All Speakers

Marina MELANIDIS
Marina MELANIDIS
Speaker Pritpal SOORAE
Pritpal SOORAE

Programme Officer

IUCN Conservation Translocation Specialist Group

I am Deputy Chair of the IUCN Conservation Translocation Specialist Group and have been involved with group for nearly 30 years. During this time Ihave worked on developing various guidelines and…
Speaker Laura Alejandra PARRA
Laura Alejandra PARRA

Biodiversity officer

CNTI

With a solid track record in defending the territorial and environmental rights of Indigenous Peoples, I lead initiatives and projects that promote their active participation in biodiversity and…
Speaker Jesse HILDEBRAND
Jesse HILDEBRAND

VP Education

Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants

Jesse Hildebrand has pursued science communication for over a decade. He founded Science Literacy Week, a festival uniting libraries, NGOs, and science centers, which became an official government…
Speaker Aymeric ROUSSEL
Aymeric ROUSSEL

Team Leader, Biodiversty and ecosystem services

European Union

I am a development specialist with over twenty-five years of experience in biodiversity conservation, natural resources management, and rural development, with a particular focus on developing…
Speaker Hala MURAD
Hala MURAD

President

Dibeen For Environmental Development

Hala S. Murad – Environmental and climate policy expertWork on  climate justice advocacy, She holds a master’s degree in socio-ecological science & her thesis on climate change and…
Speaker Reine Metlej
Reine Metlej
Reine Metlej is a sustainability consultant and social entrepreneur from Lebanon, passionate about driving climate action, circular economy solutions, and youth empowerment. With a background in…
Speaker Samuel Geller
Samuel Geller

Senior Protected and Conserved Areas Advisor

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Samuel Geller is a Senior Protected and Conserved Areas Advisor for Environment Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Canadian Wildlife Service. In his role, Sam leads an ECCC Screening Task Team…
Speaker Paul STEWART
Paul STEWART

Global Coffee Director

TechnoServe

Paul Stewart is TechnoServe’s Global Coffee Director, overseeing a portfolio of partnerships with the world’s leading coffee companies, foundations, and public sector agencies to increase the coffee…
Speaker Roy HOWELL
Roy HOWELL

Senior Policy Officer, United States

IUCN

Roy Howell serves as Senior Policy Officer in the IUCN North America Regional Office, contributing to the development and management of IUCN's strategic relationships with US government agency…
Speaker Janice CHANSON
Janice CHANSON

Species Assessment and Australasia Manager

Re:wild

Speaker Philip FRANKS
Philip FRANKS

Principal Researcher | Biodiversity

International Institute for Environment and Development

Email: phil.franks@iied.orgPhil Franks is an expert on the social dimension of natural resource management and conservation, with a particular focus on better understanding and applying…
Speaker Chelsea HUNTER
Chelsea HUNTER

Assistant Professor

University of North Texas

Chelsea Hunter (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of North Texas and an environmental anthropologist. Her research interests largely center around…
Speaker JOSEPH PIERRE CLAUDE GASCON
JOSEPH PIERRE CLAUDE GASCON

DIRECTOR

Global Environment Facility

Dr. Claude Gascon is Director of Strategy and Operations at the Global Environment Facility (GEF).   In this capacity Dr. Gascon leads the development of strategic planning, programming,…
Speaker Tania MARTINEZ CRUZ
Tania MARTINEZ CRUZ

Indigenous Peoples Operations Analyst

Global Environmental Facility

Tania is the Indigenous Peoples Operations Analyst at the Global Environmental Facility.  Her work is instrumental in strengthening the Global Environment Facility's engagement with Indigenous…
Speaker Francisco Ramiro BATZIN CHOJOJ
Francisco Ramiro BATZIN CHOJOJ

Director

Ruk'u'x Balam

Maya Kaqchikel, Pensum Cerrado en la Maestría en Gestión Ambiental Local, Licenciado en Ciencias de la Comunicación, Periodista. Cargos: Director Ejecutivo Asociación Sotz’il, Coordinador del Foro…
Speaker Harrison AJEBENNOKO
Harrison AJEBENNOKO

CEO

AJESH

Biodiversity and forest Conservation and Social Forester, Forest regeneration and restoration, Community Participatory Mapping and Land Use Planning, Livelihood development for communities, Zero…
Speaker Alejandro IZA
Alejandro IZA

Director, Environmental Law Centre

IUCN Secretariat

Ex Officio. Dr. Alejandro Iza, Director of the Environmental Law Centre. From a combined academic and practical background, he brings to IUCN a combination of expertise including a broad knowledge…
Speaker Vance Martin
Vance Martin

Board member, director

Union of Nature

Vance G. Martin created and built-out the WILD Foundation over 40 years as its President and on its board. In that capacity he served as International Director of the World Wilderness Congress…
Speaker Richard SCOBEY
Richard SCOBEY

Executive Director

IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025

Richard Scobey joined TRAFFIC as the Executive Director in June 2021.  He previously worked as the President of the World Cocoa Foundation for 5 years, focused on sustainability of the cocoa…
Speaker Liza ZOGIB
Liza ZOGIB

Director, DiversEarth

IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy 2021-2025

Liza is Director of DiversEarth, an organization working at the interface of Nature, Culture and Spirituality and currently co-chair of CEESP's Theme on Culture, Spirituality and Conservation. She is…
Speaker Qiulin LIU
Qiulin LIU

Programme Coordination Officer - Climate Change

IUCN

After obtaining a PhD in Hydraulic Engineering from Tsinghua University (China) in 2016, Qiulin started her career in National Marine Data and Information Service, Ministry of Natural Resources of…
Speaker Roberto Andres BOSCH FIGUEREDO
Roberto Andres BOSCH FIGUEREDO

President

Asociación para la Protección de los Recursos Naturales Renovables

Roberto has a degree in Wood Products Processing from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He has been a professor at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala for Wood Science…
Speaker Hanta Julie RAZAFIMANAHAKA
Hanta Julie RAZAFIMANAHAKA

Executive Director

Madagasikara Voakajy

Julie Hanta Razafimanahaka is a Malagasy conservation ecologist and Director of Madagasikara Voakajy, an NGO dedicated to safeguarding Madagascar’s unique biodiversity. Inspired as a teenager by the…
Speaker Ana MARISCAL
Ana MARISCAL

Research Coordinator

Fundación Cambugán

Ana G. Mariscal Chávez (she/her) is a biologist and independent researcher focused on the conservation and restoration of native ecosystems in collaboration with local communities. She holds a Ph.D.…
Speaker Nathalie WHITAKER
Nathalie WHITAKER

CEO

Toha Network

I work at the intersection of digital infrastructure, community wellbeing, and nature finance. I am a co-founder of the Toha Network and a founding member of the International Environmental…