Kae grew up in Reno, NV where from a young age, they witnessed community based work that was intended to support people struggling with the impacts of deteriorating air quality, rising temperatures, redlining and the housing crisis. Since achieving their BA in Geography, Kae has been looking to work with people in affected communities to find solutions promoting community wellbeing through environmental justice. Kae served in Americorps, which included fire prevention forestry with Nevada Conservation Corps, and building equity focused climate action projects with Michigan Community Service Commission. They have focused much of their work on community work and the benefits of land use projects. In 2021, Kae got the opportunity to serve as a Climate Action Fellow with Veggielution, during which they supported food access and sovereignty programming, oversaw community climate projects, and conducted a research study on the climate resilient benefits urban gardens could offer redlined communities in downtown San Jose. During the COVID crisis, Kae's work in climate research and food sovereignty emphasized the need for work focusing on systemically stressed communities and their environmental needs.

kae.jensen@crcommunities.org