Stephanie García

Deputy Director

Rutas y Raíces (Sustainability consulting firm)

Biography:

Leading the consulting division of the company. Responsible for designing innovative socio-environmental projects for transnational corporations and other business enterprises that seek to positively contribute to the climate crisis. With Cubico Sustainable Investment, she worked on building long-term relationships with local communities, through projects of environmental education with kids based on artistic tools. Also with Cubico, she created the first ever running race on a wind farm in Latin America, The Wind Race, as a way to collaborate with and give back to the local community and raise awareness about renewable energy. In recognition of the socially and environmentally responsible way the Cubico Wind Race was carried out, the Council for Responsible Sports granted the event Evergreen Certification, the highest level available. Finally, for the film and TV industry, she developped innovative services, the Greener, to reduce the social and environmental impacts that productions have and encourage them to be part of the ecological transition.

Previously, she served as Advisor at the Board of Advisors to the General Director of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and as Manager of Regional Coordination for the Mexican Ministry of Finance’s project on Special Economic Zones. She is also a founding member of the Patronato del INAH, a non-profit organization for the conservation and restoration of Mexico’s archaeological heritage.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from ITAM. In 2017 she received the National Prize “Dip. Francisco J. Múgica” on Sustainable Rural Development and Food Sovereignty, granted by Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies.

Nicole Griensewic

Executive Director

Region Nine Development Commission in Minnesota

Biografy:

Griensewic has served as Executive Director of Region Nine Development Commission since 2012. As executive director, Griensewic has made it a priority to foster collaboration and engagement by sharing Region Nine’s story both regionally and globally. Griensewic is an active board and committee member for multiple organizations throughout Minnesota. Griensewic is the immediate past President of the Greater Minnesota Partnership, and is the first female to chair the Executive Committee for the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies, where she served as chair of the Governance Committee. Griensewic also served as secretary of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota’s Governing Board of Directors and chaired the Governance Committee and currently serves as an advisory board member for South Central College’s Center for Agriculture. She serves on the executive committee for the MACS Board, Minnesotans for the American Community Survey Board of Directors and represents the Midwest on the National Assoc. of Development Orgs.’s (NADO) Board of Directors.

Griensewic is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has completed course work through Harvard’s Kennedy School’s Executive Education. She received the 2017 Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Her professional background includes extensive private sector and non-profit leadership experience.