Debbie Levin
Debbie Levin is considered one of the most influential people in the environmental movement and entertainment industry. Since taking over the organization in 2000, Levin has been singular in harnessing the power of the media and entertainment communities to pioneer a high impact model of social activism, utilizing storytelling and message development to drive awareness into action and solutions. Through over 23 years as the CEO of EMA—which was founded to influence the public’s environmental awareness through television, film and music—Levin has expanded the organization to serve as a leading tool to connect industries, brands, influencers and entrepreneurs to collaborate, advocate and drive action empowering not only individuals, but the corporate world as well. The organization has grown into a diverse subsection of entertainment industry tastemakers, entrepreneurs in finance and technology and green icons dedicated to the mission of promoting environmental progress and corporate innovations through celebrity role modeling, campaign work, year-round programs and our two large scale annual events, The EMA IMPACT Summit and The EMA Awards & Honors Benefit Gala.
Levin has the pulse on the Gen Z and Millennial generations, understanding their thirst for transparency, willingness to be educated as consumers and the strong desire to maintain the earth’s natural resources and embrace new technology, ideas and the exploding green economy.
The consummate connector within the global celebrity world as well as the corporate and sustainability communities, Levin is authentically the iconic persona and voice clearly embracing and educating the sustainable lifestyle. Through her deep relationships with past honorees like Billie Eilish, Elizabeth Olsen, Jane Fonda and the close-knit community of the EMA Board of Directors, including EMA Board Members, Jaden Smith, Van Jones, Nikki Reed & Ian Somerhalder, Shailene Woodley, Ed Begley Jr., Lance Bass, Malin Akerman, Philippe Cousteau, (Property Brothers) Drew Scott and Nicole Richie. Levin has built a powerful coalition of influencers and allies as well as her deep relationships with all the studios and agencies. Her authentically rooted relationships across entertainment and media have allowed the organization to amplify its initiatives and cement them in both popular culture and in the public consciousness.
Under Levin’s leadership, EMA has been responsible for some of the green movement’s most public and pivotal milestones, notably, working with Toyota and Lexus marking their 22nd year anniversary of partnership in 2023. Levin helped launch and popularize the now ubiquitous Prius throughout the entertainment community (therefore the global community), which resulted in Toyota crediting EMA with a 20% increase in sales and Fortune Magazine calling EMA a “secret weapon” for Toyota. She invented and implemented the “green carpet” and environmentally conscious practices as staples of major events and across productions through the global film and television industries, and growing the organization’s flagship gala, the EMA Awards, which recognizes environmental efforts across entertainment, to be one of the year’s most acclaimed and anticipated events across any industry last year garnering nearly 40 billion media impressions.