As the AI for Climate and Nature Challenge progresses, the top Phase 1 submissions are now moving forward to a multidisciplinary judging panel. This panel features experts across diverse fields, including artificial intelligence, climate science, environmental sustainability, and technology innovation. The judges will recommend up to 30 Seed Grantees, each set to receive $50,000 and an exclusive invitation to participate in Phase 2. 

The AI for Climate and Nature team extends its gratitude to the following judges for generously contributing their time and expertise:

Biodiversity conservation panel:

  • Greg Ulrich – Chief AI and Data Officer, Mastercard
  • Tasso Azevedo – Founder and General Coordinator, Mapbiomas
  • Veena Srinivasan – Executive Director, Founder of WELL Labs
  • Aileen Lee – Chief of Programs, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Power grid optimization panel:

  • Joana Portugal Periera – Assistant Professor at Coppe/UFRJ and Assistant Professor at IST/ULisboa
  • Geoffrey Levene – Director, Worldwide AI Initiatives, Nvidia
  • Seong Lok Choi – Engineering Lead, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Sustainable protein panel:

  • Aleksandra Faust – Research Director, Google DeepMind
  • Liz Specht Senior – Senior Advisor and former Senior Vice President of Science and Technology, Good Food Institute
  • Boris Gamazaychikov – Senior Manager, Emissions Reduction, Salesforce

Wildcard panel:

  • Alayna Van Dervort – Executive Director The Big Wild
  • Kofi Nyarko – Director, Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Systems, Morgan State University
  • Lucas Joppa – Senior Managing Director and Chief Sustainability Officer, Haveli Investments

Learn more about the judges as they score submissions against the selection criteria. The Bezos Earth Fund anticipates announcing the awardees later this year.