Xavier Basurto is Professor of Environmental Social Sciences at the Doerr School of Sustainability. His expertise lies within sustainability science and self-governance, particularly as applied to community-based management and conservation. Prof. Basurto has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and, in 2023, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Mexican National Award, bestowed by the Mexican Government to nationals living abroad who have developed a distinguished international career. At Duke University, he served as the Bass Chair for Excellence in Teaching and Research Professor of Sustainability Science. Before going into academia, Prof. Basurto co-founded Comunidad y Biodiversidad (CoBi) in 1999. Today, CoBi is a leading organization in Mexico on the conservation of marine ecosystems.

Nicole Franz is a Research Scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment. She is an expert in the political economy of sustainable development, with over two decades of experience working in intergovernmental organizations, namely the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. As leader of the equitable livelihoods team in FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Franz focused on advancing global sustainability policy, making policy processes more inclusive, and empowering stakeholders. Her role and leadership in the development and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication cemented her dedication to bringing together responsible natural resource use with social development.