As the impacts of climate change intensify with each passing year, more and more young leaders are joining the movement for positive change. By leading the discussion around climate change, they are also spreading awareness and motivating others to act.

Crystal Ngo began her Environmental Justice career as Founding President of University Green Fund Committee in Sewanee, TN – where she administered twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) in funds to facilitate social, economic, and environmental growth in the Sewanee community. From amplifying voices for climate justice to demanding accountability, Crystal oversaw 12 funded projects over 13 months with a team of 14 peers.

After she successfully completed this scholarly research initiative, communicated her findings to the relevant stakeholders, and demonstrated a culture of learning and innovation, her unique leadership acumen helped unlock the full potential of her team and propelled her forward.

Crystal currently serves as Environmental Justice Outreach Coordinator for Air Alliance Houston, a leading non-profit advocacy organization working to reduce the public health impacts from air pollution and advance environmental justice.

As Environmental Justice Outreach Coordinator, she spearheads community engagement efforts and fosters environmental decision-making through the Environmental Justice Leadership Lab. She hosts workshops to prepare community members for permit hearings, organizes cultural tabling events to foster dialogue, and makes public comments to advocate alongside the community.

Before joining Air Alliance Houston, Crystal was Marketing and Communication Summer Associate for City Year Houston, an educational nonprofit organization that partners with public schools in high-need communities across the US and through international affiliates in the UK and Johannesburg, South Africa, to help build their social, emotional, and academic skills.

At City Year, Crystal created over a thousand-dollar Instagram ad campaigns and successfully recruited new Americorps members nationwide. She further used Instagram, TikToks, and Canva graphics to develop over 30 digital educational materials, which led to an increase in educator and stakeholder engagement by 20%.

Previously, Crystal was Student Success Coach, and later Team Leader for AmeriCorps in Sacramento, California, where she maintained weekly communication with school administrators, teachers, organizational staff, and managed teammates to implement comprehensive academic engagement events for up to 350 students. She evaluated surveys including school partnership, Corps member experience, student engagement to track performance, planning, and improve quality of service. In addition, she designed and co-led a bi-monthly learning and development training for 70 members and staff including but not limited to diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity.

Crystal's upbringing instilled a passion for ensuring equitable access to vital resources and preserving the environment for future generations. Fluent in Vietnamese and committed to advancing language justice, she engages in translation and interpretation services with members of the Vietnamese community as a way of giving back to the community that shaped her. This endeavor helps to unite the community and bridge some of the social, economic, and political gaps.

In addition to her Environmental Justice activism in Houston, Crystal has been involved with various Climate Change initiatives in and out of the country. In 2020 and 2022, she was recognized for her outstanding contribution to Environmental Justice with the Environmental Stewardship Award, and the City Year Bridge Builder Award respectively.

As a leading advocate for freedom of expression for Climate Change, a feminist, and an anti-racism activist, she pushes out the frontiers of rights through her scholarship and advocacy.  

Outside of work, Crystal indulges her wanderlust, embarking on adventures near and far. She enjoys strumming her ukulele, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and exploring diverse culinary experiences at local eateries.

She holds a dual degree in Environmental Sustainability and Economics (Cum Laude) from Sewanee: The University of the South Sewanee, TN.