An excellent team —
lead by very dedicated people —
is nothing without you as well!
Valerie Kosheleff, MSc
Founder & Chief Friend
With twenty-five years in wildlife conservation activism and photography, and a background in evolutionary biology, sustainability, primatology and environmental policy, Valerie has spent most of her life working in science and sustainability all over the world from hosting a sustainability radio show in California to living in the forest studying wild chimpanzees in Uganda.
Dating back to 1990, Valerie witnessed first-hand the tragedy that accompanies poaching as all the rhino in her then-home, Zambia, were poached to extinction and the elephants slaughtered like flies. Raising money at her boarding school using the saying "Save A Horny Friend" in 1993 and 1995, and after spending last year in Tanzania and Kenya independently researching the poaching crisis, it became clear that the formation of this nonprofit was inevitable.
Peter Hogel,
First Mate & Chief Photographer
Peter has been working professionally as a photographer for the last thirty years in fashion, studio, and estate and most recently in his passion and forte - wildlife. When not a pro photographer, Peter is an adventurer and safari guide. An interest in wildlife got him out of his home in Sweden and into traveling on adventures around the world from Costa Rica and Cuba, to Australia and eventually landing him in Tanzania.
The last two years running a safari company in East Africa, the love of nature, a successful business and a dynamic woman finally settled him down just recently in lovely Uganda. Through his safari adventure company, Eden Adventures, he runs not only traditional land photographic safaris, but also exposes tourist to exotic experiences such as hikes with the elusive mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, and exhilarating boat tours at the mouth of the Nile River!
John Brooks
Advisory Board Member
John's 30-year successful career as an Inspector, Agent and Specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made him an expert in wildlife identification and investigation, and is complimented by his commitment to reducing human-wildlife conflicts, especially of endangered species. In a remote area of Nepal in 2011, John learned of the presence of undocumented tigers. With a commitment to study and protect these endangered creatures he formed the ongoing nonprofit, The Nepal Tiger Project.
Following his candidacy for the U.S. Congress in 2012, John now spends most of his time as an author, musician, and running his own videography company, Canis Lupus Productions, in San Diego, California. Books about environmental issues written by John Brooks can be found at 11th Hour Books.net, and contact him at, John@nepaltigers.org
Philip Gahn
Advisory Board Member
Phil Gahn has 25 years of global business development experience with government contractors, manufacturers, architectural and engineering firms, and non-government organizations. He has worked in a wide range of industrial sectors including environmental engineering, construction management, telecommunications, energy and critical infrastructure, predominately in austere regions.
Specifically, Mr. Gahn has worked on environmental projects focused on sustainable fisheries and agriculture, endangered species protection and governance of tribal lands. He has extensive experience in public-private partnerships development working with all levels government and is a certified grant writer. He is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, American Society for Industrial Security and is currently the Senior Policy Advisor for National Security, Crisis Management and Emergency Planning at Harvard Medical School, Operational Medicine Institute.
Marlene Stanger
Advisory Board Member
Many, Many, Many of You,
Friends of Elephants and Rhinos
Without the hundred or so people in California who have assisted in the launch this nonprofit, and the hundred thousand people around the world who have marched on Oct 4, 2013 and Oct 4, 2014 in the name of elephants and rhinos, this movement could not exist. Nevertheless, there is much work to do and we greatly honor those of you who selflessly donate - thank you all for participating, please keep up the good fight and please donate again!
