Class of 2021

Miika focuses on nature, biodiversity, and climate solutions at Sitra, The Finnish Innovation Fund. Sitra was selected in 2018 as a leading driver of the circular economy at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Miika’s background is in sustainable finance and ESG in asset management and corporate banking.

Miika first encountered environmental issues while studying in India in the United World College programme on a Finnish Cultural Foundation scholarship. He served as a chief fire officer for the college’s fire brigade, which was responsible for protecting the valuable Van Vihar Biodiversity Reserve against wildfires. From India, Miika’s journey continued to Bolivia, where he worked in ecotourism in the Amazon.

Miika holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in Policy Science (Governance, Economics and Development) from Leiden University College the Hague.

During his time in London, Miika was Partner at Affirmative Investment Management, the world’s first dedicated green and social bond fund management company. Most recently he worked for the OP Corporate Bank in Helsinki, focusing on the environmental, social and governance aspects in corporate finance.

Nera is working as a policy analyst in the research service of the European Parliament in Brussels (European Parliamentary Research Service, EPRS) where she is supporting the work of the EP’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA). The EPRS’ mission is “empowering through knowledge” and in her capacity, Nera is providing evidence-based information and analyses to support Members of the EP in their policy-making role on a range of topics with a strong scientific and technological dimension. Nera has an academic background in nutrition, food science and development and prior to joining the EP she has been working in the non-profit sector on issues and subjects related to food, health and consumer behaviour, and development.

Livia heads the office of the Former President of Germany Christian Wulff. Her responsibilities include international relations, European policy, democracy and cohesion of society. Prior to this she worked as political advisor and project manager at the Multilateral Dialogue office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Vienna covering all multilateral topics. From 2013 to 2018, she worked for a member of the German Bundestag. There, she oversaw the membership of the Committee on European Affairs and the reporting on Turkey.

She is a member of the Working Group on Terrorism and Homeland Security of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a member of Women in International Studies, and Secretary General of the Austrian-Italian Association. Livia Puglisi graduated in Law and Romance Studies at the University of Vienna.

Johannes graduated in International Economics (B.Sc.) at the universities of Tuebingen (Germany) and Cape Town (South Africa) (2011) and recently obtained a master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Public Economics from the Free University Berlin. He is a co-founder of the student’s initiative Greening the University, Tuebingen, became actively involved as its chairman and co-developed and implemented the Studium Oecologicum at the University of Tuebingen.

In 2012, he joined netzwerk n e.V., a German network of student-led initiatives aiming at promoting and supporting a student-driven transformation of universities towards sustainable development. Between 2013 and 2018, he acted as its chairman representing the network on conferences and political talks. He also worked as a project manager for netzwerk n and was supporting student initiatives at universities across Germany to increase their transformative capacity by transferring knowledge, exchanging best practices and developing sustainability concepts for their universities.

Since April 2018, he acts as head of office and policy advisor on innovation and technology policy for Dr. Anna Christmann, Green member of the German Bundestag.

Vincent Hurkens works as a senior policy adviser to Bas Eickhout, Member of the European Parliament, Vice President of the Environment Committee and member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Over the past years his key legislative work for Eickhout was the EU’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Regulation for which Eickhout is the Parliament’s rapporteur. Besides sustainable finance, other policy areas that Vincent recently worked on in the European Parliament include the EU’s Covid recovery fund, European economic governance, taxation and trade. Before joining the European Parliament, Vincent worked for the Permanent Representation of The Netherlands to the EU and the European Commission.

Vincent grew up in The Netherlands. He studied in Nijmegen, The Netherlands and Berlin, Germany and holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from Radboud University Nijmegen. He has two children and lives in Brussels.

Scott is an Assistant Vice President at the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA) where he focuses on multiple priorities including sustainable finance and the opportunities and risks from new technology.

Prior to his role at GFMA, Scott worked directly in the financial services industry at Goldman Sachs and as a consultant at Reference Point. In these roles he learned firsthand how banks and the financial services industry operate. He was also involved in multiple projects relating to the development and implementation of new technology systems and operational processes.

Scott holds an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Robert H Smith School of Business, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from Villanova University.

As part of his MBA program, Scott participated as an analyst in the University’s Global Equity Fund and also had the opportunity to take courses focusing on sustainability and digital transformation.

California State Senator Ben Allen was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018 to represent the 26th District covering the Westside, Hollywood, and coastal South Bay communities of Los Angeles County.

Ben’s work in government focuses on prudent decision-making and reforms that address systemic inadequacies in our state. An attorney and former school board member, he has authored crucial legislation in the areas of environmental protection, green transit, educational opportunity, and electoral reform. He chairs the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality and the Joint Committee on the Arts, and he is immediate past-chair of the Legislative Jewish Caucus. Born and raised in Santa Monica, Ben is a son of teachers and holds degrees from Harvard, University of Cambridge, and UC Berkeley. He and his wife, Melanie, have one young son, Ezra.

State Representative Four Price, a fourth generation Texan from Amarillo, has the privilege of advocating for constituents residing in five Texas Panhandle counties. In 2020, Price was re-elected to his sixth term in the Texas House of Representatives. Having been born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Representative Price brings to the Texas Capitol a strong sense of conservative values and a deep love of the Lone Star State. As a young man, he learned the importance of one's word and the value of a dollar by working on area farms and ranches. These character traits of integrity, hard-work, and results-oriented leadership define Price's advocacy for his constituents at the Texas Capitol.

Currently, Representative Price Co-Chairs the Health and Human Services Transition Legislative Oversight Committee. He is also a member of the House Public Health Committee (a committee he previously chaired) and the House Natural Resources Committee. Price previously also chaired the House Select Committee on Mental Health, the House Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse and the House Calendars Committee, which is responsible for determining which items of proposed legislation are scheduled for debate in the Texas House Chamber. Throughout his six terms, other committee assignments have included tenures on the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee, the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee, the House Redistricting Committee and the powerful House Appropriations Committee where he served as the Article II subcommittee chair overseeing the state’s budget for health & human services spending.

In his leadership roles, Price has championed the passage of numerous legislative items as both an author and sponsor. Additionally, he has authored/sponsored and passed several bills pertaining to government efficiency, improving the performance of several state agencies under 'sunset' review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, improving the delivery of healthcare, including in rural areas, and water policy. Previously, he joint- authored House Bill 4, the historic legislation which led to the creation of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, more commonly referred to as SWIFT.

Representative Price is an active member of the following caucuses in the Texas House of Representatives: Community College Caucus, Republican Caucus, Rural Caucus, Sportsman's Caucus, Tourism Caucus, and Veterans Caucus.

For his legislative work, Representative Price has been recognized by many diverse organizations, including being named to the 2017 Top Ten Best Legislator List by Texas Monthly magazine. Among other honors and awards are: • 2019 Telemedicine & Health Information Recognition, Texas HIMSS • 2019 Family Champion Award, Texas Council on Family Relations • 2018 Champion for Children Award, Texas Coalition of Homes for Children • 2018 Patient Advocacy Award, Texas Academy of Family Physicians • 2018 Guardian of Small Business Award, NFIB Texas • 2018 M. Diane Allbaugh Texas Heroes for Children Award, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children/Texas Office • 2018 Carmen Miller Michael Mental Health Advocate Award, Mental Health America of Greater Dallas • 2018 Public Policy Award, Texas Suicide Prevention Council • 2017 Legislative Champion Award, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute • 2017 Big Voices for Little Texans Award, Texas CASA • 2017 Champion of Transparency, Texas Press Association • 2017 Luminary Award, Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute • 2017, 2015, 2013 Patient Protection Award, Texas Medical Association • 2017 and 2015 Texas Hospital Advocacy Tribute, Texas Hospital Association • 2015 and 2013 Texas Rural Health Award, TORCH • 2016 Charley H. Shannon Advocate Award, NAMI Texas • 2015 Law and Order Award, Texas District and County Attorneys • 2013 Legislator of the Year Award, Texas Civil Justice League

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a B.B.A. degree in Finance and a graduate of Saint Mary's University School of Law with a J.D. degree, Price has practiced law for over twenty-five years. He currently is a vice president and trust officer for an Amarillo financial institution.

Representative Price and his wife, Karen, live in Amarillo and are the proud parents of four adult children. When asked what most people don’t know about him, Rep. Price responds that he married a former Texas Tech Homecoming Queen and has completed two marathons.