Who We Are

Shannon Cairns Founder and Director

Shannon launched Waste Warriors in 2025 to help teens help themselves by learning and doing something together about waste and climate change. Shannon has always been motivated by her concern for the natural environment and social justice which led her to start her career in transportation. ​Before launching Waste Warriors, Shannon was a people and project manager working on public infrastructure and transportation in the private and public sectors. She still loves riding Muni throughout San Francisco and taking urban hikes with her husband and two teenagers.

Janet Brunckhorst

​Janet Brunckhorst is a climate tech advisor, investor, and fractional executive. She provides strategic and operational support to climate founders in the US and Australia, focusing on energy and electrification. Janet has led cross-functional teams building software products for the last 20 years, with her time at Aurora Solar cementing her commitment to the energy transition. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, kids, and cat, writes songs about science, swims in the Bay, and misses Melbourne coffee.

Alan Chen

​Alan Chen joined the Waste Warriors Advisory Committee in summer 2025 and he is the Recruitment Lead. Alan is a rising junior attending Balboa High School in San Francisco. He’s determined and passionate in making positive environmental impacts by collaborating and working with other high school students to implement environmental-friendly projects. Alan has co-led 25+ cleanups, collected over 400+ pounds of trash, and educated young students about climate change through an interactive workshop.

Jamario Jackson

Jamario Jackson is a dynamic leader and advocate. He is the Government and Community Relations Manager for Recology in San Francisco. In this role, he manages community partnerships, charitable contributions, sponsorship agreements, and is the liaison responsible for resolving service-related inquiries from customers and constituencies. Before his role at Recology, Jamario worked for California State Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, AC Transit, United States Senator Dianne Feinstein, and TransForm. For over a decade, Jamario has continued to develop interdisciplinary knowledge that he uses across internal and external aspects of his job. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Merced, and a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs from the University of San Francisco.

Sophia Kuner

​Sophia joined the Waste Warriors Advisory Committee in summer 2025. Sophia is a rising sophomore at Lowell High School in San Francisco.

Leslynne Jess Martinez

​Jess joined the Waste Warriors Advisory Committee in summer 2025 and she is the Social Media Lead. Jess is a rising junior at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco. She is interested in contributing to a healthier environment for the people of today and for the future generations. Jess wants to do this by promoting sustainable actions and waste reduction within herself, her family, and her community. As she’s observed the consumption and waste production increase around her over the past couple of years, she’s been most interested in fast fashion, e-waste, and recycling. Other than advocating for a brighter and more sustainable future, she also enjoys spending time with friends, playing guitar, doing little art projects, and baking!

Mike Missiaen

Mike Missiaen has worked in education since 1996. He has taught presentation skills, writing, marketing, job search, lots of different software, and ESL. He earned a master’s in Digital Media & Learning from USF in 2015. Since getting his master’s, he has developed and delivered training for the Judicial Branch of California, an edtech start-up, and Amtrak. His primary areas of expertise are learning theory, curriculum development, and instructional design.