October 15, 2026 | 5:00-10:00 PM PST
Optimist Studios, Los Angeles | 5431 W 104th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Join the Sea of Solutions.
An Evening Beneath the Canopy
Dive into an unforgettable evening inspired by the beauty and resilience of the kelp forests. Enjoy lively music, meaningful connections, exclusive auctions, and inspiring stories as we celebrate the students, partners, and changemakers leading the way toward a more sustainable future.
About Verte
Verte is an unforgettable annual gala benefiting Grades of Green’s vision to create a clean and sustainable environment for generations to come. Attended by hundreds of distinguished guests, celebrities, and trailblazing honorees, Verte raises critical funds to continue educating and empowering students to take take action and lead meaningful change in their local communities.
Honorees
Each year, we recognize inspiring individuals who are making a lasting impact on people and the planet. Their leadership, dedication, and vision reflect the spirit of Grades of Green and the collective power of environmental action.
Fed by Blue
The Rising Tide Award Honoree
Grades of Green is proud to honor Fed By Blue, accepted by co-founders Jennifer Bushman and Jill Kauffman Johnson. Founded to inspire a more responsible relationship with the foods we harvest from our waters, Fed by Blue is dedicated to driving awareness and action in support of a sustainable blue food system. Through storytelling, education, and collaboration, Fed by Blue amplifies the innovators, scientists, fishers, farmers, chefs, and communities creating new pathways, new dialogue, and new hope for the future of our oceans and waterways.
Fed By Blue helped bring the Emmy and James Beard Award–nominated PBS series Hope in the Water to audiences nationwide, spotlighting innovative solutions transforming the future of food from water and the people working to restore abundance and resilience in aquatic ecosystems. Building on the impact of the series, Fed By Blue also collaborated with celebrated chefs Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver on the Blue Food Cookbook, helping consumers engage with blue foods through sustainable sourcing and aquatic stewardship.
StokedPlastics
The Regeneration Award Honoree
Grades of Green is proud to honor StokedPlastics at VERTE 2026, with founder James Merrill accepting the recognition on behalf of the company. Through its leadership in sustainable materials innovation and circular manufacturing solutions, StokedPlastics is helping advance practical, scalable approaches to reducing plastic waste and rethinking the future of manufacturing.
By challenging conventional manufacturing systems and advancing scalable alternatives to newly produced plastic, StokedPlastics represents a new generation of environmental leadership rooted in innovation, accountability, and implementation. Their work reflects the kind of regenerative thinking needed to transform industries and accelerate more sustainable futures.
As a 1% for the Planet partner, StokedPlastics also shares Grades of Green’s belief that long-term environmental progress requires investment in both solutions and the next generation of leaders who will carry them forward.
Under your support,
students will rise.
Your support helps activate the next generation of environmental leaders by investing in students, partnerships, and solutions that create lasting impact across schools and communities.
Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available
Join us as a sponsor and help elevate student-led environmental action and innovation.
Contribute to Our Silent Auction
Have a special item or experience to share? Your donation helps fuel our mission and will be featured in our gala silent auction with gratitude.
Event Sponsors
Our event sponsors are the roots that anchor Verte and help it grow. Through their generosity, we advance our mission, support the next generation of environmental leaders, and celebrate a shared commitment to sustainability.
Event Vendors
Our mission-driven vendors help make Verte unforgettable with eco-friendly products, locally sourced flavors, and community spirit. Their work supports our shared vision for a greener, more sustainable future.
Business Supporters
Thank you to our Business Supporters, whose silent auction donations and in-kind gifts help make our gala possible. Their generosity supports student-led environmental action and future changemakers.
Beneath the canopy, we rise.
Join us at Verte 2026 in the kelp forest to activate the next generation of environmental leaders creating waves of change in their schools and communities.
