Biography

Todd Ambo was born and raised in Southern California and is an enrolled member of the Acjachemen Nation. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from UCLA in 2008 and has spent the past 18 years at 3M as a manufacturing engineer. Most of his career has been at 3M’s Irvine plant, where he specializes in dental restorative products that use photosensitive adhesives.

Todd has been involved in tribal government since 2011; however, a trip to the British Museum in the fall of 2024 catalyzed his interest in cultural heritage. Eager to learn more about traditional basketweaving, he has spent the past 2 years visiting international and national archives to research basket provenance, which has become his gateway to conservation.

Todd also started a basketweaving revival program within his tribe and co-directs it with elders and community members. While at UCLA, Todd is eager to learn more about how tribal communities can learn and apply conservation methods to preserve their cultural items. Relatedly, he is also passionate about working with museums to improve partnerships with non-federally recognized tribes.