Verte 2023
Melanie Lundquist
Mother Earth Honoree
Dr. Melanie Lundquist, LHD, is an activist philanthropist whose voice is as fearless as her life-changing work. From Aspen and Bloomberg to Milken and POLITICO, she is a sought-after speaker on improving public education, fighting climate change, and impact philanthropy. Melanie has hosted high-level gatherings on climate solutions, including with Captain Planet Foundation Chair Laura Turner-Seydel, a past recipient of the Mother Earth Award.
Ethan Brown
Environmental Innovator Honoree
Ethan Brown, the CEO and Founder of Beyond Meat, is committed to creating plant-based meat alternatives. His upbringing instilled a love for agriculture and the environment, guiding his career toward addressing climate change through clean energy solutions. He played a pivotal role in shaping grid management policies, contributing to federal and state policies. Later, he joined Ballard Power Systems, a leader in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell development, rising to a direct reporting role to the CEO.
Verte 2024
Chris Dickerson
Mother Earth Honoree
Chris Dickerson is a former Major League Baseball player and the visionary Co-Founder of Players for the Planet. Chris has rallied over 200 professional athletes to champion sustainability, using their influence to drive meaningful environmental action. From tree planting and e-waste collection to organizing MLB teams for green initiatives, Chris’s leadership is catalyzing a major shift in how the sports world embraces environmental responsibility.
Ryan Harris
Environmental Innovator Honoree
Ryan Harris is the founder of ECObyRy and a leader in eco-conscious surfboard shaping. Ryan’s journey from pioneering sustainable surfboard building at Earth Technologies to developing ECObyRy underscores his commitment to reducing environmental issues. His innovative use of recycled materials and his dedication to sustainability education, including the launch of ECOSS (the Educational Center of Sustainability in Surfing), make him a standout leader in environmental innovation.
Verte 2025
Al Muratsuchi
Keynote Speaker
California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, who proudly represents the 66th Assembly District in the Los Angeles South Bay, exemplifies this spirit through his tireless advocacy for environmental protection, climate action, and community well-being. His leadership and vision reflect the collective power of policy, education, and grassroots action to create lasting change for people and the planet.
Dune Lankard
Green Guardian Honoree
Dune Lankard is an Eyak Athabaskan Native and lifelong defender of Indigenous lands and waters. After the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, he left commercial fishing to become a full-time activist, co-founding the Native Conservancy and leading efforts to protect wild salmon and Native culture. Today, he’s pioneering regenerative ocean farming and uplifting the next generation of Native ocean stewards. A TIME “Hero for the Planet” and James Beard Lifetime Impact Award honoree, Dune has spent over 30 years fighting for land and ocean justice.
Nalleli Cobo
Evergreen Rising Honoree
Nalleli Cobo is a fierce leader in the environmental justice movement. At 19, she helped shut down a toxic oil site in her South LA neighborhood — the same site that had caused years of health issues for her community. She began speaking out at age 9, co-founded People Not Pozos, and despite a cancer diagnosis at 19, continued her fight, earning the Goldman Environmental Prize and a spot on TIME100 Next.
