Our Team

I am a climate activist and organizer at heart. With nearly two decades of leadership experience building digital campaigns and convening communities of practice in the climate advocacy space for the purpose of coordinating and sharing knowledge. I live in the Texas Gulf Coast, where I have a front row seat to the impacts of our rapidly changing climate on our environment, and on the imbalance of economic and racial justice in our most vulnerable and under resourced communities. I believe the work of the Lab is critical to building the capacity we need to be successful in our fight for the climate, and am proud to serve as Executive Director of the Lab. I also serve on the Chair of the board of directors of Climate Access. I’m a graduate of American University in Washington DC, and am an elected representative serving as City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem of my small community on the outskirts of Houston.

I am a movement builder, community organizer, trainer, facilitator, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Candidate living in San Francisco, Bay Area. A proud alum of the University of California, Davis, and Sciences Po, Paris. I received my Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Southern, California. Since 2009, I’ve been an organizer, facilitator, and trainer for over 8 years. Led and directed climate justice programs that advocate and mobilize frontline communities around equitable solutions to the climate crisis. Trained over 3,000 activists on justice and equity issues, organizational change, and strategic design. I specialize in the training curriculum, facilitation, organizing, justice, and equity training. In my spare time, you can catch me traveling the world, and cooking amazing meals.

Emi Okikawa (she/her/hers) is a passionate advocate for ethical storytelling, intersectional environmentalism, and grassroots climate justice. She has spent her career in the environmental movement leading digital strategy, narrative organizing, and community-based storytelling for climate justice efforts. She is based in Seattle, WA, but is originally from the island of O‘ahu.

She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Franklin & Marshall College and has led digital strategy and content creation from the local to the global level, at organizations like Seattle Parks Foundations and Women’s Earth Alliance. She was most recently a National Digital Campaign Strategist at the Sierra Club, leading national online strategy for federal legislative work.

Gabby is a climate justice organizer and trainer dedicated to resourcing, training, and coaching youth climate organizers to scale up campaigns. Through their work as a youth climate organizer, many of which was under-resourced, they were inspired to continue working with young people to build their skills and power, and a stronger youth movement. She is dedicated to building organizer trainings, writing campaign-specific resources, and cultivating 1:1 coaching relationships with grassroots organizers and their local groups on the ground leading the fight against fossil fuels. In their free time, they love spending time at the park, hiking, and tending to their many houseplants. She currently live in Colorado on occupied Ute, Arapahoe, and Cheyanne land.

I help to produce and manage the Climate Advocacy Lab’s social science resources for its webinars, workshops, and website. I also oversee half of the Lab’s research programs, which involves designing, tracking, and analyzing a range of experimental and non-experimental projects with advocate collaborators. I work at the Lab to help the climate community build deeper, more inclusive, and more effective relationships centered around mutual learning. My research interests revolve around how people think about climate change, how they process information on the issue, and what gets in the way. Prior to joining the Lab, I worked as a postdoctoral associate in energy policy and survey methods at Duke University. I received a B.S. in Society & Environment from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Environmental Politics from Duke University. I live in Durham, NC.

Jo Bjorgaard is a public and planetary health nurse leader with over a decade of experience partnering with health systems and communities to develop and implement climate solutions that aim to holistically protect human health and the environment. With a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Health Innovation and Leadership, Jo specializes in climate change and health. Their work is all about bridging the gap between human health and the health of our planet, ensuring that both thrive. She is passionate about educating communities on the intersections of planetary and human health, having delivered trainings and talks on planetary health and climate-smart healthcare at hospitals, academic institutions, and conferences. Jo applies quality improvement methodology, human-centered design, and systems thinking to create systemic changes that inspire resilience and sustainability.

Originally from Victoria, BC, Jo now enjoys life in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where they enjoy the long summer days gardening, hiking, and swimming and embrace the long, winters of the great north snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Jo tends to a lively household that includes chickens, an Australian Shepherd, a cat, a bunny, four energetic children, and a supportive husband.

Kate is Lab’s Managing Director, having previously led the digital and data strategies at the Digital Climate Coalition. She loves using data science, research, and programmatic analysis to ensure that campaigns and strategies are grounded in the audiences they are trying to advocate for. Kate has more than a decade of experience leading digital, web, and CRM development at many nonprofit organizations including NRDC, Free Press and consulted at other large national advocacy organizations. Kate’s passion is for climate advocacy, but has been known to take breaks to make cheese and ski with her kids in western Massachusetts.

Kerrina (she/her) joins the team as the Partnerships Manager. She is from Long Beach, California and currently based in Los Angeles. Her goal is to empower and work alongside partners and frontline communities for change that puts power back in the hands of the people. Kerrina comes with an extensive background in the labor movement and reproductive justice. Prior to CAL, her work focused on insurance regulation, stopping the expansion of liquified natural gas, and fossil fuel divestment campaigns targeting colleges and universities. Kerrina is also a gardener, herbalist, feminist, and community birth worker.

KyungSun leads the Lab’s Clean Energy & IRA Insights Hub, where she supports advocates effectively message and organize to advance clean energy initiatives that work for everyone. She has a B.A in Interdisciplinary Studies-Political Science, Healthcare, and Economics and Masters in Social Work-Economic and Social Development and Policy.

I am entering the Climate Advocacy Lab to learn, connect, and develop relationships in the face of climate disaster and environmental injustice. I am excited about decentralized and autonomous organizing, transnational Indigenous solidarity, and caring for ourselves throughout the climate crisis and a global pandemic. I am of mixed white settler descent and of the Maya Mam peoples of western Guatemala and currently reside in the Albuquerque, NM.

I am the Training Associate here at the Climate Advocacy Lab! With over seven years of experience in community, program, and event management, I bring a deep commitment and passion to environmental justice and racial equity. In my previous roles I’ve had the privilege of working in diverse communities, engaging youth in combating the climate crisis. In the future, I hope to one day open my own non-profit to help engage and uplift frontline communities in environmental justice through events that adapt to the community they serve.

Outside of work, I have two cats and many houseplants that require my undivided attention. I also enjoy reading, spending quality time with my family and friends, and exploring trails and national parks.

Raz Pollex has been working for progressive change, especially in the climate movement, for almost two decades, from being part of Obama for America’s field organizing team in 2007, to to shutting down the Pacific Northwest’s last coal-burning power plant, to directing Greenpeace USA’s digital team. They are passionate about using digital tools to meaningfully engage with supporters, elevate their voices, and build powerful movements for change.

Raz lives in Seattle, where they spend a lot of time at the dog park, trying out new gluten-free recipes and building local community. They have a Bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.