![cbpl-logo-3[1]](https://c4br.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/cbpl-logo-31-qiwqbfwjaa8ydzluyxar06b8ff92ldef5pe5jzcxvi.jpg "cbpl-logo-3[1]"){kind=logo}
Mission: To promote and restore biological diversity, healthy ecosystems, and community well being.
Vision: To create a biodiverse sustainable future with environmental, economic and social justice.
Founded with a regional approach to enhancing the biological corridors of Costa Rica, CBR is designed to share ideas, knowledge and resources with every community that needs to restore biodiversity.
Meet The Team
Executive Director, Obie Pressman
Obie is a chocolate educator who designs immersive, hands-on learning experiences that connect people to the land, the farmers and the craft of making bean to bar chocolate. With over 17 years of experience in global development and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington’s Evans School, he brings a rare blend of understanding the ins and outs of international development and a deep love for all things cacao and chocolate…read more
CBR Co-Founder, Pablo Gordienko, a native of San José, Costa Rica, is a fervent entrepreneur committed to advancing reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and contemporary concepts in a country renowned for its abundant biodiversity. His dedication and vision materialize in the establishment of Santuario de Macao S.A, a 400-hectare private reserve …read more
CBR Co-Founder, Andrei Gordienko, the epitome of a global adventurer and life long learner, Andrei possesses unique perspectives and concepts regarding the functioning of life in the biosphere, placing him among the exclusive ranks of sustainable visionaries. With a solid background in agriculture and soil sciences, he has a robust foundation upon which … read more
CBR Co-Founder, Agricultural Educator, Fred Rubin, has embraced environmental activism by focusing on education. His wealth of teaching experience and collaboration with individuals from diverse backgrounds has contributed valuable organizational skills to the establishment of CBR. With a background rooted in simple living, farming, and collaborative efforts, he has developed a profound …read more
Community Liaison, Karen Sánchez is a Costa Rican social worker and hospitality professional dedicated to sustainable management and community development. As General Manager of Hotel Macaw Lodge, she leads a team of 25 in implementing eco-conscious practices and fostering a positive organizational culture rooted in service and social responsibility. With a background in social work and strategic planning, Karen bridges tourism and environmental stewardship, creating spaces that support biodiversity, local livelihoods, and regenerative agriculture. Her work aligns with the mission to build resilience through place-based leadership and sustainable systems.
Director of Research, Hugo Santa Cruz has dedicated his entire life to the cause of protected areas. Since the age of 19 he has immersed himself in the field of ecotourism, contributing his efforts to national parks and nature reserves across Latin America. Some of his most cherished professional experiences include managing the Ecological Cruise in … read more
Agroecologist Sarah Bharath works as one of the top professionals worldwide in cacao postharvest processing, paid by United Nations International Trade Center and Food and Agriculture Organisation to develop programs and lead in-field training to cocoa farmers worldwide. A plant scientist by formal training, Sarah is recognized for her expertise in regenerative ecosystems and their impacts on food quality for the benefit of farmers and their allies. She came to cacao in 1998 via academia at the (then) Cocoa Research Unit, Trinidad. Working on various internationally funded projects ranging from cacao pathology to agronomy, diversity and post-harvest processing she developed her consultancy practice currently working with cacao from soil to processed, saleable seed…read more
Sustainability Advisor, Moisés Gómez is an agronomist and graduate of EARTH University (2003) with extensive experience in the international cacao sector. He spent 11 years in London as a Project Officer for the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO), where he helped design and implement multi-country projects across Africa, Latin America, and Asia to address key sustainability challenges in the cacao value chain.
Since returning to Costa Rica in 2017, Moisés has focused on ….read more
Cacao Advisor, Ramon Jaimez is a biologist with a PhD in Tropical Ecology and a specialist in crop ecophysiology. He is a Principal Professor at the Technical University of Manabí (UTM) in Ecuador and a retired professor from the University of Los Andes, Venezuela. Over his career he has served as a visiting professor in graduate programs across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela and has been a frequent speaker at agronomic events internationally.
Ramon’s recent work includes teaching a Cacao Ecophysiology course at the Honduran Fund for Agricultural Research and conducting research at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica. His research focuses on gas exchange, water relations, and production dynamics in cacao, with the goal of understanding how physiological processes interact to influence yields under challenging environmental conditions.
Bioacoustics Engineer, Nick Dangerfield is the co-founder and CEO of the sound company Oda, is an entrepreneur and artist who has moved beyond his earlier work in film and art technology to focus on immersive audio, with a significant emphasis on bioacoustics. A key aspect of Oda is its use of bioacoustic monitoring to deliver live nature soundscapes directly to listeners’ homes. In collaboration with environmental conservationists, microphones are strategically placed in natural locations, such as a Costa Rican rainforest, to capture the real-time sounds of living ecosystems. This innovative approach serves a dual purpose: it offers listeners an intimate, unfiltered audio experience of nature, and it creates a new funding stream for conservation by compensating land preservationists for their ecosystem’s sounds.
Advisor, Debra Rubin is a lifelong environmentalist and a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with degrees in Psychology, Counseling, and Accounting. A certified yoga instructor, she began volunteering at the inaugural Earth Day in 1970 and now advises California regional parks on improved wildfire-safety practices. Though she travels widely, she repeatedly returns to the Macaw Sanctuary; since 2013 she has helped shape long-term strategies that strengthen ecological resilience and nurture community stewardship…read more
Advisor, Michelle Pressman is the co-founder of Insight Chocolate and co-designer of the six-day earth-to-bar workshop at Macaw Kakau in Costa Rica. Her work integrates hands-on cacao education with environmental stewardship and wellness practices.
She served as a Peace Corps education volunteer in Ghana, built a successful massage therapy business, and ran an independent art studio. She holds Level I and II chocolate tasting certifications from the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting (IICCT), and brings a strategic, cross-disciplinary approach to chocolate education…read more.
Advisor, Nettie Atkisson is an educator, author, and multimedia creator with over 20 years of experience. Her work centers on teaching people about cacao and chocolate through videos, animations, children’s books, and festival-based curricula. Nettie draws on her training in photography to create visual materials that invite curiosity and deepen engagement with cacao landscapes and farming practices. She holds a BFA in photography, a certificate in early childhood education and is fluent in Spanish.
Advisor, Curtis Atkisson is a CFO with over 25 years of experience in technology and advertising, specializing in strategy, finance, and joint ventures. Based in New York City, he holds an MBA from Stanford University and has led financial operations for companies ranging from startups to billion-dollar enterprises.
As an angel investor in chocolate ventures worldwide, Curtis brings a unique blend of financial expertise and passion for regenerative cacao systems. He oversees budgeting and fund disbursement for CBR and has contributed to successful grant initiatives, including those supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.