Bill grew up in the U.S. and studied biology at Harvard University (BA 1976) and at Rockefeller University (Ph.D. 1982). In 1987, he organized a joint project for research and conservation surveys of gibbons in China. After that first visit to China, Bill came back again in 1988, and then moved to China in 1989 to co-lead a 2-year field research project on the endangered Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey at Fanjing Mountain. He then went on to lead a long-term research project on Tibetan Antelope, a species threatened by wildlife trade (1998-2002). Through his experiences with threatened wildlife species, he became committed to furthering nature conservation in Asia, and went on to work with various international organizations including the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna and Flora International, UNDP and in the GEF Project Office of the Office of Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve Management in the Chinese Ministry of Forestry (now the SFA). Since January 2012, Bill has worked full-time as a teacher, program director and writer for the Hong Kong-based China Exploration & Research Society. His current interests include the impact of nature and cultural tourism and how tourism can be better designed to further conservation of wildlife and indigenous culture. He also has an on-going research interest in Tibetan sacred sites as indigenous and community conserved areas.

Amy has a long history as a teacher, an activist and advocate for youth. After graduating from UCSC in 1990 with a BA in Women's Studies and a teaching credential, she spent 18 years in the classroom and her spare time working on nuclear nonproliferation, and a host of environmental, social and women's issues. In 2010 she identified Climate as an apex problem. It was the big overarching challenge that was impacting social, environmental and economic justice issues. She then shifted her focus from the classroom to developing the climate leadership program at the Center for Climate Protection; helping student leaders across the Bay Area promote a healthier lifestyle for themselves and the planet. She has an extensive background in program management, community engagement, youth leadership and curriculum development. When not at work, she can be found out in her garden, on her bike or hiking in the parks around her home in Sonoma County.

Sam is a scholar-practitioner with a background in K-12 education and civic engagement. She is currently a Visiting Scholar/PRODiG Fellow at SUNY-Plattsburgh where she teaches in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies and the Africana Studies Program. She received Ph.D. in the Department of Childhood Studies at Rutgers University-Camden, an MEd in Youth Development Leadership from the University of Minnesota, and a BA in French from Clark Atlanta University. She researches historical and cultural studies of health, sports, and outdoor/environmental education, with a focus on race, gender, and youth. Her formal and informal educational work has included teaching in France and Brazil, coaching youth soccer, and teaching ESL/GED classes. She also served as director for a cross cultural civic engagement study abroad program for student-athletes in rural China. She is interested in increasing equity in the outdoors, especially for underserved youth. In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, and traveling.

Yin Myo Su (aka Misuu) is the managing director of the Inle Princess Group, and founder of the Inle Heritage Foundation. Yin Myo Su is passionate about women’s empowerment, economic development, heritage and environmental preservation, art, culture and citizen engagement. She is also a strong advocate for sustainable and responsible development practices. Furthermore, Yin Myo Su has taken a leading role in reintroducing the Burmese Cat back to Myanmar and protection of the unique and at-risk marine life of Inle Lake. As a Chairperson of the Inle Heritage Hospitality Vocational Training Center she passes her knowledge future generations while equipping aspiring hospitality workers from Shan State to develop the necessary technical and human service skills. Moreover, she is also the founder of Inle Heritage Private School (Bamboo School) a unique child centered education institution aiming to trigger curiosity, innovation, and critical thinking among students, and to raise awareness of resources available in the Inle Region as well as the ways of using them among local community.

Yin Myo Su is an active public speaker on subjects dear to her heart and recipient of several local and international awards in recognition of her work in hospitality, heritage preservation, women's empowerment and leadership. Yin Myo Su has been named 2013 Fortune & Goldman Sachs Global Woman Leader, 2015 Vital Voice Global Woman Leader, and 2017 Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, among many other awards.