Join Niyanta Spelman as she interviews Charles Zeller, amateur climate change expert, philanthropist and activist. Niyanta and Charles discuss his passion for the planet, his life-experiences, and why and how he developed his interest in global climate change.

Charles was the co-founder and senior vice president of development at iTaggit Inc. He was a founding member of Motion Computing where he managed software development. Working with Microsoft, Motion developed the first Windows tablet PC. He held senior product development roles at Dell Computer Corp. for 13 years. Charles holds a BSEE from Caltech.

Niyanta Spelman, interviews Lily Rodriguez, the founder and current president of CIMA (Centro de Conservacíon, Investigación, y Manejo de Áreas Naturales) based in Lima, Peru. They were at the #Initiative20x20 conference in Lima, which is a country-led effort to restore 20 million hectares of forest by the year 2020.

Lily discusses how she helped establish the Parque Nacional Cordillera Azul in Peru that covers approximately 3.7 million acres. There is an additional buffer zone of 4.9 million acres surrounding the park. They’ve been working in this area since 2003 on landscape ecological restoration and recently started a project on forest regeneration. They have a formal contract with the government to run the park for 10 more years.

Money from private investors is allowing CIMA to help create small business enterprises with the locals. Just as Rainforest Partnership works with communities in the Amazon to create sustainable incomes, Lily also envisions the creation of sustainable businesses as the new path for CIMA to fund their conservation projects.

Geovanny Siquihua, the general manager of Sani Lodge Principal, and Wilson Santi, the administrator of the lodge, discuss their experience camping up on the 100 foot high observation tower owned by the eco lodge in Sani Isla, Ecuador.

Geovanny talks about his vision for Sani Lodge and how it's going to be 100% run by the youth and locals in the area. His mission is to grow the community and provide better services for guests. He plans on doing this by training the staff on leadership issues and collaborating with owners of other lodges and hotels to exchange ideas and experiences about administration. He says this will ultimately allow for better organization, allowing the lodge to expand and grow.

Senaida Cerda, who is from the Kichwa community in Sani Isla, Ecuador, tells her story and describes the part she has played in developing the Sani Warmi Project. This project has not only helped empower the women of the community, but also allowed them to create a sustainable income.

Rainforest Partnership's CEO, Niyanta Spelman, interviews Leonor Zambrano, who has been working with Rainforest Partnership since 2008. Leonor was the Director of Projects for Conservación y Desarrollo, Rainforest Partnership’s Ecuadorian non-profit partner, from 2007 to 2012. The Sani Warmi project, based on the traditional craft-making techniques of the women of Sani Isla, was developed in 2009, in collaboration with Conservación y Desarrollo.

Leonor reflects on the critical importance of this project to not only help the economic development of Sani Isla, but also empower the women of this community. By creating an artisan lodge that is run by the women of Sani Isla, they have been able to create an income from the sustainable production of traditional Kichwa crafts made from seeds and fibers.

When Rainforest Partnership formed partnership with the Ecuadorian indigenous community of Sani Isla, they already owned Sani Lodge, an ecolodge located on the Napo river. The lodge provides a place for these women to sell their handicrafts, allowing them to significantly increase and diversify the community’s income. The Sani Warmi project has allowed the women of Sani Isla to truly thrive while giving back to their community.