Identity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement

Angelo Villagomez is a senior fellow at American Progress, where he focuses on Indigenous-led conservation. In his blog, he describes how mentoring creates new leaders and how mentors can learn and grow from mentoring relationships.

In part two of this two-part series, we asked environmental leaders what motivates them in 2026 to offer a source of inspiration and the reminder to have courage as we move forward together.

Reflecting on the challenges 2025 presented, finding motivation to sustain equity work and lead on inclusive practices is even more essential than ever. In part one of this two-part series, we asked environmental leaders for their 2026 new year wish to offer a source of inspiration and the reminder to center rest and joy in our work.

Dionna L. Brown is a public health scholar, sociologist, and environmental justice advocate from Flint, Michigan. In this blog, Dionna discusses the impact mentorship had on her environmental justice movement journey, and how those experiences have driven her passion to ensure she supports and advocates for others in the sector.

Sana Iqbal is an Environmental, Health, and Safety Specialist with a focus on air compliance in a manufacturing setting. In her blog, Sana discusses the mentors who helped her at different points in her journey and how each of those relationships helped guide her to where she is today as a professional in the environmental sector.

Jasmin Graham is a shark scientist and environmental educator who specializes in elasmobranch (shark and ray) ecology and evolution. In her blog, Jasmin discusses her journey and what ultimately led her down the path of becoming an author and co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS).

K.J. Chien (she/her) is a Taiwanese-American writer based in New York City, and a finalist for Grist’s Imagine 2200 climate fiction competition for her short stort, “The Ones Left Behind”. She loves using the speculative and the strange to examine themes such as intergenerational relationships, the Asian American diaspora, and to dream of different tomorrows.

In the first of this two-part blog series, we interview Sage Hoffman Nadeau, winner of Grist's Imagine 2200 climate fiction competition, about her background, short story, and her perspective on the role of writers in the environmental movement.

Candice Youngblood is a passionate environmental justice lawyer and advocate. Candice currently practices law at Earthjustice, where she focuses on issues at the intersection of clean transportation and racial justice.