What is the Iris Project?
The Iris Project is run in collaboration with Global Greengrants Fund, and has been established in memory of Iris Goldsmith, who died in a tragic accident aged 15. Iris had a deep and lifelong connection with the natural world, a gentle way with animals, and a particular love for the sea. In her memory, we are building a global community of young people working to protect and restore their local natural environment. We recognise that young people are already leading the way in finding solutions to the climate and ecological crisis. The Iris Project exists to shine a light on that leadership, and to enable outstanding individuals to take it further by providing access to the funds and support that, all too often, they find too difficult to access.
Our Advisory Panel.
Our Youth Advisory Panel sits at the heart of the Iris Project, and the global community that we are hoping to build. It is made up of outstanding young leaders from around the world who are already dedicating their lives to addressing the climate and nature crisis.
As well as identifying candidates for the annual Iris Prize, our panelists provide peer-to-peer mentoring to prize winners, and connect like-minded winners and applicants to share knowledge and create new ideas for change.
- Sumarni Laman
Indonesia, an indigenous climate advocate
- Alicia Amancio
Brazil, founder of the Latin American Youth Climate Scholarship
- Francisco Lara-Fletes
Costa Rica, a climate activist and political science undergraduate student
- Shreya K.C
Nepal, a socio-climate justice activist
- Steve Misati
Kenya, Founder of Youth Pawa
- Alyssa Erin Kardos Loera
Cambodia, Founder of ReMade Cambodia
- Nii Noi Kofi Omaboe
Ghana, Youth Climate Leader and African Indigenous Knowledge Researcher
Sumarni Laman is an indigenous youth climate advocate actively involved in environmental initiatives to address the challenges posed by deforestation, unsustainable agriculture, forest fires, and mining. She currently serves as Project Manager at Replant World, a reforestation organisation. She works closely with youth, local, and indigenous communities to restore degraded ecosystems in Indonesia and Africa. Sumarni’s dedication has earned her recognition, including the prestigious 16 Women Restoring The World award from the Global Landscape Forum in 2021.
Alicia’s work is focused on international climate change policy. She is the founder of the Latin American Youth Climate Scholarship, an initiative that aims to increase the participation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color in climate talks and spaces. Alicia hopes to share her experience in project management and youth inclusion with The Iris Project Advisory Panel.
Francisco Lara is a Consultant and Coordinator specializing in Climate and Marine Governance. He has led national campaigns in Costa Rica against oil exploration and trawling, and coordinated marine conservation projects in Central and South America for Non-for profits. Some of the projects are a contribution to the United Nations Decade of Science. Francisco has participated in international climate negotiations and advises on youth-led sustainability projects globally. He holds a degree in Political Science and is currently based in Costa Rica. He brings his expertise in Governance and youth engagement to the Advisory Panel and his background in marine and land ecosystems.
Shreya is a passionate Nepali socio-climate justice activist. She possesses a rich understanding of climate negotiations and her efforts are reflected in her work with a diverse group of young people worldwide to champion the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making spaces. She co-ordinates the advocacy working group in the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition and was recognized as EE 30 under 30 for making a remarkable difference through environmental education. Shreya follows global stocktake as a junior negotiator for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) group. Shreya is also the Wellbeing Focal Point for the Iris Prize grantees.
Steve is a marine conservationist and climate justice advocate based in Mombasa, Kenya. Founder of Youth Pawa, an organization that works in nature restoration projects, ocean conservation and community empowerment. Steve and Youth Pawa were the winners of the Stem Prize 2022. He is involved in the ocean space on a wide scope from marine ecosystem restorations to the general conservation works. He also currently serves on the Resilience Project’s Board of Youth, and he is a facilitator with the ChangemakersXchange. Oh! He is a fervid lover of coffee too.
Alyssa Erin Kardos Loera is the founder of ReMade in Cambodia, a platform that transforms textile waste into wearable products while empowering young local designers. She uses her passion for the arts to tackle environmental challenges, blending creativity with advocacy to drive change. As a former Iris Project prize winner, Alyssa is eager to support young people worldwide in creating projects that address climate change, waste reduction, and community resilience.
Nii Noi is a youth climate leader from Ghana. His journey into the development space started 8 years ago as a volunteer with a local organization that was building youth training centers and urban shelters. Since then he has had local and international experience in designing, management and coordination of projects related to climate, urban sustainability and impact innovation for and with youth.
Our Team.
- Ankica Sokolic
Ecosystem Coordinator
- Millie Edwards
Director
- Frances Storey
Project Manager
- Anouk Delaprée
Communications Manager
In March 2022, Millie launched The Iris Project and prize. She manages the team and the day-to-day running of the project, including managing the nominating partner network and facilitating the Advisory Panel and recruitment for The Iris Prize. She is a trained Art Psychotherapist and is currently based in London. Previously, Millie worked at the World’s Largest Lesson, Project Everyone, promoting using the Sustainable Development Goals in learning in over 160 countries.
With a background in the sustainable sector, Frances has worked across movement building, project management, and gender advocacy. A key focus has been fostering relationships within climate sectors that often act as silos, finding interesting and uplifting ways to collaborate. Understanding how different communities are impacted by climate change is crucial for ensuring their inclusion in the transition and preventing their exclusion from decisions about our future. Frances aspires to continue working with organizations advocating for a just climate future, at the forefront of diverse solutions addressing a range of challenges. When not behind her desk, Frances can be found in the mountains or by the sea.
Anouk manages the social media platforms, creates content, and executes communication strategies for The Iris Project. Having grown up in Cambodia and studied in Canada, Anouk brings a unique global perspective to the team. She is passionate about human rights and the environment and is dedicated to making a positive impact through the Iris Project.
About Iris
The Iris Project was founded in memory of Iris Goldsmith who died when she was fifteen years old. Iris had a profound connection with the natural world, a deep enduring love. The birds and the flowers, the trees, the ocean, the animals held an inexhaustible magic for her, ever since she was a tiny girl. It was here that she found peace and joy and endless inspiration. Our fragile planet and all its many wonders illuminated her life, so when she died there was no better way of honouring her memory than to support young people in their efforts to protect it. Knowing that this is how she would have spent her days, had she been given more of them.
Our Collaborators.
FAQs
Want to learn more about how we’re structured and how you can get involved? Here are the answers to some of our frequently asked questions.
What impact does the Iris Project aim to make?
Read The Iris Project Annual Report 2024 to learn more about the work we’ve been doing! Monitoring and evaluation are a core focus of The Iris Project. We have developed a theory of change and commit to altering our approach if we find out it doesn’t have the intended impact. We endeavour to admit and reflect on things going wrong and use our failures to guide our progress.
Which regions do you work in?
We believe that circumstance should never act as a barrier to action – and aim to provide support wherever it is needed the most. That is why we work with panelists and nominating partners from all around the world to identify the best candidates for the Iris Prize, wherever they may come from.
How are you funded?
Iris’ Family provided our initial set-up costs, and we have since secured donations from individuals and foundations – rather than private or listed companies. Most donations will directly support the work of young people (60%), including paying our Advisory Panel for their time, and we have committed to keeping operational costs at 20% of the annual budget. As a partner of Global Greengrants Fund, we adhere to their Fundraising Guidelines, which means that we don’t accept funds from anyone who does not support the principles of The Iris Project, namely securing environmental justice, championing the protection and restoration of nature, and the rights of those working to defend it.
Are you a registered charity?
Our founding partner, Global Greengrants Fund, is a registered UK charity, no 1151527. Currently, The Iris Project is hosted as a ‘pooled’ fund by Global Greengrants, meaning that we adhere to their charitable principles but are not yet a registered charity in our own right. Over time, this will change, but this partnership feels like the best fit for us as we find our feet as an organisation.
How do you manage risk?
We are wholly committed to championing the protection and restoration of nature and the rights of those working to defend it. We understand that this commitment does not come without risk, and we want to ensure that the rights and lives of our prize winners and their families are more important than their project. We are a responsive assistance partner of Open Briefing which means anyone in The Iris Project ecosystem can access fully-funded holistic security, mentoring and/or psychological well-being support at any time of the year. We want to ensure that – should it come to it – our support can rapidly be delivered whenever they might need it. If anyone in The Iris Project ecosystem feels they may be at risk they can email prize@theirisproject.org.
What is The Iris Project Ecosystem?
In the form of a private Slack channel, all applicants who apply for a Seed, Stem or Iris Prize are invited to join. They will receive funding and capacity-building opportunities, find collaborating partners, and initiate or join discussions about environmental and social issues relevant to their community and advocacy. Read the Ecosystem Guidebook.
What is your safeguarding policy?
We prioritize the health, welfare, and safety of all individuals, affirming their right to protection from harm regardless of various factors. This commitment extends to children, young people, at-risk adults, and our staff. We address safeguarding through prevention, reporting, and response pillars. For concerns, contact Millie Edwards, Safeguarding Focal Point, at millie@theirisproject.org.