A Better Way Advisory Council.

It all began with an idea. A group of concerned community members of Santa Barbara came together over a cup of coffee to dream and bring into existence sustainable solutions for a better planet.

We understand that the Santa Barbara community, being the cradle of Earth Day, is the perfect place to serve as a beacon of what a thriving, resilient community can be. Thus, the advisory council for A Better Way was born.

The advisory council meets weekly at local coffee shops to share concerns, dreams, and solutions for sustainability in Santa Barbara. The advisory council is focused on sustainability from end-to-end. From sustainable building materials, approach, and design to community decision-making and business practices. We aspire to bring community together around sustainability.

We cannot stay on the sidelines of climate change anymore. We recognize that the problem is global and we are here to start locally in Santa Barbara. All are welcome to get involved.

Picture of hands on tree

Meet the Team

  • Jorge Báez

    FOUNDER

    Sustainable architecture degree with focus on sustainable building materials and design, natural environment, and permaculture. Values include working for sustainable solutions using sustainable building materials and design in Santa Barbara. Personal mission is to provide solutions for better living and bridging the gap between what has been and what is possible to find a better way in Santa Barbara.

  • Sam Carey

    ADVISORY MEMBER

  • Hana Truscott

    ADVISORY MEMBER

    Current PhD student in Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Ecological Psychology, with a M.A. in International Administration (non-profit management focus), and B.A. in Ecological Studies. Values include re-membering that we are made to be in community with human and more-than-human kin (ancestors, nature). Personal mission is to co-create with community a more sustainable community in Santa Barbara.

  • Jose Espinoza

    ADVISORY MEMBER

    Santa Barbara Local, attended Laguna Blanca School. While in high school and college he worked for the City of Santa Barbara Community Development. Graduated from UCSB where he focused his scope of study in Political Economics, probability mathematics and technology management. Currently he works in business development, and risk management.

  • Jackie Gilbert

    ADVISORY MEMBER

    Co founder and Executive Director of One Thread Collective, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit that supports Indigenous artisans in La Guajira, Colombia. She studied anthropology with a focus on social movements related to water rights at the University of New Hampshire. Before co-founding One Thread Collective, she was deeply involved in a social movement in response to human rights abuses by a multinational mining corporation.