Bioneers Staff
Meet the people who work for Bioneers
Co-CEO & Founder
- Kenny Ausubel
Kenny Ausubel is an award-winning social entrepreneur, author, journalist and filmmaker. He is the Co-CEO & Founder of Bioneers, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to disseminating practical and visionary solutions for restoring Earth’s imperiled ecosystems and healing our human communities. He launched the annual Bioneers Conference in 1990 with his producing partner and wife Nina Simons, Bioneers co-executive director.
Kenny serves as executive producer of the Bioneers plenary series airing on Free Speech TV and Link TV. He acted as a central advisor to Leonardo DiCaprio's feature documentary The 11th Hour, and appears in the film.
Kenny co-founded the national company Seeds of Change in 1989 and served as CEO until 1994 to restore “backyard biodiversity” into the food web through marketing organic, biodiverse heirloom seeds to gardeners.
Kenny has written three books and edited two volumes of the Bioneers book series. For the past four years, Kenny has served as executive producer and principal writer of the award-winning radio series, Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature.
Since the 1970s, Kenny has published articles on topics ranging from alternative medicine and environmental health to social justice and politics. His writings have been published most recently in online media including the Huffington Post, Orion and Alternet and in magazines such as Utne, Explore, Alternative Therapies and Tikkun.
Co-CEO & Co-Founder
- Nina Simons
Nina Simons is a social entrepreneur and Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Bioneers. Previously, she served as president of Seeds of Change and as director of strategic marketing for Odwalla. In addition to advancing practical social and environmental strategies, Nina has an enduring interest in the leadership of women and girls, which has long been reflected in Bioneers’ conference programming and media. She co-teaches Cultivating Women's Leadership, a five-day intensive forum for women entrepreneurs, donor activists and other nonprofit practitioners.
In 2002, Nina produced a retreat for diverse women leaders called UnReasonable Women for the Earth, to envision a broad progressive women’s movement with environmental restoration at its heart. The gathering served as an incubator, resulting in the formation of CodePink: Women for Peace. Together with her husband and partner Kenny Ausubel, Nina was named an Utne Reader “Visionary” in 1996. They received the Robert Rodale Award in 2003 for their work in bringing the emergent field of Ecological Medicine to public awareness. Kenny and Nina received the Green Cross Millennium Award for Community Environmental Leadership in 2006. Nina serves on the board of the David Brower Center.
Vice-President for Advancement
- Peter Mattair
Peter Mattair joined Bioneers in 2003. From 1991 to 2003, he served as the program officer first and then the executive director of a national foundation making grants to protect and encourage traditional arts. He went into that body of work inspired by his experiences as director of the Music of the Americas program at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, where he was also development director.
Peter started his career as a publicist with Paramount Pictures in New York City, where he was privileged to assist the studio historian. He was an early volunteer with Gay Men's Health Crisis, New York’s and the world's first AIDS education, service and advocacy organization. Peter has served on the Santa Fe Arts Commission and as a board member of the New Mexico Association of Grantmakers, which he helped to found. He feels deeply honored to have been president of the board of Many Mothers, an organization in Santa Fe providing support to any family with a newborn child. He currently serves on the advisory council of Art for Healing, placing donated works of art in medical, healing and hospice facilities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
Vice-President for Science and Education
- Tim Foresman
Dr. Timothy W. Foresman joined Bioneers in 2010. Tim served as the United Nations chief environmental scientist with the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya from 2000-2003. He has been a technology leader in the use of scientific visualization and spatial information systems for empowering communities to map sustainable scenarios for their future, including the Smart Growth program under former Maryland Governor Glendening. He served at NASA Headquarters as the national manager for the Digital Earth Initiative under Vice President Al Gore, which fostered many developments including Google Earth and the establishment of the International Society for Digital Earth with a secretariat in Beijing, China. Tim has worked with many agencies in the US and foreign countries to promote access to the scientific information needed by decision makers and citizens. His grounded experience includes service with the US EPA, the US DOD, Clark County, Nevada, as well as private consulting and university teaching and research. He served as the host institution director for the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, a National Science Foundation long-term research program for understanding human-ecological dynamics for sustainable development in urban settings. In addition to Tim’s many professional publications, he is a passionate author of a children’s environmental book series, beginning with The Last Little Polar Bear.
Managing Director
- Roberto Aponte
Roberto Aponte joined Bioneers full-time in 2007 as Director of Events and Program Management. He had begun working with us in 2002 as a freelance conference planner and since has become an integral part of the Bioneers family. Those who work with Roberto know him for his positive presence, open and soothing communication style and grace under pressure.
Prior to joining Bioneers full-time, Roberto had an impressive background in large-scale event production. For 12 years he worked for the Marriott Corporation where he developed many of his technical and management skills along with his strong business acumen. Subsequently, as an independent contractor, his unusual combination of production skills and talent for human relations converged to create a niche for large-scale technology-related events. Roberto’s stellar reputation in the event business has grown as a result of his high quality work ethic and the measurable results he has acheived while working directly with many of the key CEOs in the high-tech sector including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison.
Roberto has a Master of Arts in Business from the California Institute of Integral Studies which focused on bringing environmental sustainability and a social justice lens to the practice of business. Roberto’s thesis explored the presence of spirit in the workplace and how business, when conducted consciously, can propel the changes necessary during these precarious times. Roberto’s passion for the intersection and integration of these issues make him a natural fit for his new role as Managing Director with Bioneers.
Roberto was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut as the son of first-generation Puerto Rican immigrants. Despite being raised in harsh inner city conditions, his early experiences with nature showed him that the solutions to our man-made problems could be right-at-hand. He was a recipient of several outreach programs for underprivileged youth and is a living testament to the power of mentoring and socially progressive programs.
Food & Farming Director
Arty Mangan joined
Bioneers in 1998 as the Project Manager for the Restorative Development
Initiative, which produced “Wisdom at the End of Hoe” ecological
agricultural workshops. He collaborated with John Mohawk and the
Iroquois White Corn Project and worked with The Federation of Southern
Cooperatives and African American farmers in Mississippi and Alabama.
He is a board member of the Ecological Farming Association, and was a
member of the Santa Cruz GE Subcommittee that led to a Precautionary
Moratorium on growing genetically engineered crops in Santa Cruz County.
Arty has worked with farmers and agriculture since 1978 as a partner in Live Juice, a fresh, local, organic apple juice company in Santa Cruz. In 1986, he joined Odwalla and was in charge of fruit sourcing, working with farmers in the US, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Marketing Director
Kim Ribbans joined Bioneers early in 2010 and has a career in
Marketing, Communications, Brand Development and Business Management
that spans over 25 years. Working in Europe and North America she has
directed projects for major organizations on national and global scales.
Most recently, she was a consultant helping small and medium sized
organizations maximize their investment in sustainable marketing, and
was the CEO and Marketing Development Director for the estate of a world
famous artist. She has also been responsible for managing one of the
country’s most recognized energy efficiency brands and the complex set
of relationships with partners and clients who implement programs under
its name.
Kim has been involved in community and social causes for over twenty five years, and as a child of a political family, has had an interest in public service for most of her life. She has held board positions with not-for-profit and public benefit organizations, and was a 2001 recipient of the City of Atlanta’s Phoenix Award for outstanding civic service. In Great Britain she was involved in the foundation of the Marketing and Strategic Policy Group for the British Labour Party, and worked on election campaigns in the 1980’s. During that time she was Chair of her local parliamentary constituency party, a city-wide representative and a national union representative for the British Actors Equity Association.
She has three children, two dogs and makes garden furniture and anything else that requires power tools!
Comptroller
Jeffrey Vasterling joined Bioneers in 2000. He spent his youth in the Midwest and has an education in Anthropology and Psychology. He has previously worked as a professional in the healing arts and as an office manager in a small doctor's office.
For 19 years, Jeffrey has lived in the same house in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his best friend, Susan. He's a gardening and outdoor enthusiast, and he loves movies.
Executive Liaison
- Chuck Castleberry (photo credit: Jennifer Esperanza)
Chuck Castleberry joined Bioneers in 2008. He previously worked for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, and has produced several environmental films, including Global Warning, Water Planet, and the feature documentary: The 11th Hour. Chuck has been a professional actor, tap dancer, painter and photographer. He became an activist upon the arrival of his daughter, Sabrina.
Membership & Development Assistant
- Maia Cortissoz
Maia Cortissoz joined Bioneers in May of 2007. Maia's previous non-profit experience includes working with The Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPirg), Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, The YMCA of Greater Kansas City and City in Motion Dance Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. She also had a brief stint working with the US EPA Region 8 Superfund Record Center in Denver.
Maia holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She speaks Spanish and enjoys hiking, mountain biking, photography, gardening and camping in her spare time. Maia is also a classically trained dancer. She began taking dance classes and performing when she was 4 years old, and has taught Modern Dance and Ballet to students of all ages and skill levels since the age of 15.
Project Manager
- TC Gritt
TC Gritt has been associated with Bioneers since 2004, as the Volunteer Coordinator for on-site staff at the annual Bioneers conference in California--she joined us full-time on our staff in 2008. Prior to joining Bioneers, TC held a variety of positions including Associate Store Team Leader at Whole Foods Market in Santa Fe.
As an active member of the community, TC was appointed to the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission by Mayor Delgado in 2002. Then, in 2006, she was appointed to the Recycling and Illegal Dumping Abatement Alliance for the State of New Mexico by Ron Curry, the Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department. She is the co-founder of the Green Business Network of Santa Fe, a business network in the emerging field of green building and technologies. TC is also a current board member for the Santa Fe Alliance.
She LOVES to think "smarter not harder." A lover of all things furry, feathered, or fantastical, she can often be found with her dogs, chickens and cats celebrating the simple joys of shadows dancing on the wall.
Conference Associate Producer
- JP Harpignies
JP Harpignies has been with Bioneers since 1990. He was formerly a program director at the New York Open Center and founder/co-producer of the Eco-Metropolis conference in NYC. JP is a consultant, conference producer, copy-editor and writer. He is the author of three books: Political Ecosystems, Double Helix Hubris, and most recently, Delusions of Normality, as well as the editor of the collection, Visionary Plant Consciousness and associate editor of the first two Bioneers books: Ecological Medicine and Nature's Operating Instructions. JP also taught t'ai chi chuan in Brooklyn, NY for nearly 25 years.
Online Sales
Aidan Kallas joined our team to fill the much-needed role as office person extraordinaire. With her myriad of office and multimedia skills, she is our online sales assistant at the Bioneers office. But, she fills a number of other roles as well.
After an inspiring stint in Buffalo, New York--where she learned about food systems and regional planning--Aidan has returned to her mountain home of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She's involved in all things local and growing.
Media Project Manager
Aaron Leventman moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico
from Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he worked in town promotion.
Previously, he worked as an assistant publicist on an independent
feature film in New York City.
In Santa Fe, Aaron has worked for their Film Center as a film curator and events planner. He was also Assistant Program and Outreach Coordinator for the NM Alliance for Children with Traumatic Stress and has been a volunteer for GMHC in New York and the Human Rights Alliance in Santa Fe. He recently worked for the Sundance Film Festival and is also a published playwright and actor, appearing in many theatrical productions.
Web Content Manager
Esther Lombardi joined Bioneers in 2008. She grew up in the Midwest, but she's lived in a number of locales. Over the last 15 years, she has used her technical knowledge and writing skills to help organizations develop a voice and presence on the web.
Esther earned her master's degree from California State University, Sacramento (she also completed coursework from the University of Oregon). She has a background in English, Journalism and Web Technology.
She's a writer, avid reader, blogger, book nut, editor, and geek. She is blessed with an extraordinary 3-year-old fighter (cancer). When she's not creating web pages, writing, or reading, she's outside with her son: walking, hiking, biking, or just about any other activity in the great outdoors.
Executive Assistant to Nina Simons
Felicia Marohn joined the organization in 2006. Previously, Felice lived, worked and practiced for four years at the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a Zen Priest, she worked on the organizational development of the non-profit, offering spiritual leadership and guidance for the residents of this Buddhist community. Currently, she is also completing her BA in Psychology with the College of Santa Fe.
Felice brings to her life and work a deep curiosity about human behavior. Inspired and guided by her ongoing encounter with Buddhist practice, Non Violent Communication (NVC), and the HeartMath Solution she is motivated to develop the skillful means necessary for transforming human suffering into liberation. On evenings and weekends, Felice volunteers for several prison projects as a meditation and Tai Chi Quan teacher—working with incarcerated youth, women, and men in Northern New Mexico.
Sponsorship & Conference Exhibitor Manager
Ginger Ridder has been with Bioneers
since 2007. She previously lived in New York, Massachusetts and
Australia before venturing to New Mexico. Her spirit moves her to help
other people. She formerly worked for the Olympics, then in the health and
fitness industry--bringing joy to others through play and sport.
As a rock climber, Ginger prefers to be amongst the mountains--she now strives to help protect and preserve the outdoors that challenge her to climb beyond her limitations. She lives with her dog Telulah, partner Garrett, and son Ephraim in Santa Fe--she enjoys walking with them to work each morning along the Santa Fe River.
DNM Project Manager
Nikki Spangenburg joined Bioneers in 2008 to act as the coordinator for the Dreaming New Mexico Project, which has since received such acclaim and international recognition.
With a Bachelor's in Business Administration, she has been working in project and event management for more than 15 years.
She lives in Santa Fe with her husband and two children.
Administration Manager
Sue Talkington has worked for
Bioneers since 2006. She was born and raised in Texas. Sue has a BS in
Computer Information Systems and an MA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s
College. When she joined Bioneers, she brought 12 years of professional experience in computer
applications development and complex systems management for the banking
and finance industry to Bioneers. Her proficiency in multiple
computer languages, databases, operating systems and applications have all been of great use to the team.
Sue currently manages Bioneers’ administrative team, the online Store, and the office. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her daughter. She enjoys singing, hiking and cooking in her spare time.
Project Manager
Kelli Webster began working with Bioneers in 1998. Previously, she worked at EcoWorks Multimedia (a nonprofit project of the Tides Center) as assistant to the director, where she was responsible for office management, managing an organizational outreach program, supervising staff and intern schedules and editing of manuscripts. Kelli is a certified dog trainer, and lives in Portland, Oregon.
Membership & Development Manager
Julie Weinstein came to Bioneers in the spring of 2006 with 10 years of membership program development and fundraising experience for both arts and environmental organizations. Prior to joining Bioneers, she directed the annual fund for the Los Angeles based, urban forestry non-profit, TreePeople. Before that, she directed fundraising and education programming for the Decorative Arts Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Her interest in developing and directing membership programs stems from her belief in the power of social movements creating positive change and in the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world). Julie lives in the mountains outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband, two children and a very large stash of hand-dyed yarn.
Desktop & System Administrator
Scott White is the desktop and system administrator for Bioneers, which means he helps to fix almost anything plugged into the wall here at Bioneers.
Since the dawn of time, Scott has believed in the three M's: magic, mystery, and having the best time all the time! He doesn't own a car, wrote this biography in Emacs, and is pretty keen on mass media studies.
He graduated with a hi-score from UMBC studying modern prose and theory, primarily the American Renaissance and post-structuralism. Somehow, like other liberal arts majors he knows, he's not bad with math and computers, and finds science and technology as interesting as words. In his spare time, he fights for the resistance and loves everything in the universe, twice over.
Senior Marketing & Communications Project Manager
Spencer Windes joined Bioneers in 2009. He is an alumni of St. John’s College who has worked as a web marketing project manager for American Apparel, an independent documentary filmmaker, and a jazz, blues, and classical music expert at Amoeba Records. He has served as an Americorps tutor, an intern at Human Rights Watch, a Congressional intern, and a Red Cross volunteer.
Spencer has lived in Los Angeles, Martinique, Louisiana, Utah, and Paris. He currently shares his space with a basset beagle named Luke. He loves rugby, American roots music, ecology, electric cars, fat novels, straw bale houses, motorcycles, and his twelve nieces and nephews. He is currently enjoying Santa Fe and the fine natural landscape of Northern New Mexico. His heroes are Aldo Leopold, Ed Abbey, and Wendell Berry.
Graphic Designer
- Stephanie Dalton
Stephanie Dalton relocated from Atlanta to join Bioneers in 2010. She is an artist/illustrator/designer who has worked with clients such as National Geographic Adventure, Harvard Business Review, The Boston Globe, The Intelligence Report, Utne Magazine, Newsweek, Business Week, Random House, and the Milwaukee Shakespeare Festival. In 2008, she created package designs for Kleenex for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her work has also appeared on the movie sets of The Inside Man, Enchanted, I Am Legend, Failure to Launch, The Happening, Don’t Mess with the Zohan and Law Abiding Citizen. Most recently, she collaborated with Big Picture Alliance to produce the motion graphics for a documentary film which is now being shown in a Philadelphia museum.
In addition to her illustration and design work, Stephanie paints and exhibits in galleries both nationally and internationally. She has exhibited in the Museum of American Illustration commemorating 9/11, and made donations to the Stephen E. Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, and the Atlanta History Museum. In conjunction with the Hong Kong Society of Illustrators, Stephanie’s work is now part of the permanent collection in the Guanshanyue Art Museum in China. Stephanie’s artwork and techniques are featured in two books: Art Revolution by Lisa Cyr, and Masters of Collage, by Randal Plowman.
Stephanie’s enjoys mentoring young and emerging artists. She finds the landscape and light of Santa Fe an inspiration for her paintings. When she’s not creating, she enjoys hiking with her husband Robert and their two dogs: Emily and Linus. She also enjoys the Southwest cuisine, as well as the warmth of the people.
