Mike Kabjian:
Throughout his career, Mike Kabjian has been a social entrepreneur. As an
environmental consultant, Mike helped major corporations apply the
principles of Product Stewardship and Sustainable Development to their
business practices. As a computer consultant, his projects greatly
expanded the availability of health, safety and environmental information
to the public to make large corporations accountable. At the National
Academy of Engineering in Washington, DC, Mike worked with the world’s
leading engineers to re-define the U.S.’s relationship to energy and
environmental problems.
Over the past several years, Mike
championed volunteerism as way to bring the community together. His
innovations with the television series “Make it Happen” and the live
television event the
“Volunteer-a-thon” has helped countless volunteers get involved in their
community. An avid volunteer himself, Mike believes in the power of the
mass media to inform, inspire and empower individuals to community
action.
Currently, Mike continues to be a
social entrepreneur through a variety of projects involving education,
television and radio. Mike has a dual degree in Environmental Engineering
and Entrepreneurial Management from the University of Pennsylvania and the
Wharton School of Business.
Jim Rettew:
Jim Rettew has been active in public service his entire
professional life. Previously, Jim’s
main profession had been electing
qualified candidates to public office. In 1998, he ran the campaign for
Bernie Buescher for Lieutenant Governor. Before then, he ran campaigns
for Congressman Pete Peterson, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Bob
Crawford, and Congressman Wayne Owens. In 1999, Jim started his own
political/public policy/public relations consulting practice that included
clients like Head Start, the Daniels Fund, and the Colorado Energy
Assistance Foundation.
Knowing that the
media can also help create a more informed electorate, Jim created the
"Colorado Regional Report", a non-profit organization that provided
televised news reports to the rural areas of Colorado about how
legislative events occurring from the State Capitol in Denver affect their
daily lives.
Currently, Jim
teaches in the communication department at University of Colorado. Jim
has a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University and a B.A. in
political science from the University of Pennsylvania.
