Bios below are adapted from each leader’s official profile on rcatnow.com and cavu.org, where you can read their full biographies.
Steve Bender is a global sustainability leader and strategic advisor with decades of experience turning environmental goals into practical, measurable impact across business, government, and civil society.
He serves as CEO of Sea 2 Sky Solutions, an international consulting firm helping organizations across six continents develop sustainability strategies, partnerships, and growth plans, and as CEO of The 7 Seas Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the world's oceans. Steve is also Global Head of Strategic Partnerships at EarthX and founder of The Environmental Xperience, a new global sustainability event series.
As President of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach and Director of the Rotary Climate Action Team, he supports environmental projects across more than 1,700 Rotary clubs. A certified Master Diver, Steve brings both professional expertise and personal commitment to every partnership he builds — including Growing Green Leaders, which he prepared and leads as Founder.
Bio adapted from rcatnow.com/steve-bender. Contact: steve@stevebender.net
Leia is the co-founder and Executive Director of The Climate Initiative, where she has spent 30 years building educational programs that connect young people to the places they live. Her work is rooted in the belief that meaningful climate action starts locally, and that young people are more likely to show up for a place they actually know.
A teacher, curriculum developer, and national speaker and trainer, Leia has spent her career helping young people develop the skills and confidence to act in the face of the climate crisis. For over 11 years she has brought those same skills to the Kennebunk Rotary Club (District 7780). She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science from Virginia Tech and is completing her PhD in Policy and Education Leadership at the Muskie School of Policy, University of Southern Maine.
As Co-Chair of Growing Green Leaders, Leia oversees the TCI Climate Action Leadership Program (CALP) foundation — Lessons 1–3 — that every division of the program is built on.
Bio adapted from rcatnow.com/leia-lowery.
Morgan joined CAVU in June 2025 as Education Director, bringing eight years of classroom experience teaching middle school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Boise, Idaho. As Education Director, she leads the development and implementation of the Climate Innovation Challenge (CIC).
Morgan earned her BS in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master's in Education after serving with AmeriCorps. She discovered CIC while teaching 6th and 7th grade Design in Boise, where it became a cornerstone of her classroom before she joined CAVU's staff to work on curriculum full-time.
As Co-Chair of Growing Green Leaders, Morgan oversees the CAVU storytelling and video toolkit — Lessons 4–5 — that translates student climate action plans into short films for the High School Video Track.
Bio adapted from cavu.org/people/morgan-baker.
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