Zoraya has worked on environmental and social justice issues across the globe and in her local communities for over ten years. Her environmental experience covers diverse issues and geographies from renewable energy finance in Kosovo and water access in Tanzania to fishery sustainability in the Philippines and community forest conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition to her work with Creative Discourse, Zoraya works with Nature for Justice to support Black and Indigenous US farmers and serves on the Burlington Vermont City Council after winning a seat as the first woman of color elected in 2020. Her deep and diverse experience is augmented by a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Environment and bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Environmental Policy from the University of Tulsa.

Zoraya has a clear background in environmental justice and increasingly also a focus on economic and social justice, including police funding reallocation to support alternatives, and curbing no-cause evictions across Vermont. She is a trained facilitator and uses the Institute of Cultural Affairs’ Technology of Participation approaches for consensus-building and action planning. Zoraya is an avid road and bike-packing biker, runner, hiker, swimmer, skier, and dancer who dabbles in stand-up comedy.