Mia MacDonald

Mia MacDonald is the Executive Director/President of Brighter Green, where she directs strategy, programs, and collaborative projects. Mia has published many articles and op-eds, authored many policy papers and reports, been quoted in a variety of media, and contributed to several books, including Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai’s bestselling autobiography, Unbowed, and Vanessa Nakate’s memoir/manifesto, A Bigger Picture.

She has taught in the Environmental and Animal Studies programs at New York University, and at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and the Human Rights program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She was previously president and treasurer of the Green Belt Movement International-U.S., president of the Culture & Animals Foundation (where she now sits on the advisory board), on the U.S. board of the Africa Network for Animal Welfare, and on the board of directors at Farm Sanctuary and the Food Empowerment Project.

Before founding Brighter Green, Mia was a policy analyst, writer, editor, and project manager on sustainable development, women’s rights, reproductive health, population, conservation, and animal protection. She consulted with the Ford Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund, among many others, and several United Nations agencies. She’s also worked as a journalist, editor, and nonprofit manager. Mia received a master’s degree in public policy (international development) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a B.A. with honors in English from Columbia, and also studied at Oxford University.