Akira serves as the Grant Officer on Canopy Planet Society’s Philanthropic Partnerships team, where she leverages her extensive background in environmental advocacy and fundraising to champion the protection of Ancient and Endangered Forests. Having gotten her start in fundraising back in 2013, Akira has a long track record at conservation nonprofits around the world. Drawn to Canopy by a deep commitment to forest ecosystems and environmental justice, Akira is pivotal in advancing the organization's mission through strategic grant management and funder engagement.
More about me
I consider environmental activism to be both my passion and my profession, and I have dedicated my career to this love. After studying ecological restoration and natural resource management in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, and studying abroad in the tropical bastion of Belize, I headed to Indonesia to work with Orangutan Foundation International. Since then, I have worked at Rainforest Action Network, California Environmental Voters, and Greenpeace USA. I’ve now worked in nearly every area of fundraising, and I love connecting people to causes. As a grant officer, I use my passion for the environment to translate Canopy’s work into compelling stories and paint the picture of how supply chain transformation can lead to real, tangible, and positive change — and how foundations can help partner with us to make this a reality.
Why forests are important to me
When I was young, I was told about the beautiful splendour and diversity of the rainforests. I was fascinated by the fact that a single large tree can contain enough microhabitats — like different bark textures, leaf shapes, water, and light levels — to allow thousands upon thousands of different species to thrive in specific niches on the same tree.
And then I was told how football fields-worth were being deforested every minute. This struck my little soccer-player's heart as a grave injustice, and I knew then that I wanted to learn more. More about forests, yes, but also about people and politics and economics — all the things that make society tick and can help spell the path to viable solutions forward. I believe strongly that we should share this planet — humans are only one small part of a larger whole, after all, and we should not let our actions harm others. Because this world is a beautiful, magical place.
Why Canopy
Canopy gets it. I love our focus on providing tangible, feasible solutions in order to achieve large-scale, rapid change. Our team is audacious and not afraid of stating what is needed, even if it seems hard. Canopals are willing to listen to those that they might not agree with, seek to understand barriers to change, and work together collaboratively on ways to move forward. A lot of harm has been done to the environment over the years, and Canopy helps show companies that a better way is possible.
Ask me about
Feel free to ask me about my pet friends, fun recipes, board games, sci-fi fantasy books, travel — anything and everything! I love to deep-dive into new topics and constantly learn new, random things.
What ruffles my feathers
Casual waste. That might sound a little on-the-nose, but it’s true! I was actually part of a Waste Reduction and Resource Awareness Program (WRRAP) back in school. I also don’t like being read to.
