Sue Van Hook has been a trailblazer for positive ecological outcomes during her careers in land conservation, education and mushroom start-ups. She is foremost a naturalist and teacher and is committed to sharing her expertise and knowledge with students of all ages in lectures and workshops across the country. 

She has been studying fungi for over 50 years, having completed her degrees at Humboldt State University in northern California. She taught biology and environmental science labs at Skidmore College for 18 years before becoming the Chief Mycologist at Ecovative Design, LLC.

As the Foundress and CEO of MycoBuoys LLC, Sue Van Hook has spent the past three years re-visiting her prior research and development to redesign buoys to float oyster bags and cages, kelp lines, and floating rafts for wetland vegetation restoration.  

Stephen Butz is a passionate educator and innovator, who has spearheaded numerous long-term environmental monitoring projects and water quality improvement initiatives with his students over two decades of experience teaching Earth and Environmental Science at both secondary and post-secondary levels.

Among his notable achievements is the creation of an all-electric floating classroom, which has facilitated groundbreaking research on freshwater ecosystems in the Northeastern United States. 

Steve authored  two widely used textbooks and several other works exploring the intersections of science, technology, and history and has been recognized as a New York State Master Teacher.

He holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cornell University and will receive his doctorate degree at the University at Albany in May, 2025.  

Jean is an experienced professional with practice areas in entrepreneurship, non-profit management and development, and transitioning professionals.

She has international experience in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and remains consistently engaged in local initiatives especially in the areas of energy, the environment and sustainability.