Event

Julie Amina Jacquemin

Advisor, Outreach, Partnerships and Youth Engagement

Julie Amina Jacquemin is the Lead for Outreach, Partnerships and Youth Engagement at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). She plays a crucial role in advancing environmental collaboration across North America by fostering inclusive engagement with diverse stakeholders, including youth. Her work supports initiatives that promote sustainability and community-driven action, with a strong emphasis on empowering the next generation of environmental leaders. Previously, Julie worked with several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), where she led international advocacy programs and managed partnerships with governmental institutions and community-based organizations in Canada, France, Spain, Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She holds a master’s degrees in geopolitics and in international law and human rights. Her experience encompasses public engagement, environmental cooperation and international collaboration, with a keen interest in bioanthropology and inclusive engagement.

LinkedIn: Julie Amina Jacquemin

Karina Morales

Assistant, Advisory Groups and Public Participation

Karina Morales is the Assistant of the Advisory Groups and Public Participation Directorate at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, in Montreal. With a background in Sustainability, Science and Society from McGill University, she is passionate about advancing environmental initiatives and supporting inclusive dialogue. She brings hands-on experience in consulting key actors; environmental, social and governmental (ESG) investing research; and public and private climate action. Karina enjoys connecting people and ideas to drive positive change.

LinkedIn: Karina Morales

Samantha Gagnon

Advisor, JPAC and Private Sector Engagement

Samantha Gagnon, Lead of Advisory Groups and Private Sector Engagement at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), focuses on promoting public participation in environmental discussions and strengthening collaboration between businesses, governments, and communities to address the triple planetary crisis in North America. With over a decade of experience in international projects, she drives initiatives that foster private sector climate action and the adoption of sustainable practices. She holds a Master’s degree in International Development Management from Laval University and executive training in ESG leadership from Cambridge Judge Business School.

LinkedIn: Samantha Gagnon

Léla Eromobor

Facilitator

Léla is a social impact professional who helps communities build inclusive and sustainable solutions. She has worked with youth and in women-led initiatives to launch projects that support gender equality, entrepreneurship, and environmental responsibility. Her work focuses on turning ideas into action, whether by mentoring change-makers or applying design thinking to tackle context-specific barriers. Léla has also supported organizations in expanding their digital access to improve how they serve their communities. In her role as a facilitator for the 2025 Youth Engagement Week at the CEC, she will bring her commitment to helping emerging leaders transform their vision and boundless energy into concrete and lasting impact.

Immanuel Tablas

Product Sustainability & Strategy Professional at Bombardier

Immanuel Tablas is a Product Sustainability & Strategy Professional at Bombardier, where he leads regulatory intelligence efforts on global product environmental regulations impacting aerospace products. Immanuel provides strategic guidance to mitigate regulatory risks and identify sustainability opportunities across Bombardier’s operations. He plays a key role in environmental compliance and represents Bombardier in various industry groups such as the International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG), contributing to the development of tools and resources that benefit the broader aerospace and defense sector. Prior to joining Bombardier, Immanuel held roles in environmental chemistry and hazardous materials management, gaining hands-on experience in regulatory compliance and laboratory analysis. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Concordia University and is passionate about advancing sustainable innovation in the aerospace industry.

LinkedIn: Immanuel Tablas

Starr Zhang

Intern in Product Sustainability & Strategy at Bombardier

Starr Zhang is a Master's student in Environmental Engineering, with hands-on experience in sustainability research and data analysis. As an intern in Product Sustainability & Strategy at Bombardier, she supports the team with environmental performance assessments, reporting, and documentation. She is interested in life-cycle assessment, sustainable practices, and circularity in the aviation industry.

Yesenia Ochoa Acevedo

Co-Executive Director of the Red de Jóvenes Innovadores en Hidrógeno

Co-Executive Director of the Red de Jóvenes Innovadores en Hidrógeno (Youth Hydrogen Innovators Network), thanks to her commitment, career path, and leadership, Yesenia Ochoa Acevedo says: “My life has had ups and downs, with experiences that played a huge role in my passion for science and renewable energy. As a child, I suffered from severe asthma attacks that caused great physical suffering; even at that early age, I was already interested in developing a renewable energy alternative that would not affect children’s health.” Programs supporting women in science help foster her desire to pursue a scientific career and aspire to a doctorate. At age 15, she participated in the KidWind Challenge. Continuing to come up with new projects, she soon took part in the innovation and entrepreneurship seminar of the Centro de Energía Renovable y Calidad Ambiental (CERCA), where her project won first prize and was implemented in the communities of El Dátil and San Juanico, Baja California Sur. Yesenia’s determination to be a researcher in the field of green hydrogen has only become stronger since then.

Instagram: @Im_yossie  |  Linkedln: Yesenia Ochoa Acevedo

Lorena James

Ecopreneur and Development and Communications Coordinator for Nature For Justice

Lorena James is an ecopreneur and the Development and Communications Coordinator for Nature For Justice, where she supports the Growing American Farmer Prosperity program by uplifting the stories, leadership, and land stewardship of smallholder farmers across North Carolina and Virginia. Her work centers on intergenerational climate justice, bridging the wisdom of experienced farmers with pathways for youth to step into conservation and agricultural leadership. Through storytelling, community engagement, and capacity-building, Lorena helps young people understand the importance of regenerative agriculture, land justice, and community-driven climate solutions, while championing the critical role farmers play in building a more equitable and resilient future.

Julie Amina Jacquemin

Advisor, Outreach, Partnerships and Youth Engagement

Julie Amina Jacquemin is the Lead for Outreach, Partnerships and Youth Engagement at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). She plays a crucial role in advancing environmental collaboration across North America by fostering inclusive engagement with diverse stakeholders, including youth. Her work supports initiatives that promote sustainability and community-driven action, with a strong emphasis on empowering the next generation of environmental leaders. Previously, Julie worked with several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), where she led international advocacy programs and managed partnerships with governmental institutions and community-based organizations in Canada, France, Spain, Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She holds a master’s degrees in geopolitics and in international law and human rights. Her experience encompasses public engagement, environmental cooperation and international collaboration, with a keen interest in bioanthropology and inclusive engagement.

LinkedIn: Julie Amina Jacquemin

Karina Morales

Assistant, Advisory Groups and Public Participation

Karina Morales is the Assistant of the Advisory Groups and Public Participation Directorate at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, in Montreal. With a background in Sustainability, Science and Society from McGill University, she is passionate about advancing environmental initiatives and supporting inclusive dialogue. She brings hands-on experience in consulting key actors; environmental, social and governmental (ESG) investing research; and public and private climate action. Karina enjoys connecting people and ideas to drive positive change.

LinkedIn: Karina Morales

Franklin Velasco García

Facilitator

Born in the Lacandon Jungle of Chiapas, Franklin Velasco García speaks the Mayan languages, Tzeltal and Tzotzil, and holds a degree in ecological engineering from the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas (UNICACH). For the past four years, he has participated in a range of academic and scientific activities supporting the community. He has also been involved in research workshops on the biocultural knowledge of Indigenous peoples, conducting consultations in neighborhoods, and systematising the ideas and proposals that emerged from these, as well as organising speaking circles with community elders to draw on their experiences and knowledge. He is a promoting member of the Fortalecimiento de Territorios Red Agroecológicos (Strengthening of Territories Agroecological Network) collective in Mexico. Franklin has contributed to the logistics of the Festival del Nuevo Amanecer de los Pueblos de la Selva Lacandona (New Dawn Festival of the Peoples of the Lacandon Jungle), as well as in other community projects aimed at developing the Life Plan for Biocultural Reconstitution and Autonomy, which focuses on the management of Indigenous commons territories and their ecological reserves through agroecological and agroforestry models that are based on ancient Mayan cultural traditions, in dialogue with modern science.

Kakwiranó:ron Cook

Officer, Indigenous Affairs

Kakwiranó:ron Cook belongs to the Akwesasne Kanien'kehá:ka and Oglala Lakota. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu and a Master of Business Administration from McGill University and HEC Montréal. Previously, Kakwiranó:ron worked as Senior Advisor on Indigenous Community and Relations at Sobeys Inc. and as Indigenous Outreach Administrator for McGill University. A life-long ambassador for Indigenous ways of learning and knowing, he brings firsthand expertise on building up awareness, appreciation and celebration of Indigeneity, as well as to our responsibilities to the lands, waters and each other.

LinkedIn: Kakwiranoron Cook

Valeria Rodríguez Martén

Consultant Youth Engagement Week

Valeria (she/her) is an environmental scientist with a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and a master’s degree in International Ecology. Her academic and research background includes a strong focus on plant–pollinator interactions in high-mountain ecosystems, as well as broader interests in biodiversity conservation and social-ecological systems. Valeria has worked with youth in educational and community settings, combining science communication with inclusive and transformative approaches to environmental action. She is passionate about collaborative work, intercultural exchange, and the role of both youth leadership and traditional knowledge in fostering more resilient and equitable communities.

LinkedIn: Valeria Rodríguez Martén

Maxim Larrivée

Director of the Montréal Insectarium and Founder of the Citizen Science Program Les Sentinelles du Nunavik

Director of the Montreal Insectarium and founder of the Sentinelles du Nunavik citizen science program, Maxim Larrivée has spent the last ten years studying the butterflies and moths of Nunavik. He is also the founder of the e-butterfly.org and Mission Monarch citizen science projects, which are tracking the Canadian distribution of butterflies and moths in the era of climate change. Mr. Larrivée is interested in the management of biodiversity data and the valorization of collections, as well as the development of youth educational materials for raising awareness of entomology and environmental issues. For over 15 years, his research has focused on the effects of natural and human disruptions to arthropod biodiversity, with a particular emphasis on spiders, beetles, and lepidopterans.

nunaviksentinels@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/SentinellesNunavikSentinels/
https://www.facebook.com/Espacepourlavie
https://espacepourlavie.ca/les-sentinelles-du-nunavik-un-projet-de-science-participative
https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/nunavik-sentinels-one-kind-project

Amélie Grégoire-Taillefer

Entomologist and Coordinator of the Citizen Science Program Les Sentinelles du Nunavik

Amélie Grégoire-Taillefer is an entomologist who has been coordinating the Sentinelles du Nunavik citizen science program since 2019 and has been studying insect biodiversity and conservation for over 15 years. A specialist in dipterans (flies), she participates in projects focusing on enriching our knowledge of Canada’s insect fauna and acts as a specialist for publication of scientific works. Her research interests include the ecology of wetland flies, necrophagous fauna, species conservation, and northern biodiversity. Her passion for popular education has led her to devote her expertise to the Sentinelles du Nunavik program, which introduces young people from northern communities to entomology. The program combines traditional knowledge with scientific research in an effort to better understand the effects of climate change. By virtue of her dedication to promoting education, community engagement, and knowledge transmission, Amélie accompanies youths on expeditions to their ancestral lands.

nunaviksentinels@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/SentinellesNunavikSentinels/
https://www.facebook.com/Espacepourlavie
https://espacepourlavie.ca/les-sentinelles-du-nunavik-un-projet-de-science-participative
https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/nunavik-sentinels-one-kind-project

Haylee Petawabano

Participant in the Les Sentinelles du Nunavik Program

Haylee Petawabano participated in the Sentinelles du Nunavik program in the summer of 2022, serving for eight weeks as a guardian (sentinelle) in her home territory of the Cree Nation of Chisasibi. In this capacity she took part in northern research, sampling the diversity of insects and spiders in her territory.

nunaviksentinels@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/SentinellesNunavikSentinels/
https://www.facebook.com/Espacepourlavie
https://espacepourlavie.ca/les-sentinelles-du-nunavik-un-projet-de-science-participative
https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/nunavik-sentinels-one-kind-project

Juan Carlos Mayo Velázquez

Active member and founder of the Colectivo Jóvenes de la Zona Maya

From Quintana Roo, Mexico, Juan Carlos Mayo Velázquez is an agroecologist by training and a meliponiculturist (a beekeeper who raises stingless bees) by heritage. His work centers around biodiversity and conservation of traditional knowledge in the Maya region. He is an active member and founder of the Colectivo Jóvenes de la Zona Maya (Maya Region Youth Collective), an initiative that promotes agroecology, apiculture, and meliponiculture as methods for helping young people remain rooted in their native territory and promoting intergenerational dialogue. In recognition of his commitment, he received the State Youth Prize (environment category) and the honorary title of “Guardian of the Territory.” Juan Carlos is a nature photography enthusiast with a special interest in the “big little world” of arthropods and the beauty of the night sky.

Personal Facebook: Juan MV  |  Personal Instagram: @juan_velazquezm  |  Organization’s Facebook: Jóvenes de la Zona Maya  |  Organization’s Instagram: @colectivo_jdzm

Laylalanai Valencia Gocobachi

Earth Ambassador for the United National Indian Tribal Youth organization (UNITY) & Iliaitchik Indigenous correspondent for Planet Forward

Laylalanai Gocobachi (she/her) is a Yaqui/Mayo woman raised in the Barrio Libre and New Pascua communities of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Tucson, Arizona. Laylalanai is an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona, studying Environmental Science, with an emphasis on soil, air, and water. She aims to work with Indigenous and marginalized communities to braid traditional ecological knowledge, western science, and advocacy, in order to ensure Indigenous knowledge is central in environmental research, revitalization and sustainable practices. Laylalanai has interned for the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), creating a Climate Change and Natural Resources Needs Assessment for a Northern California tribal community. Additionally, she has collaborated with Maya communities in Belize, from the reef to the rainforest, on conservation and sustainability project proposals. She currently serves as an Earth Ambassador for the United National Indian Tribal Youth organization (UNITY), and as an Iliaitchik Indigenous correspondent for Planet Forward.

Instagram: @lgocobach1  |  Facebook: Laylalanai Gocobachi

Tristan Joe

Youth Programs Coordinator for the United National Indian Tribal Youth organization (UNITY)

Tristan Joe is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and comes from the Four Corners area. As a youth participant in UNITY, he served as a member of the 25 Under 25 and Earth Ambassador cohorts. He works as the Youth Programs Coordinator working closely with the UNITY youth cohorts. Tristan holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fort Lewis College. He has a passion for working with and for Indigenous youth in hopes they continue to be the changemakers in their communities.

Julie Amina Jacquemin

Advisor, Outreach, Partnerships and Youth Engagement

Julie Amina Jacquemin is the Lead for Outreach, Partnerships and Youth Engagement at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). She plays a crucial role in advancing environmental collaboration across North America by fostering inclusive engagement with diverse stakeholders, including youth. Her work supports initiatives that promote sustainability and community-driven action, with a strong emphasis on empowering the next generation of environmental leaders. Previously, Julie worked with several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), where she led international advocacy programs and managed partnerships with governmental institutions and community-based organizations in Canada, France, Spain, Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She holds a master’s degrees in geopolitics and in international law and human rights. Her experience encompasses public engagement, environmental cooperation and international collaboration, with a keen interest in bioanthropology and inclusive engagement.

LinkedIn: Julie Amina Jacquemin

Karina Morales

Assistant, Advisory Groups and Public Participation

Karina Morales is the Assistant of the Advisory Groups and Public Participation Directorate at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, in Montreal. With a background in Sustainability, Science and Society from McGill University, she is passionate about advancing environmental initiatives and supporting inclusive dialogue. She brings hands-on experience in consulting key actors; environmental, social and governmental (ESG) investing research; and public and private climate action. Karina enjoys connecting people and ideas to drive positive change.

LinkedIn: Karina Morales

Micaela Martinez

Officer, Community Resilience

Ana Valeria Medina López

Facilitator

Ana Valeria is an environmentalist with experience in scientific communication, education, and data analysis. She is passionate about building bridges between the scientific community and the general public to promote informed decision-making and strengthen environmental awareness. Ana Valeria holds a master’s degree in natural resources management from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a bachelor’s in environmental sciences engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora in Mexico. Her work integrates research, education, and policy with experience spanning biodiversity monitoring, climate reporting, and outreach with organizations such as the Ecological Society of America and the US National Park Service. Currently based at the Pocono Environmental Education Center, she designs and delivers educational programs, outreach events, and community engagement initiatives that connect people of all ages with nature. Ana Valeria is dedicated to fostering inclusive, intergenerational environmental dialogue and bringing Latin American perspectives to global conservation efforts.

Alyssa Obrand

Executive Director of Finance Engage Sustain (FES)

Alyssa Obrand (she/her) is the Executive Director of Finance Engage Sustain (FES), a national youth-led organization building a climate support system that empowers young leaders across Canada with the funding, skills, and networks to launch and grow their environmental initiatives. A passionate advocate for youth leadership and climate justice, Alyssa works to transform the philanthropic landscape to better resource the next generation of changemakers. With experience in environmental consulting, green startups, and climate policy in the UK, she brings both strategic and on-the-ground perspectives to her work. At FES, Alyssa is leading an ambitious effort to raise $25 million for youth-led climate action by 2030, fueling bold solutions to the most urgent challenge of our time.

Personal LinkedIn: Alyssa Obrand  |  Organization’s LinkedIn: (FES) Finance Engage Sustain | Financer Engager Soutenir  |  Organization’s Instagram: @fes_theyouthharbour  |  Organization’s website: www.fesplanet.org

Mariana Dávalos Navarro

Cofounder of Biznaga: Promoción y Gestión de Áreas Naturales Protegidas

A biologist with a degree in environmental education, ecology, conservation, and zoology from the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (UASLP) and a graduate of the Universidad Marista de Yucatán in the fields of law and environmental justice, Mariana Dávalos Navarro, 29, is a cofounder of Biznaga: Promoción y Gestión de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, a civil society association for which she works as an administrator. In addition to giving classes in animal biology, ecology, biodiversity, and conservation at UASLP, she is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in environmental education, with a special interest in combating biophobia. Her goals in this life are to leave the world a little better than she found it and to help promote the central role of local communities in the conservation of their natural areas.

Instagram: @mallaciclonica

Alan Calzada Hernández

Technical collaborator with Biznaga, A.C.

Alan Calzada Hernández is a student who is currently completing the final semesters of a biology program. He is a technical collaborator with Biznaga, A.C. (dedicated to the promotion and management of protected natural areas) and devotes much of his effort to community conservation in the Huasteca region of the state of San Luis Potosí, where he has taken part in the creation of a conservation area in the ejido of San Nicolás de los Montes (Tamasopo, San Luis Potosí). His bachelor’s thesis focuses on the ejido’s population of jaguars (Panthera onca), the largest feline in the Americas; he aims to estimate the size and conservation status of the jaguar population and to focus scientific knowledge on solutions to local problems that can simultaneously benefit the community, the species, and the ecosystems on which it relies. His goal is to implement science and community action to build effective models of coexistence between wildlife and rural societies, breaking down the walls between academia and fieldwork in support of local communities.

Instagram: @laancal

Christopher Dipnarine

Founder and Executive Director of 4MyCiTy Inc.

Christopher Dipnarine is a serial entrepreneur, Forbes Nonprofit Council member (Environmental Sustainability Group Member leader) and TEDx speaker, recognized for his leadership in advancing sustainability and social innovation. As the Founder and Executive Director of 4MyCiTy Inc., he has been named one of Maryland’s Most Influential Leaders and honored with multiple awards for environmental sustainability. Christopher continues to drive forward-thinking initiatives that bridge technology, community empowerment, and circular economy solutions.