Suggestions
Samuel Rubin
Co-Founder, Entertainment + Culture Pavilion
Samuel Rubin is the Impact Partnerships and Development Lead at Earth Sessions, where he focuses on creating social impact through collaborations in the entertainment and cultural sectors. He is also a co-founder of the Entertainment + Culture Pavilion and is involved with the Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action (ECCA) initiative, which aims to unite the entertainment industry around climate goals and solutions.
Rubin's work has garnered recognition, including being named a Grist Fixers 50 and receiving the Cogenerate Innovation Fellowship and the Jackson Wild's Jury Prize for the "Can You Hear Us?" impact campaign. His previous roles include co-founding the Hollywood Climate Summit and serving as the Chief Impact Officer at YEA! Impact, a nonprofit focused on mobilizing young professionals for social change in entertainment.1
Highlights
⭐️ CELEBRATING ECCA'S MILESTONES AND UPDATES ⭐️
For nearly 4 years, I’ve volunteered with the Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action (ECCA), supporting the UNFCCC alongside an incredible team.
As the youngest founding convening team member, representing non-profits and grassroots groups, I’ve learned invaluable lessons:
🔹 It’s crucial to support existing efforts rather than reinvent the wheel. Managing stakeholders and working with major businesses, creatives, and longstanding initiatives requires careful navigation.
🔹 Promoting mutual aid and radical collaboration can feel like swimming against the current, but it’s essential for addressing the biggest challenges in our sector and fully embracing sustainability.
🔹 No initiative should tackle the future without involving both veterans and emerging leaders. Intergenerational collaborations and the exchange of knowledge are key to reaching a broader audience.
🔹 It’s challenging to reclaim transparency and fairness, especially for young, progressive voices. Established nonprofits must support community organizers and youth leaders, ensuring their work is properly credited and compensated.
Despite the challenges, my time with ECCA has been one of the most impactful experiences of my career. Some highlights include:
▪️ Forming an Assembly with 500+ participants from 60 countries and launching the Film and TV Charter.
▪️ Establishing the first sectoral initiative for the creative industries within the UNFCCC Global Climate Action team.
▪️Launching the Arts Charter for Climate Action (ACCA) to mobilize various sectors beyond Film and TV.
▪️ Overseeing the drafting of a framework model with 5 principles, involving feedback from 150+ individuals and organizations through 8 rounds of voting.
▪️ Organizing in-person town halls and industry workshops in Austria, UAE, Colombia, Thailand, and countless virtual events.
▪️ Supporting and speaking at ECCA Showcases during COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh and COP28 in Dubai, with plans for Baku later this year.
▪️Co-founding the first Entertainment + Culture Pavilion in the UN Blue Zone at COP28 and hosting a local pop up in Bangkok during the Creatives for Climate Action Thailand.
As we transition to a new Steering Committee, it’s exciting to welcome fresh voices into the process.
To join ECCA’s Film & TV Charter Assembly, please fill out the new registration form created by the UNFCCC: https://shorturl.at/HkeKg
If you’re interested in supporting ECCA in the coming years or know someone who is, fill out the nomination form here: https://shorturl.at/S6ssD
Learn more here: https://shorturl.at/0DWqf
A huge thank you to my fellow Convening Team members— Emellie O'Brien, Susannah Tantemsapya, FRSA, Hunter Vaughan, Gunjan Nanda, Roxy Erickson, Nevina Satta and Roser Canela Mas -- and all our current and former UNFCCC colleagues, including Karina Kolbrún Larsen, Miguel Naranjo, Fernanda De Castro and Danielle Magalhaes.
Cheers and onwards!
I’m happy to share that I've joined Earth Sessions as their Impact Partnerships and Development Lead. I’m thrilled to contribute to a mission that creates healing spaces and drives climate action through the power of music.
If you’re interested in supporting this incredible initiative, or if you’ll be at NYC Climate Week, don’t miss their upcoming event on September 21st. Registration will open soon—save the date and follow @earthsessions.project on Instagram for updates.
I’m honored to be working with the stellar team led by Leah Thomas, Kiana Kazemi, Wainani Paikai, and others. Check out their latest #RadicalImagination mini-grant for artivists, supporting 5 creatives with $1,000 each to showcase their work at the NYC event. Submissions are open until Sunday, September 6th. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dHf4cCiR
