Ze-Kun Li, Executive director

Ze (he/him) got his first taste of community organizing in 2010, when, as a De Anza College student, he helped organize a 15,000-person march in San Francisco to advocate for adequate educational funding. This invaluable experience created a belief in the power of student organizing and motivated him to successfully run for student body president. As student body president in 2011, he led a group of 75+ student leaders to create systematic changes - including a deal with VTA to create the first community college eco-pass, where students now pay only $7.75 per quarter to have unlimited usage of any Valley Transportation Authority bus and light rail.

Prior to joining Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action, he built multi-sector coalitions in the 9 counties of the Bay Area to support the largest affordable housing bond in the country. Before that, he was the Director of Campaign Operations for a leading California political strategy firm, where he guided California State Senate and State Assembly, Countywide and City Council electoral campaigns to victory. He’s won 24 out of 26 campaigns because he values strategic partnerships, coalition building, in-language communication and utilizes polling and data to inform decisions.

Over a decade of experience working with private, public and non-profit stakeholders has taught Ze to prioritize the philosophy of “people support what they help create.” His innate ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders and students creates synergy that turns an idea into a reality. He is passionate about youth empowerment and helping to mentor the next generation of changemakers to tackle the climate crisis, and creating systematic changes in education to level the playing field to green career opportunities.

Ze holds a B.A. in Political Science from Santa Clara University.

Contact: Ze@svyouthclimateaction.org

Christine Zack, Program Manager

Christine Zack is a wildlife biologist, environmental educator, and program manager with over a decade of experience mentoring youth, leading environmental projects, and building community partnerships. She is passionate about empowering young people to take action on climate change and positively impact their communities.

As Senior Education Manager at Environmental Volunteers, Christine redesigned and relaunched the teen docent program in 2019, expanding participation from 1 to 40 by 2023. She created leadership roles, specialized training, and recruitment processes, securing support for expansion through internships and capstone projects. Of the teen docents, 85% decided to pursue STEM majors, and 95% have been accepted to four-year colleges. Students have gone on to become local leaders, founding several youth-led environmental education and conservation organizations.

In recent years, Christine has focused on creating climate change programs and curricula for elementary and high school students. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors bird watching, volunteering with local environmental nonprofits, or relaxing at home watching Netflix with her partner, Jon, and their cat, Gus.

Christine holds a degree in Biological Anthropology from UC San Diego and a Master’s in Biology from Saint Joseph’s University.

Contact: Christine@svyouthclimateaction.org

Erin Zimmerman, Communications Consultant

Erin Zimmerman (she/her) has been studying the political impacts of environmental change for over a decade. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2013. Her doctoral dissertation examined the influence of non-traditional security issues, such as climate change, on regional governing institutions in Asia. Her master’s thesis, completed in 2010, examined the negative impact of environmentally induced migration on state stability.

As an environmental advocate Erin has been involved with many organizations in Australia, Switzerland and the United States of America. Most recently, she was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2019 by the Climate Reality Project. She was also the climate columnist for the San Jose Spotlight and invited columnist with India currents between 2020 and 2022. She currently lives in Colorado and, in addition to her work with SVYCA, she also works at the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine — an National Science Foundation Funded entity focused on fostering the development and deployment of climate resilience technologies.

Sarah Adkar, Youth Director

Sarah Adkar (she/her) is the Founder and Co-Lead of the Tri-City team and SVYCA’s 2025 IMPACT Summit’s Lead Organizer. She often goes on nature walks and community gardening events to immerse herself in nature. She’s passionate about exploring the intersection of climate and medicine—how rising temperatures, toxins, and policy failures manifest not just in statistics, but in human lungs, skin, and minds. As Youth Director, she is currently working to deepen SVYCA’s interdisciplinary reach across environmental justice, public health, and international relations, forging connections that turn data into action and awareness into healing.

Katherine Park, Youth Director

Katherine Park (she/her) is a Co-Lead of the Sunnyvale and State Advocacy teams and a Student Mentor for the 2025 SVYCA Summer Climate Leadership Academy. She often hikes and goes camping with family, and has always been passionate about protecting California's ecosystems. As Youth Director, she is working so that members have the opportunity to explore and make changes to issues they are specifically passionate about across various niches. She is always looking to work together to make the environment and future a better and greener place via policy and impactful educational initiatives.

DIYA PRASANTH, OPERATIONS OFFICER

Diya Prasanth is a senior at ACCEL Middle College and serves as SVYCA’s Operations Officer and a San Jose Action Team Co-Lead. She became involved with climate advocacy after being impacted by the SCU wildfires in 2020. She has worked on a range of local policy initiatives, including electrification and EV charging reach codes, banning artificial turf, and preserving funding for San Jose’s Climate Smart program. Outside of policy, Diya combines her love for computer science and environmental advocacy by creating climate-focused apps. As a aspiring researcher and computer science enthusiast, she aims to pursue research in sustainable AI systems, with a focus on reducing computing’s environmental footprint while advancing climate resilience.

Mani Bekele, Policy Officer

Mani Bekele (he/him) is SVYCA’s Policy Officer and Co-Lead of the San Jose team. He also serves on the City of San Jose’s Climate Advisory Commission. In pursuing climate action, he works to support solutions that can bring about broader societal benefits, with a particular interest in agriculture, food systems, and ecological restoration. He grows a large community garden and home orchard in Downtown San Jose and enjoys hiking in the hills surrounding our Valley. As Policy Officer, he is working to empower fellow students to advance strong climate policies in their local governments, on transit, electrification, and green space.

Emily MA, Recruitment Officer

Emily is a junior at Aragon High where she co-leads SVYCA's San Mateo County Team. She is excited to be SVYCA's new Recruitment Officer! Previously, she co-led two subcommittees for the 2025 IMPACT Summit, conducted peer-to-peer electrification education in partnership with Peninsula Clean Energy, contributed to developing the Climate Leadership Academy curriculum, and more. She enjoys approaching climate action from a multitude of angles, including everything from science and technology to art to policy. In her new role, she looks forward to introducing students from across the Bay Area to SVYCA and helping them start their journey as youth climate leaders.

Charlotte Liang, Education Officer

Charlotte is a rising junior at Mills High School, and part of SVYCA’s San Mateo Team. She co-led the Internal Operations Subcommittee for the 2025 IMPACT Summit, and will be stepping into the role of 2025 SVYCA Education Officer. She has worked on climate literacy and youth engagement by creating slideshows, presenting at schools and summits, and connecting with students across the county through the Peninsula Clean Energy Grant Cycle. Charlotte was also a student mentor in the inaugural SVYCA Student Leadership Academy. She is especially interested in how climate connects with other fields, and loves seeing how youth leadership can inspire real change. This year, she is looking forward to reaching more people through advocacy and community work so youth voices can keep shaping the future.

Cynthia Li, Social Media Officer

Cynthia (she/her) is SVYCA’s Social Media Officer and a member of the Sunnyvale Action Team. She enjoys looking at the green light that shines through tree leaves and the shimmer of the sun dancing on water. As Social Media Officer, Cynthia is excited to combine both her passion for the environment, and marketing experience to broaden SVYCA’s online presence to impact as many youth as possible. She is hopeful about spreading climate literacy amongst others and sparking crucial conversations about sustainability. She believes that climate preservation begins through online awareness, a resource that should be available to everyone.

Hoi Poon, Co-Founder & Senior ADvisor

Hoi Poon is a seasoned Strategist, Community Organizer, and Marketer with over two decades of experience in various sectors. Throughout her career, she has managed and advised successful campaigns at the local, state, and federal level, directed policy and issue-oriented projects, and conducted marketing and fundraising for non-profits.

Hoi's extensive experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors has enabled her to understand different perspectives and bridge divides among people to achieve common ground and create positive change. She has also served on numerous non-profit boards focused on education, environmental issues, and community development.

In 2019, due to the urgency of the climate crisis, Hoi began an early retirement and founded SVYCA to focus on advancing climate solutions and engaging key stakeholders and youth across the Bay Area to combat global temperature rise.