Meet the Team
The Faces Behind Our Organization
Brigitte Charlton-Vicenty
Founder
Brigitte Charlton-Vicenty, is a life-long Bronx native and the Founder of Inner City Green Team Economic & Environmental Development. (ICGT). For over a decade, she's led the fight for herself and fellow residents in her "Right to Recycle" initiative at the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA). She created ICGT after discovering that NYCHA's recycling program was nonexistent and there were no other options. She envisioned a convenient way for residents to recycle that could create jobs in communities with some of the highest unemployment rates while increasing civic engagement. As a teen, Brigitte observed her mother’s passion for caring about her community and witnessed the effects it had on others-until this day. Brigitte calls this work a “green ministry” and want others to acquire an utmost respect for our planet's life-giving power. In 2018, she won an international competition (NYCx Co-Lab Challenge) to increase recycling rates at a NYCHA development. This was an international competition seeking solutions that would improve recycling in NYC public housing. Vicenty was honored at the Zero Waste in Shared Space Recognition Ceremony. In 2018, they launched their pilot project, having won the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge: Zero Waste in Shared Space. Her work has been featured in a multitude of journalistic and media platforms.
Fellowships:
2020 Echoing Green
2021 Claneil Foundation (Emerging Leaders Fund)
2022 Justice 40 Accelerator
2023 City Fellowship at Company Ventures
John H. Johnson
Co-Founder
John Johnson is the co-founder. A diehard environmentalist and social justice advocate, John came to this work as a recycling coordinator at GrowNYC, where he has been working for over 10 years to improve recycling rates in NYC. While at GrowNYC, he was selected as an Emerging Leader by the Bank of America and participated in its Neighborhood Builders Leadership Training Program. This highly competitive program is designed to recognize and reward nonprofit organizations and individuals who are achieving excellence in their community-building efforts. John’s passion and desire to protect the planet and some of its most vulnerable citizens has led him and his partner on this journey to create ICGT.
John studied urban studies at Macalester College, and urban policy analysis and management at the New School for Social Research.
Fellowships:
2020 Echoing Green
2021 Claneil Foundation (Emerging Leaders Fund)
2022 Justice 40 Accelerator
2023 City Fellowship at Company Ventures
What We Do and Why?
The Opposite of Poverty is Justice
Dealing with the challenges of today requires problem-solvers who bring different perspectives and are willing to take risks. Inner City Green Team emerged out of a pursuit to inspire and support the community, and a desire to increase environmental awareness.
About Us
OUR MISSION
Inner City Green Team (ICGT) is a nonprofit environmental organization focused on poverty alleviation and community development. Our mission is to protect the environment and help transform the lives of residents living in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments through recycling outreach/education, job training, and paid work that can lead to a lifetime of employment and civic engagement. To achieve this end, we are working to create an effective, sustainable, and replicable recycling infrastructure at NYCHA with job creation and community revitalization at its core.