top of page
SMACON_260321_EY_NGA-13.jpg

Vision

Tropical forests free of fires for carbon absorption and biodiversity.

Mission

Our mission is to save tropical forests from wildfires via early-warning risk management, and equipped local fire fighters. Together, we can save tropical forests from destructive fires and restore essential carbon storage services to save our planet.

Founder/Executive Director

Iroro Tanshi

GEP26_FieldDay_0005_edited.jpg

Iroro's community-led initiative has successfully prevented catastrophic fires in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary since 2022. Dr. Tanshi's award-winning conservation supports thriving forest communities. She is one of the winners of the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize award.

Founding Partner

Benneth Obitte

GEP26_FieldDay_0028_edited.jpg

Ben is the co-founder and co-Executive Director of the Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON), protecting small mammals and their habitats across West Africa. Dr. Obitte is a National Geographic Explorer.

Program Associate

Oluchi Agodi

Oluchi Agodi profile.jpg

Oluchi Agodi is an early-career conservation biologist. She contributes to long-term monitoring and evidence-based conservation of species and ecosystems. 

Communications Associate

Adora Onyile

Adora_SMACON_2026_NGA_EY-27.jpg

Adora combines her background in software engineering with a passion for wildlife conservation to manage data systems that drive conservation impact.

Our Team.

Justin d'Angona

1736963127825 (1).jpeg

Justin has 15 years of experience in environmental conservation and social impact. He has worked at XPRIZE Foundation, Greenpeace USA, and FSC, and currently serves as Managing Director of the Starfish Institute.

Sandy Andelman, PhD

Andelman photo_edited.jpg

Dr. Sandy Andelman is a biodiversity science advisor to the Global Environment Facility (the GEF). She is a conservation scientist, with over 30 years of experience designing and implementing local- to global-scale initiatives at the intersection of science, policy, and practice across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.

Kina Murphy, PhD

TCS26-Contributor-Kina-Murphy-Dr.webp

Dr. Kina Murphy is an ecologist with over twenty years of experience working throughout Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and North America. She has focused on biodiversity monitoring, sustainable finance, market-based approaches to conservation, and community-based conservation planning and policy.

Ben Rader

photo - BJR .jpg

Ben Rader serves as General Counsel of The Pension Boards - United Church of Christ, Inc., a role he transitioned to in April 2026 after a 21-year tenure at Goldman Sachs as General Counsel of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, Goldman Sachs Gives and GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund. He holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and an LL.M. from Humboldt Universität.

Advisory Board.

bottom of page