About our Chief Activator
Jeffrey Gibbs creates and leads projects and organizations focused on securing and restoring our living planet as well as supporting the rights of Indigenous peoples. He’s also a photographer and public speaker.
At age 16, he founded a charitable environmental organization for Canadian teenagers that was focused on protecting the ancient temperate rainforests of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago located in the North Pacific Ocean. Since then, he has started three additional environmental youth leadership organizations as well as co-creating a global young volunteers program for WWF, the world's largest nature conservation organization.
As a teenager, he discovered a keen interest in Indigenous societies when he began to know and collaborate with the Haida Indigenous people. He has since developed a long track record of forming meaningful alliances with Indigenous peoples throughout the world.
Jeffrey (left) first visited the Amazon in his youth.
The charitable organizations and projects he has spearheaded have collectively involved thousands of young people in helping to secure life on Earth and support Indigenous peoples in protecting their societies. He has a particular interest in the Amazon rainforest, Borneo, Madagascar, and wild regions of Canada. For his efforts, he has received several distinctions, including becoming one of the youngest recipients of the United Nations Global 500 Roll of Honour, whose laureates include Sir David Attenborough, Chico Mendes, Wangari Maathai, Dame Jane Goodall, and Jacques Cousteau. Learn More
In 2022, he undertook an ambitious six week alliance building visit to Brazil and Peru in which he met with over one hundred key people across fifteen locations ranging from cities to villages to scientific research stations. He conversed with esteemed scientists, Indigenous leaders, Quilombolas, forest-guardian organizations, environmental campaigners, philanthropy advisors, youth groups, Indigenous women’s organizations, and reporters.
Jeffrey is touring with his multi-media slide show about how young people worldwide are coming together to protect our living planet. His goal is to present to youth groups, environmental organizations, philanthropies, and other allies in order to build the support our Youth Summit in Vancouver in May 2025. Learn More
“I have such high regard for all you have accomplished...You are amazing...You are an inspiration.”