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.

As an intern, Joie coordinates volunteer programs and helps run social media at Sustain Dane. She is passionate about exploring the intersection between design and sustainability and its ability to connect communities. Currently she works at an architecture firm and recently graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in architecture and environmental studies.

Liz is a junior at UW Madison getting a degree in Art and a certificate in Entrepreneurship. In the future she hopes to own her own upcycled thrift store where she finds items that would have otherwise been thrown away and upcycles them to be sold (ie: tie dye, screenprint, cut, sew, etc.) Additionally, one of her goals would be to run a 3D art program out the back of her store where she would teach how to make 3D art out of the trash and packaging. She is incredibly passionate about this kind of art as it is one of the most sustainable and affordable ways of making artwork yet one of the least talked about/ taught forms of art. She is an intern at Sustain Dane because she believes creating an environmentally conscious and sustainable future is crucial for our planet.

Stephanie is a sophomore with junior standing at UW-Madison pursuing a degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies. Five years ago she moved from Honduras with her family. By the time she graduated high school she became co-author of the book of Green Card Youth Voices and co-founder of the nonprofit Youth Climate Action Team. Her determination in the past has allowed her to be selected to serve on the Climate Change Task Force as the youngest member in the committee. She hopes to work for a non-profit or organization that helps communities of color and/or poor. Further into the future, she hopes to serve and represent her community as an elected official. As a Sustain Dane intern she believes that racial justice is environmental justice, a measure necessary to address if we want to look forward into the future.

Jamie is a sophomore at Northwestern University majoring in Environmental Science. He is passionate about fighting climate change, and believes the kind of sustainability work Sustain Dane is doing is key to protecting our planet and ourselves. He is helping Sustain Dane manage and present its data. In his spare time, he enjoys playing Magic: the Gathering and spending time with his cats.

My name is Taleah Levin, and I am a sophomore from Seattle, Washington studying Retail and Consumer Behavior as well as Graphic Design at the university of Wisconsin-Madison. This generation’s responsibility is to flip the switch regarding sustainability practices and educate others, no matter their economic ability on how to be environmentally conscious. I am most passionate about design and understanding the way that people consume in this world and would hope that in the future I could start my own affordable and sustainable fashion brand. Being from the West Coast I am constantly inspired by the water, the trees and the mountains, and know that I want my own kids to be able to experience nature the way that I have done so in my life. However, for that to happen, we must work towards a change for the better as soon as we can.