Alison Mehlsak, Siamak Sam Loni & Marcos Salazar

Teaches at Be Social Change

Alison Mehlsak, Purpose Planner, Futerra
Ali thrives at the intersection of communications and strategy, providing elegant solutions to the complex sustainability challenges clients send her way. She’s honed her craft both in-house and at agencies, working for brands like Nike, The Coca-Cola Company, Hilton Worldwide, and General Mills. Inspired by the power of sport to be a vehicle for change, today she dreams of growing up to be Leslie Knope.

Siamak Sam Loni, Global Coordinator, SDSN Youth
Siamak Sam Loni is a young global leader working in sustainable development, youth empowerment and human rights. He is based at the Secretariat of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in NYC. The SDSN is a program launched by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to mobilize global expertise around the implementation of the SDGs.

In 2015, Sam founded and currently leads SDSN Youth, a program which empowers youth globally to create sustainable development solutions. As its Global Coordinator, Sam has mobilized thousands of young people globally to engage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He has helped initiate several global programs, including the Local Pathways Fellowship, the Global Schools Program and the Solutions Hub.

Sam is also the Partnerships Manager of SDSN’s new Financing for Sustainable Development initiative – where he helps coordinate efforts to mobilize global funding and resources to close the SDG financing gap. Previously, Sam worked at the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI), one of the leading interdisciplinary research and education institutes for sustainable development around the globe.

Marcos Salazar, Moderator
Marcos Salazar (@marcossalazar) is a social entrepreneur, career coach, speaker, and community-builder. As CEO of Be Social Change and 1-on-1 coaching, he helps people find + do meaningful work and lead more sustainable lifestyles. Marcos earned a B.A. in Psychology from Amherst College as well as a Masters in Organizational Management and an Executive Leadership Coaching certificate from The George Washington University. You can learn more about him at www.marcossalazar.com.