Who We Are

Stephan Crawford | Founder and Executive Producer

Stephan is the San Francisco-based artist who conceived and launched The ClimateMusic Project. He is a long-time member of a group of artists working out of a prominent studio in the central Market Street district of San Francisco.

Stephan had a distinguished parallel career in public service, including serving as the Director of the United States Commercial Service’s (U.S. Department of Commerce) office in San Francisco, with additional assignments in Europe and Latin America.  He left public service in 2017 to focus full-time on The ClimateMusic Project. 

Stephan holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a Master of Science in environmental management with a focus on environmental science from the University of San Francisco, where he received departmental recognition for outstanding academic performance.  

Reflecting his ability to successfully complete what he starts, Stephan was once part of a two man team that won a long-distance open ocean rowing trophy after a three-year campaign that included a leaky boat, capsizes in surf, narrow misses by ships, getting lost in fogs, and thousands of ocean miles rowed in training.

Stephan was selected as a member of the 2024 EC50 cohort of global change makers by the venerable Explorers Club in New York City.

To see some of his studio work, please visit: www.sc2arts.com

Fran Schulberg | Executive Producer

Fran is an attorney who has worked on issues related to international environmental policy for her entire career. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of a non-profit organization that focuses on energy efficiency in China. A former Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Fran worked for more than two decades as a consultant in support of international organizations and government agencies addressing environmental and chemicals management issues. Prior to becoming a consultant, Fran worked for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris in their Environment Directorate. Fran has a BS degree from SUNY Albany, with a double major in Environmental Studies and Mathematics, and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Dr. David Ackerly | Science Advisor

Dr. Ackerly is the Dean of the College of Natural Resources (CNR) and a faculty member in integrative biology with research interests in climate change impacts on biodiversity, integration of phylogenetics and ecology, and conservation biology in relation to 21st century climate change. He has most recently been working on programs that bring together multidisciplinary teams to explore broad research areas including the effects of climate change on biodiversity, the integration of phylogenetics and ecology and novel approaches to conservation biology. In the past decade, as a senior fellow at the Berkeley Institute for Data Science and member of the Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology steering committee, he has been increasingly involved in data-intensive projects. David received his B.A. in biology from Yale University in 1984 and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1993. He is a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences and the Ecological Society of America, as well as a recipient of the Berkeley Graduate Division’s Distinguished Faculty Mentor Award.

Dr. F. Garrett Boudinot | Science Advisor

Garrett’s career has focused on how climate change will impact us and what we can do about it. He has studied sea-level rise;  water quality, and pollution in South Carolina; grassroots climate change adaptations in the UK;  Just Transition and wildlife policies in Colorado; and impacts of climate change on ocean and forest ecosystems throughout the Earth’s history. He currently works at Cornell University on carbon dioxide removal and agricultural responses to climate change, and serves on the ecosystems working group for the New York State Climate Impacts Assessment. 

Dr. William Collins | Senior Science Advisor

Bill is an internationally-recognized expert in climate modeling and climate change science. His personal research concerns the interactions among greenhouse gases and aerosols, the coupled climate system, and global environmental change. At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Bill serves as the Director for the Climate and Ecological Sciences Division. At the University of California, Berkeley, he teaches in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science and directs the new multicampus Climate Readiness Institute (CRI). He was a Lead Author on the Fourth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), for which the IPCC was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and was also a Lead Author on the recent Fifth Assessment. He received his undergraduate degree in physics from Princeton University and earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Andrew Jones | Science Advisor

Andy is an Earth scientist who works at the interface of human and environmental systems. His research uses quantitative models and data analysis to understand climate change and human-Earth system interactions at decision-relevant scales. He collaborates with social scientists and interacts closely with stakeholders to understand how science can more effectively provide actionable insight into strategies for increasing resilience of urban, energy, water, and food systems. He is a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he leads the Earth Systems and Society Program Domain.  His current projects focus improving the actionability of regional climate information, improving our knowledge of climate risks and solutions in cities, and evaluating climate solutions for water and energy systems. He previously served as the Deputy Director of the Climate Readiness Institute, an organization that facilitates collaboration among urban climate practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area and scientific experts. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Energy and Resources Group, an interdisciplinary graduate program at the University of California, Berkeley. He is delighted to be part of The ClimateMusic Project because he believes that it is ultimately the story behind the data that inspires action and drives decision-making. He is also an amateur musician.

Dr. Alison Marklein | Science Advisor

Alison Marklein is an ecosystem biogeochemist with a focus on food security, climate resilience, and nutrient management who currently is Staff Scientist at the carbon sequestration startup Eion. She received her BA from Cornell University in 2008 and her PhD from UC Davis in 2014, and has since worked for UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, and UC Riverside. Specifically, her work aims are to reduce pollutants, including greenhouse gases, improve crop nutrition, capture carbon, and increase water use efficiency, with the overarching goal of improving socio-economic justice and equity. Alison is also an accomplished musician.

Dr. Tapio Schneider | Science Advisor

Tapio ​is the Theodore Y. Wu Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at Caltech. His work has elucidated how rainfall extremes change with climate, how changes in cloud cover can destabilize the climate system, and how winds and weather on planetary bodies such as Jupiter and Titan come about. He is currently leading the Climate Modeling Alliance (https://clima.caltech.edu), whose mission is to build the first Earth system model that automatically learns from diverse data sources to produce accurate climate predictions. He was named one of the “20 Best Brains Under 40” by Discover Magazine, was a David and Lucile Packard Fellow and Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, and is recipient of the James R. Holton Award of the American Geophysical Union and of the Rosenstiel Award of the University of Miami.

Dr. Whendee Silver | Science Advisor

Dr. Silver is the Rudy Grah Chair and Professor of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at U.C. Berkeley. She received her PhD in Ecosystem Ecology from Yale University. Her work seeks to determine the biogeochemical effects of climate change and human impacts on the environment, and the potential for mitigating these effects. The Silver Lab was recently awarded the Innovation Prize by the American Carbon Registry. Professor Silver is a fellow of the Ecological Society of America and was named a University of California Climate Champion for 2016 for outstanding teaching, research and public service in the areas of climate change solutions, action and broad engagement.

Patrick Thieringer

Patrick is a Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD student at Colorado School of Mines. His research focuses on investigating microbial habitability within a subsurface serpentinizing environment. Combining tools of microbial ecology and organic geochemistry, he hopes to understand the metabolic pathways allowing for microbes to survive in such an extreme environment and better develop biomarker detection tools. In his spare time, Patrick loves to explore the world by bike touring or practicing jazz standards on guitar.

Theodore Wiprud | Composer ("On the Brink")

Theodore Wiprud composes music for orchestras, ensembles, and voice.  He was Music Alive Composer-in-Residence with the South Dakota Symphony in 2018-19, following 14 years as Vice President, Education, at the New York Philharmonic.   Recent orchestral works include two violin concerti, the first (for Ittai Shapira) reflecting on Hurricane Katrina’s impact on musicians of the Mississippi Delta, and the second (for Elissa Cassini) responding to the climate crisis.  His Wind of Many Voices (2018) meditates on the landscapes, people, and history of South Dakota, and his Sinfonietta (2016) is inspired by the Persian poet Hafez. 

His catalog of chamber works includes percussion quartets, string quartets, and an innovative series of works incorporating Korean traditional instruments with string quartet or chamber orchestra.  His Piri Concerto (2023) for soloist gamin was commissioned and premiered by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, while Mysteria (2021), for percussion with string quartet, was commissioned by Chamber Music America for Ian David Rosenbaum and the Borromeo String Quartet.  His piano catalogue includes the suite Sargent’s Women (2017) and the Well-Tempered Quarantine (2021), preludes and fugues composed during the COVID-19 pandemic.    

Mr. Wiprud holds degrees from Harvard and Boston Universities and has studied at the University of Cambridge. 

www.theodorewiprud.com

Richard Festinger | Composer ("Icarus in Flight")

Richard has garnered international recognition for his extensive catalogue of vocal and instrumental compositions. Writing for the 2011 Tanglewood Music Festival, Frank J. Oteri describes Festinger’s music as “notable for its combination of propulsive energy with an impeccable sense of poise and balance,” and WQXR Radio in New York has dubbed him “an American master.” Festinger is professor of composition at San Francisco State University where he is also Artistic Director of the Morrison Artists Series. He received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in composition from the University of California, Berkeley, and in the mid 1980s co-founded the acclaimed San Francisco based modern music ensemble Earplay. Festinger’s music is published by C.F. Peters Corporation and Wildcat Canyon Music Press, and his works have been recorded for the Naxos, Bridge, CRI, Centaur, and CRS labels. The recipient of numerous major awards and commissions, he has been honored with both the Walter Hinrichsen Award and an Academy Recording Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In the late 1960s Richard toured as a guitarist with Joan Baez and appeared on-stage with her at Woodstock in 1969.

Royal Kent | Spoken Word ("What If We...?")

Royal Kent’s love of poetry goes back several decades. Originally inspired by the legendary Last Poets,  he has performed with dancers, theatrical troupes, poets, and many bands including the Vancouver-based Band of Angels and Czech Republic-based Pseudo Pseudo. He has produced TV, radio and stage shows, and is the co-founder of independent label COPUS MULTIMEDIA. As poet MC he has opened major reggae concerts for Peter Tosh, Toots & the Maytals, Steel Pulse and The Wailers. Kira Njinsky, daughter of the great Russian ballet star Njinksy, said: “Royal Kent recites poetry the way my father danced!”  “COPUS compositions are amazing with just the music, but then you get the added pleasure of the smooth spoken word vocal styles of Royal Kent. His poetic onslaught of powerful lyrics are mind boggling, to say the least. His silky smooth voice holds a tight grip on the listener’s ear and keeps them in a state of mind numbing ecstasy.” 

Wendy Loomis | Composer ("What If We"?)

Wendy Loomis is a San Francisco-based composer who has won the ASCAPlus award for composition 4 times, released 16 CDs of her compositions for COPUS, acoustic ensemble Phoenix Rising, piano/vocal duo AWE, as well as solo piano works. She has performed with various ensembles nationally and internationally. COPUS (spoken word/jazz) recently received a nomination from the Hollywood Music and Media Awards for best jazz track “Haves & Have Nots” (from recently-released CD “Aspects”). “Composer/pianist Wendy Loomis paints with a broad palette of jazz, classical, new age, avant garde and world colors, fusing styles ranging from Debussy to Thelonius Monk.”  (Kelley Dolan, NoHands Records). “This is musicianship and songwriting at its best…COPUS could become legendary if given the opportunity to thrive!” ~Michael Allison, MusicDish.com. 

Scarlet Rivera | Composer, ("Voice of the Animals")

Grammy nominated American musician Scarlet Rivera burned a hole in the fabric of rock history as a pioneer of electric violin. From a classical background she bent the accepted norms by experimenting with all genres of music from Rock fusion and Jazz to Latin polyrhythms. She was a revolutionary from the start.

Bob Dylan was the first to discover and acknowledge Scarlet, inviting her as an integral part of the legendary album ‘Desire’ and Rolling Thunder Revue tour. Dylan recognized the genius of Scarlet’s vision as a violinist who played much like a lead guitarist. Scarlet’s dynamic presence led the way to the inclusion of other string players in Rock music. ‘Desire’ was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the top five albums of Dylan’s career and was Scarlet’s debut on the world stage.

As the first female member of Dylan’s band Scarlet was featured on four additional multi-platinum albums. She is known for her contributions to countless recordings and performances with the most influential artists of our time. Her abilities are wide ranging and have enjoyed the spotlight in music’s most hallowed Carnegie Hall, with The Duke Ellington Orchestra as well as The Kennedy Center and the Carnival of Venice, Italy. Her current Grammy nominated vocal debut, ‘All of Me’, has been spotlighted with stellar reviews around the world.

Scarlet continues her journey of expression and creativity having performed with such treasured legends as Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman, Eric Andersen, Keb Mo, Peter Maffay, David Johansen and Sylvia Tyson of ‘Ian and Sylvia’, and five time Grammy winner Cindy Cashdollar.

https://scarletriveramusic.com/bio.html

Eduardo Del Signore | Composer, ("Audyssey")

Through a wide spectrum of activities inside the international music business, Mr. Del Signore’s various talents have achieved and are still achieving remarkable recognition.

As a performer, Eduardo has played with Jon Anderson (YES), Vangelis, Milton Nascimento, Dionne Warwick, Al Jarreau, Eduardo Mateo, Jorge Trasante (Gypsy Kings) and many others.

As a producer, Eduardo has overseen recordings by Jon Anderson, Milton Nascimento, Jon Hassell, Cara Tower, Bernardo Rubaja, Ritual & projects for EverSound Records.

As a composer, Eduardo has collaborated with Jon Anderson, Milton Nascimento, Jon Hassell for the HBO movie “Wild Side”, David Tickle for the “American Chronicles” TV series on FOX, Geraldo Azevedo, Trevor Rabin (YES), and many more.

Mr. Del Signore is the creator of A Call to Peace – Multimedia Events, International Concerts Tour and the director of the USA-URUGUAY Cross Cultural Exchange and in that capacity, has organized several events in different Colleges and Universities throughout the USA.

Erik Ian Walker | Composer (“Climate”)

Erik has been writing and recording music for theater, dance, film and television in the Bay Area since 1982. His knowledge and use of the science of sound in his compositions, and the inclusion of everyday/nature sounds as part of the soundscape, are a good fit for The ClimateMusic Project. His extensive collaborations include experimental theater/dance performance, film, and rock and jazz ensembles. His latest releases include Climate by the Climate Ensemble and numerous singles as Hash Brown and the Red Eyed Rangers. Find the whole catalog here. Erik runs WackoWorld Music in San Francisco, a recording and teaching studio.  He produces local artists and teaches musicianship, improvisation, synthesizer madness and piano for all ages at the studio. Erik holds a degree in composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Gustavo Rodriguez | Community Engagement

Gustavo has a decade of experience working with non-profits providing advocacy, education, business development, consulting, and social media management. In their free time, they enjoy volunteering with local community groups at shelters, and helping with wildlife conservation. All of this knowledge and experience, along with their artistic creativity allows them to create impactful and engaging social media content that encourages digital supporters to take action.

Melissa Herlitz | Strategic Communications

Melissa brings a passion for music and experience in climate communication to the team where she will assist with strategic communications. She brings more than ten years of experience as an urban planner focused on outreach and engagement. In New York City, she helped build consensus for regulations that enable communities to adapt to climate change. Melissa also worked in Virginia and Oregon on similar efforts to inform policy changes to reduce greenhouse gases and the impacts of sea level rise. Melissa is currently studying environmental humanities in Venice, Italy in hopes of encouraging people to take action on climate issues through inspirational experiences, including music.

Darin Limvere | Documentary Filmmaker

Darin graduated from Vancouver Film School in 2004 and has worked on network commercials, independent films, and music videos, and collaborated/edited for Yosemite rock climber Dean Potter. He has shot and co-created multiple skateboard related films for Red Bull which have aired on Fox’s Fuel TV in the US and throughout Europe. In 2013, Darin produced and directed a 35 minute historical rock climbing documentary “The D.L.F.A.” and most recently he worked as the gaffer on the feature film “400 Days” starring Brandon Routh and Dane Cook. He seasonally lives in Joshua Tree, California where he focusses all of his energy into film making and rock climbing with as few distractions as possible.

Charlotte Saunders | Graphic Communications

I am on my last few quarters at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo finishing my BS and BA degrees in Graphic Communications and Theater Arts, I have loved working with ClimateMusic so far on many creative driven projects such as supplemental resources, style guides, power points, and other projects. Communication plays an important role in the fight against climate change and the ClimateMusic Project has allowed me to help them communicate the severity and need for action through the use of social media and web platforms, I play the ukulele and I love hiking and playwriting. 

Maddie Young | Science Communications

With a background in both scientific research and education, Maddie uses her messaging skills to multiply the impact of our compositions and hosts our associated podcast, Climate Vibes. She graduated from UCLA in 2020, where she was the second person in the nation to obtain a B.S. in Climate Science. During her time there, she worked as an undergraduate researcher in the atmospheric science department, led a climate science outreach program for the National Science Foundation, and hosted her own radio show focusing on sustainability and socially beneficial climate solutions. Maddie is passionate about communicating the severity of our climate crisis and possible paths to action in a scientifically accurate and socially motivating way. 

Angelo Chiacchio | Visual Storyteller

Angelo Chiacchio is a designer, photographer, and filmmaker. Born in Basilicata (Italy) in 1986, Angelo studied design all around Europe: Politecnico de Milano, KISD a Cologne, ENSCI-Les Ateliers in Paris, Waag Society in Amsterdam. Today he’s based in Paris where he researches the uses of technology to design its future with innovative products, services and exhibitions. In 2010 he joined the design studio Nodesign.net. He is also a photographer and film-maker, co-founder of italiasenzatempo.it, a project to tell about Italian natural heritage, and author of EPHEMERA, a documentary project that took him to explore some of the most fragile realities on the planet. His latest digital exhibition, “A World of Difference”, is currently live on Google Arts & Culture. 

Please visit :Nodesign.net, italiasenzatempo.it, http://ephemera.life

Taurin Barrera | Composer and Artist

Taurin Barrera is an American electronic musician and new media artist whose work explores the interactive connections between technology and perception. Barrera combines computer vision, noise and chance, and electroacoustic composition techniques to program audio-visual instruments and environments. Barrera uses emerging technologies to augment our sensory experiences of sound and visual art, he composes sounds and music you can see, and images you can hear. My research interests include: Algorithmic composition, creative computer languages, interactivity/HCI, machine learning, music information retrieval, networked performance, music technology, physical computing, noise, analog synthesis, DIY, molecular gastronomy.

Khafre Jay | Hip Hop For The People

Khafre Jay is a Hunters Point, San Francisco native who has been an educator and an activist for over two decades. During that time, Khafre worked his way up from a local activist with a clipboard to founding the most prominent Hip Hop Education nonprofit in the US, raising over 6 million dollars, educating over thirty thousand kids k-12, and employing hundreds in his local community. His experience in Hip Hop organizing, fundraising, and event production will be an asset to building this new community for the Culture.  Check out his new organization, Hip Hop For The People.

Daiane Lopes da Silva | Kinetech Arts

Daiane Lopes da Silva is a dancer, choreographer and the Artistic Director of Kinetech Arts. Her work has been performed in Brazil, France, Belgium and the U.S.A. In Portugal, she worked with Lisbon Dance Company, Almada Dance Company, and DancArte. In the Bay Area, Daiane performed with Labayen Dance, KUNST-STOFF Dance Company, Copious Dance Theatre, Mudita Arts for Peace and Robert Moses’ Kin. Her residencies include RAW at The Garage, RAD at KUNST-STOFF arts, and Marin Headlands Center for the Arts. Daiane studied with full scholarship at The Municipal Ballet of Sao Paulo and at P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Research and Training Studios), directed by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker in Brussels. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology, Alpha Beta Kappa, from SFSU.

Alisa Singer | Environmental Graphiti

Alisa Singer is a self-taught artist from the Chicago area. She has worked to create art throughout her life but, since her retirement in 2013, she has focused on her goal of using contemporary art to further meaningful causes.  In 2014 she began the series of digital paintings, Environmental Graphiti – the Art of Climate Change, which uses contemporary art to enhance awareness and understanding of climate change. Each painting is derived from a chart, graph, map, word or number based on a key fact about climate change. The Environmental Graphiti collection has been extensively exhibited, both in the US and internationally at universities, galleries, conferences and other venues. The art is held by over 30 universities (some of whom have large collections), a major science museum in Toronto, and dozens of private homes. To see the art, review the history of exhibitions, publications and collaborations, and learn more about the project visit: www.environmentalgraphiti.org

Weidong Yang | Kinetech Arts

Weidong Yang founded Kinetech Arts, a non-profit company bridging dance, science and technology; and Kineviz, creating data visualization, analytics solution for large complex data set in VR. He received Ph. D. in Physics and M. S. in Computer Science. He has been granted ten US patents and has over 20 peer reviewed publications. He was a Djerassi resident artist and YBCA fellow in 2016.

Bill Brick | Development Advisor

Bill Brick is a consultant to companies and nonprofits that are building and scaling carbon removal, conservation, biodiversity, and climate solutions. He provides expertise in strategic business development, project development, project finance, asset development, fundraising, partnerships, and evaluation and advancement of new impact and growth opportunities. He previously held leadership positions in the renewable energy, corporate finance, and technology sectors including multiple startups. He has lived and worked in Latin America and Africa.

Bill is a passionate lifelong advocate for nature. He has been volunteering continuously with numerous conservation organizations since 2013 and he contributes pro bono expertise in several nature and climate professional business and capacity building networks. He proudly serves on the programming committee that produces the International Ocean Film Festival each year in San Francisco.

Bill holds an MBA from UC Irvine, an undergraduate degree from UC Davis and a California Naturalist certificate.

Laurie Goldman | Strategic Advisor

Laurie Goldman serves as Strategic Advisor to The ClimateMusic Project and has worked with the organization since 2016, including past service on the Executive Team. Laurie has held senior positions in academia, the private sector, and the federal government. 

At UC Berkeley, Laurie managed campus-wide international strategy as Deputy Director of the Global Engagement Office and oversaw partnerships with leading international academic institutions.  

As part of her broader public policy remit at Levi Strauss, Laurie headed global trade policy and was appointed to the Obama Administration’s Trade Advisory Committee. She also served on industry boards including the National Center for APEC, European Branded Clothing Alliance, and U.S. Fashion Industry Association. Past positions include service as a trade negotiator for the U.S. Department of Commerce and with the Office of Public Affairs at UC Berkeley.  

Laurie holds masters’ degree from George Washington University and an undergraduate degree from Tufts University.

Jeff Horowitz | Development Advisor

Jeff Horowitz is a mission-driven leader with a passion for scaling transformative ventures across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. He excels at turning bold ideas into reality—whether launching innovative products, building high-performing teams, or driving business growth—by combining visionary thinking with practical execution.

With deep expertise in new business development, program management, and renewable energy markets, Jeff has forged strategic partnerships that deliver measurable impact. His commitment to clean energy and sustainability drives his work, as he collaborates to create lasting solutions for a more sustainable world.

Jeff holds a Master’s degree in International Business Affairs from UC San Diego and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Claremont McKenna College. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional, certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Emily Rasky | Financial Advisor

Emily is a finance and strategy professional with a background in consulting as well as tech finance, and is currently a Director at Visa Inc. supporting the Digital Products group. Emily is passionate about sustainability and reversing climate change and enjoys using her finance knowledge and skills to advance these critical initiatives. Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from UC Santa Barbara and is an active CPA.

Velvet Voelz | Founding Co-Producer and Advisor

Velvet helped launch The ClimateMusic Project and was Co-Producer of the first musical piece, “Climate”. She has also managed various projects ranging from large-scale renewable energy power plants to local small business sustainability initiatives. She has extensive asset management experience in the renewable energy sector and currently works for PureGen Power. She previously served as Director, Asset Management for Recurrent Energy, and worked for GCL Solar, Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures. She holds an MBA and MS in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco.

Dr. Aaron Colverson

Aaron Colverson graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2009 with a BM in Professional Music
focused on jazz violin performance. After graduating, he moved to Nairobi, Kenya for two years,
embedding himself in East African musical traditions and cultures. He returned to the USA and is now a
Doctor of Philosophy in Ethnomusicology from the University of Florida, with partnering research in
Neuropsychology. He received a fellowship to study music and prosocial engagement in Alzheimer’s
disease and began a hybrid postdoctoral/leadership-training fellowship in fall 2023 with the Global Brain
Health Institute and Memory and Aging Center of the University of California, San Francisco. Aaron is
also a Research Associate with the University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine (CAM),
collaborating on numerous projects of the CAM’s Interdisciplinary Research Lab.

Amy Quirk

Amy Quirk is an Environmental Consultant based in the San Francisco Bay Area.  A former complex business litigator, Amy coordinated a team of Bay Area environmental organizations to address potential impacts of proposed runways into San Francisco Bay and to examine sustainable alternatives.  She was an awardee of San Francisco Tomorrow’s 2004 “Unsung Hero” for that work.  She currently serves with several non-profits: as a legislative advocate with California Interfaith Power & Light; an environmental advisor with The Bishop’s Ranch of the Diocese of California; and with the Equity Review Team of CalSEED (California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development Initiative). 

Dr. Bruce Pickering

Bruce is Vice President of Global Programs at Asia Society, overseeing cross-Center program initiatives throughout the organization’s global network. During his tenure, he has overseen an expansion of Asia Society’s multidisciplinary activities in the Northern California region. He has fostered the Pacific Cities Sustainability Initiative, a partnership that brings together global experts from academia, government, the private sector and civil society to address urban sustainability challenges.

Dr. Chris Luebkeman

Chris Luebkeman’s career to date has spanned professions and geographies. His  multidisciplinary education (geology, civil engineering, structural engineering, entrepreneurship and a Doctorate in Architecture) was encouraged by his Mid-Western family of educators. His journey included Vanderbilt, Cornell and the ETH in Zurich. He became an academic gypsy teaching courses on Design and on Technology at the University of Oregon, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and at MIT. He joined Arup in London to lead the Research and Development group in 1999 and became a corporate intrapreneur by founding the Foresight, Innovation and Incubation teams.  He established the Drivers of Change program and is proud to have been accused by the Guardian to have a mindset “in league with the future”.

Chris is deeply passionate about curating constructive dialogue, insatiably curious, relished the opportunity to discover the opportunities which will be created by change and, perhaps most importantly, to evolve positive solutions to the profound challenges we face today. For twenty years he travelled the globe sharing his observations and insights by leading projects focused on the future for Arup, Arup’s clients and for many of the world’s leading institutions. For example, he has spoken at TED, hosted conversations at, and for, WEF and keynoted dozens of conferences around the world.  He is a member of the nominating committee for the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, the external advisory Board of the URA and of the advisory council of The Climate Music Project. He returned to the ETH in Zurich in 2020 as a strategic advisor to the President and Executive Board.

Crystal Huang

Crystal Huang is the National Coordinator of the Energy Democracy Project. She has established a uniquely collaborative culture within the Energy Democracy Project since the publication of the book “Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions” in 2017 that spotlighted the accomplishments and resource needs of energy democracy practitioners across the country. Apart from her national work, she also works full-time leading a movement cooperative called People Power Solar Cooperative in California. She is a 2020 Roddenberry Fellow and a grassroots community-builder with more than 10 years of experience deploying climate solution technologies. She currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Local Clean Energy Alliance and is the Board Treasurer of the People’s Solar Energy Fund.

Jason Simon

Jason Simon is Managing Director, Corporate Development for Canadian Solar, one of the largest vertically integrated renewable energy companies in the world.  In this role, Jason is responsible for advising on new market development opportunities including technology commercialization, M&A opportunities, global market expansion, as well as advises on strategic policy decisions that impact the firm.  He is a passionate change maker who has dedicated his life to making a positive difference in the world and prioritizes his time on initiatives that create sustainable solutions for increasing access to clean energy.  Jason is also committed to initiatives that support efforts to educate corporate and policy stakeholders on the importance of developing and integrating sustainability goals that are necessary for mitigating the negative impact of climate change.

Marianna Grossman

Marianna is founder and managing partner of Minerva Ventures, a consultancy focused on solutions for a resilient future. Minerva provides climate adaptation consulting services for companies and communities. Minerva also guides clean tech startups in water, energy, remediation, finance, and climate analytics. Previously, Marianna led Sustainable Silicon Valley for seven years, working to create a more resilient region. Before that, she had corporate roles in the automotive, computer, and semiconductor industries. In addition to her work with The ClimateMusic Project, Marianna served on the California Climate Adaptation and Resilience Action Plan Technical Advisory Group for Governor Brown; she serves on the Board of Transportation Choices for Sustainable Communities; California Congress of the International Living Future Institute; and the Advisory Council for Climate Action for the City of Palo Alto. She earned a BA cum laude, with distinction in Policy Studies from Dartmouth and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She specializes in bringing people and institutions together across sectors to collaborate, invent and implement solutions that enhance sustainability, build resilience, and address the consequences of climate change.

Michael Meehan

Michael has been a Chief Executive, entrepreneur, and adviser in technology and sustainability for almost 20 years and has advised companies, multinationals and governments around the world including the White House and the United Nations. Michael sits on the boards of several public and private institutions and is chairman of Digitalis Foundation, vice-chair of the Natural Capital Coalition, and former CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative, Carbonetworks, iVeridis, and other companies focused on the intersection of technology, sustainability, and innovation.

Paul Miller | aka DJ Spooky

Named by National Geographic as an Emerging Explorer in 2014, Paul is a writer, artist and musician who lives and works in NYC. His award winning first book, Rhythm Science, was published by MIT Press in 2005, followed by Sound Unbound in 2008 and The Book of Ice in 2011. Miller’s work has been exhibited at museums and biennials throughout the world. He has performed in a wide variety of venues including The Tate Modern, The Guggenheim Museum, and The Herod Atticus Theater at the Acropolis, and has collaborated with a wide variety of artists from Chuck D to Yoko Ono. The iPhone App he developed with Music Soft Arts has been downloaded several million times. Most recently, Paul was awarded a $100,000 Hewlett Foundation grant to work with the Internet Archive to create an 11-movement multimedia production for string quartet, vocalist, and an original electronic instrument.

Reem Yusuf

Reem is the Net Zero Senior Manager at Target, where she is responsible for advancing goals and partnerships to bring the enterprise Target Forward strategy to life — a net zero goal by 2040. Prior to Target, she served as a Policy Advisor for Energy and Environment at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Energy and Climate Attaché to the British Consulate General in San Francisco, where she managed the UK Government’s climate diplomacy across the Western U.S. and led COP26’s Transport Campaign in the US. For her efforts, she was named to the “Top Women in EV” for 2022 by EV Summit. 

Previously, she served as an energy consultant at the World Bank, where she led a $150 Million portfolio of projects covering energy and infrastructure. In addition to her expertise in policy and diplomacy, Reem has private sector experience working as a technical consultant at PacifiCorp and Jaguar Land Rover, and as a project manager at Orascom Development, where she managed the project to do a carbon neutral retrofit of a resort town on the Red Sea. Reem was educated at Brown University and the University of Oxford. Reem is a Global Shaper Alumna at the World Economic Forum. 

Reem Lives in San Francisco and enjoys painting, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.

Atiana Novikoff

Hello! My name is Atiana Novikoff and I am finishing my last semester at UC Berkeley with a double major in Global Studies (with a concentration in Societies and Cultures in Europe and Russia) and Philosophy. Coming for an arts and writing background, I am excited to apply my skills to a project that deals with such an important and pressing issue such as climate change.

Jamie Scott

Hi there! My name is Jamie Scott, and I just joined the ClimateMusic team! I am currently finishing up my last semester at UC Berkeley, where I have been majoring in Society & Environment at the Rausser College of Natural Resources, as well as minoring in Journalism. I have always been fascinated by the intersections of art and our environment, and am looking forward to exploring them with this team!

Naomi Listokin

Hello! My name is Naomi Listokin, and I am a rising senior at American University.  I am majoring in Communications and minoring in Sustainability Management and am excited to pair two of my passions: music and the environment. In my free time, I love to read, paint, spend time outside, see live music, and be with friends and family. I look forward to meeting folks on the team and facing these important issues through an artistic lens.

Honorary Committee

• James Balog Photographer & Activist
• Barbara Finamore NRDC
• Sonia Kazarova Soprano
• Heitor Pereira Grammy-winning Composer and Performer
• Scarlet Rivera Violinist
• Darian Rodriguez Heyman Author, Entrepreneur, Speaker
• Eduardo del Signore Performer, Composer, Producer