Adam Hammes grew up in rural Richland, Iowa. He spent much of his 20s traveling the world leading environmental education trips. After this series of adventures, he moved back to Iowa to establish Urban Ambassadors, a Des Moines non-profit that supports community sustainability projects and connections.

Adam is a leader in corporate sustainability. He was the first manager of sustainability for Kum & Go, the founder and Executive Director of the Iowa Sustainable Business Forum, and the author of two books on corporate sustainability: Stress-Free Sustainability: Leverage Your Emotions, Avoid Burnout & Influence Anyone (2010) and Sustainable Business in Iowa (2017).