Kim fell in love with African wildlife as a child, long before her first trip to the continent in 2001, and long before she understood the complexity and severity of the many threats to the animals’ survival. Although much of her professional career prior to joining Big Life was focused on ocean wildlife conservation, it has been a lifelong dream for Kim to work with an organization that protects the land-based animals and indigenous communities of East Africa, including the extraordinarily beautiful ecosystems they inhabit. Kim is a passionate animal and environmental advocate with a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a J.D. with honors from Lewis & Clark Law School, specializing in Animal Law and International Environmental Law. During law school, Kim served as Editor in Chief of the internationally-acclaimed Animal Law Review and interned with the National Center for Animal Law and the International Environmental Law Project (IELP). Her year with the IELP included a special focus on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). While in law school, Kim also participated in a variety of legal projects specific to the trade in and treatment of elephants in captivity. Prior to finding her dream role with Big Life, Kim was the Executive Director at Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, as well as Director of Campaigns and Legal Affairs. Kim and her family live in Washington, amidst the natural beauty of the Pacific NW. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Amy serves as the Deputy Director for Big Life Foundation USA. She has worked in endangered species conservation for over a decade, with a nonprofit management emphasis on outreach and communications. Working for Big Life fulfills a lifelong dream to help protect elephants and other critical species. Upon graduating cum laude from the University of the Pacific with a B.A. in Economics and International Relations, Amy launched a career in conservation that has included: defending marine wildlife in international waters, dam removal and wild fish campaigns in the Pacific Northwest, and renewable energy advocacy. Amy enjoys traveling, puttering about in the garden, and spending quiet moments in remote wilderness areas. She lives in Portland, Oregon and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Alexandra is passionate about connecting people to conservation through strategic philanthropy and creative partnerships. Through her work over the past decade with bi/multi-lateral organizations, government agencies, private foundations, corporations, and inspired individuals, she has helped raise millions of dollars and initiate new programs for environmental missions. Before coming to Big Life, Alexandra served as the Associate Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, managed program-implementation and business development initiatives within the Environment and Energy Sector at DAI International, and worked as an Associate on the ACTION campaign in Washington, D.C. Alexandra began her career as a political fundraiser on a U.S. Senate campaign after graduating cum laude from Elon University with degrees in International Studies and Political Science. In her spare time, Alexandra loves to travel and learn how communities across the globe are working to save the natural world around them. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Michelle credits her love of wildlife and the great outdoors to growing up on a diet of Ranger Rick magazines, regular family camping trips, and parents who knew the names of plants and birds and the other wildlife they encountered. She graduated summa cum laude from Asbury University with a BA in Biology and also studied at Au Sable Environmental Institute. Michelle has built trails in Montana, maintained prairies and wetlands in Indiana and earned a graduate certificate in Landscape Design. Through work at a children’s museum, she ultimately found a home in grant writing and nonprofit communications. Most recently, she worked at HumanKind, a human services nonprofit in Virginia, managing and writing grants and other communications. She is excited that with Big Life she is supporting conservation that supports the people – and is so happy to have found a place where her love for nature and nonprofit fundraising work combine. Michelle’s favorite things mostly involve spending time outdoors, whether it is camping, mountain biking, gardening or hiking. Her other favorite things are reading, snuggling with her sweet rescue dog and long lunches with friends.

Alyssa is the Major Gifts Officer for Big Life Foundation. She brings a lifelong love of nature and more than a decade of fundraising experience to the role. Alyssa owes her passion for global conservation initiatives to her grandparents who taught her about wildlife and science while instilling a love of travel from a young age. Since then, Alyssa has dreamed of seeing the iconic species of the Amboseli ecosystem – zebras, giraffes, and, of course, elephants – in their natural habitat. She is excited for her first opportunity to visit Kenya. Alyssa holds a B.A. in Psychology from Tufts University, whose mascot is fittingly Jumbo the elephant, and an M.A. in Conservation Biology from Miami University. While pursuing her graduate degree, Alyssa was already working full-time in fundraising and sought to merge her professional expertise with her commitment to environmental stewardship. Her master’s research explored how transformative experiences in nature can inspire lasting behavior change, such as adopting sustainable habits and supporting conservation organizations. Her academic journey culminated in a semester studying Hooded Capuchins in the Atlantic Forest in Paraguay. There she gained firsthand insight into the dire consequences of habitat fragmentation on species’ survivability and the importance of community partnership and leadership in conservation efforts. Prior to joining Big Life, Alyssa spent eight years securing major gifts for Earthjustice, helping advance environmental law and justice initiatives across the U.S. When she’s not working, Alyssa enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time with her cats. When traveling, she believes birdwatching offers a unique lens through which to experience a new location and connect with the natural world. Alyssa can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Traci is a dedicated and passionate advocate for all of Earth’s incredible species and ecosystems. Throughout her career, she’s pushed herself to learn new skills that help elevate her ability to support the ultimate goal of conserving nature for future generations. In college, she was very active in The Wildlife Society, ultimately becoming President of the award-winning chapter in her senior year. She also lead a joint project with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to document and photograph Endangered Greater Prairie Chickens. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point with a B.S. in Biology, her professional path has taken her everywhere from an Animal Control Officer, Raptor Field Biologist, to a volunteer at a Big Cat Sanctuary. She moved to Washington State following her love of Killer whales, where she continued her experience in the nonprofit world with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for several years in the media department. She has also worked with Western Prince Whale Watching, a small business dedicated to environmentally responsible whale watching, where she supported social media, graphic design, video production, new business relationships, and new marketing strategies. Her background is diverse, a “Jill of all trades,”and she is thrilled to join the Big Life team. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Amanda Williams is Big Life’s Fundraising Operations Coordinator, bringing more than seven years of experience in animal welfare and a decade of activism and scholarship focused on improving human–animal relations. Amanda holds a B.S. in Education from Central Missouri University and an M.Ed. in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Guided by a worldview of deep interconnectivity with the natural world, they approach fundraising as a way to build relationships and sustain life, not just manage systems. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Amanda shares life with their wife, two children, and six companion animals. Outside of work, they enjoy shooting pool, birdwatching, writing, watching horror films, and cleaning up local creeks with their family. They can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Anna is Big Life's Digital Marketing and Design Specialist, bringing international experience in driving organizational growth through web design, branding, strategic campaigns, and compelling visual storytelling for mission-driven organizations. Anna's career began in the fashion industry as a designer for Marc Jacobs, H&M, and Gap Inc., she then transitioned to UI design and digital marketing with Amazon Fashion before moving into the nonprofit sector. Her cross-industry background uniquely positions her to communicate Big Life's conservation mission through creative and engaging digital experiences. Growing up in a small village in the volcanic Eifel region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Anna developed a deep love of wildlife and the natural world. Her parents nurtured this connection, taking her foraging and teaching her the names of plants and birds as they explored the forests together. Now living in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, Anna has deepened her understanding of the interconnections between healthy ecosystems and thriving communities. As a Zen meditation student, she brings mindfulness practice into her work and daily life. Through hiking, foraging, birdwatching, and permaculture gardening, she has cultivated an authentic connection to the land that informs her approach to conservation storytelling. Anna can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.