Planet Forward alumni are change-makers, innovators, and storytellers who carry their passion for a more sustainable future into every corner of the world.

We are thrilled to congratulate our former senior correspondent and two-time Storyfest winner Sachi Kitajima Mulkey on her new role as a staff reporter at Grist. Mulkey, who was hired in mid-June, will cover the intersection of climate change, policy, politics, and culture at the independent, climate-focused newsroom. 

As a Planet Forward Senior Correspondent, the University of California, Berkeley, alum reported on a wide range of topics, from native plants to sustainable fishing and the fossil fuel divestment movement in higher education. 

Mulkey won the Storyfest Planet Forward Staff Award in 2023 with her piece “Reinventing a sustainable crab fishery.” This powerful story skillfully captured the voices and experiences of crab fishers through insightful interviews and her own unique illustrations. 

In July 2023, Mulkey embarked on a weeklong expedition to Iceland with Planet Forward and Lindblad Expeditions, alongside our other Storyfest winners. There, she reported on the future of Iceland’s tourism industry, interviewing local experts and museum professionals in her piece, “Transforming Iceland | An unclear future for Iceland’s glacier tourism.”

Another story, “Looking back on Alto Maipo: Hydropower and controversy in the Chilean Andes,” which she co-authored with Laura Isaza, won Best Multimedia Story in our 2024 Storyfest contest. This piece, which features photos and audio snippets from interviews, explores the effects of a controversial hydroelectric project on the Cajón del Maipo region of the Chilean Andes.

After her time with Planet Forward, Mulkey worked as an intern at Radiolab, was a Grist Climate News Fellow, and a New York Times Climate Reporting Fellow.

We are so proud of Mulkey and wish her the best starting this new chapter with Grist!