Meet Anastasia Black | Sustainability Adviser, Environmental Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anastasia Black and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anastasia, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

Risk is a vital source in the universe. We all take risks on a daily basis. We risk- therefore, we live. The passion is in the risk ☺

I was born in the Soviet Union where “taking a risk” was not a cultural norm and was not so easily or socially supported. Therefore, as you know from the history, people would find themselves in a huge hole of economical & personal stagnation.

Very few, mostly young people, would choose a different path for themselves.

My mom WAS the one – she started an entrepreneurial business in a country where not even conversations existed about any kind of capitalism. She was only 20, and she had a newborn baby (me), to take care of. She took the risk of being not just socially judged but physically threatened. There were almost no laws and regulations, but a constant threat for people trying to get out of the communist regime.

I’ve learned a lot from my mother’s experience during these years and now understand what a huge sacrifice & risk she endured just to be able to live our lives safely.

Being a first generation immigrant, I realize now it is still a very similar path for me – to take a risk, to leave the system that is not supporting my well-being, and move towards a more sustainable model of life.
Not perfect, but better than it was.

Taking a risk is to make a move through fear while believing there is a better environment for you in the future.


Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
2 years ago I moved to California and got married to my husband Ryan whom I met in Russia during the World Cup.

I completely fell in love with his passion and drive to “make the world a better place” through his business, and confidence that only together people can make a big positive change.

Since childhood, my dream has always been to make an impact in the world. But I’ve been trying to make it on my own – and probably prove something to others, so it’s never been a real satisfaction. My desire was more a way to treat my childhood traumas, as I mindfully understand now.

I’ve also learned that it IS possible to make big positive things happen, and there is a healthy way to accomplish that. All you need is a couple of things:
– community of likeminded people
– clear goal and visible progress
– technology to bring the first two together

So, this is something we have been making happen together as a team.

The Tri www.thetri.app is a grassroots non-profit and online platform that works as a behavioral change tool by providing unique gamification features and statistics collection. You participate in challenges and take climate actions toward a more mindful, sustainable world — and get rewarded for it with really cool prizes like a year supply of açai from Sambazon, free tickets to music festivals like Ohana and Coachella, discounts and meeting with the sustainability experts and a growing community of changemakers, activists and social entrepreneurs in California and worldwide.

We are also aware of “the social dilemma” and don’t want to be the “attention suckers” nowadays. We are mostly focused on the real actions, offline. This is why besides the technological part of the project – we are building a local “sustainability park” and a regenerative eco village called “The Tri Top” located in the middle of Cleveland National Forest. Recently, we started offering sustainability workshops and leadership programs devoted to cultivating deep change in the triad – self, society and environment.

My personal mission here – is to make this place a real destination for people who want to reconnect with themselves through nature, creativity and open dialogue, and allow this personal healing to change the world for better.

Because only when we are connected to ourselves – we can connect to each other in order to build something worthwhile.

I have always known that my perfect performance lies in the interdisciplinary field where I can be creative, do my research, and work with people to build innovative solutions, be a part of a dream team on a global scale.

So, having a decade of experience in clinical research and sustainability, and now being part of these projects, serving as a vehicle to my childhood dream to change the word- I feel very fulfilled and optimistic for others who will join us soon.
⠀
I also have my personal blog @zerowasteminder where I combined two concepts – environmental and already familiar “zero waste” and psychological – mindfulness. I began to share knowledge and experience of solving environmental problems with a psychological approach, relying on positive behavioral psychology and scientific data.⠀

I’m still continuing to dive into the science of not just ecological problems, but also research in mindfulness, neuroscience, environmental psychology and technology – and one day hope to be able to help millions of people to change their mindsets and the world around us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
During covid, unfortunately, some of my favorite restaurants and events are still closed. However, being very lucky to stay in So Cal, we can still enjoy all the different types of outdoor activities to stay grounded, connected & learn more about the world around us. My favorite time here in Orange County is volunteer on a community farm, like The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, where you can learn so much about local food chains & the whole aspect of self-sufficiency, that’s becoming more & more popular and good for the environment. I would say – giving back to the community is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced. So, most of my friends share my vision and help me a lot on the Tri Top Farm as well.


Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-tri/id1500287824

The Tri thetri.org is a grassroots non-profit and online platform that works as a behavioral change tool by providing unique gamification features and statistics collection. You participate in challenges and take climate actions toward a more mindful, sustainable world — and get rewarded for it with really cool prizes like a year supply of açai from Sambazon, free tickets to music festivals like Ohana and Coachella, discounts and meeting with the sustainability experts and a growing community of changemakers, activists and social entrepreneurs in California and worldwide.

Website: https://instagram.com/thetriorg?igshid=11bmge3xgz3rl

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thetriorg?igshid=dnoj4tdy0v9y

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/anastasia-black-68976146

Other: Personal blog: https://instagram.com/zerowasteminder?igshid=6iwl9outa3ak