KidzSearch Wiki

Ki Baja

Ki Baja (formerly Kristin Baja) is the founder and co-Executive Director of Embodied Ecosystem and the Resilience Hub Collaborative.[1] Baja is known as the "mother of Resilience Hubs" and has been recognized for her innovative work in the fields of environmental and social justice. She focuses on dismantling oppressive systems and beliefs through an ecosystem of care, collaboration, courage, connection and compassion. Baja is a healing-centered coach, an integration coach, medicine woman, climate resilience specialist, regenerative living specialist, and biomimetic.

Kristin Baja

Baja represented the United States on the US Women’s National Rugby Team from 2000-2010. She was an American rugby union player and rugby sevens player who played in the 2002 Rugby World Cup, 2002 Hong Kong Women's Sevens,[2] and 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup.[3][4][5] In 2009 she sustained a career ending injury in an international match against England in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.

Early Life and Education

Baja was born in Detroit, Michigan and is the eldest of four.

Baja completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Arizona State University in 2001, both a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Systems and a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Michigan in 2011, and a Master of Biomimicry Degree at Arizona State University in 2023.

Professional Career

Baja is most known for her work on climate resilience and environmental and social justice. She is the innovator of the concept of Resilience Hubs which center social cohesion, relationships, and belonging in community-led and managed spaces that are retrofitted to withstand disruptions and help communities thrive.[6][7]

Baja was the Climate Resilience Planner and Floodplain Manager for the City of Baltimore from 2012-2018 where she led the city’s efforts to adopt higher regulatory standards for the floodplain, mitigate impacts from the Heat Island, develop the City's first Disaster Preparedness Plan,[8] and won several awards including a STAR Communities 5-star rating and the ASAP Prize for Progress.[9][10] In this role, Baja was recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change for Climate Equity in 2016.[11][12][13][14]

Baja became the Senior Director of Innovation and Support for the Urban Sustainability Directors Network from 2018-2024. During this time she created the New and Improved All Hazard Mitigation Plan,[15] the Game of Extremes[16] / Floods[17] / Heat Training Series, the Nexus Framework,[18] the Resilience Hubs Video Series,[19] and the support guidelines for local governments to support community-led Resilience Hubs.[20] She also helped design the racial equity training series and pilot innovative projects with practitioners throughout North America.

In 2024 Baja founded Embodied Ecosystem and entered into a co-Executive Director role. She continues to lead special projects such as the Resilience Hub Collaborative, Bridging and Belonging, and Regenerative Justice. She is part of the Biomimicry Professionals Program where she weaves together traditional ecological knowledge and natures wisdom through somatic experience and embodiment.

In recent years Baja has built upon deep relationships with Native Hawaiians and Indigenous Tribes in South and Central America to deepen her practice of traditional ecological knowledge, nature’s wisdom, and spiritual practices for collective liberation.

Baja is a public speaker who regularly keynotes at conferences and events both nationally and internationally including NY Climate Week and Conference of Parties (COP).[21][22][23][24][25][26]

Rugby Career

Baja, Flyhalf for USA Women's Rugby National Team

Baja began playing rugby her freshman year of college at Arizona State University. She quickly accelerated in the sport and played for ASU and Southern California Select Side from 1997-2001. In 1999 she made the Under-23 US National Team and was asked to join the US National Team at a tournament in 2000. Baja represented the United States on the US Women’s National Rugby Team from 2000-2010.

Baja played in the 2002 Rugby World Cup, 2002 Rugby World Cup Sevens, and 2006 Rugby World Cup. She also played in several tours with the United States and captained the team from 2007-2009. In 2009 she sustained a career ending injury in an international match against England in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.[27]

Baja played for several club and select side teams including Atlantis Sevens, Auckland Marist Rugby Football Club in New Zealand, New York Rugby Football Club, Minnesota Valkyries, and the Washington DC Furies. She also won several National Championships including 2002 with the Midwest and 2006 with the Northeast.[28][29]

Honors and Awards

  • White House Champion of Change, Climate and Equity, 2016
  • Senior Fellow, Environmental Leadership Program, National Cohort 2018 [30]
  • Fellow, Aspen Institute, 2019 [31]
  • Biomimicry Professionals Program (BPros), 2024-2026

Kristin Baja Media

  • Prof.Kotler after a lecture on Marketing 3.0 with students at Hyderabad, India

References

  1. ↑ linkedin.com/in/kbaja. LinkedIn.
  2. ↑ Kiwis shut down US in Cup final (in en). ESPN.com (2002-03-23). Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  3. ↑ Young, Wendy. Women's World Cup Squad Named (in en-US). YSCRugby | Women's Rugby News (2006-05-23). Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  4. ↑ Throwback Thursday: small margins, big lessons (in en-US). USA Rugby (2017-05-25). Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  5. ↑ Kristin Baja (in en-US). USA Rugby. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  6. ↑ Maryland, C. N. S.. Resiliency Hubs (in en). CNS Maryland. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  7. ↑ Baja, K. Resilience Hubs. Shifting Power to Communities and Increasing Community Capacity. (2019).
  8. ↑ Baja, K. Disaster Preparedness Project and Plan (DP3). Adaptation Clearinghouse (2013).
  9. ↑ Keeping Baltimore Neighborhoods Cool (in en). Great American Adaptation Road Trip (2013-06-24). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  10. ↑ Schlachter, Terese. Baltimore is a Five-Star City, Gets the Rating to Prove it (in en-US). Good News Network (2015-06-18). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  11. ↑ BOS_Admin. Kristin Baja – Champion of Change | Baltimore Office of Sustainability (in en-US) (2016-07-15). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  12. ↑ White House names Baja (MUP ‘11) Climate Equity Champions of Change (in en-US). Taubman College (2016-07-15). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  13. ↑ Champions of Change (in en). The White House. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  14. ↑ Peltier, Laurel. Baltimore Fishbowl | Baltimore’s Kristin Baja Honored By White House for Climate Leadership - (in en-US). Baltimore Fishbowl (2016-07-14). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  15. ↑ Baja, K. New and Improved All Hazard Mitigation Plan. www.usdn.org (2023). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  16. ↑ Baja, Ki. Urban Sustainability Directors Network, Game of Extremes. www.usdn.org. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  17. ↑ The Game of Floods | DVRPC. www.dvrpc.org. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  18. ↑ Baja, K. The Nexus (2021).
  19. ↑ Baja, K. Resilience Hub Video Series. USDN Resilience Hub Video Series (2021-2024).
  20. ↑ Baja, K. Guide to Developing Resilience Hubs. www.resilience-hub.org (2019).
  21. ↑ 2022 Speakers (in en). MRSS. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  22. ↑ Resilience hubs topic of Mayor’s Sustainability Speaker Series on Thursday (in en). Maui County. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  23. ↑ Cimpatico. Resilience Hubs: Community Resilience in Times of Crises (2021-01-19). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  24. ↑ Connections Between Climate Change and Racial Inequity | CannonDesign (in en). www.cannondesign.com. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  25. ↑ Resiliency in the Face of Climate Change: Sea Talk with Kristin Baja : Hub Hawaii Events. hubhawaii.com. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  26. ↑ 2024 Keynote Speakers – ISSST (in en-US). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  27. ↑ Young, Wendy. Women's World Cup Squad Named % (in en-US). Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby News (2006-05-23). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  28. ↑ Midwest Women in dramatic All-Star win (in en). ESPN.com (2002-12-11). Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  29. ↑ Atlantis Women to Ontario Sevens 2001. www.emilito.org. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  30. ↑ Kristin Baja | Environmental Leadership Program. elpnet.org. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  31. ↑ Kristin Baja's schedule for Building Resilience 2019 (in en). buildingresilience2019.sched.com. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/w/index.php?title=Kristin_Baja&oldid=6860440"