Co-Creator

Ethan Summers is an Emmy-awarded digital artist with over 30 years of experience in visual effects for feature film, educational software design and science visualization. His expertise in these areas is an ideal complement to forward his ConnectedUniverse.org vision of communicating world-changing ideas in science and technology.

Co-Creator

Eric Thiermann is an Academy Award-nominated short doc film producer and cinematographer, founder of Impact Creative in Santa Cruz. He has lensed hundreds of environmental and socially relevant documentaries during the past 40 years. His fascination with filmmaking and game design converged with Earth Island Odyssey.

Associate Creator

Dr. Aleksandra Wolska is a theater artist, playwright, and scholar of performance. She directed numerous productions from Shakespeare to Beckett to devised works for the stage; her All Wear Bowlers with Rainpan43 achieved international acclaim; machines machines won an Obie for design. Dr. Wolska taught at the University of Minnesota and Stanford Summer Institute and is a founder/artistic director of Theater Between. Her current work centers on performance and ecology.

Game executive with ~30 years industry experience responsible for PD, BD and P&L for game studios. Previous employers include Disney, EA, Sony, Midway, Electronic Arts. Also active in startup and HCI research fields. Currently growing Cosmic Foundry www.cosmicfoundry.io to focus on web2 & web3 gaming.

Dawn is an inspirational leader with 25+ years of experience in the Video Games Industry. She has led teams such as 2K, Activision-Blizzard, Capcom, Wargaming, Visual Concepts, Cloud Chamber, THQ, Toys for Bob, Vicarious Visions, Splash Damage, Beenox, and HB Studios, to unleash their power and create and publish awesome video games, producing numerous AAA and live service titles with multi-million-dollar budgets. Dawn has also led business operations for Silicon Valley start-ups.

Michael Parisi has worked as an Artist/Designer/Producer on over 15 commercially published video games, for companies like 3DO, Atari/Accolade and Liquid Development. His self-published STEM game for mobile, Isopod: The Roly Poly Science Game, has over 60k downloads, was featured by Apple as well nominated for the prestigious CYBILS Children's Literature award.

Peabody award winner ARG (news anchor) puppetmaster team: World Without Oil – . “If you want to change the future, play with it first.”

The world's first serious alternate reality game, a cooperative pre-imagining of a global oil crisis. The online game was set to run for 32 days representing the first 32 weeks of the oil shock, designed to enact a peak oil situation and produce a body of material for extensive use in schools.

Rahul is a technical leader with 18+ years of experience building some of the biggest video games in the industry. He has led teams to build technology and craft visuals for game franchises like Star Wars, Madden NFL, Dead Space and Tiger Woods Golf and is excited by the potential of video games to have an impact on climate crisis facing all of us today.

Gary Griggs is a Distinguished Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at the UCSC. His research, teaching, writing and lectures have been focused on the coast of California and include coastal processes, hazards, and the impacts of and responses to sea-level rise. In 1998 he was given the Outstanding Physical and Biological Sciences Faculty Award at U.C. Santa Cruz, and the Alumni Association honored him with a Distinguished Teaching Award in 2006. The California Coastal Commission and Sunset Magazine named him one of California’s Coastal Heroes in 2009, and in 2010 he was elected to the California Academy of Sciences. Gary chaired a committee in 2017 recommended by Governor Brown to update California’s sea-level rise projections. In 2016 he was appointed to the California Ocean Science Trust. Gary is also a member of the California Ocean Protection Council’s Science Advisory Team and served as chair of California’s 4th Climate Assessment Committee on Coasts and Ocean. Gary has written 13 books.

RONNIE D. LIPSCHUTZ is President & Co-director, Sustainable Systems Research Foundation, Santa Cruz,. He is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He holds an SM in Physics from MIT and a PhD in Energy & Resources from UC Berkeley. He has been engaged in resource-related work since 1978. He is host of “Sustainability Now!,” KSQD 90.7 FM & KSQD.org in Santa Cruz, California. He has been Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in the Department of Politics, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz -1990-2020. Also at UCSC he was Provost of Rachel Carson College - 2012-2018, Chair of Politics - 2014-2016, Co/Chair, Santa Cruz Faculty Association - 2014-16, Director/Co-director, Center for Global, International & Regional Studies - 2000-2014. He was Velux Visiting Professor, Dept. of Business & Politics, Copenhagen Business School - Fall 2011, Visiting Professor of Politics & International Relations, Royal Holloway University of London - Sept. 2009- March 2010.

Sibylle Frey holds a B.Sc. in Dietetics, an M.Sc. in Food Science, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science. She was a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute, focusing on consumption-based emission methodologies and greenhouse gas scenarios, and a peer reviewer for the Journal of Industrial Ecology. With over 20 years of experience in sustainability research and consulting across various sectors, her strengths include environmental sustainability and systems thinking. SF has collaborated with academia, government bodies, NGOs, and the private sector. Currently, as the Director of Production at the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB), she leads the development of multimedia content addressing critical global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the key drivers of overconsumption, growth economy, and population growth.

Martha Kaufeldt, M.A. is a popular presenter at education conferences and conducts motivational workshops and seminars for teachers, parents, and corporate groups internationally. Martha has a master's degree in human behavior and development. She works to translate the latest educational neuroscience research into classroom and workplace applications. She encourages leaders and educators to orchestrate work and learning within a safe, secure, sustainable environment, aligned with how human brains learn best and are most productive. Kaufeldt is also a strong advocate for project- and place-based curriculum, environmental education, the integration of social skills, and opportunities to develop emotional health.

A curriculum designer & social strategist, Nancy Glock-Grueneich develops solutions-centered learning resources for the use of change makers seeking to support the “climate-concerned” in becoming the “climate-engaged”. She works with others, internationally, intergenerationally and across sectors, to connect and focus the climate movement in service of effective self-governance, resilience and a livable future. Her experience spans developing the TV series, The Future We Need & How to Get It; a Harvard doctorate in Philosophy and Education; 15 years overseeing curriculum and staff development for the then108 colleges of the California Community College system; and varied work in and with other countries and at different social levels.

Anjula Tyagi is a dedicated advocate and influential leader in the field of education, particularly through her work with Educate Girls Globally https://educategirls.org. With a deep passion for empowering girls and promoting education as a transformative force, she has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gender gap in education. With over two decades of experience, she has dedicated her life to improving education systems and empowering students, especially girls worldwide. Throughout her career, she has held key leadership positions in prestigious institutions, contributing to education policy formulation, and curriculum development, and bringing in diverse stakeholders, including communities, governments, and philanthropic organizations, to collectively work toward creating an inclusive and equitable education system. She earned her graduate degree in Education from Harvard University and is a Ford Foundation Fellow.

An American social psychologist and professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research has focused on topics related to social justice, particularly affirmative action, as well as gender equality and relative deprivation. Before joining the University of California, Santa Cruz, she taught at Yale University and at Smith College. In 2005, she received the Kurt Lewin Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. As Cowell College Provost, Faye Crosby received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Justice Research.

Nada Miljkovic is a multi-disciplinarian educator, entrepreneur, and artivist (artist/activist). She teaches entrepreneurship, digital storytelling, and the ethics of emerging technologies. She has traveled the world with the Stanford Precollegiate International Institutes, particularly in Latin America. Nada is CEO and co-founder of GetVirtual, a service-learning program that gives students real-world experience helping businesses get online. She is currently the President of the Board of two non-profits United Services Agency, E.A.R.T.H Lab SF and former Chair of the Board of Directors for the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County. She is a TEDxSantaCruz organizer and KSQD community radio host.

Wendy Martyna earned her Ph.D. in Psychology at Stanford in 1978, and for several decades was a Professor of Psychology and Lecturer in Sociology at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She is a writer and public speaker, and has led workshops on Death and Dying, Storytelling, Creativity, and Personal Development, both in the U.S. and the U.K, and has served as consultant, editor, organizer and board member for a number of social justice organizations over the years. Some of her work can be found on her website: wendymartyna.com.

As a filmmaker, Mark’s diverse experience ranges from indie features, to screenplays optioned by major entertainment industry producers and studios, to social justice documentaries, to commercials, promos and sizzles for Fortune 500 companies. As an educator, Mark founded the Urban Oasis Film Academy to help the at-risk youth of Los Angeles discover their gifts and give voice to their stories. In 2016, Mark launched a cinematic arts pathway and annual student film festival at Los Angeles’ premier public arts high school. He currently is adjunct professor of screenwriting and digital storytelling at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington.

Regina is a collaborator, storyteller & advocate for the marginalized. Most recently, she launched projects for accessible housing for people with different abilities. She’s a founding member of Women Rise for Global Peace in Santa Cruz. She led the Kids Voting Silicon Valley project - a non-partisan voter education project for K - 12 students, and produced KidsVention - a political convention attended by 14,000 students. She has also launched Student-to-Student Mentoring and Leadership Programs in dozens of public and private schools in Silicon Valley.

Kaila is a current graduate student at San Francisco State in the Master of Instructional Design and Technology program. Her teaching experience ranges from tutoring children in math, science, and English to helping young adults with autism spectrum disorder learn essential life skills. As an avid gamer, she sees the rich potential of educational video games to make learning more engaging and fun for students. She is passionate about making education more accessible to people around the world through online courses and digital learning communities.

Pine Ridge lakota, Reservation-raised savvy online gamer

Avid Minecraft players in both creative and survival modes. Fearless and strategic.

An inspiring group of high school climate scientists empowering other youths with hopeful action.

Founder/Creative Director, Awake Media

Director, Center for the Study of the Force Majeure

Executive Director & Co-Founder, Romero Institute

Counsel Counsel & Co-Director, Lakota Law

Chief Counsel, President & Co-Founder, Romero Institute

Production Designer

Water & Climate Action Manager, Sustainability Office, UC Santa Cruz

Marine Biologist, Founder OceanExplorer.org

Writer, Ecology/Spirituality

Santa Cruz Children’s Learning Museum

Kennan & Karen Ward, Nature Photographers

Director of Public Relations, ROKU TV

Community Volunteer living on unceded Uypi tribal land

Radio Producer

Ecosystem restoration and regenerative agroecology

Solar energy specialist/Environmental Educator

Former CEO RPC Industries, B & H Systems

Feature Film Producer/Director, Animator

Faculty, Environmental Sciences, De Anza College

Nature Connection Guide, Singer, Writer

EcoArtist, Founder-ArtMill, Fulbright scholar, Fellow - UCSC Social Practice Arts Research

Producer/DP, Lens Fire Films

Filmmaker/Editor.

Silicon Valley strategist/creative producer

Partner/Creative Director, Impact Creative

Multimedia Senior Director, Stanford University

Lecturer, Gender and Engineering, Santa Clara University

Brower Youth Award Winner / Environmental Filmmaker

Clinical Therapist, Licensed Mediator, Psychology Professor (retired)

Manager, Emporio Rulli

Senior Marketing Specialist, UBIQ

Video Producer/Educator

Therapist, Earth Dialogues blogger

Photographer, Videographer, Dancer

CEO of Forest Design LLC

Botanical creative for Adaptive and Divergent Landscapes

Career Counselor, Founder, Santa Cruz University

Founder - TEDX Santa Cruz, Counselor and Digital Media Cabrillo College (retired)

Software developer and inventor, Sound Designer, Climate Activist

Author and Educator

Phd (hon), Energy Field Activist, Certified Qigong Teacher, Coaching & Energy Healing

CEO, Somerset Enterprises (retired)