Leela Hazzah
Leela is the Executive Director and Cofounder of Lion Guardians, Cofounder and Director of Women for the Environment Africa (WE Africa), and Cofounder of PRIDE Lion Conservation Alliance. She obtained her PhD and MSc from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is an affiliate faculty at University of Cape Town and Colorado State University. She also serves on many advisory boards that focus on the environment, social justice, and philanthropy. Leela has worked on conservation issues in East Africa for over twenty years and is especially passionate about indigenous communities leading and owning conservation solutions, employing innovation to further environmental goals, putting more women at the head of decision-making spaces and at the heart of the African environmental movement. She has been recognized for her groundbreaking work through numerous awards, including the Explorers Club Presidential medal, Rolex Awards for Enterprise (Finalist), CNN Heroes, the Future for Nature Award, the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment, a Fulbright Fellowship, and the Jordan Prize for African Studies. When Leela is not traveling to give talks or build partnerships, she is based at the Lion Guardians camp near Amboseli National Park in Southern Kenya, living in a tent with a gorgeous view of Mt.Kilimanjaro.
Email: leela@lionguardians.org
