Dr. Lina M Valencia is a researcher and conservationist with more than fifteen years of experience on biodiversity conservation, protected area creation and management, Indigenous territorial right protection and capacity building of local partners. Dr. Valencia focuses on expanding Re:wild's program in the Tropical Andes by developing collaborative, inclusive and community- based conservation initiatives with local and Indigenous communities, NGOs, and government institutions that combine science, conservation, and education to protect ecosystems and their wildlife. Her work has spanned from developing multi-stakeholder collaborative networks to bringing threatened amphibians back from extinction to working closely with Indigenous organizations to secure territorial rights and working with governments to meet their ambitious commitments to protect 30% of their ecosystems. Dr Valencia oversees diverse investments, fosters collaborations with partners and facilitates connections and partnership with a wide variety of actors to drive conservation impact at scale.

Dr. Valencia is originally from Colombia where she earned her Bachelor's in Biology and then moved to Austin to pursue her PhD in Biological Anthropology at UT Austin. She has two kids and enjoys going hiking, swimming and camping with her family.