As the Climate Program Manager for the City of Flagstaff, Danae’s work focuses on mitigating climate change through local action. She specializes in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy and transportation systems. Danae leads energy efficiency, weatherization, and electrification programs within and across the City of Flagstaff, advances the adoption of electric vehicles, supports renewable energy projects, and monitors greenhouse gas emissions. Danae managed energy efficiency upgrades at 44 city facilities, cutting energy bills by more than $250,000 annually. She also led the City’s first Fleet Electrification Assessment, in partnership with Arizona Public Service (APS), which identified a savings opportunity of $11.35M by transitioning to electric vehicles.

Danae has 15 years of experience in the sustainability field spanning public, non-profit, and academic sectors. Previously, she worked for the cities of Avondale and Chandler in the Phoenix Metro. In Avondale, she doubled the City’s EV charging network and initiated the state’s first EV charging standards into City Code.

Danae holds a Master of Environmental Studies degree from The Evergreen State College in Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Minnesota State University Mankato. When not working, you can catch Danae on her budding farm tending to her flock of chickens or enjoying the great outdoors with her husband and four dogs.

Shift Kitchen and Bar and Oeno Wine Lounge Owner Dara Wong, a 2022 Young Athena Award Nominee, has a passion for pastry and a love for wine. As a business management graduate of the prestigious University of Denver, Dara boasts an impressive resume thanks to time spent alongside culinary legends such as Master Sommelier, Bobby Stuckey and James Beard Chef, Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson of Frasca Food and Wine (Boulder, CO). She furthered her culinary knowledge as the Assistant Pastry Chef at Sweet Basil in Vail, CO. Prior to launching Shift in 2016, Dara served as the General Manager and Pastry Chef of Flagstaff’s own Tourist Home Urban Market. She opened Shift Kitchen and Bar in 2016 and then Oeno Wine Lounge in 2021 in order to continue her love for hospitality and her involvement in the Flagstaff community. A Division I swimmer for the University of Denver, Dara spends much of her free time with her wife Sierra at the gym, running with their pups, and hitting the slopes.

Derek Turner is Vice President of Sales and Marketing and a partner at Rooftop Solar, where he has helped lead the company’s growth for nearly 15 years. Raised in Williams, Arizona, Derek holds a degree in Communications and Film Studies and spent nearly a decade in sales and development with the Grand Canyon Railway and Xanterra, before leaving to sail and travel around the world. After traveling to nearly 50 countries, he returned home to join the founding team at Rooftop Solar with a passion for renewable energy and a shared vision: to build a strong, resilient renewable energy community through helping homeowners and businesses make the switch to solar.

Dr. Tanya Ospitale is a visionary entrepreneur, is the founder of the Women's Innovation Network (W.I.N.) and co-founding the Compass CBS Foundation. Her extensive academic background provides a unique perspective on the dynamic interplay of education, business, culture, and technology. Dedicated to fostering sustainable growth, Dr. Ospitale has also partnered with APS for three years, significantly bolstering the success of the Going Green Going Smart program throughout Maricopa and surrounding territories.

Chocolita botanical chocolate is a line of certified organic, plant-based, low-glycemic sweetened chocolate products. We strive to diversify your palate through health-conscious chocolate choices. Chocolita seeks to bring a bio-diversity to your plate through utilizing unique foods and flavors that are equally as delectable as they are functional. We have a large variety of sipping chocolates, chocolate bars, truffles, bitters and spreads. We were founded by master chocolatier, Sarah Ann Lesslie, through her combination of her two passions- chocolate making and herbalism. Through her own personal health journey, she developed a chocolate for women to ease their monthly cycle symptoms and since then, over the last 20 years she grew her business into what it is today.

Shareé Hurts is a storyteller, community advocate and California native.  During the day she spends her time working with community partners to create, collaborate and implement programs that benefit Arizonans in her role as Strategic Partnerships Program Manager in the Community Affairs Department.  In this role Shareé works with community partners to create, collaborate and implement programs that benefits all Arizonans.  During her 15-year tenure with APS Shareé has worked in Customer Service, Events, Marketing, and Corporate Communications.  

In addition to APS, she spent ten years in healthcare focused on Medicaid where she specialized in project management, proposal development, and organizational governance.  In 2015, Shareé began teaching as an adjunct faculty at South Mountain Community College, where she has taught in Administration of Justice and in the Storytelling Institute. 

Shareé is a storyteller who’s performed in the Arizona Storytellers Project and PBS Stories from the Stage.  She enjoys facilitating storytelling workshops for professionals and especially for youth.  She is a mother of two and a community advocate.  Her dream is to slow travel across the world, living and learning from various cultures.  

Shareé has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arizona State University West and a master’s degree in law from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, ASU.  She currently is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Phoenix Metro Chapter, serves on the Earn to Learn Board of Directors, Moonshot AZ Advisory Board and is Board Chair for FIBCO Family Services. 

Rylan, born and raised in Flagstaff, didn’t grow up on a farm, but he has done plenty of growing. He has worked in Ecuador with nonprofit organizations and on farming in remote communities. He has worked on small, organic farms in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Before starting Forestdale Farm he worked with USGS studying endangered fishes of the Colorado river.

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