Etelle Higonnet
Founder & Director
Etelle Higonnet, attorney and environmental activist, has worked at Mighty Earth, National Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, as well as two war crimes courts. She was knighted as a Chevalier de l'ordre national du Mérite for her pioneering efforts to curb deforestation in high-risk commodities with an emphasis on cocoa, rubber, palm oil, cattle, and soy industries. She has worked in over 30 countries, is widely published, speaks 9 languages, and is a graduate of Yale Law School.
Joy Wahba
Chief Operations Officer
Joy Wahba is a lawyer with a background advocating for justice for vulnerable workers. Prior to joining Coffee Watch, Joy practiced labour law, employment law, human rights law and civil litigation. She has a particular interest in the intersection of climate activism and the labour movement. Joy has worked in environmental advocacy supporting several campaigns, including a campaign against human rights abuses in the cocoa supply chain. Her experience includes advocating for indigenous rights in Cambodia and access to rural water services in Malawi.
Sarah Syed
Social Media Director
Sarah Syed is a digital storyteller and climate justice advocate with over five years of experience leading youth engagement and communications across Canada. She has worked with nonprofits driving record-breaking engagement through fully funded youth summits, national awards programs, and Hamilton-Burlington’s first community engagement project on local climate action. As a UN-Habitat Youth Advisor, she brings grassroots insights to global advocacy for climate justice and sustainable cities. Her work has been recognized internationally— she is a Top 25 Under 25 Environmentalist in Canada, a Developer 30 Under 30, and has been acknowledged by Members of Parliament. Sarah is passionate about building digital spaces that drive environmental action, and center the voices of those most impacted.
Travis Nichols
Media advisor
Travis Nichols is a journalist, novelist, poet, and communications strategist with over twenty years in advocacy and arts media. His work has earned placements on the front page of The New York Times, the top spot on Reddit, the featured chyron on Fox & Friends, and nearly every outlet and platform in between. Under his leadership as Director of Content Strategy at CARE.org, CARE News & Stories tripled its readership, earned international recognition for its innovative and human-centered documentation, and drew in tens of thousands of new supporters for the organization. During his time at Greenpeace USA, Travis served as both Media Director and Communications Director, successfully landing campaign messages in The New York Times, The Washington Post, 60 Minutes, and The Rachel Maddow Show, among many others, significantly boosting public awareness and engagement for the Arctic, Oceans, Climate, and Democracy campaigns. He also co-led communications for Jane Fonda’s weekly climate Fire Drill Fridays rallies.
Neeraj Garg Baruah
Mapping, data, and AI expert
Neeraj Garg Baruah is a geospatial and AI strategist with over a decade of experience advising governments, multilateral banks, NGOs, and think tanks on using satellite data, spatial analytics, and AI to address deforestation, climate risk, and socioeconomic vulnerability. He has led data-driven initiatives for the World Bank, McKinsey, UK Space Agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, and governments across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia—translating complex spatial data into actionable insights for policy and advocacy. Neeraj has designed geospatial platforms and decision tools now embedded in national strategies and campaigns across 20+ countries. As Director of Stahnix, he bridges big data, policy, and practice to solve complex challenges at the nexus of space, economy, and sustainability - building tools that turn big spatial data into meaningful impact. His doctoral research at the University of Cambridge explored how AI and earth observation can generate economic and social insights for underserved communities. He has been recognised as a Bright Young Climate Leader by Sacred Fig Foundation and 350.org, an EkoAward recipient, and a Young Scientist by the Government of India.
Honqian Li
Mapper
Hongqian Li is a geospatial data researcher focused on environmental justice and climate resilience. Prior to joining Coffee Watch, he worked with Columbia University’s Center for Spatial Research and Tongji University, applying GIS and machine learning to projects on urban heat islands, bail bond practices, and ecological adaptation. He has published and presented internationally on urban form, inequality, and environmental impacts.
John Surico & Angela Alameida
Media advisors
Angela Almeida is an Emmy-nominated producer and freelance journalist based in New York City. She is known for her work on the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series “ROTTEN" (Netflix), "MerPeople" (Netflix), “VICE” (Showtime), “Somebody Feed Phil" (Netflix) and "Gutsy" (Apple), hosted by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, and produced "Do Not Attempt" (Disney+; NatGeo). Angela has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, Reuters, The Huffington Post and The Guardian, among other outlets, and has reported in over 10 countries on topics related to social justice, culture and politics. She holds a BA in journalism and psychology from New York University and a MSc in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford.
John Surico is a journalist, researcher and educator. He teaches urban-centric reporting at the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, and serves as the Senior Fellow for Climate and Opportunity at Center for an Urban Future, a leading policy organization in New York City. His reporting can be found in over 50+ outlets, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Guardian, and elsewhere. He is currently writing a book about Tactical Urbanism with Mike Lydon and Tony Garcia of Street Plans, slated for publication in 2025, and he authors a monthly newsletter on Substack called "Streetbeat." He is based in Queens, New York, where he is the chairperson of the 31st Ave Open Street Collective, a neighbor-run group that organizes a pop-up public space on weekends.
Legal allies
NGO allies and coalitions
