Team

Who We Are

Waffle Forest is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded by South Phoenix native Ernest Lerma. To reduce carbon and other air pollution, Waffle Forest plans to plant the first-ever tech forest on waste land in the Phoenix metropolitan area and install state-of-the-art direct-air capture infrastructure. Our leadership team includes: Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Riccardo Valentini, 2007 Nobel Prize winner, top climate scientist and creator of our patented TreeTalker technology; and Director of Ethical Culture & Media Relations Jeremy Scott Vinson, also a South Phoenix native.

Team Members

Anthony Romeo

Director

J Scott Vinson

Director

Jeremy Scott Vinson is an artist and scholar from the Broadway neighborhood in South Phoenix, Arizona. He is a recent graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University (2020) where he earned his second master’s degree in Clinical
Psychology.

Ernest Lerma

Founder/ CEO

Ernest Lerma is an acclaimed digital marketing strategist and business entrepreneur
from South Phoenix, Arizona. Specializing in aspects such as funnels, social media
advertising,

Dr. Riccardo Valentini

Advisor

Dr. Riccardo Valentini is the Director of the Division of Climate Impact at the
Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Changes.