Michael J. Hirschhorn (Chair)

Michael is founder and CEO of mebl | Transforming Furniture – supporting decision-makers and
other changemakers across the furniture industry in transitioning to circular, climate-positive
practices.  As a platform for education and innovation, mebl’s aim is to catapult sustainable
principles to the mainstream of the furniture sector.

From 2008 – 14, Michael served as Executive Director of the International Human Rights
Funders Group (now Human Rights Funders Network), a global peer-learning network
comprised of several hundred grantmaking institutions committed to strengthening human
rights philanthropy worldwide.  From 2003-08, Michael was Executive Director of the Coro New
York Leadership Center, dedicated to fostering informed, engaged participation in public
decision-making in New York City and beyond. During Michael’s tenure, Coro launched new
participatory civic engagement programs for immigrant leaders and NYC public high school
students. From 1995-2001, Michael served as Executive Director of the Literacy Assistance
Center, a comprehensive training and technical support center committed to advancing ESL and
other forms of adult literacy education in New York City.

Prior, Michael was an Assistant to the Chancellor of the NYC Public Schools. In this role, he was
part of the team responsible for implementing the Chancellor’s lead systemwide school reform
initiative. In earlier years, Michael served as Deputy Executive Director of Educators for Social
Responsibility in NYC (now Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility), as well as
Director of the Center for Educational Change at the School of Education at Brooklyn College.

Michael serves on the boards of several philanthropic and education, human and immigrant
rights organizations, including the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Witness, Just
Vision, Documented and the NY Immigration Coalition. Michael received his BA in American
Studies from Yale University and his MBA & MSW from Columbia University.‎ He lives in
Brooklyn, NY with his wife Jimena Martinez — who founded and directs Cumbe: Center for
African and Diaspora Dance. Their twins are away at college and left them an empty nest.