Speaker Directory
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Esther Alabi
Esther Alabi is a teacher of chemistry, biology, and environmental science at CSW Career Academy. She is 2011-2012 National Science Teachers Association Fellow and holds degrees in Zoology and Marine Biology. Read More
Reed Alexander
Reed Alexander, celebrity food star and breakthrough actor, far surpasses his 17 years, having already laid the ground work for a budding culinary empire. Embracing his passion for cooking from an early age, Reed combines his on-camera talent with his affinity for nutritious and delicious recipes to launch his own online destination, KewlBites.com. In addition to starring as the infamous Nevel Papperman on Nickelodeon's #1 rated comedy iCarly, off-camera, Reed generates and manages all content housed on this virtual hub. Leveraging both his TV and web platforms, Reed captivates a global audien ... Read More
Michael Alexander
Michael Alexander, is an award winning journalist and Co-CEO and President of Conscious Planet Media. After 10+ years building successful businesses in the sustainability and holistic health industries, Michael launched Conscious Planet Media in 2006 with his wife and partner, Bianca. With a mission to serve as a sacred storyteller for a more just, sustainable and peaceful world, Conscious Planet Media produces original TV, documentary and online programming, including Conscious Living and the Emmy Award winning Soul of Green, currently airing on Fox and my50 in Chicago. Michael is a long time ... Read More
Bianca Alexander Esq.
Bianca Alexander, Esq. is an EMMY award winning multi-platform journalist, entrepreneur and advocate for healthy, conscious living. A certified yoga instructor and licensed attorney with degrees from Princeton and The University of Virginia Law School, Bianca translated her background in justice to empower mainstream consumers to live healthier, more eco-conscious lives. She is the co-founder and creative director of Conscious Planet, a multi-platform conscious news network. She currently serves as correspondent and producer of Conscious Living TV, a news series about the latest in eco-friendl ... Read More
David Arfa
David has lived in housing cooperatives for about 8 years. He began his love of cooperatives in college at the Sherwood Cooperative in Seattle and later moved into the Stone Soup Cooperative - Ashland House (committed to Social Justice and Joy) in Chicago. He has given presentations about the consensus process to various cooperative houses throughout Chicago and for the last two years at the Annual Chicago Cooperative Gathering. He works as a cartographer for Cook County. Read More
William Ayers
William Ayers, formerly Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), has written extensively about social justice, democracy and education, the cultural contexts of schooling, and teaching as an essentially intellectual, ethical and political enterprise.
His books include Teaching Toward Freedom; A Kind and Just Parent; Fugitive Days; (with Ryan Alexander-Tanner) To Teach: The Journey, in Comics; (with Bernardine Dohrn) Race Course. Read More
Kat Barry
Kat Barry is the owner of Kat’s Hot Cakes, a vegan snack food company based out of Bridgman, Michigan. While she has been vegetarian for most of her life, Kat became vegan four years ago. Suddenly her life-long allergy and digestive issues were all but cured. Going vegan changed her life in such a positive way she decided to make it her mission to share her experience, and her recipes, with as many people as she possibly could. In March of 2011 she moved home to the Shores of southwestern Michigan and started Kat’s Hot Cakes. Kat is almost entirely self-taught and her passion for veganism, ... Read More
David Blackmon
Chef David Blackmon's first love is the passion for cooking and excitement in the kitchen. He has 20 years experience as a professional chef.
David’s career started with a family-owned catering company while attending high school. David received culinary training at Kendall College in Evanston, IL. He put the love of his art on the “back burner” to work for a well-known Chicago newspaper upon receiving his BA in Media Communications from Chicago State University.
Chef Blackmon’s culinary approach has a Southwestern, Italian, Southern, and Asian flair. Never forgetting his family’s ... Read More
Kyla Bourne
Kyla Bourne, from Vancouver, BC, first got into activism during the anti-Olympic campaign in 2010, and G8/G20 in Toronto. She is getting her master's at the University of Chicago, and her academic interests revolve around radical democracy and urban social movements. Bourne presented a paper on direct action at the 2010 North American Anarchist Studies Network conference. She is writing her thesis on how autonomous sites of power and the Occupy movement can challenge neoliberalism, and she is active with Occupy at present. Read More
Cathy Breitenbach
Cathy Breitenbach is the Director of Lakefront Operations in the Chicago Park District Office of Green Initiatives. Her work includes management of the beach monitoring and notification programs for all of the public beaches in Chicago. She has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and a BA in environmental science and anthropology from Northwestern University. Prior to her work at the Chicago Park District, she was an assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, where she worked on waterfront development and water policy for the City of ... Read More
Levoi Brown
Levoi Brown is a senior vice president at Urban Partnership Bank and is an experienced real estate financial services professional with extensive experience in loan originations, development, financial modeling and capital markets. He joined the bank from General Electric Real Estate where he spent nearly 10 years enhancing strategic performance issues and customer relationships in the company’s Affordable Housing Group and Capital Markets Services. Throughout his career, Levoi has made significant contributions to an organization’s success by working closely with clients and colleagues to ... Read More
Karyn Calabrese
Karyn Calabrese is a successful entrepreneur and popular holistic health expert based in Chicago. At 64 years old she looks nearly a generation younger and enjoys boundless energy and great health. She started on her journey of health after suffering from a host of allergies and ailments as a child. In her 20’s, she turned to natural solutions to improve her health, gradually transitioning from vegetarian to vegan to a complete raw vegan diet. For the past 30 years, Karyn has been committed to taking care of her body and helping others to do the same. In addition to a raw diet, she believes ... Read More
Helen Cameron
Helen Cameron is co-owner of Uncommon Ground in Wrigleyville and Uncommon Ground on Devon in Edgewater, the “Greenest Restaurants in America” as certified by the Green Restaurant Association. Uncommon Ground has been operating for 20 years as a community-based restaurant committed to supporting local farmers and purchasing as locally and sustainably as possible, giving guests a high quality dining experience at a relatively affordable price, and educating guests on the importance of a thriving, healthy local food system. Both restaurants have achieved 4-star certification with the Green Re ... Read More
Frances Canonizado
Frances Canonizado joined the Alliance for the Great Lakes in 2007. As Outreach Manager her responsibilities include building constituent engagement through electronic communications and social media; she is part of the Alliance's outreach/communications/marketing team and works closely with the Alliance’s Adopt-a-Beach™ program. Frances has a master's degree in environmental science from the University of the Philippines, with a focus on stakeholder involvement in environmental policymaking. She has worked in both academia and the environmental non-profit sector in Chicago. Frances and he ... Read More
Joe Caristo
Joe Caristo is Greening Engineer for the Green Festivals nationwide, a position he has held for five years. Read More
Suzanne Carlson
Suzanne Carlson is Director of Environmental Affairs at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). She launched and implements CPS’ Environmental Action Plan for its 650 schools. Ms. Carlson has worked on transportation, climate change, energy policy and youth engagement in Seattle and Chicago and has a Masters in Public Administration. She is on the Board of Directors of West Town Bikes; Mayor’s Nature and Wildlife Commission; Mayor’s Parks and Open Space Commission; and US Green Building Council LEED for Existing Buildings – Schools Working Group. Read More
DeShon Carr
DeShon is a senior at Community Christian Alternative Academy and will graduate in June. DeShon plans to continue his education in the culinary arts and Business Administration at Washburne Culinary Institute at Kennedy King College. Read More
Bess Celio
Bess is the PTO Chair of Wellness and leads Zero Waste efforts at Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School where they have a school garden, zero-waste lunchroom and commercial composter. She has been involved in promoting healthy, “green” school environments for the past 10 years in her capacity as a Board Chair of the Healthy Schools Campaign, and current Board Chair of Climate Cycle. She lives in Oak Park with her husband, Candelario, and 3 daughters, Emma (11), Claudia (10) and Gabriela (7). Read More
Mimi Clayton
Mimi Clayton, CMT, ATC, has a B.A. in Sports Medicine, has been a bodywork professional for 19 years and is the owner of a 12-year-old clinical and holistic massage therapy practice. Mimi is an educator, healer and a Reiki Master. She has taught and clinically supervised student teaching at the Soma Institute. Mimi has worked in various settings including hospital, physical therapy center, high school, fitness club, corporate chair massage, spa, music, art and outdoor events. She was chosen to work with the Elite Runners at the Chicago Marathon. Mimi is a certified Athletic Trainer. Her client ... Read More
Rich Cohen
Rich Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Distant Village, a sustainable packaging and design company. His company is recognized as a sustainable pioneer and innovator. Awards include 2011 Most Innovative Sustainable Program and 2010 Best Eco-CSR Program. Distant Village has established an international reputation for authenticity in sustainability since 2000. The company is based in Chicago with operations in Philippines, UK, and France.
Mr. Cohen has held leadership positions in sustainability, international business development & strategy, innovation and technology strategy within small bus ... Read More
2002-2011 Green Festival®