Aaliyah is a community collaborator and co-creator, merging her interest in media, technology and entrepreneurship to create innovative, equitable, intersectional products and services. Through her work in the non-profit sector, Aaliyah has had the privilege to work on several projects and committees to address SDGs and community development through interdisciplinary collaboration. Within these various opportunities, Aaliyah has learned that the first step prior to dissecting “wicked problems” under which most social, economic and environmental issues fall; is a fundamental teaching from her tribes (Krahn & Kpelle) - listening to the whole person. Thus, the programs and services drafted alongside her community produced thought-provoking discussions and revealed interwoven perspectives and experiences.

Alicia (she/they) is a Sustainable Impact Strategist who fiercely champions climate justice and hopeful futures. With extensive experience in facilitation, sustainability, impact measurement and standards development, she helps forward-thinking organizations to assess, amplify and embed their desired social and environmental impact, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a guiding framework.

Bo is the Founder and Principal at Good Being Co. He is an urban, environmental, and energy planner by training, and former executive director of a youth-led sustainability not for profit organization. The son of Nigerian immigrants, he has spent time living in the UK, Canada, Hungary and Denmark - which has all contributed to giving him a deep sense of appreciation and belonging to the world as a whole.

Claire Morley is an energy efficiency officer with the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax/Kjipuktuk. Claire is passionate about sustainable economic development and has built experience working with multiple environmental non-profits and economic development agencies.

I'm Habon Ali, a Schwarzman Scholar who had the incredible opportunity to study global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. I'm truly humbled to have been recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. My academic journey includes earning a Master of Science in Global Health from McMaster University and graduating as Valedictorian from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science.

Haruka Aoyama (she/her) is a former international student who arrived in Nova Scotia back in 2016. Having successfully completed degrees in Political Science and Environment, Sustainability, and Society (ESS) at Dalhousie University, she's deeply enthusiastic about driving the transition to cleaner energy sources. Her goal is to not only reduce harmful emissions but also bolster the resilience of communities in the face of social and climate changes. Haruka is very curious person and has a lot of hobbies.

Hyejun Kim is a public health consultant working with a regional health authority, where she plays a vital role in implementing, evaluating, and improving evidence-based public health programs and policies. She has built a dynamic career spanning several industries, including applied and academic research, government, and healthcare. Having spent many years volunteering with nonprofits and communities, including remote Inuit communities in the Arctic, she uses her expertise. to develop, implement and improve public health and social impact initiatives.

Jo Brockie, an alumna of the Guelph Institute of Development Studies at the University of Guelph, is deeply enthusiastic about project management and program development. This passion has fostered collaborations with diverse non-profit and charitable organizations. By harmonizing her passion for community engagement and knack for curriculum design, she creates inclusive resources for schools, institutions, and the public. In her spare time, Jo enjoys reading, paddling on the water, and basking under the sun.

Rajdeep Dhaliwal is a GIS Analyst. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Geographic Information Systems from BCIT and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Geography, specializing in Environment & Sustainability from the University of British Columbia. Her research experiences include equity, diversity, inclusion, climate change, civic education, and rural healthcare. As a GIS analyst and climate justice advocate, Rajdeep is particularly interested in examining how harmful industrial pollutants adversely impact racialized communities. Rajdeep’s other interests include spending quality time with her elderly grandparents and listening to their stories about life in the village.

Taylor is, at heart, a passionate problem-solver and environmentalist working to lead systems change toward a more climate-positive and socially-just future. Her expertise in research, engineering design, and emergent thinking provides a basis for curated solutions to climate and sustainability challenges. She brings over 6 years of expertise in interfacial engineering with a focus on bio-based materials, from both an academic and private start-up lens. Taylor has extended this expertise in her current role as Program Manager at the Academy for Sustainable Innovation, to look at cultural, societal, and organizational interfaces, noting that change happens where there is intersection & collaboration. As a McMaster alumna, holding a B.Eng & Society and MASc in Chemical Engineering, and now as a sessional instructor for McMaster’s undergraduate Engineering & Society Capstone course, Taylor offers perspectives with a systems-lens that help imagine and create regenerative futures that work with the planet, not against it.