Nick Mucha is the Environmental Capacity Building Director at Patagonia. In this role, Nick leads Patagonia’s efforts to focus and deliver strategic grantmaking support to Patagonia’s grantee organizations while enhancing the effectiveness and durability of nonprofit partners. His work is born out of a deep appreciation for the vitally important role that nonprofit organizations play in tackling our most vexing environmental, social, and economic issues. Nick has 15 years’ experience leading conservation and community development programs throughout the world. His interest in this work was born while he and his wife served as Peace Corps volunteers in Honduras from 2004-2006. From that experience Nick founded his own organization supporting coastal communities that were grappling with booming surf tourism in southern Nicaragua. After running that organization for seven years, Nick served as Director of Programs for Save The Waves Coalition with a focus on protecting surf ecosystems worldwide. Nick holds a B.A.in political science from UC Santa Barbara. Outside of work, Nick is usually serving up dad jokes to his three kids or scheming to get in a quick surf, trail run, or weekend adventure off-grid.Patrick Thomas is a Minnesota-based marketing leader, editor, and consultant. Over 20 years of publishing work he’s edited New York Times bestsellers, served as managing director of Milkweed Editions, ran theSan Francisco Chroniclebook review, and developed innovative branching narrative gaming scripts. He’s been fortunate to work with numerous award-winning writers, scientists, adventurers, and poets, and believes in the powerful role stories have to play in saving the planet.Jessica Flinthas worked as an editor at such publications asVanity Fair, Bloomberg Businessweek,andDepartures, and was a content strategist at Apple. She has written about mountain climbing in Africa forOutside, hiking with her father through Chilean Patagonia forDepartures, and trends in sustainable travel forNational Geographic, among other publications. She lives in Minnesota.
