Jo Confino is a leadership coach, spiritual mentor, facilitator, journalist and sustainability expert. He works at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change; working with several organizations including Leaders’ Quest and Global Optimism. His coaching practice focuses on supporting leaders within the climate movement. He is on the board of advisors for The Climate School and Force of Nature, a youth climate activist organization.
Jo has worked closely for the past 16 years with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and his buddhist monastic community in Plum Village.He is co-founder and co-presenter of the acclaimed podcast series ‘The Way Out Is In’ and is chair of the board of Parallax Press, which publishes books on mindfulness in daily life. Besides facilitating events and conferences all over the world for the past 20 years, he also runs smaller workshops and roundtables.
Until recently, he was executive editor, Impact & Innovation and Editorial Director of What’s Working at the HuffPost in New York. During his five years there, he developed long-term editorial projects based on social, environmental and economic justice and was a member of the senior leadership team. Jo was an executive editor at the Guardian for 23 years and during his time there also created and managed the media company’s sustainability vision and strategy. He is a fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and completed an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice at the University of Bath.

Paz Perlman is a visual artist who exhibits internationally and has taken a particular interest in how art can support our collective awakening on issues such as climate change and social inequality.
Paz is currently focusing on large-scale interactive art installations and was recently commissioned to create works for a major symposium at the Garrison Institute in New York as well as for a climate leaders’ retreat in Plum Village, France.
Paz has studied in various Buddhist traditions for the past 30 years and is also an instructor of Tai Chi and Chi Kung.Paz teaches retreats with a focus on creativity and movement as well as teaching MA students in the fields of art and ecology. Paz, who originally trained as a dance teacher before graduating with a BA in Fine Arts from Central St Martins, University of Arts, London, moved from New York three years ago to live next door to Plum Village.