People

Hi! I manage field operations, systems, marketing, and HR at Cottonwood Institute (many hats!). 

Brenda Mwale is a climate change youth advocate based in Malawi and the current Chief Operations Officer for Green Girls Platform which is a female-led organization, established to address challenges that women and girls face as a result of climate-induced disasters. She is also a UNICEF Climate Change Youth Advocacy Consultant and a junior negotiator for climate change in Malawi following loss and damage since COP26.

She has also founded Glow Foods, a horticultural farm that is not only a profit-based business but provides an opportunity to advocate for sustainable food systems.

I am eager to inspire the next generation, through caring and meaningful interactions.

I am a Ph.D. student in Architecture at Penn State University. My research interest focuses on the role of community engagement in green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) development. I am currently conducting research exploring education's role in public behavior change toward GSI.