Oakland, CA – Dave’s most important identifier is Melia’s Papa. In his first job after graduating with Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering from Stanford University, Dave found himself working for a management consulting firm helping polluters minimize the cost of complying with regulations. Disillusioned, he trained himself to be an early Java developer and over the ensuing years, worked on a number of start-up Internet firms. After the birth of his daughter Melia, Dave wanted to do whatever he could to pass on a healthy planet to Melia and future generations. After a conference, he contacted one of the speakers and ended up becoming a founding board member of Post Carbon Institute and playing a key role in donor cultivation, outreach, and engagement with local groups. While there, he initiated a project to build community resilience in the Bay Area, which was spun off into Bay Localize, a public benefit organization that inspires and supports Bay Area residents in building resilient communities. As Clean Energy Director of Bay Localize, Dave coordinates the Local Clean Energy Alliance. In August 2010, Dave was recognized by the California Senate for his work in defeating Prop 16 which included producing a series of short films and a social media campaign. Dave is CEO and cofounder of BALANCE Edutainment which creates nutritious and delicious pop culture; their flagship is a Children's Pop Musical called Pacha's Pajamas. On stage as Melia’s Papa, Dave uses storytelling to awaken and activate mainstream audiences, people of color, and youth. His personal mission is to raise the voices of children and to co-create with them a transformative narrative that provides a viable, inspiring pathway to an ecologically just world.