Theresa wears Another Tomorrow top, Nanushka bottoms, Ariana Boussard-Reifel earrings, and own shoes. Willow wears Ganni blazer, Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen skirt, Dinosaur Designs earrings and ring, Agmes silver ring, and own shoes.
photographs by camila falquez
styling by Devin Hershey
Theresa Perez turns dreams into reality.
Having played a primary role in Atmos’s growth as managing director, Perez now leads the organization as executive director. She brings a dynamic and expansive background that uniquely positions her to lead Atmos in fulfilling its mission: to re-enchant people with nature and our shared humanity, inspire cultural transformation, and illuminate solutions to heal the planet.
Perez’s arrival to where she is didn’t happen by accident—it’s a testament to the power of having a clear vision. Throughout her 15-year career as a strategic and operational leader, her drive has helped her gain a richly varied skillset, all while never compromising on her passions.
Perez has led operations for two award-winning creative-tech agencies in New York City, leveraged her own consulting company to work with founders on their brand strategy, and helped Grammy-award-winning artists on their marketing campaigns and tours. She was in charge of content for an international nonprofit foundation focused on meditation, and worked alongside the chief human resources officer of Sony Music Entertainment.
In 2023, Perez was ready to begin a new chapter, one that could combine everything she cared about: nature, the arts, the environment, and social justice. Inspired by the birth of her daughter, she soon realized that there is no future without the health of the planet, and she yearned for a place where she could truly be of service. Her dreams came true when she discovered Atmos, which was in need of the special skillset and passion she had to offer.
Perez is keenly aware of the work ahead, and with her characteristic drive and determination, she approaches the challenge not just with readiness, but with passion and resolve. Below, she joined Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Willow Defebaugh to reflect on how she arrived to where she is now and what her new position will ultimately mean for the trajectory of Atmos.
Willow Defebaugh
How did you come to this work at Atmos and your role as executive director? What made you say, This is what I want to be a part of.
Theresa Perez
The year my daughter was born, I had an opportunity to start something new in my career. I’d just closed an amazing chapter of work with my former colleagues, and had just become a mother. It was 2023, seven years from the 2030 target date that I had been hearing about for the previous five years. I had never done any work directly in environmentalism, but I had a deep yearning for whatever I did next to help our beautiful planet and all of nature including people. This was the time to do something. So when I learned about Atmos’s mission, it felt like this perfect confluence of everything I cared about: nature, the arts, and environmental and social justice. I knew I had found the place where I could really be of service at this time in my life.
Willow
I think anyone already who’s reading this hopefully gets a sense of this, but you really bring such enthusiasm and dedication to this work. That isn’t always easy to find and is 100% infectious. Why does Atmos’s mission resonate with you so strongly?
Theresa
The first thing I’ll say is it’s basically what my wish was before I even knew about this job. I wanted to do something that was going to support the planet and the people. And that’s exactly what this mission is: to re-enchant people with nature and humanity and illuminate solutions for cultural transformation. The fact that I get to work with the best people in the world in doing such creative, gorgeous work for the very purpose of fulfilling a thing that I wanted to do anyway—it’s totally magical. I can put my whole spirit [into it].
That’s another reason why I love being here so much; I really feel whole at Atmos. I’m not compartmentalizing any parts of myself. And I think that’s part of the reason why I can show up every day with so much energy and enthusiasm—because it’s pure. It’s just my life force coming to meet this moment because I’m passionate about this, I want this. This is not about me, it’s not about Atmos. This is about our planet and humanity. This work matters.
“When I learned about Atmos’s mission, it felt like this perfect confluence of everything I cared about: nature, the arts, and environmental and social justice. I knew I had found the place where I could really be of service at this time in my life.”
Willow
I felt so much the same way when we founded Atmos—like this is an opportunity to bring all the parts of myself to something. Then, to be able to turn it into a space where other people can show up as every part of themselves. It really speaks to what we wanted Atmos to be, which is a place where worlds are bridged and where climate and culture can come together because that’s ultimately what we need.
This is a new position you’re stepping into as executive director. Talk to me about exactly what you are going to be doing in this role.
Theresa
Each role has a responsibility, right? Not just roles at work, but roles in life: mother, student, any role that we’re playing has a responsibility. And the reason I’m saying that is because I think it’s critical, particularly for people in leadership positions, to own the responsibility that they have. It’s not about power, it’s not about vanity. It’s to uphold whatever the responsibilities of that role entail. So, I’m extremely honored and proud to have been given this opportunity to serve as the executive director of Atmos. I take it very much to heart and I’m very dedicated to fulfilling the mandates of this role.
My responsibility is to steward Atmos to fulfill its highest potential and bring the greatest benefit to people and the planet. In a nutshell, that stewardship includes strategic and financial planning, and the implementation of those plans. We have lofty goals. We want to see a critical mass of people on this planet seeing themselves as part of an ecosystem in 10 years, rather than just thinking about their individual place or at the top of a pyramid. Bringing this goal to fruition requires resources—to hire people, to pay photographers and writers, to spread the word. That’s another big aspect of implementation that I’m very involved with: looking at ways to create symbiotic relationships with people, organizations, and brands who share our values and have resources that can support our mission.
Willow
Something that I think is really coming through in what you’re sharing is that in addition to you overseeing the operations of this organization, which could be a very technical thing, you approach all of it with so much heart. You’re a very heart-centered leader. Could you speak a little bit to how your values and beliefs and worldview really inform your approach to this role?
Theresa
Absolutely. It starts with the daily intention to show up with my very best. And sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes I don’t feel like it or I’m tired or I didn’t sleep well. But it’s my commitment to myself to have a vision for how I want to be and then do my very best to live up to that vision. I don’t just want to be someone who’s good at getting things done or good at leading a group of people to an outcome—I want to be connective, I want to be inspiring, I want to elicit joy. You know when you’re at a rock concert and you get that feeling of sort of collective joy? That’s what I want to bring all the time.
In one of our social media posts recently, we quoted Tara Houska, where she said, “we were born at this time for a reason and with a purpose.” That really resonated with me because she’s taking responsibility. There’s no victimhood here. She’s like, yes, things are wild, but I have something to offer right now. We have something to offer right now. There’s a reason why this incredible team of people is working together here at Atmos doing what we’re doing. We have a lot that we can do, so let’s do it.
Willow
It’s about answering a call. I always think about the fact that as a culture, we love these epic stories where there’s some horrendous calamity and these heroes have to come in and save the day. And I always wonder, if we love those stories so much, why don’t we see what’s happening here on Earth right now as something similar where our land is being poisoned and our future is at stake? And it’s up to all of us to answer the call in a way. So I think that way you just shared really fits with that.
What do you wish that people outside of Atmos understood about operating a media nonprofit?
Theresa
All of the work that we’re doing is for you. We’re not driven by financial profits, or motivated by advertisers. We’re driven by putting something into the world that will help people see things in a new way and by extension help the planet regain balance. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about money–quite the opposite. Being primarily funded by philanthropy, we understand the great value in each dollar and cent that runs through our organization, and the power it has to help us do the work we want to do.
“We want to see a critical mass of people on this planet seeing themselves as part of an ecosystem in 10 years, rather than just thinking about their individual place or at the top of a pyramid.”
Willow
How can people support this work?
Theresa
Well, the easiest thing to do is join our BIOME, which is our new membership community. It’s very symbiotic, where you support us with a monthly subscription and we give you the magazine when it publishes, twice a year, plus a number of other perks that you can choose to benefit from if you like. For example, joining us in our community events when possible, those are all really fun. Even just signing up for our newsletters and reading our content online, sharing it with your friends and family, spreading the word: Those are all ways to support us.
Willow
And what are some of the projects that you’re most proud of that you’ve worked on since starting in Atmos?
Theresa
Last year in 2024, we had several milestone launches and events. We published our first book, The Overview. We also held this epic three-day retreat in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which was a career highlight for me. We brought together about 30 people from different disciplines in the environmental and social justice fields to talk with one another. One of the most profound pieces of feedback that we received from folks was them expressing how they had never heard people sharing these kinds of ideas because they’re so used to being in spaces that are only talking about the areas of their expertise. Our keynote speaker, Bayo Akomolafe, started his talk by saying the energy in the room felt like an underground revolution. And I think he was right. It was like starting an underground revolution and that is only continuing.
Willow
Beautiful. What opportunities does the future hold for Atmos?
Theresa
So many opportunities. I keep thinking about Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s book, What If We Get It Right? It’s a hopeful book that illuminates solutions, and that’s what I believe we at Atmos have the potential to propagate, as well. One of the points she makes is about building community around solutions and that just resonates so strongly because that’s what we do, frankly. Whether it’s in-person events, being part of our BIOME, or simply cultivating our storytelling platforms to continue growing into a sanctuary and community hub. I think that’s how we’ll reach critical mass and really start to see a big shift in global consciousness over the next 10 years. One web connects with another until our community is interwoven throughout the world.
Willow
Well, with you, I have a feeling we’ll get there.
Theresa
I’m committed, I’m here. I’ll be here for those 10 years.
Hair Taka Ume Makeup Mollie Gloss
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Join our membership community. Support our work, receive a complimentary subscription to Atmos Magazine, and more.
Executive Director Theresa Perez Shares What’s Next for Atmos
