Cyrus Copeland

Biography

Cyrus Copeland is Executive Director of Treedom for Palestine, a nonprofit planting olive trees as tools of prosperity, gender equality, and land sovereignty in one of the world’s most fragile regions. What began with a single tree planted in memory of his father has grown into a movement: more than 75 “Freedom Farms” now restore land and livelihood across the West Bank. The goal is to plant 1,000 farms—creating a replicable model for reforestation in conflict zones. Before Treedom, Cyrus spent a decade in advertising and two more as an author and cultural commentator. His memoir "Off the Radar" won the Chautauqua Prize, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, NPR, BBC, and Slate. Born to Iranian-American parents, Cyrus has lived between East and West, business and activism. In a polarized world, he sees planting as a way to stitch land, livelihood, and legacy back together—one grove at a time.