Acknowledging Our Privilege
As a project of Climate Nexus, the Water Hub benefits from a system that invests disproportionately in white-led and wealthy national nonprofits. Since the Water Hub was created to add communications capacity to the water field, we must first acknowledge the inequality that currently exists in the space.
Groups closest to water challenges often have the fewest resources to frame the conversation. As a result, water narratives tend to center the views of an affluent minority. We will use our position to lift up historically marginalized voices, and support the leadership of frontline groups so they can create change on their terms.
The Water Hub works across the West, a region that encompasses the unceded territories of dozens of Native American nations that steward the lands and waters to this day, despite decades of genocide, displacement, and erasure.
Team
Briget Arndell
Communications Associate
Jessica Jewell
Director of Digital
José Aranda
Relationships Manager
Nicole Lampe
Managing Director
Sade Moore
Communications Associate
Sarah Bucci
Director of Strategic Communications
Our Values
We are co-creative and collectivist
We work in solidarity with the communities most impacted by water challenges. We stand beside — and often behind — our partners in co-powering the water solutions they need and want.
We prioritize relationships
We prioritize projects that build understanding and empathy, and work to forge connections across campaigns and coalitions.
We engage hearts and heads
We know that decisions are driven by both feelings and facts. We work with partner organizations to integrate earned media, digital and cultural strategies that speak to deeply held values.
We take time to listen and reflect
In order to reform our water system, we must first understand its history. We are committed to deep listening and ongoing learning. We welcome feedback and don’t shy away from tough conversations.
We move at the speed of trust
We balance the urgency of the issues and speed of the news cycle with the need to build trust. We take the time to meet people where they are — both physically and philosophically.
We challenge industry norms
Working with communities is more important than counting news clips. We focus on ethical rather than extractive storytelling, and respect lived experience and traditional ecological knowledge.
Advisory Group
The Water Hub Advisory Group is intended to guide the Hub’s work, ensuring an inclusive and equitable approach, informing strategy, connecting Hub staff to prospective partners and supporting accountability.
Members include:
- Adam Hymans, Managing Director at Resource Media
- Arohi Sharma, Policy Analyst at NRDC
- Jade Begay, Climate Justice Campaign Director at NDN Collective; White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Member
- Niketa Kumar, Director of Communications at Water Foundation
- Sinjin Eberle, Communications Director/Executive Producer at American Rivers
- Sri Vedachalam, Director of Water at Environmental Policy Innovation Center
We are still working to grow the Advisory Group to be representative of the communities we hope to serve, and welcome expressions of interest or nominations.
The Advisory Group does not have fiduciary responsibility for the Water Hub, which is a program of Climate Nexus, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.