Speaker Directory
Below are just some of the speakers you will have access to, both in recorded video and live, virtual sessions. As an institutional member, you will also be able to request new recordings at no additional charge.
Ronald
Location: The Netherlands
Specialty: Coastal Development, Coastal Management, Sea level rise, urban engineering, environmental sustainability
Experience: Living and working in the Netherlands, Ronald’s life is dedicated to finding answers to the question how we can develop well-balanced and integrated solutions in the fields of space, economy and environment to existing and future problems in densely populated areas.
A well-respected specialist in chemical, environmental and civil engineering (Delft University, MIT, Illinois Institute of Technology) Ronald provides consultancy services to governments and international organizations in 50 countries around the world with regard to Coastal Development and Land Reclamation based on the principle of Building with Nature.
In this session, Ronald outlines his Building with Nature philosophy, case studies, and success stories. Sea level rise, a major threat to the world's low-lying coastal urban areas, can be addressed not by fighting the sea but rather working with it.
Session length: 41m26s
Mariana
Location: Lima Peru
Specialty: Conservation, Environmental Science, Ecology of the Amazon, Indigenous Women’s Empowerment, Community Development, Sustainable Development, Peru, South America
Experience: A native of Lima, Peru, Mariana worked as a conservation biologist for 10 years studying the ecology of macaws, otters, and monkeys in the Pantanal and Amazon before getting involved in developing ecotourism for local communities in the Peruvian Amazon. She has facilitated entrepreneurial workshops for female indigenous artists in the Peruvian Amazon and Brazilian Pantanal in efforts to protect the local environment and provide women with a much needed independent income.
Session length: 40m37s
Chris
Location: Vietnam
Specialty: Rural Development, Sustainable Development, Economic Growth, Global Business, Technology, Finance
In this session, Chris talks about his work as a data scientist at a high-powered London company serving large global financial institutions and discusses his role as the Chairman/Strategist for the Lotus Project, a sustainable development project in Vietnam.
He addresses how he helps to create a safer financial system at work, as well as how and why he came to the Lotus Project and the mission, goals, and work of the organization. The intersection between the two fields of global business and technology and how they inform each other, are key in this talk, as well as the role of global business and finance in supporting sustainable development.
Session length: 51m31s
Dr. Dorgbadzi
Location: Accra, Ghana
Specialty: Storytelling, Performing Arts, Theatre Arts, Ghana, Community, Culture, Cultural Identity, Popular Culture
Experience: Dr. Dorgbadzi, a professional Ghanaian Storyteller and Professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Ghana, explores the rich history of oral storytelling in Ghana and its contemporary significance. Founder of the Lododo Arts Organization, she is an active storyteller and leader in her community and the preservation of its cultural heritage.
In the session, she addresses the role of storytelling in past and present Ghana, the role of traditional arts in cultural identity, the commodification of culture, and the integration of technology and contemporary issues into an age-old art.
Session length: 31m23s
Greg
Location: Rwanda
Specialty: Community Development, Sustainable Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Rwanda, Africa, Conservation, Land Preservation
In this session, Greg, the a founder of a sustainable tourism and conservation organization, discusses his personal and professional experiences working to protect valuable natural resources and foster resiliency in his local communities through sustainable tourism. He shares his insight on working with the community to get buy-in, the impact of large, international NGO's, and what it's like to do this work in Rwanda and the African Continent.
Session length: 37m20s
Aoife
Location: Galway, Ireland
Specialty: Place-based Learning, Winterage practices, Early people and Ancient Societies, Human + Natural Environmental Sustainability, Grassland Ecology, Geology, Hydrogeology, Habitat mapping, Conservation, Winterage, Agricultural Science + Innovation, Suckler farming
Experience: Aoife, an education co-ordinator with the Burrenbeo Trust, is based in Kinvara, Co. Galway, Ireland and uses the local environment as a learning landscape to help children learn about the natural, built and cultural heritage of their locality in a hands-on way.
She is a suckler farmer from Carron in the heart of the Burren in Co. Clare. She has had a passion for agriculture from a very young age. Working and studying in the agricultural sector has allowed Aoife to gain a deeper insight into how unique the system of Winterage practiced in the Burren really is.
In this session, from a symposium on Cultural Sustainability at Goucher College, Aoife discusses how farming has evolved in many ways over the past hundred years, but in the Burren, the traditions of ancestral farmers are upheld. Here, farming plays a vital role in conserving and maintaining the landscape and ecology. As a next generation farmer, Aoife discusses the importance of continuing on the traditions of those who have farmed before us and also the importance of continuing to develop the farming potential the Burren has to offer.
Session length: 35m08s
Jose
Location: Costa Rica
Specialty: Social Entrepreneurship, Community Development, Vulnerable Populations, Deaf & Disabled
Experience: As a born-deaf social entrepreneur, Jose has co-founded a social enterprise with the purpose of empowering people with vulnerable conditions. This includes people with disabilities, women heads-of-household, members of the LBGTIQ+ community, the elderly, and migrants. The enterprise works with a focus on four aspects: social entrepreneurship, social responsibility, productive enchainments, and culture. Jose has served as a panelist for entrepreneurial contests, collaborated on investigation papers, and been a member of the board of various organizations.
Eleanor
Location: Skellig Coast, Ireland
Specialty: Marine Biology, Outdoor Education, Biodiversity, Sustainability, Community Education
Experience: As an Education Coordinator at Sea Synergy on the Skellig Coast of Ireland, Eleanor creates meaningful experiences in nature for youth and adults to learn more about the rich biodiversity of the Atlantic. Eleanor can talk in-depth about the unique marine biology of Southwest Irish coast, as well as the challenges and importance of inspiring the local community to take ownership and joy in its conservation and protection. She also has extensive experience living and working on a local Irish farm.
Joan
Location: Spain
Specialty: Anthropology, Sociology, Responsible Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Africa, Tribal Groups, Culture, Architecture, Ceremonies, Spain
Experience: With a BA in Anthropology and Sociology, Joan spent 15 years as tour operator in remote African countries, serving as a pioneer in offering responsible and sustainable tourism products. Through his time in Africa, he has acquired a great deal of knowledge about tribal groups and their culture, architecture, ceremonies, and other various aspects. Joan also currently teaches at a private university in Barcelona for foreign students.
Starr
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Specialty: Atlanta, Detroit, Black Lives Matter, Education, Entrepreneurship
Experience: Starr, a self-made entrepreneur, understands that the company you keep and the environment in which you live can have a positive or negative impact on your life. During her undergraduate experience, she recognized that God had given her a vision to start an organization that will help impact people's lives through college preparation, entrepreneurship, mentoring, and financial education. Her passion has always been helping people in her community. In 2008, she founded a 501c3 youth organization located in Atlanta, GA and Detroit, MI.
Having over 15 years of collected experience in the education industry, she stayed focused on her passion to educate those in her community. She decided that her organization would be the vehicle to help people, specifically, youth.
In this session, Starr shares her personal and professional experience with education and youth mentorship and discusses how racial inequity in the US education system needs to be addressed.
Session length: 28m54s
Shuchin
Location: China
Specialty: Environmental Sustainability, Education, Culture and Community, Program Design, Project Management, China, Youth
Experience: Shuchin is the Executive Principal of Yunhe Forest School, the first innovative education platform in Tibetan region in China, created with a vision to be a centre for sustainable community development and nature education. Shuchin received her M.A degree of Environmental Art from Aalto University in Finland, after obtaining her B.A degree of Architecture in Southwest Jiaotong University in China. Shuchin has been creating and leading programs that cultivate eco-intelligence and equip youth from Tibetan region and around globe with visions and skills to become future leaders, change-makers, and stewards of nature. She has designed and created various innovation education programs for both domestic and international students, with a focus on sustainability, cultural immersion, community services to global citizenship, to economic & social contexts.
Sophie
Location: France
Speciality: Stem, Human Resources, Business Management, Technology, Science, Engineering, Math, Technical Culture, International Relations, France, Paris
Experience: Sophie has a 20-year experience in change management in scientific, cultural, and technological sectors. (In 1996 she was a member of the French National sailing team preparing for the Olympics!) Sophie is now Head of Institutional and International Relations at a French organization promoting science and technology. Her role helps to strengthen the relationships between scientific and cultural centers and institutes across Europe and abroad. Sophie's organization is committed to bringing all aspects of scientific and technical culture to life, including the cultural, educational and artistic aspects.
Malcolm
Location: Malta
Specialty: Agriculture, Aquatics + Animal Sciences, Agribusiness, Sustainable Food, Malta, Island Agriculture
Experience: As the Deputy Director of the Centre for Agriculture, Aquatics & Animal Sciences in Malta, Malcom has 10 years of experience in the field. The founder of a farmers’ lobby group and Chair of an Agriculture Consultative Committee, he has been a lecturer and guest speaker at various forums, seminars, and frequent appearances on TV stations on topics/discussions related to sustainable food. He holds an M.Sc. (Agribusiness) and a B.Sc.
In this session, Malcolm discusses sustainable agricultural methods, ways to engage different stakeholders in solutions, the effects of climate change in Malta that are relevant to farming, and the greatest threats to future food production in Malta.
Session length: 37m43s
Lotta
Location: Sweden
Specialty: Social Work, Inclusivity, Welfare System, Functional Disabilities, Urban Environment, Rural Environment, Sweden
Experience: A social worker for people with functional disabilities, Lotta can talk about the Swedish welfare system, as well as the laws regulating support and service to persons with certain functional disabilities. Her experience both on mainland Sweden and in an island community offer comparative applications of Swedish social services in urban, rural, and island environments.
Aaron
Location: Peru
Specialty: Agroecology, Community Development, Sustainable Development, Indigenous Knowledge & Food Systems, Social Entrepreneurship, Peru
Experience: As the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development, Aaron has been working to promote sustainable agriculture in the highlands of Peru since 2006. With an emphasis on community involvement and stakeholder input, the AASD uses innovative solutions to alleviate the effects of poverty, marginalization, and social injustices that hinder community development and well-being in the highlands of Peru.
Jeff
Location: Japan
Specialty: Japan, Tokyo, School, Intercultural Communication, Education, Community, International Relations, Entrepreneurship
Experience: Jeff is the CEO and Founder of an international education company in Tokyo, Japan. He built the company on over 20 years of developing partnerships with many throughout the US, Australia, Japan and all over Asia over many years. As an American living in Japan, he can provide unique insight to the cultural complexity of communication between his American culture, Asian countries and cultures as well as with the rest of the world.
Catherine
Location: France
Specialty: Art, Cultural Management, curator, cultural center, Paris, France, Canada
Experience: Catherine graduated from schools in Canada and France, and now works as a curator and art critic. Since 1993, she has held the title of Deputy Director of a cultural center that serves as the center for Canadian culture in Paris. At the center, Catherine and the team work to promote innovative and contemporary Canadian art through public and private institutional partnerships, while serving as a point of convergence of various Canadian disciplines, languages, and living cultures. Outside of the center, Catherine has also taught a course at a French university since 2010.
Iftekhar
Location: Calcutta, India
Specialty: History, Community Conservation, Heritage, Cultural Centers, Calcutta, India
Experience: Born in, brought up in, and hopelessly in love with Calcutta, Iftekhar's inexplicable love for the city prompted him to embark upon a journey of rediscovering its dusty roads and crumbling buildings. He has founded his own company which provides a unique idea of walking tours through the city's heritage spots and cultural centers. Join him in an exploration of any part, theme, or perspective of the city, though he’s all for unearthing and understanding the various sub-cultures that shy away from the mainstream. A regular contributor to various publications, he has managed to build a reputation for himself as an explorer of the city and one of the best people to walk around town with. When he’s not wandering the streets of the city then you can find him tracing his love to the Silk Road and the various countries that it passed through.
Kenwat & Olopiro
Location: Tanzania
Specialty: Maasai, Sustainable Tourism, Indigenous Culture, Tanzania, East Africa, Conservation, Wildlife, Sustainability, Culture
In this session, as Maasai Warriors and Indigenous Entrepreneurs running a sustainable tourism company, Kenwat and Olopiro provide incredible insight to the culture, perspective, and challenges of their community. They share details of daily life and culture of the Maasai people, discuss their resources and challenges regarding sustainable tourism, land conservation, and human rights issues, and demonstrate the power and utmost importance of listening to indigenous and marginalized people around the world.
Session length: 58m17s
Xiaomei
Location: Western China
Specialty: Community Development, Conservation, Education, China, Project Management, Youth
Experience: Xiaomei has two Master's degrees, one in religious anthropology from a Chinese university, and one in Peace Study and Conflict Resolutions from a UK university. Pulling from her vast body of knowledge and experience, she works to strengthen local Chinese communities, support cultural and environmental conservation, and promote sustainable community development.
Currently, Xiaomei is a Project Director and Secretary of a Sustainable Community Development Fund, which manages several education-related projects in the Tibetan region of China. One project focuses on nature education and community development, while another is targeted at sustainable community development.
Ron
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Specialty: Black Lives Matter, Community Development, Youth Development, Urban Studies, Education, Rehabilitation
Experience: Local activist, youth development practitioner, and native-born Detroiter, Ron grew up in Black Bottom and works to support the Black community in the Detroit metro area. His focus on youth empowerment and employment support highlights the importance of both systemic and individual change, and provides important insight into the real work being done to empower Black urban communities.
In this session, Ron shares his experiences growing up and now working in Detroit, the challenges the city faces, and the action needed to improve quality of life for Black communities there.
Session length: 41m56s
Beatrice
Location: Milan, Italy
Specialty: Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Tourism, Italy, Milan, Small Business, Women in Business
Experience: Originally from Lombardy, Beatrice spent time working for several different corporations in Amsterdam, Berlin and Maastricht; once back to Italy, her passion for adventure and human connection drove to create an innovative tourism company, now based in Milan.
In this session, she explores her personal and professional development in becoming an Entrepreneur, the role of tourism in Italy, and how to manage and facilitate travel services in a sustainable way in a time of massive over-tourism.
Session length: 31m53s
Audrey
Location: Paris, France
Specialty: France, Switzerland, Europe, Intercultural Communication, Contemporary Photography, Contemporary Art, Media
Experience: Audrey has been in charge of the artistic direction of the last two editions of a festival dedicated to emerging photographers in Europe. The events offers a panorama of European contemporary creation through photography, reveals the vitality of young creation, and speaks for the diversity of photographic expressions through unique curation. With wide influence, the festival recently welcomed 300 artworks, 45 artists, 39 projects, and 16 nationalities at its most recent gathering. Audrey has also been appointed as a curator of several fairs, exhibitions, and events in France and Switzerland.
In this session, her unique perspective on working with a diverse group of contemporary photographers can speak to not only communication between artists, but also the messages of their work and how they are interpreted across cultures.
Session length: 39m37s
Juan
Location: Cusco, Peru
Specialty: History, Religion, Indigenous Beliefs, Communities, Church, Places of Worship, Beliefs, Christianity, Latin America, Peru, Spirituality, Intercultural Competency
Experience: Juan was born and raised in Cusco, Peru and lived there until he decided to pursue an education to become a tour guide at the age of 17. Juan Carlos has such a depth of knowledge relating to all Peruvian culture and history, and operates in his job with humor, patience and understanding, and sensitivity for all subject matter. Juan Carlos is proud to be able to share his knowledge with a wide variety of people from all countries, while showing off his love for his own country and the locals in the communities he passes through.
In this session, Juan Carlos discusses the history of religion in Peru, including indigenous beliefs, colonization, and those that are now irreligious. He explores the role of religion in people's lives/how people think about religion,, what it is like to go to church in both rural and urban communities, and how all of this can influence various communities. Juan Carlos also shares a few examples of famous churches and places of worship in Peru, along with their significance.
Session length: 43m17s
Dr. Harvey Charles & Daria Deardorff
Location: California, USA
This recorded session originally broadcast on November 5, 2020 by Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education and was shared with the Global Learning Library. Thank you, CSHE Berkeley!
Specialty: International Education, Antiracism, Intercultural Learning, Cross-cultural Communication, Intercultural Diversity
Experience: Dr. Charles is Professor of International Education in the Department of Educational Policy & Leadership at the University of Albany SUNY. He has served as the Chief International Officer at a number of universities across the United States, including most recently, at the University at Albany
Darla K. Deardorff is currently executive director of the Association of International Education Administrators, a national professional organization based in Durham, North Carolina USA.
In this session, speakers address the following questions: How can international educators lead in crafting a vision for a post-racist world? How can they leverage the multiple tools that intercultural learning and cross-cultural communication provides to develop the next generation of anti-racist leaders? How can they work to normalize cross-cultural and intercultural diversity in the communities that they inhabit?
Session length: 60m1s
Daniel
Location: Malaysia
Specialty: Recycling, Solid Waste Management, Community, Volunteerism, Biodiversity, Sustainability, Plastics, Conservation, Social Enterprise, Malaysia, Asia
Experience: Daniel began his career as a marine expert managing two different sea turtle conservation projects on Tioman and the Perhentian islands. From there, he became a technical consultant and directed a non-profit organization, which through community-based volunteer projects and outreach programs helped to empower the people of Malaysia to act and save the turtles of Terengganu for future generations.
Daniel's personal goal is to help organizations to decarbonize and reduce their impacts on the planet. He truly believes that corporations are the future of conservation and are leading our world to a more stable position. He is determined to help corporations to reduce their impact by reducing carbon emissions and enhancing the biodiversity where they operate and within their supply chain.
In this session, Daniel discusses his work as a conservationist, as well as his focus on solid waste management and his solutions of turning trash into reusable products, as well as the development of his social enterprise. He also discusses the factors that can be put into place to build up a community's recycling infrastructure to increase solid waste recycling and the factors that are most vital in taking a sustainable approach to municipal solid waste management.
Session being edited
Hasmik
Location: India
Specialty: Intercultural Competency, Communication, Culture, India, Armenia
Experience: Hasmik is an experienced management professional with a demonstrated history of working in the education and training industry, cultural exchange & meaningful travel. She is skilled in nonprofit organizations, intercultural communication, political science, translation, and public speaking. Hasmik has a strong analytical mind with a Master of Arts ( M,A.) of European Studies and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused on Intercultural Communication from Yerevan, Armenia. Hasmik is currently engaged in social entrepreneurship for youth empowerment, mobility, experiencial learning, cultural exchange and travel. Her passion is youth empowerment and education.
Hasmik currently works for a non commercialized travel company in India, and wanted an outlet to combine her extensive knowledge of intercultural competency with social work. She currently runs her own social enterprise to work with travelers to India and Armenia. Her goal is to immerse travelers into the culture through various projects such as volunteering, internships, and cultural exchange.
In this session, Hasmik discusses why cultural competency is an importance factor in communicating effectively with individuals of different cultural backgrounds She closely examines the concept of the "cultural iceberg', the differences between high context cultures and low context cultures, the importance of effective communication skills, the challenges and barriers of communicating across cultures, and the roles that social, economic, and cultural differences play within intercultural competence.
Session length: 45m14s
David
Location: Mauritius
Specialty: Conservation, Biodiversity, Volunteerism, Sustainability, Environmental Conservation, Tourism, South Africa, Mauritius
Experience: David has over 10 years experience working within the hospitality, conservation and guiding industry in South Africa. He has accomplished a lot in his career from starting out as a volunteer, to leading a team of guides and rangers, to managing a start up, to procurement and running of five highly successful sustainability lodges. David prides himself on always being ethically driven and extremely hard working for the betterment of the environment and society. He is passionate about the protection of the natural world and how we progress our understanding and natural place within it. David is a conservationist at heart with a keen eye for business and high level of hospitality.
Jasmine
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Specialty: Diversity, Equity, Higher Education, Systemic Racism, Anti-Racism, Inclusion, Advocacy, Minority, Black Lives Matter, Detroit, Michigan
Experience: Jasmine is a native Detroit resident and attended the University of Michigan Ann Arbor for her undergraduate studies in Sociology with a minor in African American Studies. She studied abroad during her time at Michigan in Accra, Ghana and studied at the University of Ghana in Legon for a month.
During her time at Michigan she served as an Academic Success Partner for the Office of Multicultural Initiatives mentoring minority students with a focus on student retention and graduation rates and also served as a Resident Advisor and Resident Coordinator. She joined the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Nu Chapter which, being founded in 1921, was chartered by the only African American women on Michigan's campus at that time.Working with youth is her passion so much so that she created an educational consulting company to be able to provide programming and support to students, families, youth programs and schools. She is also contracted as a consultant to support high schools in the metro Detroit area with specific college bound grant initiatives to assist in allocating money towards the exposure and resources needed to make post-secondary planning a priority.
Mauricio
Location: Columbia
Specialty: Colombia, International Development, International Business Management, Intercultural Communication
Experience: As a Manager, Consultant, & Executive/Team Coach with extensive experience in the US, Europe, and Latin America, Mauricio has supported Fortune 500 companies, large domestic companies, global NGOs and multilateral organizations (including the World Bank in the US and Latin America) on business strategy, change management, diversity & inclusion, innovation, entrepreneurship & sustainability projects. Additionally, he has taught and researched at leading business schools in the US, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. He has immense insight on the ways people and companies conduct business across cultures, the nuances and formalities, as well as the challenges and learning moments.
Michael
Location: Uganda
Specialty: Tourism, Race, Sexual Orientation. Inclusivity, Human Rights, LQBTQ, Uganda
Experience: Michael is the founder and director of a progressive tour company in Uganda focusing on providing services to all folks irrespective of their race, religion and sexual orientation. He is an advocate of inclusiveness/human rights of the elderly and LGBTQ youth. He also has experience in negotiating with stakeholders in the tourism industry in Uganda promoting inclusivity and making sure that all visitors are treated the same way and are safe irrespective of their sexual orientation.
Dominic
Location: Austria
Specialty: Austria, Journalism, Media, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Startups, Magazine
Experience: Dominik works as an editor at Austria's largest startup and innovation magazine. He shares his knowledge and expertise about media communication with various organizations, enterprises, and startups. He helps unpack questions like, "How does one approach and intrigue a journalist?" Outside of the field of journalism and media, Dominik has served as a tutor in for six years and worked as a tour guide for eight years, both in Vienna.
Upma
Location: India
Specialty: Fashion, Design, Research, Branding, Product Development, Graphic Design, Trends, India, Cultural Ethos, Sustainable Arts
Experience: Upma is a Fashion Designer who has contributed to the Design and Fashion industry for the past twenty-three years. As a Founder and Creative Head, she has been running her design firm for a decade and has headed the Design, Trend Research, Range Planning and Project Execution. She has headed teams for timely delivery of the design projects with customer centric product range. As a Design Head and Trend Analyst, she has managed design research, product development, brand imaging, trend forecasting for multiple brands of retail companies.
As an Associate Professor of Design at NIFT India, she has guided and taught future designers in core areas like the basics of fashion design, graphic design, communication design, forecasting and interpreting future trends, understanding consumer mindsets, fashion cycles and how to execute design as a process into an end product that meets consumer expectation. As a Leadership Counselor and Communicator, she has led seminars and workshops on the same subjects over the last decade. Having done various transformational programs on Powerful living, Communication, Leadership with "Landmark Education Worldwide" USA. She specializes in design, cultural ethos, and sustainable arts and crafts.
Meghan
Location: Costa Rica
Specialty: Conservation Education, Community Development, Sustainable Tourism, Costa Rica, Rainforest Conservation, Education, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability
Experience: Meghan and her husband are the founders and administrators of a family-run rainforest conservation and sustainable tourism project. Meghan is also the founder of the local chapter of an international educational organization and is a great resource to speak with about education, entrepreneurship, community development, sustainable tourism, rainforest conservation, and sustainability in Costa Rica.
Monique
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Specialty: Menominee, Native American, Wisconsin, Tribal Governance, Cultural Sustainability, Indigenous Allyship, Community Development, Indigenous Language
Experience: Monique is the Tribal Archivist for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Her duties include establishing an archives management and access program for records created by the MITW Tribal Legislature and associated records documenting MITW governance.
Monique holds an M.A. in Cultural Sustainability at Goucher College. Her capstone entitled, “Restringing Pathways to the Ancestors, an Indigenous Family History Project” was awarded The 2018 Rory Turner Prize for best capstone in Cultural Sustainability. She holds a B.A. in Museum Studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts (2007).
She has 15 years of experience in cultural preservation from the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, National Park Service, and Smithsonian-National Museum of the American Indian. She established the first academic special collections and archives in the Menominee tribal community through the support of the College of the Menominee Nation (2009) and fostered partnerships between tribal and state organizations resulting in the first tribally owned and curated digital archive collection hosted online by Recollection Wisconsin (2010).
Monique has received special acknowledgements in the book, Images of America: Langlade County (Arcadia Publishing, 2012), and has 20 years of experience in traditional Indigenous arts and 9 years’ experience in Lunaape language education.
Session length: 1h27s
Tho
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Specialty: Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, Small Business, Local Business, Sustainability, Reuse and Recycling, Coffee, Tourism
Experience: After losing many family and community members to cancer, Tho decided to quit his reliable day job in tourism and create a business that would inspire Vietnamese citizens to reevaluate their perspective on pollution and the environment. The result is a unique cafe in the center of Old Hanoi.
In this session, Tho discusses what brought him to become an entrepreneur, the importance of passion and personal mission, and how his business has evolved over time.
Session length: 39m30s
Jenny
Location: Clevedon, UK
Specialty: Wildlife, Conservation, Community Development
Experience: After graduating from university in the UK, Jenny moved to Zimbabwe to be an ecologist for an organization focused on sustainable development. In this role, she set up numerous conservation projects, managed hundreds of volunteers, collated scientific data, and wrote many reports. Since relocating to Africa, Jenny has worked for a game capture unit in South Africa, set up conservation and community projects in Swaziland, established the first terrestrial-protected area in Vanuatu, and has prepared plans to help tourist sites in Dominica.
Dr. Y
Location: Nagaland, India
Specialty: Folkart & Culture
Experience: Dr Y. is a cultural expert, researcher and activist. Merit of transforming tribal and indigenous cultural standards to national and international level, revitalizing Naga Cultural Values, achieving accreditation from UNESCO & ICCN, and reviving traditional village Morung at Lazami Sumi Naga ancestral village in 2009. He established a folk arts school in 2007, and was one of the key people to promote the traditional community healthcare provider (TCHP) scheme.
Alex
Location: Malta
Specialty: Environmental Sustainability, Water Systems, Water Conservation, Water Resources, Malta, Government
Experience: Alex is the Deputy Principal at the Research & Innovation Centre of Malta, and has 30 years of experience working as both an Engineer and Systems Manager regarding water usage in the water-stressed island nation of Malta.
In this session, Alex explores how a history and culture of water conservation combined with contemporary technology and innovation make Malta an excellent example of sustainable water use and conservation in the 21st century, with impactful insights useful to nations both with and without significant water resources.
Session length: 34m31s
Daniel
Location: Sarapiqui, Costa Rica
Specialty: Organic Farming, Conservation, Education, Sustainable Agriculture, Costa Rica
Experience: Daniel worked for many years on pineapple and banana plantations and has many stories to share. In the year 2000, he and his family received a plot of land from the Costa Rican government which they have since been developing as an organic, integral teaching farm. They make their own fertilizers, topsoil and grow many products including black pepper, vanilla, ginger, turmeric, vegetables, fruit trees and raise many animals. They also have reforested a section of their farm and have recently received their Organic Certification and 4 stars in the Costa Rican Blue Flag Certification for Environmentally friendly farms.
Teresa
Location: California, USA
Specialty: Gender, Transgender, LGBTQ, Equity, Mexico, Culture, Family Structure
Experience:Teresa is a cultural anthropologist and documentary filmmaker. Her most recent work focuses on gender and sexuality on Mexico’s West Coast. She completed her Ph.D. at Stanford, an M.A. at U.C. Berkeley, and now teaches in the department of Geography and Anthropology at Cal Poly Pomona.
In this session, her 10-minute documentary, "Daughter, Sister, Mother" reveals a glimpse of the life of Shaky Estrada, a young transgender woman living in rural Mexico. In this session, Teresa provides a brief introduction to the film, followed by a screening and a rich Q&A session facilitated by Luisa Maria Rivera, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Emory University. This session was initially recorded as a virtual event for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Graduate Student Government Association at Emory University and includes questions from graduate student participants.
Session length: 55m24s
Naa
Location: Ghana
Specialty: Ghana, Health, Healthcare, Medicine, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ, Maternal Health Care, Africa
Experience: As the medical director and practicing physician of the West Africa AIDS Foundation, Naa is responsible for the day to day running of the facility, ensuring patient satisfaction and quality of care are maintained. Together with colleague physicians, she has continued to offer direct clinical care to patients from the general public as well as to their over 1500 PLHIV cohort made up of a diverse group of men, women and children.
With 20 years post-qualification experience in health and development in West Africa, Naa's areas of focus have been HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatis B and Cervical Cancer. Her mission is specifically to apply public health science to address public health challenges in the disease areas mentioned as well as the management of technical resources.
In this session, Naa discusses her experiences with healthcare in many dimensions, providing remarkable insight into the healthcare world of Ghana today.
Session length: 48m56s
Monique
Location: Mali, Africa
Speciality: Mali, Sustainable Tourism, Entrepreneurship, Family-Owned Business, Community Development, Africa
Experience: Monique is the founder, owner and general manager of a local, sustainable travel agency, based in Mali. After having traveled the world for five years herself, she used her travel and professional experience starting the travel agency with her local partner. Social values, respect for people, environment and culture and fair-trade are the basis of the company. Together with their experienced team of guides and drivers, along with their families, she made the company grow in a sustainable way. Trips need to be benefiting both the team and the clients.
Pontus
Location: Gotland, Sweden
Specialty: Sustainable Agriculture, Organic Farming, Restoration, Biodynamic Farming, Sweden, Gotland, Island Agriculture, Pasture Management, India
Experience: Pontus holds an MSC in Agriculture: Soil and Plant Science, and has extensive work with organic, agricultural restoration and Biodynamic Farming School in Tamil Nadu, India. After returning to Sweden, he resides on the island community of Gotland where he practices organic farming, pasture management and restoration with sheep, as well as teaches Agriculture to high school students.
Eric
Location: Paris, France
Specialty: Paris, France, Business Management, Startups, Media, Advertising, Live Entertainment, Culture and Digital Innovation, Entrepreneurship
Experience: With many years in a senior position in media (Le Point, Leo Burnett), Eric is also successful entrepreneur who sold his own agency to WPP, chairs several different NGO’s, including the award-winning JOICE Federation. He is a Business Angel for startups in digital, innovation, and performing art; works as a guest professor of performing art and live entertainment industry; and is President of the HEC alumni network.
In this session, he discusses his experiences as an Entrepreneur, Business Leader, and as an Investor in the fields of Advertising, Media, and Culture.
Session length: 45m05s
Yuri
Location: The Netherlands
Specialty: Sex Education, Sexology, Communication, The Netherlands, Gender, Sexuality
Experience: Yuri is a Sex Educator, Trainer, Consultant & Sexologist with Rutgers, the Dutch center of expertise on sexual and reproductive health and rights. His session explores the impact of sex education on the health of young adults in the Netherlands, how to discuss sexuality without making people feel uncomfortable, and his work with youth, professionals, asylum seekers, people with a mental or physical impediment and juvenile sex offenders.
In this session, this video is a recording of a live session with a class from the University of Tulsa in April 2020 and includes a Q&A component towards the end of the video.
Session length: 1h5m39s
Leela
Location: India
Specialty: Jaipur, India, Traditional Arts, Pottery, Community Development, Artisans, Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Women's Empowerment
Experience: Inspired by the work her mother did with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, Leela wanted to somehow improve the lives of village people, and, while traveling and learning more about the conditions of these communities, she discovered blue pottery as a traditional local craft and saw that it had the potential in the ever-widening Indian Market. With this in mind she began pushing craftsmen to organize production and assisted them in formulating initial marketing schemes.
In her career span of thirty years, Leela has single handedly brought the local art form of Jaipur Blue Pottery back to life and showcased their product around the world. She has won several awards that have acknowledged her role as a successful entrepreneur in the country. Other than awards for top exports, her role in reviving and promoting the craft of blue pottery has also been recognized not only within the country but outside it as well. She is a woman with a passion for blue pottery and is forever looking for avenues that will benefit not only the craft but also those who are involved in it.
Nathalie
Location: France
Specialty: Sustainable Fashion, Entrepreneur, Woman's Empowerment, Recycling, Textiles, Clothing, Ethical Practices, Paris, France
Experience: Nathalie is the creator of a French fashion brand whose mission is to offer an extraordinary wardrobe, drawing on a variety of multicultural inspirations. Nathalie created the brand with the goal of striving for a world where women feel like themselves - safe and invincible in their clothing - while also carrying out the brand's mission of contributing to a responsible, circular economy.
As a young female entrepreneur with strong ethical values, Nathalie wishes for her company to participate in the evolution of society towards a fairer and more environmentally friendly world by striving to reduce the carbon footprint of her company as much as possible and participate in the relocation of jobs in the textile sector in France. She also has a mission to help combat the unethical practices that sometimes occur in the fashion world, such as exploited workers, sexual harassment, unpaid maternity leave, toxic chemical exposure, dismal salaries, and many more.
Anusha
Location: India
Specialty: India, Women's Empowerment, Social Justice, Diversity + Inclusion
Experience: Anusha believes in the power of girls to transform communities and nations. It is with this conviction that she leads a group of passionate individuals at a social enterprise that educates and empowers marginalized adolescent girls with the vision to eliminate gender inequality and violence. Her social enterprise has impacted the lives of over 73,000 adolescents and 3200 young camp counsellors. She is also the Founder Director of a platform that offers young women a chance to become ‘future-ready’ and to develop their leadership capacities and enable them to become agents of change. This platform has reached out to 500 young women in Tier 2 towns of Telangana.
Anusha is an alumnus of the Asia Pacific Leadership Program (2013-14), East West Center, USA; 1st Cohort of Harvard-Dasra Social Impact Leadership Program (2014-15); and a Cordes Fellow (2017). She is also a Board Member of Fairshare International, a feminist organisation promoting women leadership; Board Member of Bodhi Education Society, an NGO that runs an affordable English medium private school in rural Telangana; the NSS Advisory Committee at the Hyderabad Central University; an Executive Member of Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samata Society (APMSS); and an Executive Committee Member of RVBRR College for Women.
Julio
Location: Peru
Specialty: Traditional Agriculture, Modern Agriculture, Culture, Community Farming, Agroecology, Capacity Building, Sustainability, Community Development, Peru, South America
Experience: Julio has been a farmer since he was a young child. With a love for the past, he now works in the campesino (farmer) communities of Peru to help campesinos remember and incorporate traditional knowledge into modern agriculture. Julio is an expert in focused areas like agroecology, the campesino-a-campesino movement, and soil health, as well as larger, more grand topics such as capacity building, sustainability, and community development.
Linnea
Location: Sweden
Specialty: Photography, Inclusivity, Stereotypes, Gender-Conscious, Diversity, Inclusion, Sweden
Experience: Linnea's focus in photography is how to portrait people and life in a gender-conscious way, not according to stereotypes and norms. With this consciousness, it is then possible to reach out to more people. While also adding authenticity, it is possible to mediate feelings and nudge the observer in both commercial and documentary work. Linnea has spent two years at a Swedish school of photography, one year in the magazine and commercial sector, and one year working as a photographer's assistant.