Jane Lawton
Meet Jane
NGO Leader
Twickenham, United Kingdoms
Jane Lawton is Managing Director of the Earth Species Project, where she works at the frontier of conservation, AI, and interspecies communication. With more than 30 years of leadership experience in some of the world’s most respected development and conservation organizations, she brings a rare ability to bridge strategic vision with hands-on delivery. From decoding the language of whales to building global coalitions for regeneration, Jane is driven by one purpose: creating solutions that deliver results for both people and nature.
Areas of activity:
Biodiversity Technology
About:
Jane Lawton is an entrepreneurial nonprofit executive and strategist with extensive international experience across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. She currently serves as Interim Managing Director of the Earth Species Project, an ambitious scientific and technological initiative using AI to decode animal communication and transform humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Jane is also a member of the Regenerative Futures Advisory Group at Unearthodox and part of the Biodiversity & Conservation Braintrust at XPRIZE, where she contributes her expertise to global innovation initiatives. Previously, she held senior leadership positions at Forum for the Future (Chief Development and Communications Officer) and The B Team (Director, Global Community and Partnerships), following a career that spanned conservation, organizational growth, and sustainable livelihoods, including work with the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada.
Known for her ability to combine big-picture strategy with detail-oriented execution, Jane has spent three decades designing programs, securing resources, and building partnerships that advance systemic change. Fluent in English and French, she thrives in multicultural, cross-sector environments and is motivated above all by working with great people on challenges that matter.
Involvment:
Earth Species Project
A nonprofit research lab and collaboration dedicated to translating non-human communication, Earth Species Project works at the intersection of AI and conservation to deepen humanity’s understanding of and connection with other species.