Jake Meyers

University of Arizona

I joined Planet Forward in 2019 as a Correspondent while pursuing a master's degree in international development at the University of Arizona. As a graduate student focused on climate change and food security, I wanted to learn more about the power of storytelling and how it can be used to create impact.

During my practicum in Kenya, I saw an opportunity to share the story of Francis Wachira. Wachira is an urban farmer from Nairobi who is showing others how they can fight climate change and feed their communities with nutritious food. After applying what I learned from Planet Forward's 2019 summit, I taught myself how to capture Francis's story in a compelling fashion. I entered the story into Planet Forward's 2020 Storyfest, where I was named a grandprize winner. I was blessed with the incredible opportunity to travel to the Galapagos Islands with Lindblad Expeditions and Planet Forward in 2022, and hope other students can continue to take advantadge of all that Planet Forward has to offer!

I currently work with iDE, an international development non-profit whose mission is to power entrepreneurs to end poverty. Planet Forward helped me transform my hobby for photography into a professional passion where I now use storytelling as a tool for continuous improvement.

Prior to Planet Forward, I had the opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps in Benin, pursue climate change research as a visiting Fulbright Fellow with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Cambodia, and conduct sustainable development research projects across Africa, Asia, South America and the Pacific during my undergraduate career at Washington & Jefferson College.

We all work with compelling characters overcoming obstacles. It is our job as storytellers to share with others how we scale up their solutions to move the planet forward.