Meet the Team

Meet the Team

Team

  • Justin Winters

    Justin Winters

    Co-founder and Executive Director

    Driven by a passion for nature, Justin Winters is committed to democratizing climate philanthropy in order to create an inclusive and impactful movement to address the climate crisis from the ground up. She is the Co-founder and Executive Director of One Earth, a nonprofit organization working to galvanize science, advocacy, and philanthropy to drive collective action on climate change. Through One Earth, she is focused on creating a vision for the world that is possible by 2050 – one in which humanity and nature coexist and thrive together. This vision is based on three pillars of action: 100% renewable energy, protection and restoration of 50% of the world’s lands and oceans, and a transition to regenerative, carbon-negative agriculture. Prior to One Earth, Justin served as Executive Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation for 13 years, where she built the organization’s grant-making program, which awarded over $100 million in grants across 60 countries and created a series of innovative philanthropic funds, including Oceans 5, Shark Conservation Fund, The Solutions Funds, Lion Recovery Fund, Elephant Crisis Fund, and Quick Response Fund for Nature.

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  • Karl Burkart

    Karl Burkart

    Co-founder and Deputy Director

    Karl is the Deputy Director of One Earth and formerly the Director of Media, Science & Technology at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. One Earth's Science Program supports academic institutions and NGOs working on the cutting edge of climate and energy science, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable food systems. Through grantmaking and development capacity, the program helps to turn science into action, empowering decision makers in government, civil society, and the private sector. Karl also oversees production and distribution of content across One Earth’s website and social media properties, along with award-winning initiatives such as the Global Safety Net, which was recently named a "World Changing Idea" by Fast Company. Karl is a contributing author to "A roadmap for repowering California for all purposes with wind, water, and sunlight" (Energy, 2014) and later spearheaded the development of the landmark textbook Achieving the Paris Climate Agreement Goals (Springer Nature, 2019). He is also co-author of “A Global Deal for Nature: Guiding Principles, Milestones, and Targets” (Science Advances, 2019), a scientific paper establishing the evidence base for an ambitious conservation agenda covering 50% of the world’s lands and seas, which was endorsed by the IUCN including an interim 30x30 target adopted by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022.

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  • Nuna Teal, PhD

    Nuna Teal, PhD

    Program Director

    Nuna implements the strategic vision of One Earth through support of on-the-ground action. She grew up on a large, diverse organic farm in Vermont that was also the site of a project by her father to study, domesticate and protect muskoxen for the economic use of their fine wool by indigenous peoples of the Far North. Conceived on Spitsbergen, Nuna traveled with the Sami and their reindeer, then migrated between the farm and Arctic wilderness and communities with the muskox project. After traveling the world on her own, studying dance and completing graduate studies in ecological anthropology, she returned to the family farm to rediscover a love for agriculture and raise two daughters. During the UN Year of Soil, she joined the Jena & Michael King Foundation in Los Angeles and served as its Executive Director for five years. Focusing on regenerative agriculture, healthy soils and climate, and also the general health of all beings, biodiversity and living systems, the foundation gave special attention to the rising youth and indigenous movements. Nuna currently serves on the Board of the Mni Wiconi Health Clinic & Farm, a model for decolonized, Lakota designed care to be built at Standing Rock.

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  • Jesse Ladner

    Jesse Ladner

    Director of Operations

    Jesse oversees One Earth’s internal operating systems.  After a brief career in biotech he attended law school, and has since developed a versatile skill set for guiding nonprofit operations, finance, HR, technology, and risk management. Past roles have included Associate Counsel to the fund that provides benefits to members of NYC’s largest municipal employees union, Managing Director to a small but mighty nonprofit focused on advancing the standard of care for psychological trauma, and Associate Administrative Director to a leading democracy reform organization. Jesse was instilled with conservationist values early in life by his parents, activists who worked in the 1970s to protect the Hudson River from polluters and later to defend New York’s Catskill mountains from would-be deforesters. Outside of his day jobs, he has devoted himself to various causes he believes in, including finding ways to make himself useful in the effort to respond to the ongoing climate emergency. He lives with his partner, dog, and two young kids in western Massachusetts, where hiking trails are plentiful and they have been thrilled to spot groundhogs, bears, foxes, hawks, and a good deal of other wildlife from the back windows of their home. 

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  • Edward Bell

    Edward Bell

    Digital Media Director

    Edward oversees One Earth’s digital ecosystem, including websites, social media accounts, and digital campaigns. Previously, Edward managed the Changefactor program that designed and built multiple websites for philanthropic coalitions, including the Lion Recovery Fund, Elephant Crisis Fund, Shark Conservation Fund, Quick Response Fund for Nature, Pangolin Crisis Fund, and Oceans 5, among others. Edward led the creation and distribution of all social media content for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the Global Call for Climate Action. He has specialized in building and expanding digital presences for climate coalitions and environmental organizations since 2011. He lives in sunny Los Angeles with his partner and their collection of bioactive terrariums, unconventional pets, and a ridiculous amount of comic books.

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  • Kate Thomas

    Kate Thomas

    Philanthropy & Engagement Manager

    Kate is the Philanthropy and Engagement Manager at One Earth, where she works to establish, strengthen, and diversify external partnerships and scale resources for on-the-ground climate action. She has broad experience working in environmental and policy-focused non-profits, including the RAND Corporation, the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Canopy, and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, where she oversaw the Global Wildlife and Landscape Conservation portfolio. Kate holds a master’s degree in Public Administration (environmental policy focus) and an undergraduate degree in Anthropology focusing on primate studies, both from Texas Tech University. She has a deep love and appreciation for wild places and the furry, feathered, and finned critters that call them home. Originally from Texas, Kate lives in Los Angeles with her partner and their french bulldog, Ibby.

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  • Teresa Huang

    Teresa Huang

    Senior Operations Manager

    Teresa has over a decade of experience overseeing day-to-day nonprofit finance and operations and strengthening infrastructure at various movement-building organizations, including in the areas of reproductive justice, democracy reform, and community among LGBTQ families. Prior to joining One Earth, Teresa assisted with grant writing, bookkeeping, and office management for a small-scale pastured poultry farm employing regenerative agriculture practices in western Massachusetts.

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  • Monica Montes

    Monica Montes

    Assistant to the Executive Director

    Monica serves as Assistant to the Executive Director, providing broad-based support to the ED across strategy execution, communications, and administration. She is passionate about social justice movements, and most recently worked as a consultant where she worked closely with an array of clients focused on affordable housing, immigration, civil rights, and the environment. Previously, Monica helped support the founding and development of the WILD ELEMENTS Foundation, with the mission to diversify funds and leverage creative stories that support women, Indigenous communities, and people of color on the frontlines of conservation. There she supported the launch of their first-ever WILD Innovators x WILD Advocates cohort and their Partners Program. She also had the opportunity to work with the Green Leadership Trust, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by supporting and leveraging environmental leaders of color with board mentorship and opportunities. Monica obtained her Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government at California State University, Northridge.  Originally from Mexico, Monica lives in Los Angeles with her partner and two dogs, Coco and Brownie.

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  • Lindsey Jean Schueman

    Lindsey Jean Schueman

    Writer and Content Producer

    Lindsey has written a variety of content, from children’s storybooks to commodities trader manuals, all with the firm belief everything has a story to tell. A former writer and producer for Totally TV, TubeScience, and Cubcoats, she believes the best way to make people pay attention and care is to make material lively and engaging. Raised in Nebraska and currently living in Los Angeles, she loves the outdoors and can usually be spotted with her head in a book.

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  • Geraldine Patrick Encina, PhD

    Geraldine Patrick Encina, PhD

    Indigenous Relations Advisor

    Geraldine Patrick Encina is mother of climate justice activist Xiye Bastida and music producer Danzaki, and wife of Mindahi Bastida Muñoz, a principal authority in the Grand Council of the Eagle and the Condor. Geraldine has Mapuche and Celtic ancestry, and her ethnoecological approach has led to groundbreaking findings about the astronomical and ecological basis of timekeeping in Mesoamerica. She is a member of the Otomi Council of the High Lerma River Basin that achieved legal protection of the headwater wetlands in Toluca Valley, Mexico State. She is a board member of the Biocultural Heritage Network of the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), the American Renewable Energy Institute, Land Healers and Y on Earth! Over the past decade, she has worked with community leaders and teachers in the Yucatan Peninsula and Central Mexico to promote the use of original calendars in year-round biocultural activities for a good and harmonious living in their ecosystems. Among her publications are: Biocultural Sacred Sites in Mexico and Ecology and Wetland Culture in Almoloya del Río, 1900-2004. Towards a Sustainable Management of Chiconahuapan, a Remnant of the Lerma Wetlands.

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  • Spencer Scott, PhD

    Spencer Scott, PhD

    Science Program Manager

    Spencer is a biologist, writer, and climate educator passionate about helping create an ecological civilization. After a few years in biotech, he switched careers to become a sustainability consultant and climate writer. Most recently he's worked with Impossible Foods, Sierra Club, Terraformation, Climate Town, Grist, and Paul Hawken to create educational content aimed at furthering climate engagement. He recently co-founded a regenerative farm and community education space in Northern California with his partner and close friends, where he now lives. Spencer holds a Bachelors of Science in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley and a PhD in Bioengineering from UC San Diego.

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  • Patrick Stephen Brown

    Patrick Stephen Brown

    Digital Media Producer

    Patrick is a content producer who specializes in video editing, web and graphic design, and online presence. He has worked with numerous clients, most notably: The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, Bruning Law Group, The Nebraska American Civil Liberties Union, The Office of the New York State Attorney General, Author Pamela L. Newton, and Cubcoats. Patrick is an alumni of The Los Angeles Film School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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  • Oscar Alarcón

    Oscar Alarcón

    Web & IT Advisor

    Oscar is an experienced web developer and digital comms officer with over 15 years of experience helping NGO's develop and implement their digital strategies and infrastructure. Oscar has enjoyed a variety of positions with Oxfam, ​The Global Call for Climate Action, and other Mexican organizations.​ ​ He believes in empowering individuals and organizations through knowledge. Passionate about music and the outdoors, he can be found sometimes playing with a local band, taking a bicycle ride, or camping at the beach in the Yucatan Peninsula with his son.

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Youth Climate Fellows

  • Sophia Kianni

    Sophia Kianni

    One Earth Youth Climate Leader

    Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American social entrepreneur and activist studying at Stanford University. She is the founder and executive director of Climate Cardinals, the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit, with 9,000 volunteers in 40+ countries. She is the youngest United Nations advisor in US history. Sophia has been named VICE Media's youngest Human of the Year, a National Geographic Young Explorer, among Business Insider’s Climate Action 30, one of Teen Vogue's 21 under 21, and a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree.

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Board of Directors

  • Coretta Anderson

    Coretta Anderson

    Treasurer

    Coretta Anderson is the Senior Manager of the Influencer Marketing and Strategic Partnerships team at Earthjustice. She has over 10 years of diverse project experience serving non-profit, public, and private sector organizations and specializes in designing, managing, implementing, and supporting creative and strategic engagement, public outreach, and integrated communications initiatives. Through her work with Earthjustice, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, NRDC, and more, she brings a broad perspective of experience in the areas of strategic alliances, corporate partnerships, relationship management, cause marketing, fundraising/development, public relations, sponsorship coordination, event planning and management, celebrity and influencer engagement, issue and legislative advocacy and public affairs. Coretta currently serves as treasurer on the board of One Earth and resides in Los Angeles, California. 

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  • Jay Halfon

    Jay Halfon

    Board Member

    Jay Halfon is a practicing attorney and public policy strategist. His practice focuses on legal issues affecting tax-exempt organizations. He represents many leading foundations, advocacy groups and political organizations. He has a broad range of experience influencing public policy at the state and national levels. He currently advises and supports a variety of organizations working on climate campaigns including efforts to stop oil and gas extraction in California. Mr. Halfon is a founding board member of the international climate change organization 350 and serves on the boards of several grant-making institutions including the Park Foundation with assets of $400,000,000

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  • Jena King

    Jena King

    Co-founder and Secretary

    As a philanthropist, Jena guides the giving of the Jena and Michael King Foundation, which she created in 1999 with her late husband, Michael, and oversees a donor advised fund through the Jewish Community Foundation. Their endowments focus on creating a world in which all children may thrive.  In 2007, Jena was honored with the "Global Green’s Entertainment Industry Environmental Leadership Award," given to "individuals who exhibit extraordinary leadership reflecting a deep personal commitment to the environment and encourage responsible behavior amongst the public and within the industry." Global Green's mission is to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future, a vision to which Jena remains dedicated. Jena is a founding member of COACH for Kids, which provides medical assistance to underserved children. She has served on the boards of the Environmental Media Association, Kiss the Ground and Healthy Child Healthy World (overseeing its partnership with the Environmental Working Group), and works closely with A Sense of Home. She serves on the boards of the NRDC and OCEANA, and is a member of Mayor Eric Garcetti's L.A. Sustainability Leadership Council. Jena has played a key strategic role in supporting the rise of rural and urban Regenerative Agriculture throughout California and the West, as well as supporting the Indigenous and youth movements. She has co-produced several films, including The 11th Hour, Fantastic Fungi and Kiss the Ground, and is currently working on a feature film of the story of Julia Butterfly Hill and the giant redwood, Luna. Jena was raised in Marin, California and New Zealand. Her concern for the environment and human health were informed and inspired by her rural childhood, her father's environmentalism, her education and practices as a nutritionist and yoga teacher, and her devotion to her four children.

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  • Brad Leibov

    Brad Leibov

    Chair

    Brad Leibov is a social impact leader driven by his passion for building solutions that benefit both people and the planet. He has served as a founder, co-founder, and chief executive of several pioneering organizations and social enterprises. He brings an exceptional record of leadership, strategy development, and the creation of innovative and impactful programs and initiatives. Currently, he serves as CEO of EarthShare, where he is on a mission to build a larger, more inclusive community of donors committed to sharing their resources and passion for saving our planet. In addition to his work with EarthShare, he is an award-winning documentary photographer. Prior to EarthShare, he served as President of the Liberty Prairie Foundation, Co-Chair of Fresh Taste, Vice-Chair of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders, and co-founded Funders for Regenerative Agriculture. In 2020, he was awarded the Edmund Hillary Fellowship in recognition of his work delivering positive impact in New Zealand and around the world.

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  • Rick Ridgeway

    Rick Ridgeway

    Board Member

    Rick Ridgeway is an outdoor adventurer, writer, and advocate for sustainability and conservation initiatives. For 15 years, Rick was a VP at Patagonia developing environmental and sustainability initiatives including Freedom to Roam, the Footprint Chronicles and Worn Wear.  He also was founding chair of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, today the largest apparel, footwear, and home textile trade organization in the world. In addition, Rick is recognized as one of the world’s foremost mountaineers.  With three companions, he was the first American to summit K2, and he has done other significant climbs and explorations on all continents. He has written seven books, and  National Geographic honored him with its “Lifetime Achievement in Adventure” award.  Today, he serves on six boards of conservation organizations and has returned to his passion for writing. His memoir Life Lived Wild was released in October 2021.

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  • Rachel Rivera

    Rachel Rivera

    Board Member

    Rachel Rivera is the Chief Operating Officer of Wild Lives Foundation, a nonprofit organization launched by Jody Allen in 2016. Wild Lives Foundation is dedicated to marine and wildlife conservation and other philanthropic initiatives. In addition, Rachel serves as a board member of Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research, an organization dedicated to improving the health and welfare of marine wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Previously, Rachel Rivera worked directly with Jody Allen in her role as the trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust and Chair of Vulcan Inc. on philanthropic initiatives. In that role, Rachel worked on philanthropic strategy, including work in oceans, conservation, films, communities, and climate.

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  • Justin Winters

    Justin Winters

    President and Co-founder

    Driven by a passion for nature, Justin Winters is committed to democratizing climate philanthropy in order to create an inclusive and impactful movement to address the climate crisis from the ground up. She is the Co-founder and Executive Director of One Earth, a nonprofit organization working to galvanize science, advocacy, and philanthropy to drive collective action on climate change. Through One Earth, she is focused on creating a vision for the world that is possible by 2050 – one in which humanity and nature coexist and thrive together. This vision is based on three pillars of action: 100% renewable energy, protection and restoration of 50% of the world’s lands and oceans, and a transition to regenerative, carbon-negative agriculture. Prior to One Earth, Justin served as Executive Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation for 13 years, where she built the organization’s grant-making program, which awarded over $100 million in grants across 60 countries and created a series of innovative philanthropic funds, including Oceans 5, Shark Conservation Fund, The Solutions Funds, Lion Recovery Fund, Elephant Crisis Fund, and Quick Response Fund for Nature.

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Friends of One Earth

  • Spike Buckley

    Spike Buckley

    Co-founder and former Board Member

    Spike Buckley is a Co-founder and former Board Member of One Earth. Prior to One Earth, Spike founded Earth’s Call Fund with a mission to deploy capital to innovators targeting climate change. He is an avid supporter of the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Conservation Colorado, the League of Conservation Voters, and NextGen America.

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  • Grounded

    Grounded

    Supporter

    Established in 2018, Grounded launched with a mission to identify and advance scalable climate crisis solutions to ensure a thriving planet. Founded by Julia Jackson, a second generation proprietor Jackson Family Wines, Grounded convenes and connects to scale climate solutions. The Summit convenes and fosters collaboration between the world’s foremost climate change experts: a diverse community of scientists, policymakers, investors, executives, and front-line organizations to cross-pollinate transformative ideas and innovative solutions.

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  • The Jena & Michael King Foundation

    The Jena & Michael King Foundation

    Supporter

    The Jena & Michael King Foundation focuses on protecting, restoring, and nurturing the cycle of life. Through the support of regenerative agriculture, healthy soils, and climate, and the general health of all beings, biodiversity, and living systems, the foundation gives special attention to the rising youth movement and indigenous leadership. Jena King is a Co-founder and Board Member of One Earth. 

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