The Rising Leaders Fellowship supports the professional development of individuals in entry- to mid-level positions within the environmental sector. Specifically, Justice Outside targets individuals who are enthusiastic about connecting communities to the outdoors in culturally relevant and inclusive ways by effecting culture change within their organizations. The Rising Leaders Fellowship builds professional capacity while creating a supportive network of leaders through a project-based cohort series that focuses on social justice and racial equity in the outdoors.
We are proud to introduce the members of the 2023 Rising Leaders Fellowship!

THERESE A BACA-RADLER
NMPED

AZUL VALERIA DE CASAS
The Student Conservation Association

NICHOLAS TRISTAN FOWLKS
California State Parks

LILLI Y. GARZA
Sitka Trail Works

DESTINI HALL

NEGINA LOWE
Maine Environmental Education Association

MICHELLE MATTHEWS
Arlington Garden in Pasadena

DAVID MONTERO
CSUN Outdoor Adventures

VIVIANETTE ORTIZ
Latinos Aventureros and Disability Rights North Carolina

YASMINE RAOUF
Trust for Public Land

IMELDA GISELLE ROMERO
North East Trees

JONATAN SALINAS
The Trail Conservancy

VIVIANA SERRANO
Arc’teryx

ETTA MARGEAUX SOUSER
Mt. Adams Institute

SAMAL TAYAG
Natural History Museum of L.A. County

EMANUELA TORRES-MARQUIS
Florida State Park Service, Florida Conservation Corps

ILSE VALADEZ
Woodcraft Rangers and Outsiders Together

LEVON WILLIAMS
Trust for Public Land

SHIRLEY CALDERON
Woodcraft Rangers and AmeriCorps

LAURA CISNEROS
University of Connecticut

EMMA GALOFRÉ GARCÍA
University of Colorado Boulder

KIMBERLY GUO
Better World Group

JENNY LOPEZ
Rooted in Nature Therapy; Nurture in Nature

SOPHIE HARUNA KLIMCAK
Wild Awake

DAYANA MOLINA PATINO
Trust for Public Land

VIANEY MORENO
Pacoima Beautiful

KENJAH O’DONNELL
The Venture Out Project

EVE QUINONES
The Alliance for Watershed Education and Audubon Mid-Atlantic

ANKA RASHED

JORDAN SALCIDO

MONICA NICOLLE SANCHEZ
The Loppet Foundation

ALEXA SHARP
Southwest Conservation Corps

EMILY TAMAYO
Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region

TREVOR TAYLOR
Southwest Conservation Corps

NIEVES VAZQUEZ
Arizona Conservation Corps, Conservation Legacy