Lorenza develops and manages the Accelerate Sustainability workshops, one-on-one assistance, and tracking of our partner’s sustainable impacts. She believes taking sustainable actions large and small can create a more secure, fair, and prosperous future for our community and beyond. Lorenza was a dedicated volunteer with Sustain Dane for years before accepting this position. She holds a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Operations and Sustainability. Prior to her work with Sustain Dane she ran WSUM 91.7 FM Madison’s student radio station. Reach out to Lorenza for more information on engaging with sustainability at your organization.

Kai coordinates the Naturally Occurring and Affordable Housing (NOAH) projects at Sustain Dane. He also is a video producer and content creator with a passion for sustainability. His personal experiences with poverty and race drew him to the affordable housing sector, an area where improving sustainability metrics can improve both financial wellbeing and personal health. That is why he holds dual roles as a housing advocate and media personal, to help tell the stories of the most vulnerable people who are fighting for our planet. As an environmental storyteller, his secret for creating compelling narratives is to focus on human subjects and their relationships with their communities and the Earth. Kai graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Environmental Science – Geospatial Focus. Additionally, he creates content for the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and produces a morning talk show on WORT Radio. Reach out to Kai for questions on NOAH incentives and home-installations or photography & video project proposals.

Valora engages directly with community members as the Efficiency Navigator and Natural Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) Outreach Specialist. She advocates for energy efficiency in low-income and workforce housing, in order to foster economic and environmental sustainability. With a holistic vision of environmentalism, she is committed to serving under-resourced residents of Dane County. Growing up in California, environmental justice issues are quite literally close to home for her. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she double majored in Environmental Studies and Geography with an emphasis in People-Environment Interaction Studies. While there, Valora was a Chancellor’s Scholar. Prior to her work with Sustain Dane, she researched habitat conservation and mitigation banking in UW-Madison’s Geography Department. More recently, she managed environmental health and safety campaigns within the Wisconsin Environment and WISPIRG nonprofit network. Reach out to Valora for questions about energy efficient home upgrades and how we can build a more equitable, resilient future.

As an Intern, Trey wants to help promote the education pertaining to sustainability in the community and learn things himself about sustainability. Trey found his passion for sustainability through a high school paper about climate change and the solutions to the issue. Since that experience, sustainability is something that Trey has continued to educate himself on and continues to apply it to his life. Trey is entering his second year at UW-Madison pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and Psychology.

Sonia is going into her last year at UW-Madison where she is double-majoring in Environmental Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies with a certificate in French. She is the captain of the Wisconsin Equestrian Team and has been riding horses for as long as she can remember. Sonia is from Northwest Indiana and grew up near the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan. Living near the beautiful and diverse ecosystems of the Dunes her whole life is what has inspired her to pursue a career in sustainability and environmental conservation. It showed her the importance of strengthening the connection between community and nature.

As a development intern, Chrissy assists with grant editing and research, membership research, data analysis, and communications. Chrissy recently graduated from UW Madison with a degree in Sociology. She believes that there is a place for all individuals, regardless of their career or background, to work to create a society set up for sustainability success. In addition to contributing to Sustain Dane, she also currently serves as a Volunteer Coordinator through AmeriCorps with the Goodman Community Center.  

As an artist intern, Amanda works on designing materials that help the public engage in Sustain Dane’s mission.  She is currently a Graphic Design and Digital Studies student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and works for the university at the Center for the First-Year Experience as a graphic design intern.  She strives to live sustainably, and enjoys the connection that art brings to communities in both positive and trying times.