I am an Afro-Indigenous warrior who is continuing the fight of my Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape ancestors by building a radically different future for the United States of America. For seven generations my people have fought to protect our community and Kahèsëna Hàki, our Mother Earth, from the acts of violence perpetuated by exploitative settler-colonial policies. According to our elders, we are the generation who will finally actualize these dreams. With their guidance, I have been working to dismantle the systems of settler colonialism, white supremacy, and heteropatriarchy that claim dominance over Indigenous peoples, American minds, and the natural world. 

The intersectionalities of settler-colonial violence demand that I have a thorough understanding of federal laws and our right as a sovereign Indigenous nation to protect our ancestral lands, Lenapehoking. I will fulfill this role by becoming a lawyer who fights for the wellbeing of the next seven generations, for my community, and our ecosystems which are consumed by cancer and disease. Pollutants emitted from factories and farms along the banks of the Nanticoke River and our other sacred waterways constantly threaten us. However, our calls for aid to protect the land and water, like similar calls from other Indigenous Nations, have been continually ignored. The American government threatens our future by dismissing Native voices, infringing upon the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and intentionally failing to uphold their treaty obligations. 

To cultivate the knowledge needed to sustain our Tribal Nations and sources of life, I received a B.A in Philosophy and M.A in Organizational Leadership and Development at Saint Jospeh’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I will continue on to the James E. Rogers School of Law at the University of Arizona to study Environmental and Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy. While I pursue my legal degree I will continue to work towards expanding the consciousness of my peers through a panel discussion platform I co-founded called “Setting the Tone”.

As Founding Partner of BBMG, Raphael unites branding, sustainability and innovation to help organizations unleash shared value.

An expert in brand strategy, CSR/cause marketing and public affairs, Raphael is a passionate champion for a new approach to branding that’s driven by participation, collaboration, shared values and mutual relationships.

He has directed recent branding and marketing programs for clients such as Target, The North Face, Eileen Fisher, CLIF Bar, Estee Lauder Companies, Nespresso and Disney. He's also led branding work for nonprofit clients including ASPCA, Ford Foundation, OceanX, Planned Parenthood, Rainforest Alliance and WNYC.

Raphael also has an extensive background in political communications, getting his start as a press aide to Texas Governor Ann W. Richards. He also served as communications director for the Texas Democratic Party, as communications director for Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston), and as press secretary for U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).

Raphael received his BA in Philosophy with honors from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business and as an Advisory Board member for the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business and Sustainable Brands.


Born in Colorado and raised in Arkansas, USA, Alison is an award-winning video producer and organizational change agent, living in Maryland and raising two young sons with her husband.

After earning her B.A. in anthropology from Kenyon College with a focus on linguistics and digital art, Alison moved to Washington D.C. to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking. In 2009 she was hired to establish a new media production group for National Geographic Education, where she and her team collaborated with world-renown cinematographers, editors, and talent to produce over 400 videos, working with then-Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Soledad O’Brien, and Louise Leakey, among others. She also led video teams at BioBlitz events across the United States as part of a 10-year collaboration between National Geographic and the National Park Service connecting elementary students with local scientists to conduct species inventories and inspire youth to learn about and care for the planet. 

In 2016 she joined Strayer University to help launch Studios, a multimedia production unit collaborating with industry leaders including Queen Latifah and Joe Gibbs to create higher ed curriculum. Alison’s short film “The Mosque on Church Road” was an official selection at the Kansas City Film Festival International in 2019. In early 2020, she initiated a climate change action initiative at Strategic Education, Inc., Strayer’s parent company, advocating across the organization to incorporate adaptation and mitigation in all aspects of process and products.

Throughout Alison’s professional career, a unifying thread has been the shifting of organizational structures through mergers, acquisitions, scaling start-ups, and industry disruption; in 2019, she pivoted her focus toward organizational development, change management, and leadership consulting. Alison is thrilled to support the work of Earth Guardians.

Nivi Achanta is the founder and Executive Director of Soapbox Project, non-profit organization that creates joyful community spaces to heal our climate anxiety and loneliness through connection, learning, and action. She loves facilitating vibrant gatherings that helps us do better AND feel better! When Nivi is not writing, speaking, teaching, or building community, you can find her in Seattle reading 100+ books a year, kayaking, baking sourdough, or trying to keep her plants alive.