Expert Office Hours

I recently served as a National Program Leader for the USDA SBIR program, and as USDA Senior Advisor for Agricultural Systems and Technology.

* Recent climate company founder
* Expert on marine CDR pathways
* Works at the intersection of commercial CDR, marine science, and carbon markets
* WoCl channel coordinator for #learn-ocean

Thirteen years of energy program evaluation for utilities (including low-income, small business and community programs) + EJ and disadvantaged communities maps, criteria, and equity metrics – to ensure our climate $ reach the right people. I’ve managed large research projects for utilities and state agencies, and state stakeholder processes around energy and climate justice. I was the Technical Consultant for New York’s draft definition of disadvantaged communities, am involved in climate and energy equity in Maine, and Justice40 implementation research nationwide.

I have been consulting in the climate finance field for thirteen years, and worked in ten countries across South Asia, Southeast Asia, East and West Africa. My clients include both public and private investors. I also host a New Ventures podcast on climate innovation.

After graduating in physics, I jumped into the local startup scene with a small Private Cloud company then later went on to work in startups in the Game Development industry and now contributes to a regenerative-focused AgTech startup.
While researching the barriers and supporting ecosystem of regenerative agriculture over the last couple of years I have had the opportunity to connect and learn from many farmers, startups, non-profits, and investors in the space.

Prior to this role, I was a fellow at both ARPA-E and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and served in the U.S. Army.

I have worked for 20 years designing and implementing strategies to reach and engage diverse stakeholders and communities across various verticals in climate and energy – solar, sustainable agriculture, urban planning, environmental justice, public health, public utilities, local campaigns, national philanthropy and more. With a wide breadth of experience across sectors, I’m able to offer meaningful insights and coaching to those transitioning sectors.

I am a Clean Transportation Expert with seven years of experience in Fleet Electrification across rideshare products, fleet operations, and the public sector. Recently I served as a program manager at Lyft leading the Electrification of the rental fleet. Previously, I worked at Arup helping cities, organization, and startups around the world plan for clean transportation transition.

I have marketing experience in solar energy systems, EV charging and powertrains, UPS, VPPs, batteries and other DERs, energy monitoring and PV design software, and energy control hardware. I have built up marketing and communications departments of leading solar energy companies, and grown with them from late-stage start up, through IPOs and multiple acquisitions to become multi-billion dollar companies.

My intro to the food system was as a teenager, when I spent a year working on farms across Latin America. As an undergrad, I founded two small companies, and then spent several years at a software startup in San Francisco, before quitting to found and lead product for a regenerative coffee company (killed by Covid). I spent the last several years at Apeel as a senior product manager, building biotech, hardware/AI, and software products to reduce food waste across the value chain.

Back in Cleantech 1.0, I cofounded SunPower’s utility-scale project development business unit as that industry was just taking off. We built three of the largest solar installations in the US at the time. I have since led numerous product & development teams, focused on AI, built environment, and geospatial. About two years ago, I also started investing in climate tech seed-stage startups. I’ve been advising pre-seed startups since Cleantech 1.0.

With 20 years of professional experience in environmental science, I have served in diverse roles that have enriched my understanding and capability in this field. My journey has taken me from hands-on scientific work in the field to leading sustainability initiatives at the boardroom level. I have authored a best-selling book on sustainability, delivered TEDx talks, and contributed to significant discussions at entities like the US Congress and the United Nations. Currently, I serve on the Building Energy Performance Standards board in Montgomery County and the Sustainability Committee at the Explorers Club, among other start-ups as an fCSO where I continue to influence and drive sustainable practices across various sectors.

I lead teams responsible for the successful design, build, commissioning, and operation of first-of-a-kind grid-scale pilot systems. I grew multiple engineering teams during company transitions from ~5 to ~60 employees. Other experience: construction management, EPC FEED document review, PFD and P&ID drafting, HAZOP, direct operator experience, equipment troubleshooting, simulation and modeling, controls philosophy and process narrative drafting, product requirements definition and tracking, design reviews, and others.

One of my favourite parts is helping people discover what they really want on their own path and how to get there. Having been exposed to a lot of different fields, issues, and networks, I love being able to introduce and connect folks to areas that might otherwise not have been on their radar.

I hope to bring the equity lens to all my relationships because the climate and energy transitions must be just, but won’t be without commitment and intentionality in all aspects of this work.

I look forward to connecting with mentees on:
• Exploring careers in climate and biodiversity operations — from nonprofits to global coalitions.
• Partner and stakeholder engagement in global environmental initiatives.
• Transitioning between or combining legal/policy backgrounds and climate and sustainability work.
• Navigating professional climate spaces as people of color and/or leading on climate in the Global South.

With over 17 years of experience in climate change, social development, and innovation, I’ve had the privilege of driving impactful change across Africa. My journey began in urban planning and evolved into spearheading public policy and advocacy movements, leading consultative processes for technology and climate change-related policies in the region

10+ years as a consultant in the built environment and cross-sector corporate sustainability, complemented by additional years of climate-related advocacy and academic study. I am a stakeholder engagement and network enabler who believes in the power of meaningful connections and collaborative work. Regenerative economy enthusiast, focused on working with purpose toward change. 

I’ve conducted research revealing the “hidden business majority” of professionals who privately support business prioritising social & environmental impact over profit. At Google, I helped hundreds of app businesses build more effective experiences and get product-market fit using behavioral science, and I also host the Moral Footprint podcast featuring activists and thought leaders on realigning work and life within ecological boundaries, currently researching a book on the same theme.

As a UN report co-author and Research Advisor at Imperial College London, I am advancing pioneering research on climate anxiety and ecological grief. As a TEDx speaker, author of two books (Ethereal and The Climate Awakening), environmental artist, conservation photographer, and poet, my work has been featured in leading galleries, climate museums, international journals, magazines, and global forums. I have delivered keynotes at universities and international convenings, using climate artivism to connect emotion, imagination, and action.

I’m a Marketing and Communications Consultant with 15 years experience helping organizations in tech, climate, nonprofit, and finance grow their audiences and revenue. I employ powerful storytelling techniques rooted in neuroscience and needle-threading strategies that get results while conserving budget. Building is what I love most, whether it’s a strategy, campaign, or program.

20+ years of professional experience, including practicing law, FP&A (strategic finance) leadership at Google / Microsoft, and leading finance for multiple VC-backed tech startups.