ATTENDEE BIOS
Half-sat Ab-ee-oh-lah, she/her
Connected Women Leaders Co-Founder
Hafsat Abiola is the President of Women in Africa Initiative, the foremost platform organizing the continent's leading women into a force for sustainable development.
An economist with degrees from Harvard and Tsinghua, a pro-democracy activist who lost both parents to her country's democracy struggle, and a former member of her state's cabinet in charge of the MDGs and trade and investment portfolios, Hafsat believes women's equal engagement in the economy and governance systems at all levels will lead to a better world.
Her commitment to harnessing women’s power to transform society is reflected in her work, which spans from the local to global. In Nigeria, she founded KIND, a civil society organization that trains thousands of women in service-oriented leadership. She is one of 50 Councilors of the World Future Council, a Special Envoy to Africa for Women Political Leaders, a member of BMW Foundation's Responsible Leaders Group, Vital Voices 100 and an alumna of the World Economic Forum’s Community of Young Global Leaders. She is also the recipient of several global and national awards; including, in 2019, the U.S. Civil Rights Museum Public Service Award.
Global South, Gender, Policy
Brit-knee Boat-sure, she/her
Skoll Foundation Managing Director
Brittany Boettcher currently serves as Managing Director, Operations & Programs - Investments at the Skoll Foundation. As Director, she leads a team responsible for supporting the sourcing and selecting of strategically aligned investments for the Skoll Foundation’s portfolio. Brittany joined the Skoll Foundation in 2006 and has led major programs for the organization, including the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship that has invested in over 120 global organizations, and co-led the Skoll’s Portfolio Intelligence practice aimed at developing insights on portfolio impact. Brittany is experienced in strategic program development and in identifying leaders in social innovation poised for systems-level impact. She is passionate about building partnerships to drive more equitable and inclusive practices in philanthropy and supporting underrepresented leaders on their path to impact. She holds a BA in Internal Affairs with a minor in Japanese from the University of Colorado Boulder and MBA from Presidio Graduate School.
Economic Opportunity, Sustainable Markets
Ron-duh Car-nah-gee, she/her
Connected Women Leaders Executive Director and Co-Founder
Ronda Carnegie is an uber-connector who is both a change agent and leader dedicated to leveraging the power of connected collaboration to elevate and inspire impact. Passionate about leading movements to inspire change. Ronda has built and transformed global brands from The New Yorker to TED among others. Her role as part of the original executive team at TED led to unprecedented growth in TED's history from a single conference to a media company. She founded the TED Institute during her tenure, which helps organizations unlock institutional knowledge and surface innovative thinking. She co-founded TEDWomen, both new ventures for TED, while building a portfolio of assets to drive the impact mission and revenue growth for the brand overall. As the Co-Founder of Connected Women Leaders and Project Dandelion, Ronda has dedicated herself to the climate and gender movements. Eager to contribute to dynamic working groups focused on world-changing ideas, and Ronda sits on the Board of GOOD/Upworthy, a media company. She also serves on the advisory board of Giide, an interactive audio technology company, and The Female Quotient.
Throughout her career, Ronda has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to develop and build strategies. What sets her apart is her unwavering commitment to creating positive change. Her work is a powerful reminder that, for too long, women have been held back by outdated ideas and prejudices. It's time to break down those barriers and show that individually we can make a difference and united, we can create an impact.
Gender, Strategy, Communications
Is-a-bell Cavv-a-lee-aye, she/her
Mundo Común Co-Founder
Isabel Cavelier Adarve is a Colombian writer, potter, story-teller and weaver dedicated to emerging the new culture that will help us navigate through the Anthropocene. She is based in Bogotá where she lives and works. She has served as a diplomat for Colombia, as University professor, and currently leads a global network of influence on climate change politics. She is also the founder of Mundo Común, a new endeavor weaving a system of care for the climate community, as a means to re-imagine our human identity and our responses to the climate crisis.
Gender, Climate Justice, Entrepreneurship, Global South
Nya-goo-thee Cheg-eh, she/her
The Green Belt Movement Board of Directors
Nyaguthii Chege is Director of the Natural Justice East Africa Hub, where she leads a team of lawyers and researchers who support Indigenous people and local communities to know, use and shape the law to secure their land and protect and govern their natural resources. Previously she served as the Executive Director of the Greenbelt Movement and as a Lecturer in Law and Director of Human Rights and International Law at the Office for Social Justice Initiatives at Columbia University School of Law in New York. Nyaguthii has also worked with Peking University School of Transnational Law in China, and Natural Resources Defense Council and The World Bank in Washington, DC. She currently sits on the board of the Restor Foundation and formerly served as a board member of Greenbelt Movement International. Nyaguthii received degrees from Columbia University School of Law and School of International and Public Affairs and Dartmouth College.
Climate Justice, Policy, Indigenous, Global South
Lore-a Cook, she/her
Advocacy Communications Consultant
Laura Cook is communications strategist with over 15 years’ experience working in third sector communications. Laura has demonstrable experience in international development, climate advocacy, humanitarian aid, and ocean conservation communications. Laura is currently the Director of Communications at the Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED), an NGO dedicated to resilient food solutions for global catastrophic food failure. She is also the co-founder of Girls Interrupting, a global network supporting women and girls with Dyspraxia.
Additionally, Laura serves as founding member and Communications Consultant for Women Beyond Walls, an initiative aimed at ending the over-incarceration and over-criminalization of women. She is pursuing a PhD at The University of Birmingham, researching the use of intergenerational dialogue as a tool to address the climate crisis. In her spare time, Laura is writing her first book and is an internationally award-winning photographer.
Strategy, Communications, Climate Justice
Ah-meer-ah Die-a-mund, she/her
Womens Earth Alliance Co-Founder
Amira Diamond is a seasoned social entrepreneur and passionate spokesperson with over two decades of experience leading organizations that drive climate solutions, gender equity and economic development. She collaborates with frontline communities, global NGOs, investors, and philanthropists to design and implement environmental programs and accelerators that utilize nature-based solutions, clean energy, and advocacy campaigns.
As Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Women's Earth Alliance, Amira works alongside a talented global team building networks from 100 to 52K women, whose collective work is reaching over 24 million people, capturing millions of pounds of carbon annually, protecting thousands of trees from deforestation, and launching thousands of livelihoods. Her work reflects her commitment to equity and collaborative leadership.
Amira is a classically trained violinist and Founder of the Social Prophet Choir, and has galvanized communities through music throughout her life. She is dedicated to carrying forward musical traditions that heal and mobilize people to meet this moment with joy and action.
Gender, Climate, Entrepreneurship
G-lore-ee-ah Dee-ez, she/her
Mater Earth Founder
Gloria Diez, a social innovator with a background in social tech startups, brings 20 years of experience in fostering global impact through international startups.
Specializing in connecting diverse stakeholders for impactful collaborations, she founded Mater Earth. This platform champions biodiversity and climate nature-based solutions, with a particular emphasis on indigenous communities worldwide and promoting female-led initiatives in climate action. Gloria's transformative journey began during her studies in Social Entrepreneurship at Said Business School, Oxford, run by Skoll Center.
Currently, she provides technical support to the Women's Movement of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities. Her commitment lies in ensuring equitable representation and resource access for women from indigenous and local communities in global climate and biodiversity negotiations.
Climate Justice, Indigenous, Gender
Sh-ray-uh Go-duh-watt, she/her
Gender x Climate Activist
Shreya Ghodawat is a sustainability and climate activist and SHE Changes Climate India Ambassador.
As the co-founder of Meat Less Meat More, Shreya curates experiences focused on plant-based and cruelty-free living, bringing together like-minded individuals committed to reducing their environmental impact.
Her recently launched podcast, Sustainable Tea with Shreya, hosts discussions with change-makers and experts to increase awareness and inspire positive change.
Additionally, Shreya speaks at climate-focused events like TEDxOxford and COP28 and engage in panel discussions, advocating for actionable solutions to address climate change and promoting sustainable practices.
Climate, Gender, Activism
Keer-sten Hoom-burg, she/her
Yunel Managing Partner
Kerstin Humberg is the founder and Managing Partner of Yunel, a Berlin-based enterprise with the mission to unleash human potential for positive social change. The name Yunel pays tribute to Nobel Laureates Muhammad Yunus and Nelson Mandela. In Kerstin’s view, both have exemplified how individuals with vision and commitment can positively change entire societies for the better. Inspired by Yunus und Nelson, Kerstin believes in the transformative power of social entrepreneurship and positive psychology.
Alongside tailored life maps, Yunel offers leadership programs based on findings from positive psychology and neuroscience. Yunel clients comprise companies as well as non-profit organizations in Germany and abroad. For example, since 2011, Kerstin has been working with the Green Belt Movement and the Wangari Maathai Foundation in Kenya. Lately she also supported the World Resources Institute with the development of its Africa strategy.
Social Change, Strategic Development
Mah-lin-duh Kray-merr, she/her
Womens Earth Alliance Co-Founder
Melinda Kramer is an accomplished social entrepreneur, international development practitioner, fundraiser, and nonprofit founder and executive director. She has worked around the world at the intersection of environmental sustainability, women's economic development, and gender justice. In 2005, she and her colleagues set out to bridge the resource gap for grassroots women tackling our world’s most critical environmental and climate challenges. What began 18 years ago as a small convening of 30 women environmental leaders from 26 countries grew into Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA), an international organization and thriving global network training and elevating the critical work of grassroots women environmental leaders. WEA was recognized as a top non-profit in the Huffington Post in the field of entrepreneurship, awarded a United Nations Association Global Citizen Award, and has been featured in publications like GRIST, Ms. Magazine, the Atlantic, Regeneration, and Jane Fonda’s climate book What Can I Do.
Before co-founding Women's Earth Alliance, Melinda worked with CARE International in Kenya on sustainable development and agriculture. Later her work took her throughout the North Pacific Rim with Pacific Environment, partnering with grassroots leaders to grow the capacity of environmental movements in China, the Russian Far East, and Alaska. Melinda built training curricula, led cultural exchanges, provided media training, and facilitated the International Bering Sea Forum. At the Natural Capital Institute, Melinda was a key contributor to WiserEarth.org, a global communication platform for NGOs. She also co-founded the Global Women’s Water Initiative, equipping women with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) technologies, business skills, and advocacy tools. Melinda previously served as Co-Board Chair for Project Regeneration and Co-Chair for the Commonwealth Club of California's Environment and Natural Resource Forum. She is an Ambassador in Oxfam America’s Sisters on the Planet.
Gender, Climate Justice, Entrepreneurship
Chris-teen-ah Loon-burg, she/her
The Case for Her Partner
Cristina Ljungberg's work includes getting women’s health on the global health agenda and scaling up funding through investment, evidence based research and advocacy, truly making the case for her.
Cristina invests in education and healthcare for girls, through the Giving Wings Foundation, believing that education is at the core of unleashing a person’s potential, and the impact of education for girls extends well beyond the individual to her family and her community.
Producing the documentary "The Devil Came on Horseback", in 2006 awakened Cristina's fascination with the untold stories of real people and my passion for putting a human face on global issues. Co-founding Influence Film came out of this experience and her desire to help documentary filmmakers complete their projects, but also increase their impact by reaching a broader audience. Influence Film Features and Foundation focus on the former. Influence Film Club focuses on the latter by promoting small, intimate screenings and discussions through at-home film clubs. With these at-home documentary film clubs, Cristina's hope is to further support documentary film as a powerful tool for change by growing audiences of active and engaged individuals.
Gender, Philanthropy, Advocacy
Won-jeer-ah Muh-thai, she/her
World Resources Institute Managing Director, Africa & Global Partnerships
Wanjira Mathai is VP & Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute and is responsible for leading WRI’s growing portfolio of work on the continent across six global themes (Forests, Water, Food, Cities, Climate & Energy), building on the great work currently underway in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Liberia, Cameroon, and Madagascar.
Wanjira previously served at WRI as Senior Advisor to the Global Restoration Initiative. She is the current Chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation and the former Chair of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. Wanjira also sit on the Boards of the Wangari Maathai Institute, and the World Agroforestry Agency (ICRAF). She is an advisory council member of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, co-chair of the Global Restoration Council, and a member of the Earth Charter International Council.
For over 20 years, Wanjira has been advocating for social and environmental change on both local and international platforms. Over the years, she has also served in strategic and advocacy roles raising the prominence and visibility of global issues such as climate change, youth leadership, sustainable energy, and landscape restoration at wPOWER and the Green Belt Movement, the organization her mother Wangari Maathai (2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) founded in 1977.
Just Transitions, Climate Justice, Global South
Em-el-ee Moo-dee, she/her
Connected Women Leaders Director of Operations
Emily Moody is a passionate ecofeminist who has dedicated her life to exploring the critical intersection between climate and gender. Her journey began at a young age when, at 15, she founded a global nonprofit aimed at empowering women and girls through education, recognizing their pivotal role in addressing the pressing environmental issues of our time.
Throughout her career, whether through her impactful work at the Female Quotient, where she amplified women's voices in the workplace, or her current role as Chief of Staff at Connected Women Leaders, Emily remains deeply committed to the interconnected issues of climate justice, feminist activism, global health, and food security.
Gender, Climate Justice
Pat Mitch-el, she/her
Connected Women Leaders Co-Founder
Pat Mitchell is a lifelong advocate for women and girls. At every step of her career, Mitchell has broken new ground for women, leveraging the power of media as a journalist and an Emmy award-winning and Oscar-nominated producer to tell women’s stories and increase the representation of women onscreen and off. Transitioning to an executive role, she became the president of CNN Productions, and the first woman president and CEO of PBS and the Paley Center for Media. Today, her commitment to connect and strengthen a global community of women leaders continues as a conference curator, advisor and mentor.
In partnership with TED, Mitchell launched TEDWomen in 2010 as its editorial director, curator and host. She is also a speaker and curator for the annual Women Working for the World forum in Bogota, Colombia, the Her Village conference in Beijing, and the Women of the World (WOW) festival in London. In 2017, she launched the Connected Women Leaders Initiative with the Rockefeller Foundation focusing on women leaders in government and civil society.
In 2014, the Women’s Media Center honored Mitchell with its first-annual Lifetime Achievement Award, now named in her honor to commend other women whose media careers advance the representation of women. In 2016, she served as a congressional appointment to The American Museum of Women’s History Advisory Council. Mitchell is also active with many nonprofit organizations, serving as the chair of the Sundance Institute Board and as chair emerita of the Women’s Media Center Board. She is a founding member of the VDAY movement and on the boards of the Skoll Foundation and the Woodruff Arts Center. She is also an advisor to Participant Media and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Entrepreneurship, Gender, Climate Justice
Ree-mah Nah-nah-vah-tee, she/her
Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) Director
Reema Nanavaty has been working with self-employed informal women workers since 1984 when she joined the Self-Employed Women’s Association, the largest union of informal sector workers. In 1999, she was elected as SEWA’s General Secretary. Her key focus has been to provide full employment & self-reliance to the 1.7 million members of SEWA, where she oversees 4813 self-help groups, 160 co-operatives and 15 economic federations across India and in 7 South Asian countries. She also heads the ICT cell of SEWA, developing custom-designed mobile apps for women farmers and establishing linkages with online e-retailing platform to provide a broad global market access to the members of SEWA. She is currently member of the Advisory Council on Gender of the World Bank Group. She was also invited as a member of International Labor Organization’s High Level Global Commission on Future of Work. She was the only commissioner representing the informal sector workers, self-employed workers and the rural workers union in the entire commission. She has also been invited as a member of the UN High-level Dialogue`s Technical Working Group on Energy Action to Advance Other SDGs. In 2013, she received the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India for her distinguished contribution in the area of Social Services.
Global South, Entrepreneurship, Gender
Ah-lease Nell-son, she/her
Vital Voices President & CEO
Alyse Nelson is president and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. A cofounder of Vital Voices, Alyse has worked for the organization for more 22 years, serving as vice president and senior director of programs before assuming her current role in 2009. Under her leadership, Vital Voices has expanded its reach to serve over 20,000 women leaders across 184 countries and territories.
Previously, Alyse served as deputy director of the State Department’s Vital Voices Global Democracy Initiative and worked with the President’s Interagency Council on Women at the White House.
Alyse is a regular speaker on leadership and global women’s issues. She has spoken before the United Nations General Assembly, the Clinton Global Initiative, Fortune Most Powerful Women, Oxford Student Union, Women in the World, among others. She has conducted leadership training with women at the Central Intelligence Agency, DFID, the UK Development Agency, Fortune 1000 companies and at numerous conferences.
Gender, Business Development, Media
Seh-rah Oh-mee, she/her
Emberá Artisan Women Association (AMARIE-Emberá) Founder
Sara Omi is President of the Coordinator of Territorial Women Leaders of Mesoamerica and an Embera leader from the General Embera Congress of Alto Bayano in the Darien forests of Panama. Indigenous Embera and Wounan communities number about 15,000 people in Panama, and most of the territory is rainforest which the communities have managed for centuries. Two communities in Alto Bayano recently won their land titles, as a result of a precedent-setting ruling from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Sara is an expert in human rights, especially in right of indigenous peoples, indigenous women, and youth, and she has worked with the Organization of Young Emberá and Wounaan of Panamá (OJEWP).
Policy, Climate Justice, Global South, Indigenous
Ah-leesh-ah Ray-ner, she/her
Actress & Activist
Alysia Reiner, best known as Fig on all 7 seasons of “Orange Is the New Black” (SAG Award), and for originating Agent Sadie Deever in the 2023 Emmy & Critics Choice Award winning “Ms. Marvel”. Other recent TV includes 5 seasons as Sunny on Peabody Award winning “Better Things” (FX/HULU), 2 seasons as Kiki on “The Deuce” (HBO), 2 seasons as Kathryn in Sharon Horgan’s “Shining Vale” (w/ Courtney Cox & Greg Kinnear on STARZ). Films currently making the festival circuit: “The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed” (Cannes,TIFF, NYFF), Stampede Ventures' feature film, “Going Places” (Cinequest), & “Ramona At Midlife” (BFF, Woodstock, Berlin Women, etc). Other filmed highlights include Oscar winning “Sideways”, “Broad City” (Emmy winning episode), and going head to head with Viola Davis in “How To Get Away with Murder”, etc. Alysia has performed on stages from The Royal Court Theatre (UK) to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem NYC, to the Edinburgh Festival (where she won a Critics Choice Award). Select NY theatre includes: An Oak Tree with Tim Crouch (Special Obie Award). My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre (The Public), Jesus in Manhattan (EST), Pentecost (Barrow Group).
She loves working as a change maker for women and an advocate for women's rights & climate change initiatives. She is on the board and an ambassador for GDIM, on the board of EARTH DAY INITIATIVE, on the advisory board for AIR PROTEIN, an ambassador for the Fossil Fuel Treaty and Plastic Pollution Coalition. She is the face and zero waste eco-emissary for IZZY BEAUTY and started eco-fashion zero waste initiative, Livari. As a champion of all things eco-friendly, she and her husband used their home as a way to share information about building green. Their brownstone eco-renovation in Harlem was featured on television's "World's Greenest Homes'' and "Renovation Nation"; in various magazines like Dwell, Gotham, Origin and The Nest; and they allowed the environmentally friendly construction process to be chronicled on websites such as Dwell.com and Kohler.com. Alysia has been invited to speak and keynote at The White House, The United Nations, Google, Cannes Lion, Women's Media Summit, Collision, and countless film festivals and events about breaking barriers for women in all fields, specifically the entertainment industry.
Gender, Climate, Media
Mare-ee Rob-in-sun, she/her
The Elders Founding Member & Former President of Ireland
Mary Robinson is a globally recognized voice on climate change and frequently highlights the need for drastic action from world leaders, as well as the intersectionality of the climate emergency: from intergenerational injustice to gender inequality and biodiversity loss. Mary is a founding member of The Elders and was appointed Chair in November 2018 following the death of Kofi Annan. She makes it a priority to bring the concerns of ordinary people to the international stage.
Climate Justice, Government, Policy
Jen-if-err Will-ig, she/her
WRTHY CEO & Partner
Jenifer Willig is CEO and co-founder of WRTHY, a global social impact agency creating unique campaigns and initiatives focused on the most pressing social issues. Jenifer leads the strategic development of the business and team globally. She has been the driving force behind some of the world’s biggest social impact initiatives, including ONE’s global campaigns Pandemica and #Passthemic, LifePack, VOW for Girls. As the former CEO/CMO of (RED), Jenifer has succeeded in creating meaningful change worldwide. A skilled marketer, she spent the first half of her career in advertising on global brands including AT&T, Levi Strauss & Co, British Airways, The Financial Times, and more. She ran the New York office of M&C Saatchi and led iconic dot com businesses at TBWA/Chiat/Day San Francisco during the tech boom of the late 1990′s. In 2013, she was named one of the 10 Most Generous Marketing Geniuses by Catch a Fire’s Generosity Series featured in Fast Company, and in 2021 was named 40 over 40 for Campaign US. Jenifer is on the boards of the I AM WATER Conservation Foundation and the Thankful Enterprise and is a 92 Street Y Women in Power mentor.
Business Development, Communications