YOCA ARDITI-ROCHA

Yoca Arditi-Rocha is an international Sustainability Professional with over 15+years in experience. She is a Biologist and holds a degree on Corporate Sustainability from the Institute of Global Sustainability at the University of Vermont.

She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at Harvard University in Sustainability & Environmental Management. She is an Al Gore trained Climate Change Speaker, an active member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and the Climate Reality Project. She is the founder of No Planeta B, an organization that specializes in educating all sectors on Climate Change and assisting K-12 schools, Universities & Small/Medium organizations in reducing their environmental footprint in the Latin American region. She is a Green Team member & Sustainability advisor of Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt of Lima. Speaks English, Spanish & Portuguese.

JOHN D. LIU

John D. Liu is an American who has lived in China for more than 30 years. Mr Liu helped to open the CBS News bureau in Beijing at the time of normalization of relations between the U.S. and China. He worked for CBS News for 10 years leaving in 1990. He also worked as a photojournalist for Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI Italian Television) and Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF German Television).

Mr. Liu has concentrated on ecological film making since the mid-1990’s, and has written, produced and directed films on Grasslands, Deserts, Wetlands, Oceans, Rivers, Urban Development, Atmosphere, Forests, Endangered Animals, and Poverty Reduction.  His work has taken him to over 70 countries.  Many of his films have appeared on BBC World and other networks. In 2003, Mr. Liu wrote, produced and directed “Jane Goodall – China Diary” for National Geographic. Since 1997, Mr. Liu has directed the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP), which uses television to deliver ecological, sustainable development and public health messages in China and other countries. Mr. Liu was also the driving force in the creation and development of the China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC), the China HIV/AIDS Information Network (CHAIN), and the Environmental Education Media Project (Mongolia). For many years Mr. Liu has studied and worked to promote the potential of ecological restoration including presenting the recent films “Hope in a Changing Climate”, “Rwanda – Forests of Hope” and “Emerging in a Changing Climate”.From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Liu was a visiting fellow in the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of the West of England (UWE). In 2006, Mr. Liu was named the Rothamsted International Fellow for the Communication of Science. In 2008 Mr. Liu became a part-time PhD candidate in Research at Reading University. In 2009 – 2010, Mr. Liu was appointed Assistant Research Professor at George Mason University.   Currently Mr. Liu is a Senior Research Fellow, IUCN. In 2013 Mr. Liu became a Visiting Fellow at the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU (Vrije University Amsterdam).www.eemp.org www.whatifwechange.org

MARINA MANSILLA HERMANN

Social entrepreneur in the field of environmental sustainability, with 20 years of work inspiring, supporting and mobilizing youth to address the challenges of sustainable development and promoting youth participation in sustainability policy and decision making at the international and national level.

Ms. Mansilla Hermann is President and Founder of Fundación TierraVida, an Argentinean-based NGO working to educate, mobilize and promote citizen participation to achieve sustainable development in Latin America. In 2007 she joined Ashoka’s Youth Venture international team to help identify, support and mentor a new generation of +3000 young social entrepreneurs. Currently, she is a Campaigns Manager for Ashoka Youth Venture globally.  She holds a BSc. in Environmental Sciences from the Universidad Católica de Salta and an MA. in Environment and Development from King’s College London. Marina was elected Climate Champion by the British Council and Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (2011), as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum (2013) and a Global Good Fund Fellow (2014). Between 2011 and 2012, she was an International Facilitator for the Rio+YOU Campaign, a global youth mobilization towards the Rio+20 Earth Summit that reached over +2,000,000 in less than two months, on the run-up to the Rio+20 Summit. Previously, she served as Youth Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNEP´s Youth Advisory Council, where she was elected for two consecutive mandates (2003-2005, 2005-2007). In this role, she advised UNEP on strategies to engage young people in environmental issues globally, worked closely with the National Government through its Secretary of Environment to ensure better representation of youth perspectives in environmental issues and represented youth views at international environmental decision-making processes such as UNEP’s Governing Council and Ministerial Forum. She has been involved in the UN-CSD process (1997-1999) as well as in the UN Climate Negotiations since 2004, where she was part of the efforts to achieve a youth constituency within the UNFCCC. Ms. Mansilla Hermann was National Representative for Peace Child International in Argentina (1998-2010). During that time, she set up a network of youth groups across the country, coordinated national consultations and initiatives on human rights and sustainable development education, and worked closely with other international and national organizations, youth groups and governmental institutions in Argentina, such as the National Youth Direction and the Secretary of Environment. She has consulted for various NGOs in Argentina and for UNDP/GEF.

SARAH DUPONT

Sarah duPont is the President and Founder of the Amazon Aid Foundation. A vocal advocate of ecological preservation, Sarah works with tropical ecologists to study Amazonian biodiversity with an eye toward educating the public and introducing cutting-edge conservation practices and on the ground solutions to the region.

Sarah is a producer of the film “Amazon Gold,” the award-winning documentary about illegal alluvial gold mining in the Amazon basin. “Amazon Gold” was produced to educate students with a focus on developing supportive school curriculum that creates awareness of the importance of the Amazon rainforest and the global effects caused by it’s destruction. With an extensive network of scientists, environmentalists, policymakers and experts in various fields, Sarah is helping to form a collaborative alliance to tackle the serious issue of illegal alluvial goldmining, which now is the biggest release of mercury in the world.Sarah has been engaged in educational innovation for 25 years, creating projects both locally and globally. She works to build cross-disciplinary curriculum that support core subjects. In the fall of 2010, Sarah, along with Gigi Hancock, wife of legendary jazz great, Herbie Hancock, co-founded Ciamo, an arts and music school based in Benin, Africa. Sarah has had both past and present board experience, serving on the following boards: University of Virginia Children’s Medical Center, the University of Virginia Council for the Arts, the Amazon Conservation Association, the Upton Foundation, Rachel’s Network, the Wake Forest University’s Board of Visitors, the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, and the DC Environmental Film Festival. She has been the recipient of the Charlottesville Village Award, the Dorothy Corwin Spirit of Life Award, the Global Syndicate Humanitarian Award, Worldwide Children’s Foundation of New York’s Humanitarian Award, and the Hawaii International Film Festival’s Humanitarian Award.Sarah lives on a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband Douglas and an assortment of animals. Her doors are constantly swinging open for her four children, who are living around the world following their own passions.

AUSTIN GUTWEIN

At the age of nine, Austin Gutwein was moved when he learned there were over 15 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS – 12 million living in sub-Saharan Africa. Thinking everyone was doing something to help these children, Austin decided he had to do his part, too. He decided to make a difference for just one orphan—one free throw at a time.

That first year, Austin went to his school gymnasium and shot 2,057 free-throws representing the 2,057 children who would lose their parents during one school day. Now, in its tenth year, Austin’s basketball marathon – Hoops of Hope – has spread around the world. Austin’s passion has motivated tens of thousands of kids, teens, and adults to make a difference. Austin and Hoops of Hope have raised over $3 Million for orphaned children in Africa. Since 2004, Hoops of Hope has taken place in more than 20 countries and has helped fund and build numerous projects. Most notable are 2 medical clinics, a high school serving 1,000 children in rural Zambia complete with dormitories, teacher housing and a computer lab, 2 Orphan Hope Centers in Swaziland, a dormitory and water project in Kenya and a school in India. They have provided hundreds of bicycles and supplied medical clinics with more than 1,000 medical caregiver kits to assist HIV/AIDS infected parents with the basic supplies they need to live longer so they can provide for their children. The money Austin’s organization has raised has kept thousands of children in Africa from becoming orphans. In September of 2009, Thomas Nelson Publishers released Austin’s first book, Take Your Best Shot. In the first year, the book exceeded expectations selling more than 70,000 copies worldwide. His second book, Live to Give, was released in August of 2012. In the past few years, Austin has shared his message of hope and that anyone can make a difference to more than 400,000 people live, throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China, Canada and the United States. He has been a keynote speaker on the Revolve Tour and Women of Faith, several concerts / tours, churches, schools as well as a keynote speaker at the United States Air Force Academy. Since founding Hoops of Hope, Austin has been awarded the Prudential Spirit of Community Service Award, the Baron Prize for Young Heroes, the Build-a- Bear Huggable Heroes Award, Tempe World of Difference Award, and in 2009 was selected as one of the top 10 most caring Americans by the Caring Institute for his work on behalf of AIDS orphans. Austin and his story have been featured in books, magazines, as well as in the national broadcast and electronic news, including CBS Sports’ NCAA Pregame Coverage, NBC’s Today Show, the NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, Time for Kids, and Christianity Today. Now 20 years old, Austin is a junior at Arizona State University and continues to speak on behalf of children he has met in many of his oversees travels. Austin draws from his experiences in Africa to raise awareness and encourage others to use whatever talents and passions they possess to make a difference for others. Although many lives have been improved through Austin’s efforts with Hoops of Hope, the impact of his message is still to be determined, as he continues to share and challenge his generation to make a difference, to take their best shot and do something bigger than themselves.

ZACH BONNER

Zach has made and distributed nearly 20000 backpacks across the country to homeless youth full of food, personal hygiene kits and other supplies. Zach also includes a candy pack and small toy in each backpack to show the kids he is helping that he cares about their “kid-needs” as well as their basic needs.

(Valued at over $30 per backpack)- The Little Red Wagon Foundation Inc has hosted Holiday parties for homeless youth, victims of natural disasters, unwed mothers (under 21), emergency foster care kids, domestic violence shelters and others since 2006. Serving over 4800 kids and their families, over 60 pallets of school supplies and over 2400 backpacks full of supplies have been distributed internationally. 2000 plus books have been distributed to title 1 schools, students, migrant farmers and programs that serve them. Hundreds and hundreds of other books have been distributed to homeless youth and foster kids. New sporting equipment has been donated to programs serving homeless youth and foster kids affected by natural disasters. Zach has hosted over 30 parties for homeless youth at Build-A-Bear, Chuck E Cheese,  Zach has walked over 4,263 miles to raise awareness to the plight of homeless youth. Walking from Tampa to Tallahassee, Tallahassee to Atlanta, Atlanta to Washington DC and finally the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Zach and the Little Red wagon Foundation Inc. have done countless other smaller projects all in an effort to help underprivileged kids in any way they can.