Sanjen Miedzinski, B.S. Biochemistry, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology (formerly known as Susan Schneier) is a systems thinker, deeply interested in how different areas of knowledge shed light on each other. Her long career includes working as a biochemist at the National Institute of Health; as an editor and publications manager for leading-edge software companies and the Association of Computing Machinery; as a psychologist working with individuals, couples and organizations; as the editor for the Journal of the California Child Youth and Family Coalition and author of numerous articles on the relationship between social and economic issues; as Acting Dean of the Graduate School of Consciousness Studies and Director of the M.A. Transpersonal Counseling Psychology Program at JFK University; and as co-founder and core faculty of the M.A. Expressive Arts Counseling Psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Currently, she is a teacher of the Diamond Approach and the Director of the Earth Rising Action Network.
Todd Fincannon, B.S. Mathematics develops software applications that bring interactive climate and energy models to policymakers and the public. The Energy Policy Simulator application developed for Energy Innovation is used by policymakers to develop detailed energy transition scenarios for several countries and subnational regions. The C-ROADS World Climate and En-ROADS applications developed for Climate Interactive enable people to learn about the level of climate action that we need and how it can be accomplished. They have been used in interactive group settings around the world. The Carbon Target and Profit Calculator developed for WWF enables large corporations to set carbon mitigation goals. Todd co-founded three startup companies focused on electronic mail, network management, and financial services.
Jeffrey Perrone, B.A. Psychology, M.S. Advanced Technology (Computer Science/ System Design) is a designer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He’s received two patents, with another one pending, and invented many other things. He’s been involved as a founder in a number of pioneering startups, including an AI (artificial intelligence) company, the award-winning PearlSoup website for writers sharing wisdom, and ZipInn, a sharing economy room rental service that prefigured Airbnb. He is currently contributing his editing skills to the Earth Rising Action Network, as well as developing voice user interfaces and voice-based tools (e.g. Amazon Alexa skills) for increasing political empowerment and engagement, especially in relation to the current climate crisis.
Gray Shaw brings us his editing skills as well as his perspective as an arborist and an environmental scientist with a special interest in the interaction of technology and society. Lately Gray has begun presenting his off-grid low-tech biochar production project (blackripple.com) to groups in California and Colorado.