kevin Danaher’s analytical expertise,
sense of humor and blunt eloquence make him an exceptionally dynamic speaker.
The New York Chinese
Cultural Center (NYCCC), a nonprofit cultural and educational institution, is
dedicated to deepening the understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture in
the global and local communities. NYCCC fulfills its mission by offering
professional classes, workshops, and performances while nurturing creative and
innovative new works that reflect the rich cultural heritages and diverse
communities of today.
Davidson is the
Director of Standards and Certification at Green America, a national nonprofit
organization with over 30 years working with consumers, investors, businesses,
and the marketplace to create a socially just and sustainable economy. Davidson
works with companies across 45 industries to get the Green Business
Certification and design standards/best practices for more sustainable
businesses.
Davidson served as the Senior Regional Director for Green Festivals for 7
years. She has a BA from The Evergreen State College and an MS in Conflict
Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University.
Dino Dogan is a
professional speaker with a real job as the Founder and CEO of Triberr, the
social network for content creators that sends millions of monthly visitors to
its members.
Dino has been the subject of stories pertaining to business and technology in
publications such as Venture Beat, Forbes, Yahoo!News, Al Jazeera, and
BizJournal. His startup has been featured on thousands of blogs, including The
Next Web, Yahoo, Technorati, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and INC.
Dino has spoken or consulted for a variety of companies and audiences,
including IBM, Rutgers University, Vocus, New Media Expo, 140conf, and many
others.
A vegan chef and
healthy living educator, Leslie is the glowing face of a fresher plant-based
movement that refuses to compromise style for sustainability. Walking the
plant-based talk since age eight, this Southern California native has always
been well ahead of the times with her meatless mindset. She currently
broadcasts her farm fresh recipes and warmhearted sensibilities via
LeslieDurso.com.
After establishing herself as a private chef for the NYC and Hollywood elite,
Leslie emerged as a public persona, hosting cooking segments on television and
online. Determined to inspire beneficial life-long eating habits for everyone,
she has appeared on Food Network, Discovery Channel, Hallmark Channel, and
written for VegNews, CNN.com, Redbook, Glamour, and more, evangelizing the
benefits of a mindful lifestyle, delivered with her trademark blend of
sunshiney sophistication and girl-next-door relatability. Maxim Magazine wrote:
"We want to hire Leslie as our own personal chef! We'll even eat
vegetables for her."
Dr. Francesca
Ferrando, Ph.D in Philosophy, M.A. in Gender Studies, is a philosopher of the
posthuman. She teaches Philosophy at NYU, as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the
Program of Liberal Studies. Dr. Ferrando has published extensively on the topic
of Posthumanism, she was awarded the Philosophical Prize "Vittorio
Sainati" (2014) with the Acknowledgment of the President of the Italian Republic.
Dr. Ferrando is also a TEDx Speaker and one of the founders of the NY Posthuman
Research Group. She is actively involved in the posthuman scene as a visionary
thinker and organizer. For more info: www.theposthuman.org
Ann Finneran - a
Share International volunteer for over thirty years, Finneran adheres to the
organization’s view of distributive justice via sharing as paramount. In 2004,
she was one of the charter founders of Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development,
an upstate New York concern whose mission is “to foster economic development
that is environmentally and economically sustainable as well as socially
responsible”. She has spoken for Share International on numerous occasions
including last year's Green Festival and two panel discussions at Barnard
College where her focus was the environment. She is a member of New York Water
Action Group whose concern is to limit the withdrawal of New York State’s fresh
water by heavy industry. She embraces the ideas of the commons and transition
towns, is an outspoken “fractivist” and thinks all of these concerns support
Share International’s priority to redistribute the world’s resources and
curtail commercialization. “People over Profit”.
Ryan Foland is a
Southern California native who has a passion for working with people, and a
love for startups. As a result of his business affiliations and entrepreneurial
experience, Mr. Foland has intimate operational knowledge of small to mid-sized
startup and philanthropic organizations. Mr. Foland is the Assistant Director
of the Blackstone LaunchPad at University of California, Irvine. More than a
resource center, the Blackstone LaunchPad is recognized by the White House's
"Startup America initiative," and is a proven model responsible for
creating a new generation of entrepreneurs. A decorated Toastmaster and
experienced Emcee, Mr. Foland is also an organizer and host of the Irvine
chapter of 1 Million Cups, a weekly event inspired by the Kauffman Foundation,
that showcases new startups. When Mr. Foland has time to get away, you'll find
him on his sailboat somewhere near Catalina Island.
Amy Gansell, Ph.D.,
is an Assistant Professor of Art History at St. John's University (in Queens,
NYC), where she teaches courses on ancient and non-Western art and
architecture. She has a special interest in ancient and Islamic gardens, on
which she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Harvard University
and Pratt Institute. She earned both her master’s (2003) and doctorate (2008)
in ancient Near Eastern art from Harvard University. Previously a postdoctoral
fellow at Emory University, Dr. Gansell has been rewarded with research grants
from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and The American Academic
Research Institute in Iraq. She lectures internationally, and her scholarly
essays have appeared in museum catalogues, numerous books, and prestigious
journals including the Cambridge Archaeological Journal and the Journal of
Archaeological Science. Dr. Gansell has substantial archaeological experience
at sites in the US, France, Tunisia, Crete, Syria, and Turkey. And she always
seeks out gardens when she travels.
The uniqueness of
Prophetik begins with the artist himself. Garner’s vivacity and his commitment
to creating distinctive, sustainable, eco-friendly fashion is a reflection of
his environment. Born in the Civil War town of Franklin, Tennessee, and raised
on a horse farm, Garner grew with a connectedness to nature and a peaceful
understanding of the world. The Prophetik label’s genesis came once Jeff made
the decision to combine his love for his surroundings with his artistic
desires.
Jeff Garner (born August 18th, 1978) is an American fashion designer and
artist, best known for his sustainable plant dyed red carpet gowns made in
TN.
Jeff Garner was inducted into the Smithsonian Museum, Renwick Gallery in July
2012 for the 40 under 40 Craft Futures Exhibition.
Marty Gottlieb has
been a passionate gardener his entire life. He has a degree in horticulture
from Cornell University and has been in the lawn and garden industry for close
to fifty years. Throughout this time he has been involved in practically every
aspect of horticulture including research, new product development and
introduction, as well as commercial grower and master and home gardener
education. Gottlieb currently serves on the Cornell-NY State Greenhouse
Advisory Committee.
For nearly 30 years,
Alisa Gravitz has led Green America, the national green economy organization.
Green America develops marketplace solutions to social and environmental
problems with a key focus on tackling climate change, building fair trading
systems, stopping corporate abuse and growing the green economy. Green America
operates the nation’s largest green business and consumer networks.
Ms. Gravitz is a leading expert on how families and businesses can “go green,”
saving money and resources. She is also a nationally recognized leader in the
social investment industry. She authored Green America’s acclaimed Guide to
Social Investing, with over a million copies in print and the popular Guide to
Community Investing.
Ms. Gravitz’s board service includes Ceres, Positive Future Network, Network
for Good and People 4 Earth. She earned her MBA from Harvard University and her
BA in economics and environmental sciences from Brandeis University. Green
America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Amy, CEO of Natural
Discoveries, Inc. & Founder/Executive Director of 501c3 non profit, Healing
Seekers, treks to remote biodiverse regions of Planet Earth to capture the
wonders of life. Healing Seekers' educational videos have won 5 Telly Awards
and available in over 50,000 schools. Together with indigenous healers, Natural
Discoveries is bringing new therapies and treatments to the world.
www.healingseekers.com
www.natdiscov.com
www.seekbeauty.com
Dr. Lewis Gross is a
published author and the director of Tribeca Holistic and Integrative Dentistry
with over 31 years offering less invasive, more natural solutions than
traditional dentistry.
Dr. Nathalie
Guillaume is an alumni of the University of Miami where she graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Foreign Languages. She holds a Master of
Science in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Atlantic
Institute of Oriental Medicine, and a Clinical Doctorate in Pain Management &
Oncology from Bastyr University. She specializes in lifestyle medicine with an
emphasis on nutrition, meditation & Qi Gong, and is dedicated to promoting
the benefits of holistic health to the community. She is currently adjunct
faculty for the Graduate School of Oriental Medicine at the New York College of
Health Professions and practices in New York City.
Amie Hamlin is
Executive Director and founding member of the Coalition for Healthy School
Food. Amie wrote a legislative resolution for New York State in 2004, and has
since worked to change how schools feed kids. The Coalition is a past winner of
the Green Festival Community Award. In 2009, Amie was awarded the grand prize
for "Mom of the Revolution" from Revolution Foods and Kiwi Magazine.
In 2012, Amie was featured in Vegetarian Times Magazine as one of the new food
heroes who are out to change the way America eats - for the better, and was
called a "school food savior". The Coalition was recognized by the US
Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health as having one
of three promising practices. Amie’s passion is to have school food reflect
what we know to be true about diet and disease and the animal
agriculture/environment connection.
Dr. Sharon Jaye is
the Director of Sustainability for the New York City Department of Education.
Her office is responsible for sustainability initiatives in over 1,800 schools
in 1,300 buildings. Her doctoral dissertation on benchmarking greenhouse gas
emission inventories in higher education was published in the International
Journal of Facility Management. She holds Sustainability Facility Professional
accreditation through the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
Dr. Jaye wrote the IFMA Sustainability How-to Guide on Carbon Footprinting and
co-wrote the IFMA guide on Waste Stream Management.
Ron Kamen is
regularly in demand by state, national, and worldwide forums. Ron empowers
audiences to make decisions that create change and exponential impact. His
passionate, entertaining, and educational style transforms complicated energy
problems into clear and easy to implement solutions.
Ron develops cost-saving, clean energy projects for commercial and
institutional clients throughout NY, US & Caribbean. Ron brings 25+ years
of expertise and leadership in developing public/private partnerships; clean
energy investments; sustainability marketing, outreach, policy; project scoping,
analysis, engineering, grant incentives, tax financing, & deal structure
for solar PV, combined heat and power, and solar heating. Kamen led the
campaign that resulted in the $1 billion NY-Sun program as then-president of
the NY Solar Energy Industries Association; was recognized as New York’s Solar
Champion in 2011; created and managed successful wind power marketing, sales,
public education campaigns; is a recognized coalition builder with utilities
government leaders, & environmental organizations.
Roberto Kanter has a
Masters in International Marketing, an MBA in Marketing and a BA in Economics.
He is a guest professor at Fundacao Getulio Vargas Business School in Brazil,
where he lectures, Retail Marketing, Strategic Marketing Planning and
Entrepreneurship.
Executive Director of CanalVertical, consultancy specialized in Strategic
Planning, Multichannel Management.
He is also a mentor at Endeavor, 21212 and several Startups, aiming to make
their new businesses viable.
Noam Kostucki
believes that everything can be elevated into an art form. He is a professional
speaker, coach and writer who has engaged with over 25,000 from 40
nationalities. He has made over 50 media appearances, gave two TED Talks and
received the UK Business Speaker of the Year 2011 runner up award. He has
spoken at over 80 international conferences and at institutions like Harvard
University Yale University, the London School of Economics, startup and
executive networks. He worked with multinational clients like HP, Citrix and
Tata Consultancy Services. He has written three books: the first on personal
branding, the second on how perception and beliefs affect important business
decisions and the third on how to find the best mentors and keep them.
To find more about how to create a masterpiece, visit www.about.me/noamkos
Brian Mac Mahon is
the founder and community Director for Pay it Forward Labs, a free organization
dedicated to providing mentorship and expertise to business people who seek
council and direction from those who have already walked in their shoes. The
founding principle of PIFlabs is that everyone has an expertise, which is of
value to the community and by paying your expertise forward you are part of the
solution for global business and we all help each other grow stronger together.
The crowd then rate the different mentors based on the value given. It is a
true green, value based marketplace. Prior to Pay it Forward Labs Brian owned
an expedia type company for workspace (Your Office Agent) and prior to that
traveled globally for 15 years living and working in over 35 countries learning
what makes us different and what can bring us together.
Born in Argentina
& educated in Australia, Hector Marcel is a seasoned & passionate
organizational change management professional specializing in performance,
culture and service. With more than ten years experience, leading successful
cultural transformations in the public & private sectors in Australia,
Hector now consults from his base in New York City to a variety of
international clients.
Mr Marcel serves as the Senior VP of Learning & Change for John Foley Inc.
in the USA, delivering workshops and keynotes on High Performance designed to
achieve excellence in teams & inspire individuals to lead a life beyond
their dreams.
He is a teacher of eastern philosophy, linking ancient Asian ideas to modern
issues. He is the Founder and Director of the 108 Lives Project, an
international non-profit that serves as a platform for social entrepreneurs to
build, lead and deliver solutions for underprivileged communities.
An AIA registered architect,
Margaret Matz has 20 years of experience in designing new, restoration, and
sustainable renovation projects for academic institutions, health care
institutions, and corporate and retail organizations. Before founding Milestone
in 2010, she served as project architect, project manager, senior designer, and
executive principal with several major architectural firms. Margaret is also a
visiting assistant professor at the New York Institute of Technology and the
Pratt Institute schools of architecture. She is LEED AP and an AIA and USGBC
member. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Cooper Union for
the Advancement of Science and Art.
Green Yoga business
owner in the USA compares the challenges of starting a local business with
Roberto Kanter, who is a green entrepreneur from Brazil
Under the leadership
of Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York has established an ambitious state green
purchasing and sustainability program. This presentation will summarize a new
report, to be released on Earth Day, which highlights New York's priorities and
efforts to buy green products, reduce waste, recycle, use less energy and toxic
chemicals, conserve water, and switch to renewable energy.
http://www.ogs.ny.gov/EO/4/Default.asp
John P Morgan
envisions a more connected and loving world and he creates this by putting the
'being' back in human and the 'human' back in humanity, one powerful leader at
a time.
John speaks from the heart, encouraging and inspiring others to breathe life
into their own personal visions of a better world. As an honorable leader,
John's passionate energy ignites the soul of each and every person who meets
him.
Following studies in Physics, John built an investing business and then, while
living nomadically, founded a web media company serving charities. Beyond world
travels, John's adventures include coaching human rights leaders, touring as a
musician, creating a children's library, learning to fly, publishing writing
and photography, competing as a black belt and triathlete, studying with monks
and cycling thousands of miles.
John has been coaching and speaking since the late 90's. This work became his
profession in 2009.
Tom Nowak is a
Certified Financial Planner® practitioner and has been providing, hourly,
as-needed investment advice for more than 10 years. He is a member of The Forum
for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF), Green America®, the
International Environmental Forum, the Garrett Planning Network, Inc., and the
National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). He has written two
books on sustainable investing: “Low Fee Socially Responsible Investing:
Investing in your worldview on your terms” (2012) and “Low Fee Vegan Investing,
Taking veganism to the next level” (2014). His first career as an analytical
chemist provides him with an additional perspective on developing sustainable
investing strategies. His practice is located near Grayslake, IL and he can be
contacted at info@quantumfinancialplanning.com.
Elizabeth O’Connell
is the Campaigns Director at Green America, a non-profit member-based
organization working to build the green economy. She has led consumer action
campaigns relating to Fair Trade, labor, and corporate social responsibility at
Green America for five years. Most notably, she ran the campaign to get forced
child labor out of Hershey chocolate. This three-year campaign won Hershey’s commitment
to verify their entire cocoa supply chain for all products. Currently, she is
leading the “End Smartphone Sweatshops” campaign to improve worker health and
safety in electronics manufacturing. She holds a bachelor’s degree from NYU’s
Stern School of Business.
Colin O’Neil is the
director of government affairs for Center for Food Safety. Since joining in
2008, he has contributed to the expansion of the Center’s policy campaigns,
organizing and overseeing daily operations of the Center’s congressional and
federal policy work. He regularly meets with Members of Congress and their
staff on issues of concern to the food safety community, including regulation
and oversight of genetically engineered (GE) crops and animals, food and farm
policy, organic agriculture and climate change, as well as nanotechnology and
synthetic biology. Colin acts as a spokesperson for a range of issues and
actions by the Center, and has been interviewed and quoted by a variety of
print and broadcast media outlets, including the New York Times, Politico, Dow
Jones, Huffington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and Fox News. Colin is a
graduate of Beloit College in Wisconsin and an avid outdoorsman.
Joy Pierson is
co-owner of Candle Cafe, Candle Cafe West, and Candle 79. Her passion for
counseling and healing through great food led her to join Bart Potenza at The
Healthy Candle in 1988 where they began creating foods and menus tailored to
the nutritional needs of Joy’s private practice clients, and the Candle’s
ever-growing customer base. Their partnership flourished and they have since
created three restaurants, a growing catering and wholesale business, and three
Cookbooks.
Joy has written and lectured extensively about food and nutrition, sharing her
expertise as more people become mindful of the positive effects of healthful
eating. Joy serves as board chair of the Coalition for Healthy School Food. Her
quest is to continue changing people’s awareness of health and well being and
its effect on the planet and future generations by bringing farm fresh vegan
food to as many people and tables as possible!
Bart Potenza,
Candle’s founder, with over 30 years in the health food industry, continues to
excite his loyal following with his innovative ideas and concepts in the
organic plant based movement. Bart, along with his partner Joy Pierson, has
created three successful vegetarian dining establishments including Candle
Cafe, Candle 79 and Candle Cafe West. The original Candle Cafe was the first
restaurant to be certified by the Green Restaurant Association and all three
restaurants are at the forefront of campaigns to green NYC and the restaurant
industry.
The success of the Candle Restaurants proves Bart's original assertion that
eating super healthy vegetarian food is a choice that impacts not only
individual health, but also the health of the planet. Bart's ""daily
bread"" is his quest to make our world better for all humanity. He
continues to be inspired by the growth and significance of the green movement.
Avis Richards is the
founder and CEO of Birds Nest Foundation, a non-profit that produces television
shows, documentaries and short films for charitable organizations.
Avis has produced and directed hundreds of episodes and films for national and
local broadcast, websites and events. Avis also launched ""The Ground
Up Campaign"" a national campaign providing indoor edible academic
gardens and curriculum. Avis is on the Board of Directors for HELP USA ,
Sophie's Voice, Fans for the Cure, Earth Day Network (the environment), and the
R Baby Foundation. Avis is a member of the Advisory Board of Joe Torre’s Safe
At Home Foundation (domestic violence), Cancer Schmancer, Reach To Film,
Greenbeetz and Street Soccer USA. Avis is a ""Game Ball""
recipient for the Boomer Esiason Foundation (Cystic Fibrosis) and served as an
Excalibur award member for the American Cancer Society for which she was also
the Gala Event Chair.
Lotay Rinchen is a
native of Bhutan and holds a MA Degree in Sustainable Development from Brandeis
University in Massachusetts. He has special interests in community development
projects, particularly those linked to the environment, culture, health,
renewable energy, and youth empowerment. Lotay takes pleasure in traveling and
discovering new ideas. His strong personal passion and professional background
have led him to work with his brother to launch a sustainable travel venture
that is Bridge To Bhutan. In 2010, Lotay was one of the invited speakers at the
2nd World Eco-tourism Conference in Kuala Lumpur and was Interviewed by Rick
Steves for his radio talk in the U.S. More recently (Jan 2015), Lotay is one of
the panelists on 'travel to South Asia' at the New York Times Travel show.
Antonio Saillant
worked on high level filmmaker’s projects, learning the nuts and bolts of
production. He spent several years shadowing his mentor, Ted Kotcheff and
learning from him, not to mention, learning in a highly popular television
drama series, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Saillant gained knowledge
and insight into how the industry works at the studio level. Saillant began his
producing career, forming Angel Light Pictures Entertainment Group. The company
expresses Antonio’s vision and passion for creating energy efficient movies and
television.
Saillant says, “The motion picture industry is a vast user of electricity for
its sound stages and diesel fuel for its location filming. It is a clear target
for energy conservation.”Saillant produced his first film, “Heterosexuals” and
then followed up with “The Ascension“ and two short films “Red Right Wrong” and
“The Truth Behind the Chords.”
Saillant partnered with Ron Kamen, the Chairman of EarthKind Energy. Kamen
works extensively with the government at local, state and federal levels to
ensure a favorable climate for solar development. EarthKind Energy is assisting
the solar adoption goals of NYS by participating in Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun Initiative.
Both Kamen and Saillant are major supporters of solar technology and its
potential to play a major role in creating sustainability.
Saillant also lectures on Going Green on the Screen. At a recent speech for
Syracuse University’s Earth Week, Rachel May, coordinator of sustainability
education: “With his successful film career and deep familiarity with the
energy field, Mr. Saillant was an extraordinary resource for students from a
wide variety of disciplines.”
Mr. Saillant is furthering the education on green film production with Planet
Greenfest, a film festival that his entertainment group is putting together.
The films shown at Planet Greenfest will be shorts, 10 minutes long, and are
required to be produced using some type of green technology. Antonio says, “I
plan to take what I have learned in the energy business and apply it to the
entertainment industry in the hopes that my experience will inspire other
filmmakers and also our partners, vendors and audience.” Saillant was nominated
for the 2014 Gotham Green Awards under the category, Green Initiative.
http://www.angellightgroup.com
http://www.planetgreenfest.org
Jessica Hirsch
graduated New York University in 2013 with her Masters in Public Health Nutrition,
specializing in community nutrition in low-income and diverse populations. For
the last five years she has volunteered and worked as a nutrition educator in
New York City, mainly focusing on the childhood obesity epidemic and children's
access to fresh and healthy food. In 2012 she spent the summer as an intern in
South Africa, where her passion for public health expanded beyond nutrition,
and into maternal and child health opportunities, particularly for women and
girls. She joined Nomi Network in May of 2014 and currently builds
relationships with stores across the country who carry nomi products,
overseeing all wholesale accounts and direct sales events. Her favorite Nomi
product is the fruit collection cosmetic case, which she proudly carries with
her whenever she is on the road. - Nomi Network
Kevin Slaten has
been the Program Coordinator at China Labor Watch since 2012 where he plays a
key role in the research and writing of investigative reports, campaigns to
expose labor abuse in corporate supply chains, and public advocacy through
international forums. Kevin has been professionally and academically involved
in the study of Chinese society and politics since 2006. As part of his
graduate work at The Ohio State University, Kevin conducted a year of field
research on Chinese labor rights defense and volunteered at a Chinese
non-profit that trains and assists migrant workers. Before that, Kevin worked
for a year at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and has served on
a Fulbright Grant in Taiwan. Kevin has written pieces for In These Times, South
China Morning Post, ChinaFile, Global Post, the Diplomat, and others. Kevin has
appeared on CNN, CNBC, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, and other news programs
discussing Chinese labor rights.
Michael Stoltz is
the founder, of Zeitgeist Lab operating companies New Bauhaus and Abidiol
Phytoceuticals, that market Hempdiol™, industrial hemp derived CBD powder by a
EU based phytopharmaceutical company, consult with various organizations on
industrial hemp / CBD value chains, run three industrial hemp / CBD pilot
projects (USDA Organic Certified) in Kentucky, and now also develop
their own green extraction & smart delivery systems. Michael has an
international background in
marketing & e-commerce, and discovered CBD in response to his mother’s GBM
diagnosis in 2010. As a Vote Hemp volunteer, he currently lobbies for
industrial hemp legalization in Arizona, and just got study bill SB 1125
passed. Michael is also on the advisory councils of the Washington Hemp
Industries
Association Chapter (WA HIA), the Rocky Mountain Hemp Association (RMHA), a
member of the Hemp
Industries Association (HIA) cannabinoid committee, and participated as an
industrial hemp / CBD
speaker at several venues.
2015 Green Festivals Industrial Hemp / CBD Speaker (New York, Washington DC,
Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Portland)
http://www.greenfestivals.org/
2015 NoCo Hemp Expo CBD-Panel Participant
http://www.nocohempexpo.com
2015 CannaCon Seminar Speaker “Industrial Hemp Derived CBD”
http://cannacon.org/seminars/
AZ Industrial Hemp Study Bill SB 1125 Passed
http://azleg.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=13&clip_id=14970
Rocky Mountain Hemp Association (RMHA) Advisory Council Member
http://rockymountainhempassociation.org/content/advisors/
Hemp Industries Association (HIA) Cannabinoid Committee Member
http://www.thehia.org/hia_committees.html
2014 Hemp Industries Association (HIA) Conference CBD-Panel Participant
http://www.thehia.org/2014-HIA-conference-washingtondc.html
Vote Hemp Volunteer Lobbyist in Arizona
http://www.votehemp.com/state/arizona.html
After a career in
Investment Banking, Mahdad became a Digital Inquisitor in 2002 and founded TVI,
a full service digital marketing agency that today celebrates its 7th Industry
Award for designing innovative solutions for NASA. Have you ever challenged his
brain/talent for your own endeavors? Unlike many digital professionals,
quadrilingual Mahdad challenges you on what to do and shows you how to do it.
TVI has been awarded seven Industry Awards in the past 17 months, with clients
such as NASA and your local burger joint MARK. To leverage on his
insightfulness, Mahdad was invited to sit on the panel of judges for the 2014
Interactive Media Awards. Having worked with over 200 brands and the board
member on the Graduate Student Leadership at New York University SCPS, Mahdad
provides lectures on digital marketing best practices for the hospitality
industry at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Sophie is an
Internationally renowned Green and Healthy Living expert. She is the author of
New York Times best-selling, book, Gorgeously Green. She has written 2 other
books, on food/wellness and Natural DIY’s (The Gorgeously Green Diet, and Do it
Gorgeously). Sophie’s education began in the UK where she studied clinical
nutrition, homeopathy, and aromatherapy, which led to her interest in healthy eating,
and making her own health and beauty products. Sophie is a Certified Holistic
Nutritionist, and a Certified Yoga teacher. She has appeared on numerous
Television shows, including Oprah, Good Morning America, The View, The Early
Show, and Access Hollywood. Sophie sends out a weekly newsletter from her blog
www.sophieuliano.com to over 50,000 subscribers from 8 different countries. She
posts 2 videos to her Gorgeously Green You Tube channel weekly. Sophie is the
resident green & healthy living expert on Hallmark’s Home & Family, and
her new beauty book (her biggest passion to date), Gorgeous For Good. will be
published April 2015.
Zoe Weil is the
president of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE) www.HumaneEducation.org.
IHE offers the only graduate programs in comprehensive Humane Education linking
human rights, environmental preservation and animal protection as well as
online courses and workshops and an award-winning free resource center. Zoe is
also president of the upcoming Solutionary School NYC which will offer the
world a model school and free open-source curriculum. Zoe has given six TEDx
talks including her acclaimed “The World Becomes What You Teach,”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5HEV96dIuY and is the author of Nautilus
silver medal winner Most Good, Least Harm and Moonbeam gold medal winner Claude
and Medea, about 7th graders who become clandestine activists in New York City.
Zoe is the recipient of the Unity College Women in Environmental Leadership
award and was a subject of the Americans Who Tell the Truth portrait series.
Stefanie Iris Weiss
is the author of nine books, including her latest-Eco-Sex: Go Green Between the
Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable (Random House/Ten Speed Press). She
keeps her carbon footprint small in New York City, where she writes about
sustainability, sexuality, reproductive rights, dating and relationships,
politics, fashion, beauty, and more. Stefanie’s "Sexual Healing” column,
formerly of EcoSalon.com, posts weekly on Lifescript.com. In addition to a
monthly column in British ELLE, Stefanie writes regularly for TheMid.com. Her
other credits include Elle.com, Nerve.com, GOOD Magazine, The Daily Green,
Marie Claire, and Teen Vogue, to name a few. Stefanie is also an on-and-off
adjunct professor when not busy writing and teaching about sustainable love. A
vegetarian and eco-activist since her teen years, Stefanie has made her passion
into her work, and she wouldn't want it any other way. She believes that life
is always better when there's more pleasure, and sustainable satisfaction is
the best kind.
