Ze-Kun Li, Executive director

Ze (he/him) got his first taste of community organizing in 2010, when, as a De Anza College student, he helped organize a 15,000-person march in San Francisco to advocate for adequate educational funding. This invaluable experience created a belief in the power of student organizing and motivated him to successfully run for student body president. As student body president in 2011, he led a group of 75+ student leaders to create systematic changes - including a deal with VTA to create the first community college eco-pass, where students now pay only $7.75 per quarter to have unlimited usage of any Valley Transportation Authority bus and light rail.

Prior to joining Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action, he built multi-sector coalitions in the 9 counties of the Bay Area to support the largest affordable housing bond in the country. Before that, he was the Director of Campaign Operations for a leading California political strategy firm, where he guided California State Senate and State Assembly, Countywide and City Council electoral campaigns to victory. He’s won 24 out of 26 campaigns because he values strategic partnerships, coalition building, in-language communication and utilizes polling and data to inform decisions.

Over a decade of experience working with private, public and non-profit stakeholders has taught Ze to prioritize the philosophy of “people support what they help create.” His innate ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders and students creates synergy that turns an idea into a reality. He is passionate about youth empowerment and helping to mentor the next generation of changemakers to tackle the climate crisis, and creating systematic changes in education to level the playing field to green career opportunities.

Ze holds a B.A. in Political Science from Santa Clara University.

Contact: Ze@svyouthclimateaction.org

Christine Zack, Program Manager

Christine Zack is a wildlife biologist, environmental educator, and program manager with over a decade of experience mentoring youth, leading environmental projects, and building community partnerships. She is passionate about empowering young people to take action on climate change and positively impact their communities.

As Senior Education Manager at Environmental Volunteers, Christine redesigned and relaunched the teen docent program in 2019, expanding participation from 1 to 40 by 2023. She created leadership roles, specialized training, and recruitment processes, securing support for expansion through internships and capstone projects. Of the teen docents, 85% decided to pursue STEM majors, and 95% have been accepted to four-year colleges. Students have gone on to become local leaders, founding several youth-led environmental education and conservation organizations.

In recent years, Christine has focused on creating climate change programs and curricula for elementary and high school students. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors bird watching, volunteering with local environmental nonprofits, or relaxing at home watching Netflix with her partner, Jon, and their cat, Gus.

Christine holds a degree in Biological Anthropology from UC San Diego and a Master’s in Biology from Saint Joseph’s University.

Contact: Christine@svyouthclimateaction.org

Zoe Hanshew, Program Coordinator

Zoe recently earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Biology from Santa Clara University. While at SCU, she worked alongside a professor researching grass and designed a school garden for a local elementary school. Originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, she enjoys gardening, sailing, and spending time outdoors. This fall, Zoe plans to begin the Master of Arts in Teaching and Teaching Credential program at Santa Clara University.

With three years of experience in environmental education, Zoe is excited to join Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action. She is currently developing materials for this summer’s upcoming Climate Leadership Academy.

Erin Zimmerman, Communications Consultant

Erin Zimmerman has been studying the political impacts of environmental change for over a decade. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2013. Her doctoral dissertation examined the influence of non-traditional security issues, such as climate change, on regional governing institutions in Asia. Her master’s thesis, completed in 2010, examined the negative impact of environmentally induced migration on state stability.

As an environmental advocate Erin has been involved with many organizations in Australia, Switzerland and the United States of America. Most recently, she was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2019 by the Climate Reality Project. She was also the climate columnist for the San Jose Spotlight and invited columnist with India currents between 2020 and 2022. She currently lives in Colorado and, in addition to her work with SVYCA, she also works at the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine — an National Science Foundation Funded entity focused on fostering the development and deployment of climate resilience technologies.

Sarah Adkar, Youth Director 2025, Fremont

Sarah is the Founder and Co-Lead of the Fremont Action team (soon to be the Tri-City team), 2025 IMPACT Summit Project Lead, and part of SVYCA’s State Advocacy Team. She passionate about exploring the intersection of climate and medicine—how rising temperatures, toxins, and policy failures manifest not just in melting ice or statistics, but in human lungs, skin, and minds.She is currently working to deepen SVYCA’s interdisciplinary reach across environmental justice, public health, and international relations, forging connections that turn data into action and awareness into healing.

Katherine Park, Youth Director 2025

Katherine is co-lead of the Sunnyvale and State Advocacy teams and a student mentor for the 2025 Summer Academy. She often hikes and goes camping with family, and has always been passionate about protecting California's ecosystems. As Youth Director, she is working so that members have the opportunity to explore and make changes to issues they are specifically passionate about. She is always looking to work together to make the environment and future a better and greener place

Daphne Zhu, Youth Director (Emeritus), San Jose

Daphne is a senior at Lynbrook High School, and a co-lead of the San Jose and Nature-Based Solutions action teams. Her love of nature since childhood has made her dedicated to fight for environmental preservation, and she joined SVYCA with the goal of creating impactful change—which she can say has definitely become true. She loves the supportive community she has found here, and whether through SVYCA and advocacy or any other field, she hopes that many others will join the local and global community working to protect our common home. Outside of SVYCA, she serves as the president of her school’s environmental club, a member of the FUHSD Climate Collective, and a Youth Commissioner of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, practicing clarinet, spending time outside, or watching historical c-dramas!

Jayden Wan, Youth Director (Emeritus), San Mateo County

Jayden Wan is a senior at Burlingame High School, and Co-Lead of San Mateo Youth Climate Action. Hoping to pursue a career in urban studies and sustainability, he's often searching for new ways to further his skills as both an advocate for the environment and as a designer.

Hoi Poon, Co-Founder & Senior ADvisor

Hoi Poon is a seasoned Strategist, Community Organizer, and Marketer with over two decades of experience in various sectors. Throughout her career, she has managed and advised successful campaigns at the local, state, and federal level, directed policy and issue-oriented projects, and conducted marketing and fundraising for non-profits.

Hoi's extensive experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors has enabled her to understand different perspectives and bridge divides among people to achieve common ground and create positive change. She has also served on numerous non-profit boards focused on education, environmental issues, and community development.

In 2019, due to the urgency of the climate crisis, Hoi began an early retirement and founded SVYCA to focus on advancing climate solutions and engaging key stakeholders and youth across the Bay Area to combat global temperature rise.