VOLUNTEERS

Elsa is Filipina-German and, unofficially, French. Her work aims at catalysing the agro-ecological transition. She is passionate about the diversity and the complexity of the agricultural world, and approaches it through all its lenses (agronomical, social, economic, ecological and political). Thanks to her hybrid academic/vocational background, Elsa brings a holistic and solid hands-on understanding of agricultural land management. She has worked extensively with farmers, accompanying them towards more sustainable farming-systems. Adept of inclusive approaches, she favours participatory and self-assessment methods. MSc graduate from Wageningen University (NL) and ISARA (FR), she is currently doing her PhD with Wageningen University and Teagasc (IRE) on agri-environmental governance, with a focus on defining pathways for sustainable transitions.

On Helen’s side, this initiative has its seeds in the efforts of her father, Emmanuel, during his lifetime. She also acknowledges the full unquestioning support of her family. Helen is a professor at the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines where she began her career over thirty years ago. In the 1990s, she was twice Chair of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine environmental Protection (GESAMP), an advisory body to the entire United Nations system. She is an awardee for science of “The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service” (TOWNS) of the Republic of the Philippines.

Liwanag is Filipina. She is a specialist in plant pathology and mycology. She has worked at the National Crop Protection Center in Los Banos, University of the Philippines and the Department of Plant Pathology, Bureau of Plant Industry before she volunteered as a researcher for the West African Rice Development Agency in Senegal. She received her diploma from UP in Sciences and Agriculture. Liwanag is a mother of five and speaks both English and French and seven Filipino dialects.

Valerie has been in finance for most of her twenty+ years professional career. Over the past ten years, she has specialized in sustainable investments with high social and environmental impact. Her intimate knowledge of the financial sector brings a concrete vision to the project financial dynamics, its risk profile and its impact from a financial, social and environmental aspects. Valerie is a passionate advocate of bridging the gap between finance, people and sustainable projects.

Cesar Harada is a French-Japanese environmentalist, inventor and entrepreneur based in Hong Kong. CEO of MakerBay (Hong Kong MakerSpace for Social and Environmental Impact) where he teaches Citizen Science, Scoutbots and Protei INC (Ocean Robotics). Cesar is dedicating his life to explore and protect the ocean with open technologies. Cesar is a Former MIT project leader, TED Senior Fellow, GOOD 100, IBM Figure of Progress, Unreasonable at Sea Fellow, Shuttleworth foundation and Ocean Exchange grantee. Cesar believes that nature, human and technology can thrive in harmony.

Clement is a marine biologist who has managed three MPAs in Mexico, Chile and Malaysia in close collaboration with the local fishermen. Over the years Clement has been responsible for several sustainable projects working closely with universities. He holds a PhD in biology from Laval University, Canada and post-doc from Stanford University. He had a Research Assistant Professor position at the University of Hong Kong between 2008 and 2011. In his free time, Clement likes to challenge himself with 100km trail running races.

Of Filipino and Spanish descent, Raymond lived in many countries before settling in Manila where he lives with his family. He studied business in New York University and Environmental Science in Autonomous University of Barcelona. While his passion is sports and nature, he is dedicated to his real estate development and mining business. Raymond is a PhD candidate and specializes in studying natural systems. He loves diving, windsurfing and mountain biking. Raymond speaks Tagalog, English and Spanish fluently.

Tarek decided to bring his deep knowledge of the financial world to the development field. After a career at Morgan Stanley where he was managing director of the equity division, Tarek worked for several high profile NGOs and most recently headed Karuna-Shechen, Matthieu Ricard’s NGO. Despite his involvement in several development projects, Tarek finds the time to teach yoga and to share his chess passion with children in developing countries.

Yves conducts research in the field of semiotics and anthropology. In 2016 he launched the Diderot Project which aims to document ancestral and indigenous knowledge around the globe and has naturally found an inspiring source within the Mangyans. Yves is also the founder and CEO of Talent Reveal, a company that has developed a unique approach and set of tools for human resources management heralded for its efficiency and originality. They currently advise and assist a wide array of international firms.

Yves is a keen martial art expert and is passionate about helping vulnerable people, dedicating a portion of his company's profit to support indigenous communities. Yves holds a PhD.