Landon Hoberman is a 17-year-old from New Jersey whose path to systems-level environmental leadership began with a contradiction he couldn’t ignore. What started as an attempt to engineer edible ice cream spoons evolved into a deeper realization: meaningful environmental change happens upstream, before waste is created — by shifting defaults, not just redesigning products.

That insight drove him to found #reducebyrequest, a campaign eliminating the automatic inclusion of plastic utensils in takeout orders. The initiative has removed over 8.1 million single-use plastics from circulation and saved local businesses more than $200,000. He then drafted and secured unanimous passage of a local ordinance, testified twice before New Jersey Senate committees, and helped advance Bill S3195 — the strongest “Skip the Stuff” legislation in the country — into law in January 2026.

Through sustainability presentations and town cleanups, Landon saw a consistent gap: students want to help, but often lack clear pathways to get started. In response, he founded the Student Environmental Ambassador (SEA) Program, which now empowers over 1,440 ambassadors across 86 schools in 19 states and 10 countries, reaching more than 100,000 students through 17 strategic partnerships.

As Co-Chair of H2OO’s 6th Cohort Plastic Pollution Committee, Landon brought the same data-driven, community-grounded approach to the national stage. He is committed to advancing youth leadership in environmental decision-making, demonstrating that with the right tools and support, the next generation doesn’t need to wait to lead.