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Lauren Castelino
Award-Winning Environmentalist, Entrepreneur, Activist
Lauren (she/her) is based in Ontario.
Their identities and lived-experience qualifications are a crucial contributor to their expertise. These are some that they identify with:
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This is just a glimpse of the incredible breadth of subject-matter expertise they bring to the table:
Photo provided by Lauren
Lauren Castelino is a Goan-Canadian environmentalist, entrepreneur, researcher, and speaker dedicated to advancing sustainability, youth leadership, and environmental justice. She is the founder of the Green Career Centre, where she prepares underrepresented youth for careers in sustainability. With a passion for building inclusive green economies, Lauren has developed programs that support young women, newcomers, and BIPOC communities in navigating green job preparation, professional development, and wellness.
Since founding the Green Career Centre in 2018, Lauren has reached thousands of youth, leading initiatives such as green career fairs, entrepreneurship programs, and research on employment barriers for marginalized youth. As a skillful fund development professional, she has secured over $3.1 million in funding for BIPOC-led and impact-driven organizations, fueling the creation of green jobs, community gardens, and spaces for community organizing. Her innovative Wage Subsidy Matching Tool has supported over 60,000 underrepresented youth, helping them secure green jobs by connecting employers with funding opportunities.
Lauren’s Master’s of Environmental Studies research at York University focused on philanthropy’s role in youth-led climate justice movements, particularly for racialized communities, with her advocacy contributing to a historic $405 million commitment to combat climate change amongst nine environmental funders. She has been recognized by Corporate Knights, The…
We can assure you, they're worth getting to know.
Photos provided by Lauren
How does their lived experience shape their qualification?
This is an excerpt from Walking Softer's feature on Lauren where she speaks on how her ancestry and live experience shapes her environmentalism.
I am an environmentalist, entrepreneur, researcher, activist, and speaker. My ancestors originate from Goa and Mangalore in India and belong to the South Asian diaspora that migrated to East Africa and the Middle East eventually settling in Turtle Island (Canada). My journey into climate and environmental sustainability is rooted in my lived experiences of social exclusion as well as my interest in documentaries which informed me about local and global social and environmental challenges. Coupled with the multiplicity of my background, experiences and encounters shaped my understanding of systemic inequities. At a very young age, I became determined to tackle climate justice issues that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
In 2018, I founded the Green Career Centre, where our mission is to prepare underrepresented youth for green careers. Our key areas and initiatives include hosting green career events, conducting innovative participatory and community centred research, and developing useful and impactful resources. This work stems from personal experiences and extensive research I conducted at university on the challenges underrepresented youth face in their green job search, which led me…
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"Every time I join an event, Lauren impresses me with her organization, attention to detail, leadership abilities, and creativity. It is a sincere pleasure to be a part of her journey and see how she leverages her unique skill set to catalyze climate action in her professional community. She is a talented event organizer, communicator, and researcher who would make a strong asset to any impact-oriented team."
Nicole Doray
Here’s a snapshot of how they bring stories, strategies, and meaningful change to each audience.
Lauren Castelino is a dynamic speaker and facilitator who delivers insightful, action-oriented talks on climate justice, sustainability careers, environmental entrepreneurship, and inclusive green economies. She has spoken at national and international conferences, universities, corporate events, and community gatherings, engaging audiences with her expertise in youth leadership, philanthropy, and equity in sustainability sectors.
Through compelling storytelling and research-driven insights, Lauren helps organizations understand how to foster diversity in environmental fields, create meaningful career pathways for underrepresented youth, and drive impactful climate solutions.
Speaker Highlight
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Lauren lives, works and play son the traditional territories of the Anishinabe, Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, the Mississaugas of the Credit, and Algonquin territories.
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