Ms. Heidi Kuhn
CEO, Roots of Peace
A fifth-generation Californian, Heidi Kuhn, was raised to respect the earth and its people, ideals established by her family who were early pioneers in the 1800s. In her early career, she ran a television news organization in Alaska, reporting for CNN on major events including the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the end of the Cold War.
After beating the odds and overcoming a diagnosis of cancer, Heidi further embraced the core values she was raised with when she saw an opportunity to eradicate another form of cancer – landmines – a cancer on the Earth.
Garnering the support of famed Napa Valley vintners Robert Mondavi and Mike Grgich, Heidi launched her vision of turning “Mines to Vines" – and for the last two decades has worked around the world, including in Afghanistan and Vietnam, replacing the remnants of war with bountiful vineyards and orchards of peace.