Bioneers Conference: Revolution from the Heart of Nature in Berkeley

By Stephanie Welch

Every year, thousands of people gather at the Bioneers Conference – now situated in Berkeley at Zellerbach Hall and in various Downtown Berkeley venues (David Brower Center, Freight & Salvage, Residence Inn, Shattuck Hotel, Marsh Theater). Ask anyone who’s attended after three days of the dizzying array of inspiring keynote talks, deep discussions, collaborative workshops, arts and performances, film screenings, and networking, and they’ll tell you they feel energized – ready to take on another year of whatever crazy challenges come up in our unpredictable social and political milieu. Forge transformative connections all weekend long.

Bioneers 2025 will feature an array of inspiring leaders, from legendary elders to rising young activists from diverse communities working in a broad swath of fields, many who are based here in the Bay. Talks and presentations are centered on a range of environmental, human rights, and social justice issues, as well as community conversations and interactive sessions focused on inner work to restore our spirit and culture.

The annual Indigenous Forum has become a core part of the Bioneers Conference, bringing together Indigenous activists, scientists, elders, youth, culture-bearers, and scholars to share their knowledge and frontline solutions in dialogue with a dynamic, multicultural audience.

Speakers!

U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Muskogee) will deliver a keynote talk and join Indigeneity Program Co-Director Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) for a conversation on Art and Healing, exploring how art in many forms can be both a spiritual practice and a cultural survival skill for Indigenous peoples.

Going Globalocal: Bioregional Climate Action Strategies will include climate justice organizer and lawyer Colette Pichon Battle; global Indigenous climate leader Eriel Deranger; and OneEarth founder, Justin Winters.

Concerts

Progressive talk show host and author, Thom Hartmann, will deliver a keynote talk and join our own Bay Area’s investigative historian, Mark Dowie, in a conversation: Supreme Oligarchy: Deconstructing the Alliance between the Supreme Court and American Oligarchs.

World-renowned climate and climate justice activist and Co-founder of Third Act, Bill McKibben, will also be back on the main stage and join other leading activists in a discussion about advancing climate action and a just transition: Stormy Weather: Confronting our Long Emergency.

Keynotes

One of Bioneers’ core guiding principles is that social justice and environmental progress are inextricably linked. Longtime community organizer and Richmond City Councilwoman, Doria Robinson, will deliver a keynote talk and take part in a discussion, Environmental Justice at a Difficult Crossroads with Manuel Pastor, Director of the Equity Institute at USC, and Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club.  

Discussions

Join Arlene Blum, Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute at UC Berkeley as she hosts a discussion, Living in the Toxic Soup: Solutions to the Legacy of Forever Chemicals, with Martin Mulvill, Co-founder of Safer Made, and others TBA.

Leila Salazar-Lopez, Executive Director of Amazon Watch, will lead a discussion about Building International Solidarity to Protect Tropical Forests and Climate with other leading activists who’ll share their perspectives on the current status of these threatened ecosystems and share their ongoing campaigns, successes, and strategies. 

Performances

Arts, performances, comedy, networking, and more will take place in the Marsh Theater all weekend. Artists’ work will be featured in various venues during the event. See award-winning films each evening, including Oscar-recognized documentaries!

Resident Orca

Bioneers is also partnering with Bay Area Green Tours to offer the popular pre-conference East Bay Urban Foodscape Tour. For a separate fee, the tour includes round-trip transportation from the Residence Inn Berkeley, expert guides for the day, knowledgeable speakers, and a delicious lunch. 

For a 15% discount on certain events at the Bioneers Conference Use code BAS2025

Go to conference.bioneers.org
Email info@bioneers.org with any questions.