Elena Christopolous | Commissioner, City of Santa Monica

Elena Christopoulos is a scientist and sustainability expert with over 20 years of expertise as a Sustainability and Political Consultant who “walks the talk of sustainability.” 

She is the Principal of ECMC and in early 2000 she implemented the first urban wind turbine in North America. Located in downtown Toronto, it took more than 250 homes off the power grid. She also created the first feed-in-tariff program to support this effort. Last year, Elena was named Toronto’s Woman of the Year for her work designing and implementing wind turbines and solar arrays in Canada, Greece, Germany, England, and the US. She travels between the US, Canada, and Europe working on, implementing and speaking about diverse alternative energy, clean tech, water conservation, and climate action projects and programs. She has created over 500,000 green jobs throughout the world and she is just getting started. 

She has managed over 40 successful political campaigns throughout the world and it is her goal to get more women into politics. 

Elena is a strong advocate for women as a mentor, peer, colleague and friend. As a woman with a career in #STEM It is her goal to increase the number of female environmental scientists from 28% to 50% over her lifetime and to continue to develop #STEM programs. She is a Board Member of the YMCA in Santa Monica, past President of the UNA-USA Pasadena Chapter, Commissioner on the Status of Women with the City of Santa Monica and the Founder and President of the Santa Monica Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA). 

Ms. Christopoulos is a rape survivor and became a Commissioner with the City of Santa Monica to give a voice to women who do not have one, for the women whose lives have been taken; this unfortunate list goes on and on. Elena continues to speak truth to power She hopes to continue the dialogue about rape culture and to one day put an end to it. As a Board Member of Peace Over Violence, Elena shared her story as a survivor and was instrumental in the #MeToo movement amplifying the voice of Tarana Burke; first in Los Angeles and now throughout the world. She is also working on the #MeToo movement for women in science and in #STEM with Anita Hill, the ERA (Equal Right 

Advocates) and the Feminist Majority (the group that started Ms. Magazine). By continuing to speak truth to power, #MeToo will not just be a moment, but a movement. 

“I believe survivors; your stories and I stand with you and support you. It is time that this becomes the new normal. Thank you to all who have supported me. I appreciate and love you.”