Executive

Tim Devane – President, Founder of the Birthright Earth program

Tim is a ’09 graduate of Wesleyan University with a major in English and International Relations. In the summer of 2008, Tim founded Birthright Earth on the heels of a conversation with his father Richard about the possibility of the program’s success. Armed with little more than a computer and a few contacts and very soon the help of Eli Bronner, he brought the program from concept to established organization within a few months.

A lacrosse and rugby player at Wesleyan, he has also served as a teaching assistant, writing tutor, and student manager of a campus café. He also held several positions in his fraternity, was sports editor of the school newspaper and headed up the English majors committee. With an attention to detail and infectious enthusiasm, Tim continues to lead Birthright Earth as it progresses as an organization.

Contact: tim@birthrightearth.com

Eli Bronner - Vice President, Founder of the Birthright Earth program

Eli is a senior at Wesleyan University with a major in East Asian Studies. Soon after he heard about Birthright Earth in June 2008, Eli was organizing events and generating publicity for the program. Helping double Birthright Earth’s employees and providing much needed moral support in the early days, Eli’s contributions to the program since are immeasurable.

Taking a semester abroad in Taiwan in the spring of 2009, he sought to solidify his study of mandarin Chinese as well as East Asian culture. His commitment to Birthright Earth shone during this semester, as he continued to post weekly blogs and coordinate partnerships from across the globe. Eli’s unfaltering confidence and energy drive Birthright Earth to this today.

Contact: eli@birthrightearth.com

Board of Advisers

Richard Devane

Richard is a graduate of Princeton University (BA) and Harvard Business School (MA). Having done consulting work for the majority of his career including at Bain Consulting, Richard moved into Eco-tourism in 2004, where he designs business models and does consulting for the largest eco-tourism companies in the world..

Charles Munn

Charles is a graduate of Princeton University (BA, PHD) and Oxford (MA). For the past 25 years, Charles has established himself as an authority on Amazonian biodiversity and is the founding father of South American eco-tourism. His organizations, including Tropical Nature, Tropical Nature Travel, and Inkanatura, promote conservation through eco-tourism.

Barton Seaver

Seaver, 30, is a champion of the environment and his devotion to the sustainable ethic has earned him widespread attention in the national media, as well as the title of Rising Star Chef from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. The Blue Ocean Institute honored Seaver in 2007 for his commitment to ocean conservation, and named him a Fellow in 2009. He has also been lauded as a leader in sustainability by the Seafood Choices Alliance in 2008 and is a nationally recognized writer and speaker. For Seaver, sustainability begins with people and is, at its root, a humanitarian issue, not only an ecological matter. In successfully linking the environmental community with real‐life, delicious applications of an eco‐friendly nature, Seaver is an inspiration. For his audience, his delectable, healthy, and ocean‐friendly seafood creations forge a greater connection with and understanding of the environment, while his achievements and passion for sustainability are evidence that done correctly, it is very possible to both enjoy and preserve the gifts of nature.

Ramanan Sivalingam

Ramanan is a graduate of the Lawrenceville & Hotchkiss Schools and attained dual degrees in Economics and East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University. While at Wesleyan, he was Captain of the Men’s Lacrosse Team and Chairman of a student-run investment group. Upon his graduation from Wesleyan, Ramanan began working as an analyst at Deutsche Bank AG. It was at Hotchkiss that he became interested in environmental stewardship and he carries that same environmental interest to Birthright Earth.

Operations

Inbound Operations

Paulo Coelho – Master Guide

Paulo is a native of Brazil with 20 years of guide experience in the northern Amazon. Paulo carries out all ground work for Birthright Earth trips including logistics and all guiding responsibilities.

Jeff Strittmatter - Guide Training Interns

Jeff is a ’09 graduate of Wesleyan University with major in Economics. A long time wildlife enthusiast, Jeff was eager to get involved with BE. Along with Trevor Adams, Jeff Strittmatter is currently working at the Manu Wildlife Center in the Peruvian Amazon. Here, the pair is helping develop trip itineraries and local partnerships for BE as well as training to be guides for future Birthright Earth trips and blogging on the BE site.

Contact: jeff@birthrightearth.com

Trevor Adams - Guide Training Interns

Trevor is a ’09 graduate of Wesleyan University with major in Classics Studies. Along with Jeff Strittmatter, Trevor is currently working at the Manu Wildlife Center in the Peruvian Amazon. Here, the pair is helping develop trip itineraries and local partnerships for BE as well as training to be guides for future Birthright Earth trips and blogging on the BE site.

Contact: trevor@birthrightearth.com

Campus Relations

Frank Swain – Campus Representative Co-Coordinator

Frank is a ’09 graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina where he earned a BA in English and a concentration in international policy and relations. At Davidson, Frank studied abroad in Florence, Italy and Heredia, Costa Rica where he studied Spanish and the area’s rainforests. At Birthright Earth, Frank is heading Birthright Earth’s new campus representative program along with co-coordinate Frank Swain and is in charge of coordinating representatives to spread the Birthright Earth word at various campuses around the country. If you would like to be a campus representative at your college or university or be put in contact with the current campus representative please feel free to send him an email.

Contact: frank@birthrightearth.com

Louis Aronne – Campus Representative Co-Coordinator

Louis is a senior In the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and is double majoring in finance and international business. On campus, he is a member of the club ice hockey team and has held various campus representative roles that required an entrepreneurial drive. These abilities translate well to Louis’ position with BE. At Birthright Earth, Louis is heading Birthright Earth’s new campus representative program along with co-coordinate Frank Swain and is in charge of coordinating representatives to spread the Birthright Earth word at various campuses around the country. If you would like to be a campus representative at your college or university or be put in contact with the current campus representative please feel free to send him an email.

Contact: louis@birthrightearth.com

Nicholas Devane – Campus Relations Associate

Nick is a freshman at Wesleyan University and a recent graduate of the St. Albans School. Nick helps maintain and oversee the campus representative program as well as campus publicity for Birthright Earth.

Website Management

Sura Hart – Website Designer

Sura is a Web Developer who runs Blues and Haikus a creative design agency. She designed this website and also manages it and the Birthright Earth Newsletter, Direct Exposure.

Contact: surahart@gmail.com

Harish Chouhan – Website Maintenance
Harish is a Web developer running a proprietorship web services firm “Dreams Online” in India. He has helped to develop the Birthright Earth website and also helps manage it.

Marketing and Communications

Kenton Atta-Krah – Director of Marketing and Communications

Kenton graduated with highest honors from Wesleyan University in ’09 with majors in French Studies, Government, and International Relations. His deep-rooted interest in environmental and wildlife conservation stems in large part from the 12 years he spent in Kenya, and he comes to Birthright Earth with significant international experience, having also lived in 5 other countries spanning 3 continents. A sprinter on the track team, he also played club rugby and served as a Residential Advisor for 3 years. He was also a Senior-Interviewer and Vice-President of his graduating class. At Birthright Earth, Kenton heads up the marketing and communications department and is the primary point of contact for all Birthright Earth press relations and public outreach.

Contact: kenton@birthrightearth.com
Press Contact: press@birthrightearth.com

Daphne Earp – Social Media and Online Marketing

Daphne is a senior at Princeton University studying Operations Research and Financial Engineering. Prior to joining Birthright Earth, Daphne had relevant experience in both social media and environmental policy, interning with the online networking site Digg as well as a carbon finance firm CINCS, which focuses on land use credits. She’s a natural fit for BE’s web-based marketing and publicity. At Birthright Earth, Daphne helps to maintain and improve our online media and social networking presence.

Contact: daphne@birthrightearth.com

Elana Baurer – Public Affairs

Elana graduated from Wesleyan University in 2009. She majored in African-American Studies with a concentration in Constructions of Race. An all-around star undergrad, Elana initiated several massive community service and public well-fare projects at Wesleyan including coordinating student-facilitated workshops in nearby York Correctional Institution and facilitating a workshop herself at Cheshire CI. Now working and living in New York City, Elana joins our team as our Public Affairs representative. At Birthright Earth, she will coordinate Birthright Earth events in New York City as well as help with fundraising and outreach strategies. Feel free to email her with any ideas!

Contact: elana@birthrightearth.com

Development

Ashley Menear – Corporate Sponsorship Liaison

Ashley is a dual citizen of England and the United States with a bachelors degree in Public Relations and minor in Business Administration from the University of Florida. As an advocate for international education, she has traveled extensively through Europe and visited third-world countries as well as the middle east. Professionally, she has handled campaigns for public relations firms, implemented marketing strategies for a start-up business, and worked in advertising sales.

Before joining Birthright Earth, Ashley worked on the business side of Conde Nast Traveler and handled client relationships, web site development and budget management. She also developed a strong network with several international professionals who work in all aspects of the tourism industry. Through her personal and professional experiences, she brings a comprehensive knowledge of the travel industry and continues to use these tools to grow Birthright Earth to its potential.

Contact: ashley@birthrightearth.com

Gustavo Moraes Lopes do Nascimento - International Relationship Development

Gustavo is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, concentrated on global economics. He currently works as a market analyst at PanGenX, a healthcare solutions company that provides consulting in the field of pharmacogenetics. Originally from Brazil, Gustavo has developed a specialization in Latin American market access, proving to be an integral part of the PanGenX team in negotiations pertaining to Brazil’s investment in healthcare modernization, as well as a valuable asset to the several other companies that he lends international facilitation and translation services to. An adamant supporter of its cause, Gustavo is thrilled to now be assisting Birthright Earth in its international endeavors.

Contact: gustavo@birthrightearth.com

 Creative and Design

Anthony Naing - Media Production

Anthony Naing is a ’11 graduate of the University of Maryland who majored in English with a concentration in Film Studies and has studied film at both the USC School of Cinematic Arts and NYU Tisch School of the Arts.  At Birthright Earth, Anthony will be in charge of filming the first trip to the Amazon and directing a feature documentary to be released in 2013.

Contact: anthony@birthrightearth.com

Ben Rowland - Photographer

Ben is a ’08 graduate of Wesleyan University with a major in the College of Social Studies. Ben is a professional photographer located in New York City who does media development and recording for Birthright Earth.