Shilpi Chhotray (@shilpichhotray) she/her is a globally recognized communicator renowned for her advocacy on the plastic pollution crisis. With expertise in nonprofit leadership and a proven track record in building and scaling teams, Shilpi is known for driving impactful change within the environmental sector, particularly through her commitment to equity and justice. 

Shilpi regularly engages with the media on a diverse range of topics, including plastic pollution, climate change, and the importance of intersectional storytelling. As a trusted source for journalists, she has been featured in prestigious outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera where she shares insights and perspectives on pressing environmental issues and the power of inclusive narratives.

Prior to founding Counterstream Media, Shilpi served as the Break Free From Plastic Global Communications Lead where she played a foundational role in movement-building, cross-regional narrative strategy, and advised on local, federal, and multi-national legislation aimed at plastic reduction. Throughout her career, Shilpi has worked for a number of high profile environmental organizations including Mission Blue/Sylvia Earle Alliance where she guest authored for National Geographic. 

Shilpi has a Master’s of Earth and Environmental Resources Management with a concentration in marine science and policy from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor’s of Science in environmental policy from Virginia Tech University.

She lives in Oakland, California, on Ohlone land with her husband and son.