Victoria Charles

After a successful decade-long career in global marketing and education, Victoria Charles made a pivotal shift in 2010, dedicating herself to the sustainability movement. As a sustainability practitioner, she brings over ten years of diverse, hands-on experience in areas such as assessment and reporting, stakeholder engagement, Zero Waste practices, education, values thinking, and social justice. Victoria has advised businesses, local governments, and educational institutions on integrating sustainable best practices, prioritizing collaboration to reduce environmental and social impacts.

In 2012, fueled by her passion for education and sustainability, Victoria stepped into academia as a professor. Today, she serves full-time in the Earth Science department at Santa Monica College and teaches part-time at UCLA's sustainability program. Victoria empowers her students by blending real-world experience with classroom learning, providing them with tools to understand and drive environmental and social responsibility, policy implementation, and nature-based solutions.

Victoria is also a sought-after international keynote speaker, addressing critical topics like climate change, community impacts, and social and environmental action. She holds accreditations including USGBC LEED Green Associate and TRUE Advisor, as well as certifications in sustainable materials management and recycling. With a Master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability, Victoria combines academic knowledge with practical experience.

Driven by her commitment to youth empowerment, Victoria founded the Climate Action Leadership Program—a forward-thinking initiative bridging the environmental leadership education gap in K-12 public schools, preparing the next generation to tackle the challenges of a rapidly changing world. 

Outside of her sustainability work, Victoria loves exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations like Iraq, immersing herself in local cultures and cuisine. You'll also find her hiking the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains or lounging on her couch, diving into thought-provoking reads like Quadrivium: The Four Classical Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music, and Cosmology.