TEAM
FOUNDERS
J. English Cook
English is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Climate Film Festival. She is an art historian and curator, and has worked on exhibitions at the Whitney, Venice Biennale, MoMA, and more. She completed her PhD in Art History with a focus on film and architecture at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts.
Alec Turnbull
Alec is Co-Founder and Executive Director of CFF. He is also Co-Founder of Climate Tech Cities, the largest place-based climate tech community in the US. In his day job, Alec is an experienced executive, having worked on companies in media, renewable energy, building decarbonization, and climate finance.
2026 Team &
Special Thanks
Accessibility
Caroline Parker Boyd
Press & Communications
Angela Betancourt
Community Engagement
Aashika Balaji
Kiana Michaan
Copy Editing
Jess Perreault
Creative Director
Adrienne Hapanowicz
Development
Fabienne Gribi (Impact & Development)
Tabong Kima
Filmmaker Engagement
Jess Coles
Lauren Peterson
Manisha Sashital (Digital Programs)
Production
Laura Cole
Joseph Findlay
Maeve Hall
Tehya Jennett (Festival Producer)
Marketing
Rahul Nihalani
Next Gen Committee + Podcast
Akosua Owusu-Akyaw
Newsletter
Marisa Guerrero
Team Coordinator
Elif Cayli
Photography
Joe Kurle
Programming
Devin Allen
Jesse R. Tendler (Senior Director)
Lavanika Bahuguna
Maxfield Biggs (Director of Docs)
Gonzaga Gómez-Cortázar Romero
Olivia Johnson
Leonardo Pirondi
Michael Salama
Genia Startseva-Zeller
Social Media
Elaine Chow
Sustainability
Anna Kramer
Technical Director
Karl Mehrer
Treasurer
Andrew Boyajian
Volunteer Coordinator
Sally Kramer
Core Volunteers
Cyntia Abarca
Lívia Campos de Menezes
Nina Engelbrecht
Adelaide Giornelli
Maria João Sousa
Core Volunteers Continued:
Nyasha Laing
Madelyn Leembruggen
Lauren Wang
Screeners
Salina Arredondo
Mina Aslan
Matthew Bernard
Ana Blanco
Celia Byrne
Therese Cayaba-Jones
Phillip Cheng
Cameron Colan
Lili Csorba
Ellen Damaso
Rowan Davis
Dan Delurey
Nikki Dodd
Teresa Doley
Reine Donnestad
Erin Eberle
Nina Engelbrecht
Matt Fleck
Giovanni Forester
Anne Francis
Liz Groo
Canute Haroldson
Laura Hatalsky
Logan Hedrich
Ben Hess
Dmitriy Ioselevich
Carter Johan
Garrett Johnson
Tatiana Kaletsch
Claudia Klinck
Sakura Komiyama Amend
Tim Lau
Kim Macharia
Sarah Maine
Mary Marshall
Annemarie McDaniel
Maris McGuinness
Jennifer Meehan
Shayoni Mehta
Rafia Merchant
Kiana Michaan
Colter Miller
Daniel Morgan
Mark Morgan
Morgan Otway
Jimmy Pan
Cassie Jo Panayis
Samantha Panchèvre
Shivam Parashar
Christine Paul
Laurie Penn-Moyer
Lacie Pierre
Melody Plan
Allwyn Rabella
Andrea Reyes
Screeners Continued:
Mikaela Ringquist
Eliana Ritts
Carly Roberts
Kale Roberts
Alexandra Scuro
Christina See
Alyce Shu
Aman Singh
Sophia Steele
Jess Taylor
Pau Torres Pagès
Sergio Velasquez-Rose
Irene Villaseñor
Diana White
Tabitha Yong
Raylene Yung
Hanane Zahrouni
Design Partner
Studio Rodrigo
Legal Advisor
Romanette Legal PLLC
Presenting Media Partner
The Guardian
Press Partner
Betancourt Group
•••
Founding Volunteers
Aashika Balaji • Ben Hone • Olivia Johnson • Taylor Knoche • Anna Kramer • Rahul Nihalani •
Akosua Owusu-Akyaw • Alex Schulte • Maria João Sousa • Jesse R. Tendler