Raised in Sacramento, CA, Sydney Mathis is a young Black woman and first-generation college graduate with a master’s degree in natural resources. She discovered her love for nature and the environment at an early age—a passion that later inspired the founding of the EGE Foundation and the telling of a story that honors and unveils her family’s rich legacy in the timber harvest industry.

Guided by a vision rooted in environmental stewardship and education, Sydney founded Eternal Generations Emerging (EGE) to inspire purpose-driven learning and innovative thinking. EGE is a social enterprise organization focused on environmental education and leadership development for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth, encouraging exploration of career pathways and entrepreneurship in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM).