Scott MacKenzie

After witnessing the impacts of climate change below the melting glaciers of Patagonia, Scott MacKenzie made a decision to stay at the front lines of global environmental issues. He has since worked on a range of environmental projects, from energy efficiency and green business development to water security, natural resources management, and prioritizing environmental recovery measures in post-disaster zones. While a sustainability coordinator at the University of California, he created an environmentally preferable purchasing program that increased the procurement of more energy efficient and sustainably designed products and services across the UC system. The program received an Environmental Achievement Award from the EPA for its success. During his time at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Scott conducted research on international environmental governance for the Earth Institute at Columbia University and served as a program assistant to the executive director. More recently, he has consulted with both the Asia Society and the United Nations Environment Programme, and is currently an independent consultant and web content developer. A California native, Scott has lived in Davis, Santa Barbara, Chile, and New York City, but currently calls San Francisco home.

S. Neil Larsen

Neil found himself pursuing a career in environmental and energy policy after living in Southeast Asia for two years. While teaching English to high school students, NGO workers, and government officials in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, he was able to travel extensively throughout the country and region. The furious pace of development and changing landscapes he witnessed — unchecked clearing of forests, rampant poverty, and growing inequality — inspired him to go back to school and study international sustainable development. He found his way to Columbia University in New York where he graduated with a Master of International Affairs degree, concentrating on environmental and energy policy. While at Columbia he researched a wide range of topics from avoided deforestation schemes in Indonesia to large-scale wind power development for New York City, and studied of Indonesian language for two summers in central Java. Currently an independent consultant, he has performed work for the Earth Institute, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, The World Bank, and The Nature Conservancy. Though originally from Minneapolis, Neil has called Maine, Seattle, New York, Cambodia, and Indonesia home at one point or another. He currently resides in San Francisco, where he is discovering why so many people love this part of the world.