In order to process and rank the large number of nominations received, the Equator Initiative assembles a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) composed of leading environment and development practitioners. Nominations are reviewed in a two-part process.

In the first phase, nominations are sorted by language, region, and area of work. Each nomination is independently evaluated and scored by three different TAC members with relevant skills and expertise according to the selection criteria. Scores are compiled and averaged through the online nomination system.

The highest scoring nominations then advance to a second round of review and discussion at an in-person meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee where a preliminary list of Equator Prize winners is identified. The preliminary winners then go through a verification process in which references and partner organizations are consulted to ensure their legitimacy.

Our deepest appreciation goes out to our esteemed experts for their insight and willingness to volunteer their time to help identify the most deserving nominations. 
 

Sarah Timpson – TAC Chairperson
Special Adviser on Community-Based Initiatives
Biodiversity Global Programme, UNDP
USA

Erika Aguirre
Independent Consultant
Mexico

Raseema Alam
Canadian International Development Agency
Canada

Mufida Alsharief
United Nations Environment Programme
Bahrain

Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi
Majid Al Futtaim Properties
Canada / Jordan / United Arab Emirates

Felicity Arengo
American Museum of Natural History
Argentina / USA

Salifou Assane Seiny
École Instrumental de Paix (EIP-Niger)
Niger

Janice Astbury
University of Manchester
Canada / UK

Madison Ayer
Honey Care Africa
USA / Kenya

Ben Begbie-Clench
Global Environment Facility
UK / USA

Fikret Berkes
University of Manitoba
Turkey / Canada

Alexis Bermudez
Fundación para la Agricultura Tropical Alternativa y el Desarrollo Integral
Venezuela

Nick Bertrand
United Nations Environment Programme
France / UK / Switzerland

Mahlette Betre
Conservation International
Ethiopia / USA

Judithe Bizot
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
USA / France

Jill Blockhus
The Nature Conservancy
USA

Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend
Indigenous Peoples’ and Community Conserved Areas and Territories Consortium
Italy / Switzerland

Theresa Buppert
Conservation International
USA

Ferran Cabrero
United Nations Development Programme
Spain / Ecuador

Verouschka Capellan
United Nations Department of Information
Dominican Republic / USA

Apolinario Cariño
PENAGMANNAKI
Philippines

Christian Chatelain
Indigenous Peoples’ and Community Conserved Areas and Territories Consortium
France

Gladman Chibememe
Chibememe Earth Healing Association
Zimbabwe

Christophe Chung
World Bank
USA

Jovelyn T. Cleofe
Center for Empowerment and Resource Development
Philippines

Colleen Corrigan
United Nations Environment Programme
USA / UK

Paulo Manuel Cunha
Columbia University
Portugal / USA

Leah Dale
USA

Sarah Davidson
The Nature Conservancy
USA

Janet Edmond
Conservation International
USA

Jeong Eun
University of Wisconsin-Madison
South Korea / USA

Eva Fearn
Wildlife Conservation Society
Denmark / USA

Annelie Fincke
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Switzerland / Germany

João Augusto Fortes
Associação de Cultura e Meio Ambiente
Brazil

Paolo Galizzi
Fordham University
Italy / USA

Usha Ganguli Lachungpa
Department of Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management
India

Jason Gehrig
Water Engineers for the Americas
USA

Kangong George
Riba Agroforestry Resource Centre
Cameroon

Utkarsh Ghate
Covenant Centre for Development
India

Deepa Ghosh
U.S. Department of State
USA

Mwangi Githiru
Wildlife Works
Kenya

Damayanthi Godamulla
Community Development Centre
Sri Lanka

Elspeth Halverson
Independent Consultant
Canada / USA

Nimal Hewanila
Community Development Centre
Sri Lanka

Megan Hill
United States Agency for International Development
USA

David Hircock
Estée Lauder Companies
UK / USA

Michael Hooper
Harvard University
Canada / USA

Caroline Howe
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
USA

Frances Humber
Blue Ventures
UK

Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu
Smallholders Foundation
Nigeria

Jane Carter Ingram
Wildlife Conservation Society
USA

Wenjuan Jiang
Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group
China / USA

Wei Jing
National Academies
China / USA

Ashish Joshia Ingty John
Wildlife Conservation Society
India / Cambodia

Tinka John
Kibale Assocation for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED)
Uganda

K. A. J. Kahandawa
Operation Day’s Work Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Nina Kantcheva
UN-REDD Programme
Bulgaria / USA

Jason Kass
EnTech Engineering, P.C.
USA

Will Kennedy
United Nations Office for Partnerships
USA

Erjen Khamaganova
The Christensen Fund
Russian Federation / USA / Kyrgyz Republic

Carina Kjelstad
United Nations Development Programme
Norway / USA

Diane Klaimi
United Nations Environment Programme
Lebanon / Bahrain

Amadou Konate
Pôle des actions d'intégration des droits humains en Afrique (PACINDHA)
Mali

Jennifer Kovecses
San Diego Coastkeeper
Canada / USA

Phonchan Kraiwatnutsorn
Ashoka
Thailand / USA

Julia Krohmer
Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre
Germany

David Kuria
Kijabe Environment Volunteers
Kenya

Hari Kushardanto
Rare Indonesia
Indonesia

Jonathan Labozzetta
Rainforest Alliance
USA

Barbara Lassen
German Agency for International Cooperation
Germany

Thierry Lemaresquier
Independent Consultant
France / Chile

Jona Liebl
adelphi
Germany

James Ligare
Muliru Farmers Conservation Group
Kenya

José Inés Loría Palma
Fundación San Crisanto
Mexico

Diego Lynch
Asociación ANAI
USA / Costa Rica

Frederick Lyons
Independent Consultant / UNDP Resident Representative (retired)
UK

Avi Mahaningtyas
Partnership for Governance Reform
Indonesia

Celia Mahung
Toledo Institute for Development and Environment
Belize

Wanda Maldonado
Fundação Florestal
Brazil

Subha Mani
Fordham University
India / USA

Mercy Mbogho
Kwetu Training Centre for Sustainable Development
Kenya

Heather McGeory
Garten Rothkopf
USA

Adrienne McKeehan
Conservation International
USA

Phillip McKissick
Peace Corps
USA / Cape Verde

Ellie Meleisea
Editor
Australia / Mongolia

Susi Menazza
The Nature Conservancy
Italy / Netherlands

Sophie Mitra
Fordham University
France / USA

Axel Moehrenschlager
Calgary Zoological Society
Germany / Canada

Djessy Monnier
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Haiti / Canada

Luis Montero
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Peru / USA

Amber Lynn Munger
Article 29 Organization / Oxfam America
USA / Haiti

Osvaldo Munguia
Mosquitia Pawisa Apiska (MOPAWI)
Honduras

Fannie Mutepfa
Institute for Community Development
Zimbabwe

Diep Thi My Hanh
Phu An Bamboo Village / Ho Chi Minh City University of Science
Viet Nam

Mowdou Naky
World Learning / SIT
Mauritania / USA

Gilberto Naranjo Venegas
Cooperativa de Pescadores de Tárcoles R.L.
Costa Rica

Dario Gaspar Nepomuceno
Carnaúba Viva
Brazil

Kennedy Onyango
Mara River Water Users Association
Kenya

Andrés Ordóñez
Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve
Ecuador

Glenn Page
SustainaMetrix
USA

Menka Parekh
Sustainable Innovation Consultant
India / UK

José Pascowitch
Visão Sustentável
Brazil

Cándido Pastor Saavedra
Conservation International
Bolivia

Unnikrishnan Payyappalli
United Nations University
India / Japan

Shawn Peabody
Blue Ventures
USA / Madagascar

Alejandra Pero
Independent Consultant
USA / Argentina / Italy

David Peter
Sepik Wetlands Management Initiative
Papua New Guinea

Melissa Pomeroy
Assembly of First Nations
Canada

Vasudevan Rajaram
Techknow Engineering LLC
India / USA

Andoniaina Rambeloson
Conservation International
Madagascar

Vanaja Ramprasad
GREEN Foundation
India

Fara Razafy
WWF
Madagascar

R. Rengalakshmi
M S Swaminathan Research Foundation
India

Mohammed Rezwan
Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha
Bangladesh

Claire Rhodes
Cafedirect Producers’ Foundation
UK

Ann Rogan
Energy Alliance
USA

Luiz Ros
Inter-American Development Bank
Brazil / USA

Leonardo B. Rosario
Trowel Development Foundation / Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, Switzerland
Philippines

Jen Roynon
Online Business Systems
Canada

Cristina Rumbaitis Del Rio
Rockefeller Foundation
Argentina / USA

Chinara Sadykova
RCE Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz Republic

Maria Beatriz Saldanha Tavares
Brazil

Peter Schecter
United States Agency for International Development
USA

Barbara Schmal
Associação Vida Verde da Amazônia
Germany / Brazil

John Scott
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Australia / Canada

Farah Sofa
British Embassy Jakarta
Indonesia

Sean Southey
PCI Media Impact
South Africa / USA

Jason Spensley
United Nations Environment Programme
Canada / Panama

Joshua Sperling
National Science Foundation Fellow
USA

Kevin Strange
Calgary Zoological Society
Canada

Morgan Strecker
United Nations Children's Fund
USA

Marie Studer
Encyclopedia of Life
USA

Suneetha Subramanian
United Nations University
India / Japan

Kalulu Taba
Centre d'Appui au Développement Intégral/Mbankana
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Zelealem Tefera Ashenafi
Guassa Community Conservation Area
Ethiopia

Assane Thiam
Direction d'Appui au Développement Local (DADL) / FELOGIE de Niodior
Senegal

Triet Tran
International Crane Foundation
Viet Nam / USA

María Velasco Parrado
Central de Pueblos Indígenas de La Paz/Pueblo Indígena Leco de Larecaja
Bolivia

Erika Vohman
Maya Nut Institute
USA

Jerry Wana
Sepik Wetlands Management Initiative
Papua New Guinea

Linda Weisert
Hill & Knowlton
Germany / Belgium

Luna Wu
Misys International Banking System
China / USA

Lara Yacob
Robeco Asset Management
Canada / Netherlands