Samantha Happ
Network Director, Hawai'i Green Growth

Managing Director, Local2030 Islands Network

Samantha Happ (she/her) is the Network Director of Hawai'i Green Growth, leading programming related to youth, policy, and community engagement. Sam is a sustainable development practitioner with lived and working experience across the Pacific and Southeast Asia, specializing in local and community-driven planning, strategy, policy, and programming. Prior to joining HGG, Sam worked on Strategic Foresight with UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, and at UNDP Headquarters in New York on both the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) unit and the Inclusive Growth team, working on policies and programs supporting Universal Basic Income schemes and expanding access to public goods. Her most personally impactful role was that of a high-school teacher, and she continues to work with young people and champion their seat at decision-making tables through her Board and volunteer roles. Samantha holds a MPA from Columbia University and Bachelor’s degrees in political science, Intercultural Studies, and Advocacy and Social Change.