Background
Simons grew up in New York City.
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Nina Simons
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Cornell University; Ithaca College.
Career
She was involved in theater in high school and college at Cornell University and Ithaca College. She left Seeds of Change to become the strategic marketing director for Odwalla, building their brand and connecting the company with nonprofit organizations that could help Odwalla increase its sustainable business practices. In 1990, Simons and Ausubel co-founded the organization and national conference to highlight existing solutions to the world"s environmental and social struggles.
The idea for the National Conference arose from a 1989 meeting with Josh Mailman, a leader in social investment and philanthropy who was involved with Seeds of Change and the Hoxsey film.
When Ausubel described various biomimetic innovators and other breakthrough environmental solutions, Mailman proposed a conference and offered to fund lieutenant UnReasonable Women for the Earth
In the late 1990s, Simons began to focus on developing women"s leadership.
In 2002 she facilitated her first retreat for women leaders, called UnReasonable Women for the Earth, uniting 34 women to brainstorm how to initiate a broad progressive women"s movement with the environment at its heart. The name, sparked by Diane Wilson at the 2001 Conference, stemmed from the belief that women were often raised to be too "well behaved," or "reasonable," a training which inhibits women from taking a stand for what they believe in.
UnReasonable Women for the Earth encouraged "women everywhere to stand together, at each other"s backs, in defense of life.
Its goal is to strengthen women"s voices and encourage women"s engagement." The retreat resulted in the formation of CodePink: Women for Peace, a grassroots organization advocating for peace.
