CELTC Events

In this talk, Eli explores what it means to be a "tempered radical"—someone who works within institutions they don’t always fully agree with, but who pushes for change from the inside. Drawing on his own journey from co-founding a solar startup in West Africa to leading sustainability initiatives at global corporations, Eli offers candid insights into navigating the tension between personal values and institutional norms.

He shares practical strategies for influencing systems—through coalition-building, reframing conversations, and thoughtful resistance—and encourages students to:

• Define their own non-negotiables
• Identify leverage points
• Build careers that balance integrity with influence

This talk is a call to action for students to pursue careers of purpose, capable of driving meaningful change.

Recommended Resources

• The Tempered Radical: A Framework by Deb Meyerson (PDF) 
  Why read this? Meyerson offers a framework for how to stay true to your values while working within institutions that may not fully reflect them—something every changemaker is likely to encounter.
• Speech on Empathy & Leadership (YouTube) 
  Why listen? As entrepreneurs and leaders, you’ll often work with people who don’t share your values. This talk is a reminder to approach work with empathy, attention, and intentionality—skills as essential as technical expertise.
• Talk on Purpose & Career Paths (YouTube) (Optional) 
  Why watch? A broader conversation on how purpose emerges over time—through curiosity and experience—rather than linear planning. A refreshing counterpoint to traditional career thinking. 

Speaker Bio
Eli Forrester

Eli Forrester is a sustainability consultant and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience leading climate and decarbonization initiatives across corporate, academic, and global development sectors. He co-founded Volta, a solar company in West Africa that delivered more than 400 renewable energy installations for hospitals, farms, and schools.

Eli has advised startups, Fortune 500 companies, and international aid organizations on sustainability strategy, circular economy, and business model innovation. He holds a dual MBA/MS in Sustainable Enterprise from the University of Michigan and a BA in Environmental Science from The Evergreen State College. 

Drawing from over 20 years of leadership in the arts, Jo offers practical guidance on managing time, securing funding, and finding your place within today’s evolving arts ecosystem.

She begins with a reflection on her own journey—from club kid to advocate, curator, and cultural strategist—demonstrating that a career in the arts is rarely linear.

The session then focuses on art world frameworks and values, with special attention to arts nonprofits, emphasizing why understanding the business side of art is essential for every artist.

Recommended Resource

• The Field of Contemporary Art – Andrea Fraser Lecture (Youtube) 
  Why watch? Fraser provides a critical look at contemporary art structures, offering insight into how artists can navigate, challenge, and thrive within institutional frameworks. 

Speaker Bio
Jo Mikesell

Jo Mikesell is a compassionate and creative arts leader with over 20 years of experience in the arts and culture field. She serves as Program Director of Arts Business Services at Shunpike Arts Collective and is also a Seattle Arts Commissioner.

Her work focuses on supporting artists and organizations to create inclusive, community-driven arts experiences that promote social equity, accessibility, and cultural vitality. Jo’s expertise blends arts administration, curation, and advocacy, providing a strong foundation for artists navigating the nonprofit arts ecosystem.

In this workshop, Christopher takes students through his journey as an entrepreneur—soaking up as many skills and experiences as possible early in his career and then taking a leap of faith to start his own business.

The session explores how the disciplines of market analysis and stakeholder engagement can be applied across industries to build intentional, human-centered strategic plans. Students will walk away with insights into how design thinking and empathy can drive impactful and sustainable innovation.

Recommended Resource

• Steal Like An Artist – Austin Kleon 
  Why read this? Kleon provides a refreshing perspective on creativity, encouraging readers to embrace influence, remix ideas, and find their own voice. This resource complements the workshop’s emphasis on learning broadly, connecting deeply, and building intentionally. 

Speaker Bio
Christopher Baldwin

Christopher Baldwin is an avid learner, connector, and community leader who founded Studio 2152 after six years of experience helping organizations uncover deep human insights for intentional and sustainable growth with emerging customer segments.

His career spans multiple industries, including consumer packaged goods, technology, and economic development, with professional experience at Procter & Gamble, Etsy, and The Enterprise Center.

Christopher is a proud graduate of Howard University and an alum of the Young Involved Philadelphia Board Prep Certification Program. He is passionate about helping others and actively supports several nonprofits focused on environmental sustainability and community development in his hometown of Philadelphia. 

This talk explores how empathy-driven leadership, rooted in trust and diversity, can act as a catalyst for sustainable business success.

Drawing from his work at a union-run, employee-owned printing company, Miguel shares strategies for building organizations where employees feel valued, heard, and empowered—because when people thrive, profits follow.

Topics include:

• The biological science behind trust and collaboration
• Evidence of the business impact of diverse leadership
• Actionable steps entrepreneurs can take to foster socially responsible and economically resilient cultures

This session bridges sustainability, business, and entrepreneurship, showing that prioritizing people is both ethical and profitable.

Recommended Resources

• Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek
• Chris Do – The Futr 

Speaker Bio
Miguel T. Pineda

Miguel Pineda was born in Olympia, WA, with deep PNW Chicano roots. He has founded his own film company, served as a consultant, and helped organize one of the largest Hispanic Cultural Arts and Heritage Festivals in the Puget Sound.

A graduate of The Evergreen State College (Class of 2008), Miguel thrives on challenges and opportunities that can make a meaningful impact in his community and beyond. 

Economic sovereignty is the foundation of Tribal self-determination, enabling Indigenous communities to build resilient economies that honor history and cultural values while creating sustainable prosperity for future generations.

This lecture explores how Tribes leverage their unique legal status, resources, and cultural assets to develop diverse economic portfolios that reduce dependency on federal funding and external markets. Drawing on successful case studies from across Indian Country, the discussion covers:

• Innovative approaches to Tribal business development
• The role of financial institutions, workforce development, and regulatory frameworks in long-term growth
• How economic sovereignty intersects with stewardship, cultural preservation, and community well-being

The session demonstrates that Tribal economies can serve as sustainable development models, benefiting both Indigenous peoples and broader society.

Recommended Resource

• Insights from a Decade of Economic Research in Indian Country 

Speaker Bio
Cory Blankenship

Cory M. Blankenship, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), has dedicated over 17 years to serving his tribe and community through leadership in non-profit, tribal finance, and philanthropy.

Prior to joining NAFOA, Cory served as Community Investment Officer for Dogwood Health Trust, focusing on economic opportunities related to social determinants of health. He spent six years as Secretary of the Treasury for EBCI, overseeing daily financial operations, managing tribal investments, and leading economic diversification efforts.

Cory’s leadership extended to boards and committees including the Tribal Planning Board, Balsam West FiberNet, Investment Committee, and EBCI Holdings LLC, where he chaired the Finance and Strategy Committee. During his nearly 12-year career with EBCI, he also held positions as Tribal Treasurer and Finance Director. 

What happens when your work to support a better world leaves you struggling to support yourself?

In this candid and inspiring talk, visual designer and sustainable entrepreneur Amy Dritz shares her journey launching a green tech startup designed to help companies move beyond compliance and create a culture of sustainability. What began as a mission to support sustainability professionals and drive change led to a breaking point and a hard truth: unless sustainability is led from the top and embedded into the business model, it often remains an underfunded add-on with limited impact.

Drawing from over 100 interviews with sustainability professionals and her own lived experiences, Amy offers a behind-the-scenes look at the systemic barriers that stall progress—and the emotional toll they take on those working to change the system.

A personal story of burnout and growth, this talk invites conversation about how we can sustain both our work and ourselves as leaders and changemakers.

Recommended Resources

• Chief Sustainability Officers are Burning Out (Eco-Business) 
  Why read this? A look at why even top leaders in sustainability are struggling under unrealistic expectations and limited resources.
• How to Manage Burnout in High-Stakes Sustainability Careers (CSR Jobs) 
  Why read this? Practical strategies for recognizing, addressing, and preventing burnout in mission-driven careers.
• Overcoming the Hurdles to Integrating Sustainability into Business Strategy (Deloitte) 
  Why read this? Insights into why sustainability must be embedded into core business strategy—and how to make that happen. 

Speaker Bio
Amy Dritz

Amy Dritz is a visual designer, systems thinker, and sustainability strategist with over a decade of experience advancing sustainable change. Most recently, she co-founded a healthcare sustainability platform, where she led user research, design, and strategy.

Her background includes founding a boutique design agency and consulting with mission-driven organizations to strengthen sustainability communications and reduce environmental impact. She has served on nonprofit boards as well as her city’s environmental commission.

Amy holds a Master’s in Sustainable Design from MCAD. A recent transplant from Minnesota, she has fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest and can often be found hiking in the forest, photographing nature, or nerding out over native plants. 

This lecture examines systemic inequalities that limit urban communities—especially low-income and marginalized groups—from accessing healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food. It discusses how historical policies, economic disinvestment, and racial segregation shaped today’s food deserts and health disparities.

It highlights how grassroots movements, community gardens, local food cooperatives, and policy reform can foster equity and food sovereignty. Ultimately, the talk advocates for shifting from charity-based approaches to structural change, affirming that every resident deserves nourishing food and the right to shape their local food systems.

Recommended Resources

Books

• Food Justice – Robert Gottlieb & Anupama Joshi
• Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement – Monica M. White
• The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience and Farming – Natasha Bowens
• Building Community Food Webs – Ken Meter
• Feeding the City: Work and Food Culture of the Mumbai Dabbawalas – Sara Roncaglia

Academic Articles & Journals

• Food Apartheid: The Root of the Problem is Racism – Leah Penniman, YES! Magazine
• Unequal Access to Food: The Challenge of Food Deserts in American Cities – Journal of Urban Affairs
• Cultivating Food Justice: Race, Class, and Sustainability – Edited by Alison Hope Alkon & Julian Agyeman
• Growing Food and Justice for All: Diversity, Food Justice, and Community Engagement – Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

Reports & Toolkits

• Healthy Food Policy Project – Center for Agriculture & Food Systems
• The Grocery Gap: Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why It Matters – PolicyLink & The Food Trust
• From the Ground Up: Inspiring Community-Based Food Justice Projects – FoodShare Toronto 

Speaker Bio
Ahndrea L. Blue
Esquire – President & CEO

Ahndrea is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Making A Difference Foundation (MADF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit she established in 2003.

Prior to forming MADF, she served as Washington State’s Governor’s Executive Policy Advisor and Legal Counsel, served as Chief Operating Officer at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and worked as an attorney at Lee, Smart, Cook, Martin & Patterson in Seattle.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies and Society & Justice and a Juris Doctor (J.D.), both from the University of Washington.

Ahndrea has received numerous professional and scholastic honors, including:

• Thomas Nevelle Pro Bono Award
• Derrick Bell Academic Achievement Award
• Earl Warren Legal Academic Achievement Scholarship
• National Black Philanthropist of the Year (2008)
• Ford Freedom’s Sisters Civil Rights Award (2012)
• Jefferson “Public Service” Award (2011)
• Many others themadf.org

She has also held leadership and affiliate roles with organizations such as:

• Washington Food Coalition
• Food Lifeline Coalition
• New Futures
• Washington State Bar Association (diversity committee)
• NAACP Seattle Branch
• Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
  ...among many others themadf.org

Ahndrea’s purpose is deeply rooted in her faith and passion for service: “Her purpose in life is to make a difference in the lives of others. She credits her faith in God, and her loving and supporting family and friends for her success”

“Business Continuity for Natural Disasters” is a practical and engaging session designed to help organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters.

Led by Jackie LaVerne, the session covers essential steps of continuity planning, including:

• Identifying critical functions
• Preparing employees
• Establishing communication strategies
• Practicing response drills

Using real-world examples like Hurricane Maria, the presentation emphasizes resilience, employee support, and community collaboration. Attendees leave with actionable tools, local and national resources, and a renewed commitment to safeguarding their operations and people.

Recommended Resources

Books

• Business Continuity and Risk Management: Essentials of Organizational Resilience – Kurt J. Engemann & Douglas M. Henderson
• The Disaster Recovery Handbook: A Step-by-Step Plan to Ensure Business Continuity and Protect Vital Operations, Facilities, and Assets – Michael Wallace & Lawrence Webber
• Emergency Management for Business and Industry: A Guide to Developing a Disaster Recovery Plan – Thomas E. Drabek

Toolkits & Guides

• FEMA Continuity Resource Toolkit
• Ready.gov Business Continuity Planning Guide
• Washington State SBDC Disaster Assistance Toolkit
• Thurston County Emergency Management Plans 

Speaker Bio
Jacqueline Elizabeth LaVerne

Jackie LaVerne is the Emergency Management Program Specialist at The Evergreen State College, where she leads campus-wide emergency preparedness efforts and manages the CERT program.

With over 30 years of experience in emergency management, including military service and specialized training in Homeland Security Emergency Management, Jackie brings deep expertise in disaster recovery, hazard mitigation, and public safety education.

She is a certified trainer in:

• First Aid/CPR+AED
• Stop the Bleed
• Opioid Overdose Prevention

Jackie actively supports regional preparedness through her work with EMGWA, WASEMA, and the Washington State Disaster Reserves, and is passionate about building resilient communities through inclusive, hands-on training and collaborative planning.