– About –

April Economides is based in Southern California and previously lived in San Francisco, D.C., and Portland. She loves to travel and has dual U.S.–Irish citizenship. When she’s not working, she’s spending quality time with her daughter, hiking small mountains, walking and bicycling around big cities, and indulging in creative hobbies.

A linguistics fanatic, she gets a kick out of the accidental serendipity of her name. ‘April’ comes from the name ‘Aphrodite,’ the goddess of love and beauty, a nod to her half-Greek Cypriot heritage. Her middle name ‘Eileen’ means ‘light,’ and comes from her Irish grandmother. The name ‘Economides’ comes from the Greek root ‘Ecos,’ which means ‘home’ and is the base of the words ‘Ecology’ (the study of our home, Earth) and ‘Economics’ (the management of our home). …This just happens to align with what April sees as her primary purpose: to help shine a light on the beauty of our home and assist in its management for future generations.

– Education –

M.B.A., Sustainable Management, Presidio Graduate School (2009): Led and participated in a number of team projects, including helping create the draft business plan for True Market Solutions (now REV), a California sustainability training company), split incentives research for the City of Berkeley’s future Property Assessed Clean Energy program, the marketing plan for the Berkeley mayor’s potential carbon tax initiative, and increasing green collar jobs. Pitched idea of having Van Jones speak at our school and helped recruit him. Wrote a 20-page macroeconomics paper on vertical gardens. Interned in the City of Berkeley Sustainability Department and helped create metrics. Interned at Natural Capital Solutions and researched green business issues. T.A. for Hunter Lovins, Gil Friend, and Marsha Willard.

Certificate, Innovation in Ecological Design and Construction, City of Portland (2002)

Sustainability Now! Workshop Series, Ecotrust (2002)

B.A., History, University of California, Santa Cruz (1997). Focuses: African American History and Ethnic Studies. History Highest Honors, College Honors, Community Service Award

Woodrow Wilson High School (1993): Recycling Program Co-Creator, Environmental Club Vice President, NCCJ Camp Anti-Racism Counselor, Anti-Suicide Peer Counselor.