Taryn Akiyama is passionate about the intersection of environmental policy and international affairs, particularly in enhancing global climate change collaboration. She is currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Management at Yale University, specializing in Environmental Policy Analysis. Formerly, Taryn was an appointee of California Governor Brown and then Governor Newsom's Office of Planning and Research, where she coordinated the Under2 Coalition, a group of over 220 governments in 43 countries, and planned the Global Climate Action Summit, which brought together 5,000 leaders across government, business, and civil society. Taryn has a unique worldview, having lived in five countries on three continents.