Theme: Women’s Leadership
Saturday, December 5th
What if women actually did lead the world for the next several years? Likely every metric would improve significantly. Countries with women leaders from Germany to New Zealand, Finland and Taiwan have handled the coronavirus pandemic far better than those led by men. It should not come as a surprise: Rigorous data reveal that social and ecological systems become healthier, more equitable, more democratic and more resilient as a society increases its gender equity and educational opportunities for girls and women, boosts the status and decision-making power of women, and nurtures their leadership. In this dynamic, eye-opening conversation, we’ll hear from an array of skillful grassroots movement leaders and organizers who’ll draw upon their lived experiences to illuminate how women’s leadership is foundational to shifting the course of our species’ future – and how it is doing that now right before our eyes. Hosted by Sahana Darmapuri, Director of Our Secure Future. With: Jensine Larsen, CEO of World Pulse; Vanessa Daniel, CEO of Groundswell Fund; Tia Oros Peters, CEO of Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples.
December 5th | 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm
Panelists
Sahana Dharmapuri
Director | Our Secure Future
Sahana Dharmapuri, the Director of Our Secure Future, a program of One Earth Future Foundation, was previously an independent advisor on gender, peace and security issues to many major international organizations including USAID, NATO, The Swedish Armed Forces and the International Peace Institute. She is the author of Women, Peace & Security: 10 Things You Should Know and has published articles and papers widely.
Jensine Larsen
Founder | World Pulse
Jensine (pron. “yen-see-nah”) Larsen is an award-winning digital impact entrepreneur, international journalist, and expert on the use of technology to strengthen global women’s power. She is the founder of World Pulse, an independent, women-powered global social network connecting tens of thousands of women from 190 countries and bringing them a greater global voice. Through World Pulse women leaders are impacting over 17.4 million lives by building global movements, launching businesses, changing policies, and transforming harmful cultural practices.
Vanessa Daniel
Executive Director | Groundswell Fund
Vanessa Daniel, a former union organizer and longtime social justice activist, is an award-winning innovator in the field of philanthropy. She founded and is Executive Director of Groundswell Fund, the largest funder of the U.S. reproductive justice movement, and of Groundswell Action Fund, the largest U.S. institution helping fund women of color-led 501c4 organizations. Groundswell, among other achievements, is the country’s only fund dedicated to supporting access to midwifery and doula care for women of color, low-income women and transgender people; and funds a women-of-color-led Integrated Voter Engagement training program as well. Vanessa also serves on the board of the Common Counsel Foundation.
Tia Oros Peters
CEO | Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples
Tia Oros Peters (Shiwi), a mother, grandmother, writer and artist, as well as a social, cultural, and environmental justice organizer for 30+ years, is CEO of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, which supports Native Peoples' community generated strategies for cultural revitalization, movement building, self-determination, and Re-Indigenization. Tia also co-founded the Global Indigenous Women's Caucus and Indigenous Women Worldwide, and serves on the National Advisory Committee of Grantmakers for Girls of Color and on the boards of the Proteus Fund and of Tools and Tiaras.
Sunday, December 6th
Indigenous peoples, deeply rooted in place-based knowledge, are leading the way in developing strategies on how best to approach climate justice and climate resilience. What does climate and environmental justice look like when Indigenous voices are brought to the forefront? How can we move beyond “land acknowledgements” toward meaningful courses of action for our shared futures? In California, climate action plans are drawing from time-tested Indigenous fire and land management approaches; Governor Newsom is launching a Truth and Healing Commission; and across the state, communities are participating in land return to Indigenous nations. Leading Indigenous educator Cutcha Risling Baldy will provide a three-step approach to re-imagining climate and environmental justice in California and beyond, focusing on concrete actions that challenge us to dream better futures together.
December 6th | 10:49 am to 11:04 am
Keynote
Cutcha Risling Baldy
Co-Founder | Native Women's Collective
Cutcha Risling Baldy, Ph.D. (Hupa, Yurok, Karuk), Associate Professor and Department Chair of Native American Studies at Humboldt State and co-founder of the Native Women's Collective, a nonprofit supporting the revitalization of Native American arts and culture, researches Indigenous feminisms, California Indians and decolonization. She is the author of: We Are Dancing For You: Native feminisms and the revitalization of women's coming-of-age.
A world where humans live in right relationship with each other and the planet is possible, but only if we dismantle the interlocking forces of patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism and extractive capitalism. It’s daunting work. There is no shortcut, and we’re running out of time. Thankfully the people living at the sharpest crosshairs of these forces – women of color and transgender people of color – have a unique insight into how to do this, if we would only listen to them. Women of color, and Black women in particular, are the most progressive voting block in the U.S. and the catalyst for the boldest movements of our time – from #metoo, to #blacklivesmatter, to the largest protest movement in the history of the country witnessed in this summer’s uprisings. What can we learn from the light they are shining on the path to freedom for all people? And how can philanthropy support their efforts?
December 6th | 11:32 am to 11:47 am
Keynote
Vanessa Daniel
Executive Director | Groundswell Fund
Vanessa Daniel, a former union organizer and longtime social justice activist, is an award-winning innovator in the field of philanthropy. She founded and is Executive Director of Groundswell Fund, the largest funder of the U.S. reproductive justice movement, and of Groundswell Action Fund, the largest U.S. institution helping fund women of color-led 501c4 organizations. Groundswell, among other achievements, is the country’s only fund dedicated to supporting access to midwifery and doula care for women of color, low-income women and transgender people; and funds a women-of-color-led Integrated Voter Engagement training program as well. Vanessa also serves on the board of the Common Counsel Foundation.
Within most Indigenous communities of the Americas (and of the world) the cultural and societal responsibilities of womxn play a crucially important role in maintaining the wellbeing of the community—including the ecosystem. Their intimate relationship to Mother Earth ranges from the exchange of water in the birthing process to the role of decision-making within families and clans to ensure a healthy future for subsequent generations. In these especially challenging times, the coming together of Indigenous womxn in leadership is more critical than ever for all people and all cultures to re-evaluate their responsibilities to respect and protect the sacredness of Mother Earth. Join us to hear from three inspiring Indigenous women who come together to discuss how matriarchy, the sacred feminine, and Indigenous ways play an important part in their leadership. Hosted by Cara Romero, Bioneers Indigeneity Program Director. With: Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca), Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee), and Naelyn Pike (Chiricahua Apache).
December 6th | 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm
Panelists
Casey Camp-Horinek
Environmental Ambassador | Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma
Casey Camp-Horinek, Environmental Ambassador of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma and Hereditary Drum-keeper of its Women’s Scalp Dance Society, elder and matriarch, is also an Emmy award-winning actress, author, and internationally renowned, longtime Native and human rights and environmental justice activist. She led efforts for the Ponca tribe to adopt a “rights of nature” statute and pass a moratorium on fracking on its territory. She has traveled and spoken around the world.
Crystal Echo Hawk
Founder and Executive Director | IllumiNative
Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee), is the founder and Executive Director of IllumiNative, the first and only national Native-led organization focused on changing the narrative about Native peoples on a mass scale. Crystal built IllumiNative to activate a cohesive set of research-informed strategies that illuminate the voices, stories, contributions and assets of contemporary Native peoples to disrupt the invisibility and toxic stereotypes Native peoples face.
Cara Romero
Program Director of the Bioneers Indigenous Knowledge Program | Bioneers
Cara Romero (Chemehuevi), Program Director of the Bioneers Indigenous Knowledge Program, previously served her Mojave-based tribe in several capacities, including as: first Executive Director at the Chemehuevi Cultural Center, a member of the tribal council, and Chair of the Chemehuevi Education Board and Chemeuevi Headstart Policy Council. Cara is also a highly accomplished photographer/artist.
Saturday, December 12th
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, one of the nation’s most innovative thought leaders in ocean and coastal conservation and recent co-creator of the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy, explains how she developed a passion for marine biology and ocean conservation, and draws from the brand new anthology of wisdom by women climate leaders she co-edited with Katharine Wilkinson, All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, to share her vision of how emerging forms of honest, heart-centered leadership can help humanity address the greatest crisis it has ever faced.
December 12th | 11:05 am to 11:20 am
Keynote
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
CEO and Founder | Ocean Collectiv
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a Brooklyn native marine biologist and policy expert, is founder and CEO of Ocean Collectiv, a strategy-consulting firm for conservation solutions, and founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank focused on coastal cities. Her mission is to build community around solutions for our climate crisis. She is co-editor of All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, a brand new anthology of wisdom by women climate leaders.
In this time of crisis, we are being called to act on behalf of what we love and a future we desire, but the legacy of patriarchy has left us all, whatever our gender, with deep unconscious biases about leadership and action that make genuine, un-hierarchical cooperation difficult. But we can overcome those inherited biases and embrace attunement, relational awareness, intuition and deep listening to forge new, far healthier forms of leadership. In this experiential journey into regenerative, heart-centered leadership for people of all genders, ages, colors and backgrounds at all phases of life’s journey, we will open the door to rebalancing the feminine and masculine beyond any gender-binary perceptions and discover radical new paths to wholeness. With: Deborah Eden Tull, of Mindful Living Revolution; and Nina Simons, Bioneers co-founder.
December 12th | 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Panelists
Deborah Eden Tull
Author | Relational Mindfulness
Deborah Eden Tull, a Zen meditation and mindfulness teacher, author, activist and educator who spent 7 years training at a silent Zen monastery, has been teaching dharma for 20 years and sustainability practices for nearly 30. Her teaching style is grounded in “engaged awareness,” which emphasizes the connection between personal awakening and global engagement. Author of: Relational Mindfulness: A Handbook for Deepening Our Connection with Our Self, Each Other, and Our Planet and The Natural Kitchen: Your Guide for the Sustainable Food Revolution, Eden offers retreats, online courses and consultations internationally. She also teaches The Work That Reconnects, a program created by Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy, and is affiliated with UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center.
Nina Simons
Co-Founder | Bioneers
Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers and its Chief Relationship Strategist is also co-founder of Women Bridging Worlds and Connecting Women Leading Change. She co-edited the anthology book, Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart, and most recently wrote Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership. An award-winning social entrepreneur, Nina teaches and speaks internationally, and previously served as President of Seeds of Change and Director of Strategic Marketing for Odwalla.
Sunday, December 13th
December 13th | 10:55 am to 11:02 am
Keynote
Naima Penniman
Program Director | Soul Fire Farm
Naima Penniman, an artist, activist, healer, grower and educator committed to planetary health and community resilience, is the co-founder of WILDSEED Community Farm and Healing Village, a Black and Brown-led intentional community focused on ecological collaboration, transformative justice, and intergenerational responsibility. She is also: Program Director at Soul Fire Farm, dedicated to supporting the next generation of B.I.P.O.C. (Black/Indigenous/people of color) farmers; the co-founder/co-artistic director of Climbing PoeTree, an internationally-acclaimed performance duo; a Thai Yoga Massage practitioner; and a member of Harriet's Apothecary, a collective of Black women-identified healers.
Let Bioneers be your hub for information and action regarding the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges: Subscribe to the weekly Bioneers Pulse email newsletter.