Kristin Urquiza

About

I've known my primary mission on this planet since I was nine years old: to protect Mother Earth. It was then that I first learned about climate change from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) First Impact Assessment Report in 1990. As we know, it concluded that emissions resulting from human activities are substantially increasing greenhouse gases, warming the Earth. Around the same time this report came out, my third-grade science class was learning about greenhouses. I can remember looking up at the carbon cycle diagram on the chalkboard and realizing I understood what I heard on television about global warming. Immediately, I felt a calling to do something about it, and I have. I have dedicated my career to working with environmental groups focused on stopping the climate crisis and protecting nature.

My management skills foster fun and high-energy collaboration. I can lead or work well with any group; I connect, mentor, and ensure that all stakeholders are set up for success. My experience building and leading high impact teams in the uncertain start-up environment with a focus on organizational growth is unparalleled. I have raised millions of dollars from the grassroots to private foundations.

I am confident we cannot enact the type of change we need without transforming our society’s definition of “leader,” and I realize I am a trailblazer in the environmental movement for others like me — brown, queer, community-focused, ethically-minded changemakers; future leaders who are not benefiting from the current status quo and are ready to upend our current systems of oppression and privilege. So, I’m taking it upon myself to level up in my leadership training. For young people of color, representation in the conservation field matters to inspire curiosity in a career in conservation. As a mid-career professional, I'm keenly aware that I must continue to make space for broader parts of the public to join our cause.