People-power for the planet

Lauren is a researcher, advocate and educator specialized in environmental and climate-related mobility justice. Employing decolonial, feminist and rights-respecting approaches to intersecting environmental injustices, her work seeks to disrupt systemic, genocidal and epistemic forms of violence within the political economy of racial capitalist coloniality in climate-related loss and displacement. Lauren is the Founding Executive Director of Beyond Climate Collaborative (BCC) and Founder, Academic Director of Curriculum & Critical Pedagogy, and Lead Instructor of the International School on Climate Mobilities (ISCM). She is Climate Mobility Advisor to Africa CSID, and serves on advisory committees for the Platform on Disaster Displacement and Earth Refuge. She has held research roles with SLYCAN Trust and the Global Centre for Climate Mobility. Lauren holds an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS University of London, an MA in Human Rights from Central European University, and a postgraduate International Human Rights Defender Certificate from the Foundations of Human Rights Protection and Constitutional and International Law Postgraduate Specialisation Programme. She is a TEDx speaker: Why care about climate migrants in an era of loss and damage.

Daniella specializes in climate mobility and human rights, leading capacity-building and educational initiatives with NGOs, the UN, government bodies, and the International School on Climate Mobilities. Originally from the Netherlands, Daniella now calls Fiji home and is driven by her commitment to climate justice in island and coastal communities. She holds an MA in Migration and Diaspora studies from SOAS, where her research on artivism, climate coloniality, and displacement underscores her passion to address climate injustices through creative storytelling.

Anna’s leading roles across the globe have specialized in sustainable social programming, equitable education access, and global protection policies. She seeks to continue scaling her impact and connecting motivated change-makers worldwide. Anna received her Ed.M. from Harvard University, as well as a UNICEF Certificate in International Child Protection from Harvard’s FXB Center for Health & Human Rights. Anna also holds a BA in Political Science and International Affairs from Northeastern University, where her studies focused on global social entrepreneurship. Most recently, Anna completed a graduate program in Sustainable Finance at Columbia University. Her current research areas include impact investing, biodiversity, food security, and climate migration. She seeks to continue connecting capital to development opportunities, particularly those addressing access and marginalization through social justice and environmental sustainability.

Dave-Inder Comar is an attorney, entrepreneur, and PhD candidate dedicated to leveraging legal frameworks to address planetary threats. As Managing Partner of Comar Mollé LLP, he advises smart and principled founders, creators, and investors in emerging technologies and ventures. He also serves as Executive Director of Just Atonement Inc., a legal nonprofit that trains planetary defenders to address threats to human rights, a habitable planet, and the international rule of law. Through Just Atonement Inc., Comar helps facilitate the incubation of critically needed new initiatives that can reimagine a just and equitable world. His career is marked by ongoing innovation in the intersection of law, technology, human rights, and global challenges. A graduate of NYU School of Law and Stanford University, Comar is licensed to practice law in California, New York, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is currently pursuing a PhD in international law at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University, focusing on the impact of climate change on the self-determination of peoples. As an advisor to Beyond Climate Collaborative, he brings expertise in governance, international law, and advocacy to advance sustainable and equitable solutions in the context of climate change.

Gabriela is a J.D.-Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Policy at Duke University. Her research focuses on the legal solutions to the impacts of climate change on people, with a specific emphasis on mobility. Passionate about policy-relevant applied research, Gabriela has worked closely with organizations including the IOM, USAID, USIP, OSCE, and Oxfam. She currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Duke Law Journal and holds an M.A. in Environmental Communications, a B.A. in International Relations, and a B.A. in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Stanford University.

Chloé is an aspiring researcher and educator focused on the complex challenges of climate change adaptation, particularly in relation to human mobility, including issues of planned relocation and forced displacement. Her approach is grounded in environmental justice and disaster risk reduction, shaped by her experience with climate action NGOs across Europe. Holding an M.Sc. in Environmental Policy from Sciences Po Paris, and currently working at PreparedInternational, she is dedicated to advancing research and education that support equitable climate adaptation policies.

Miraj Mohamud is a master’s graduate in Migration, Climate Change, and Environment from Webster University in Geneva, Switzerland. His research focuses on policy solutions to climate-induced mobility, with a particular emphasis on the Horn of Africa. Passionate about applied research and policy engagement, Miraj has worked with leading international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as initiatives supported by USAID. With over eight years of experience in communication and project management, Miraj has spent the last two years specializing in climate mobility, sustainable development, and environmental governance across Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti. His work has included designing and implementing communication strategies that enhance climate resilience, policy awareness, and sustainable practices. While working with IOM under the USAID/Transition Initiative for Stabilization (TIS) Program in Somalia, he spearheaded public awareness campaigns on environmental sustainability and climate adaptation, collaborating with government agencies and local communities. Miraj currently focuses on advancing climate policy and governance frameworks to drive meaningful action in the Horn of Africa. He holds dual bachelor's degrees in Information Science and Journalism from leading universities in Kenya.

Nida is passionate about facilitating safe, self-determined, and just climate (im)mobilities. She brings experience in social justice and policy sectors, including as a Research Member addressing Global Peace and helping provide solutions for Indigenous malnutrition in Guatemala through innovative technology. Nida's BA at Queen Mary University of London and MSc at SOAS has combined Indigenous climate justice, migratory frameworks, and racial analysis to challenge conventional (colonial) climate migration paradigms. Now, she aspires to conduct research regarding caste-based climate (im)mobility inequities in Sindh, Pakistan.

Ryan brings experience working in the legal and policy sectors, including for an NGO that advocates for the protection of those displaced by climate change, and for a non-profit that helps resettle LGBTQ+ refugees in Canada. He has contributed to numerous reports on climate impacts and human rights, and has completed field research in Central America and South Florida. He holds an MSc from the LSE and a BA from McGill University.

Claire is an Island Institute fellow contributing to community-driven, coastal, climate-related projects on North Haven, one of Maine’s fourteen unbridged islands in the U.S. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023 with a M.A. in Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies; her research themes including intersectional political ecology, decolonial, feminist praxis, climate (im)mobilities, and community adaptation efforts. She is passionate about the roles of language, accessibility, relationship to place, and coalition-building in community-climate processes.

Katende is a passionate humanitarian and advocate for climate action, dedicated to visualizing and simplifying climate-related language for broader understanding. He focuses on accepting and adapting to climate changes while promoting mobility and indigenous freedoms. Through creative media, Katende strives to ignite compassion and inspire everyone to care about our planet’s future. He believes that, together, we can foster a collective commitment to protecting our environment and empowering communities to thrive amid climate challenges.

Syed Hasnain Raza is an award-winning environmental filmmaker, educator, and founder of MPCEN and PIWEFF. With over a decade of experience, he uses visual storytelling to highlight issues like climate change, wildlife conservation, and environmental justice. A NatGeo Certified Educator and IUCN CEC member, he collaborates with global organizations, creating impactful films like *The Sun Bear Project* and *Dethroned*. His work bridges science and public engagement, inspiring action through powerful narratives and international advocacy, by using multimedia technology, film and media.

Lucia is passionate about challenging and (un)learning the ways climate mobility is understood globally. Currently working with UNEP FI, Lucia has previously held positions in the International School on Climate Mobilities and in the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees. She has an MPhil in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University where she researched ideas of “Home” and place attachment amongst the Marshallese community in Arkansas. As a keen photographer and with a BA in Art History, Lucia seeks to advocate for climate justice through creative and interdisciplinary storytelling.

Lea is passionate about promoting legal safeguards for migrants' rights, particularly with regard to social protection in the face of climate change and disasters. She works as a project associate on migration, environment and climate change with IOM in Djibouti. With a background in human rights and migration law, she has exsperience working as a legal advisor for the French government, and on project management with several UN organizations, including UNDRR and ILO.

Jake works in and advocates for refugee and asylum rights, climate justice and (im)mobilities - with a focus on disability studies intersectionality. He holds an MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies from SOAS. A hiker, explorer, night sky observer, lover of world cinema and global cuisine, far-right antagoniser, and table tennis enthusiast. His mission is to make the world a better place than he found it.

Arzina is passionate about advocacy, justice, and creating solutions around climate mobility. Arzina's research worked to combine decolonial intersectional feminist theory into understanding slow onset climate displacement in India. Currently, she works as a Strategy Consultant with United Healthgroup, working on transforming our current model of healthcare to be more accessible and affordable. In addition to her full-time job, she serves as the Director of Sustainability for The Mosaic Project, where she volunteers to implement initiatives in zero food waste, responsible resource use, staff and participant education, and limiting carbon emissions.

Pubarun Basu, a 23-year-old documentary photographer, has been an honoree of Forbes 30 under 30 and the Sony Youth Photography Award. His work, featured in BBC, CNN, The Guardian, spans global exhibitions. Pubarun's focus on environmental conservation explores stories of rural migrants turned climate refugees, notably in his Ganga river project supported by National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy. Pubarun has founded "Dhara," a youth-led initiative raising awareness in regional communities through impactful storytelling.