Benjamin Backer

Benji Backer is founder and president of the American Conservation Coalition, a right-of-center environmental organization that he started in 2017 while in college. Backer began his career in conservative politics volunteering for Republican campaigns in Wisconsin, before he could vote, and has represented a conservative environmental viewpoint nationally, including testifying among youth climate activists like Greta Thunberg in Congress. He has been named to the Fortune 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenBiz 30 Under 30, and Grist 50. ABC News called him one of “5 youth climate activists you need to know.” A frequent contributor to multiple national media outlets, Backer is a board member for the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and Mainstream Republicans of Washington.