We Are a Global Team of Innovative Thought Leaders and Changemakers

Satya S. Tripathi is Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet.

A development economist, lawyer and changemaker with over 40 years of varied experience, Mr. Tripathi is the Chancellor of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences - the world's largest academic institution dedicated exclusively to indigenous people and cultures. He is also a Senior Distinguished Fellow on Innovative Finance at the World Agroforestry Centre.

He has served with the UN for more than two decades in key positions across the planet and was most recently the UN Assistant Secretary-General, Head of New York Office at UN Environment and Secretary of the UN Environment Management Group. His other strategic engagements with the UN include: Head of Human Rights Investigations for the UN in post-war Bosnia (UNMIBH); Chair of the Committees on Laws, Treaties and Administrative matters for the UN-mediated Cyprus unification talks in 2004; UN Recovery Coordinator for Aceh and Nias where he facilitated international cooperation and funding of over US$ 7 billion for post-tsunami recovery efforts in support of the government and affected populations; and Executive Head of UNORCID, a UN System Office established by the UN Secretary General in 2011 to facilitate the implementation of a US$ 1 Billion REDD+ partnership between Indonesia, Norway and other stakeholders.

Mr. Tripathi was instrumental in establishing the Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF) in Indonesia in 2016 and the Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF) in 2017 to leverage ‘private finance for public good’ at mega-scale to achieve transformative social and environmental impact for millions of people in developing countries. He previously served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Forests.

Craig Cogut has spent a career building successful investment businesses. Mr. Cogut founded Pegasus, a private equity fund, in 1996 and serves as its Chairman and CEO. Through Mr. Cogut’s leadership, Pegasus has focused on sectors influenced by global resource scarcity and the need to combat climate change, as well as on the growth in demands globally for human health and wellness, leading to Pegasus becoming the first U.S. private equity fund manager to be accredited by the Green Climate Fund.

In 1990 Mr. Cogut cofounded and was one of the original partners at Apollo Advisors L.P., a position he held for six years preceding the creation of Pegasus. Mr. Cogut has been an active philanthropist in the fields of improving education, building civil society and championing environmental and health issues. Mr. Cogut is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of HealthE, Inc. and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of PanTheryx. Mr. Cogut is an alumnus of Brown University and Harvard Law School.

Cyrill Gutsch is an award-winning designer and creative thinker. In 1998, he developed Cross Intelligence, a method that brings a culture of collaboration to major organizations.

In 2012, he decided to focus on a new client vital to us all: the oceans. He founded Parley for the Oceans as a collaboration network for creators, thinkers, and leaders to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and to develop and implement strategies that can end their destruction.

Parley and their partners won the Grand Prix for Product Design at Cannes Lions, two D&AD Pencils, and an ADCN Grand Prix in 2014. Gutsch was named 2017 Environmentalist of the Year by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association for his tireless work for the oceans. In 2018, Parley was named Environmental Organisation of the Year at EARTHx, and Gutsch was honored with a Special Recognition Award for Innovation by the British Fashion Council.

In 2019, Gutsch was inducted into the UBS Global Visionary community – a select group of leading entrepreneurs and individuals working towards one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Erik Solheim was the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. Prior to that, he chaired the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a post he held since 2013, and served as UN Environment’s Special Envoy for environment, conflict and disaster.

From 2007 to 2012, he held the combined portfolio of Norway’s Minister of the Environment and International Development, and from 2005 to 2007 served as Minister of International Development. During his time as Minister, Norwegian aid reached 1%, the highest in the world. Solheim also put into place the Nature Diversity Act, considered to be Norway’s most important piece of environmental legislation in the last 100 years.

He is an experienced peace negotiator, having acted as the main facilitator of the peace process in Sri Lanka from 1998 to 2005. The peace process led to a ceasefire and the Oslo Declaration in 2002, where parties welcomed a federal state in Sri Lanka. He continued to lead peace efforts in Sri Lanka as Minister, and has contributed to peace processes in Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and Burundi.

Mr. Solheim has received a number of awards for his work on climate and the environment, including UN Environment’s Champion of the Earth award, TIME Magazine’s Hero of the Environment, and an honorary doctorate from TERI University in Delhi, India. He holds a degree in history and social studies from the University of Oslo.

Julia Jackson has dedicated her life to the environmental cause on a global scale. In 2018, she founded Grounded, a nonprofit organization, to identify and accelerate the most impactful solutions to ensure a livable planet. Its intention is to align people and the planet through shared learning, innovative solutions and cross-industry collaboration.

She has diligently worked to amplify climate solutions through outreach and strategic partnerships with numerous thought-leading organizations like the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, One Earth, Sea Legacy, Amazon Frontlines, and many others.

Ms. Jackson has served as a featured speaker at leading climate events hosted by the United Nations and POLITICO. Her track record of working on transformative issues has been featured in media outlets, including Forbes, The Hill, NPR, and The Washington Post and has earned numerous awards including the Travel and Leisure Global Vision Awards 2019, North Bay Business Journal’s 2019 Top Women in Business, Cambria: Seeds of Empowerment, honors from the Global Green organization and several wine industry accolades.

Patricia Velásquez is an award-winning actress, supermodel, activist and author. She is the Organization of American States (OAS) Goodwill Ambassador for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas.

She founded the Wayúu Tayá Foundation in 2002 to help improve the lives of Latin-American indigenous communities while maintaining and respecting their traditions, culture and beliefs. She was appointed UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2003 and the United Nations granted her the 2009 Women Together Award.

Other honors include the 2015 La Femme Film Festivals’ Humanitarian Award, and the 2018 Visibility Award from The Human Rights Campaign.

Pavan Sukhdev is a scientist by education, an international banker by training, and an environmental economist by passion. Years of work in sustainability and the invisible economics of nature led to his appointment to head the United Nations’ “Green Economy Initiative” and write their landmark report “Towards a Green Economy” (2011), and to lead the G8+5-commissioned study “TEEB” (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, 2008-2010). TEEB brought into sharp focus the invisible economics of nature and emphasized the socio-economic importance of ecosystem services as a large part of the ‘GDP of the poor’.

Pavan was awarded the McCluskey Fellowship (2011) by Yale University. While at Yale, he authored “Corporation 2020 - Transforming Business for Tomorrow’s World”. In this book, he advocates four changes in micro-policy and regulation which can rapidly transform today’s corporation to deliver tomorrow’s green and equitable “economy of permanence”. This led to his ongoing campaign (launched at Rio+20) to promote a new model for tomorrow’s corporation: “Corporation 2020”, one which generates positive rather than negative externalities and is the engine of tomorrow’s inclusive green economy.

As founder and CEO of GIST, a company at the active intersection of sustainability and technology, and a pioneer in impact valuation, Pavan now works with investors, C-suite executives and senior government officials on transition techniques with an emphasis on metrics for sustainability.

A UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, Pavan has served as President and Chair of the board of WWF International (2018-2021) and has also served on the boards of Conservation International (CI), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) and on the TEEB Advisory Board. He has won numerous awards for his work including the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development (2013), the Blue Planet Prize (2016) and the Tyler Prize (2020) aka the Environmental Nobel.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar is the Chancellor of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune and Chairman of the Giri Institute of Development Studies, India. He is a renowned economist and a widely published author with over 4 decades of varied experience in government, academia, industry, and multilateral institutions.

Dr. Kumar has served with the Government of India in numerous leadership roles and was the Vice-Chairman of the National Institution for Transforming India - NITI Aayog with the rank and status of a cabinet minister from 2017-2022. While at NITI Aayog, Dr. Kumar was instrumental in launching several strategic policy initiatives including driving a system-scale whole-of-government collaboration on mainstreaming regenerative agriculture in India.

His past strategic engagements with academia and industry include: CEO of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER); Chief Economist at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); Secretary-General of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI); Senior Fellow at the Center for Policy Research, New Delhi; Professor at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT); and Board positions in numerous institutions of significance, both in India and abroad.

Dr. Kumar served with the Asian Development Bank as Principal Economist for a decade. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Lucknow University, India and a D. Phil. In Economics from Oxford University.

Erik Solheim was the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. Prior to that, he chaired the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a post he held since 2013, and served as UN Environment’s Special Envoy for environment, conflict and disaster.

From 2007 to 2012, he held the combined portfolio of Norway’s Minister of the Environment and International Development, and from 2005 to 2007 served as Minister of International Development. During his time as Minister, Norwegian aid reached 1%, the highest in the world. Solheim also put into place the Nature Diversity Act, considered to be Norway’s most important piece of environmental legislation in the last 100 years.

He is an experienced peace negotiator, having acted as the main facilitator of the peace process in Sri Lanka from 1998 to 2005. The peace process led to a ceasefire and the Oslo Declaration in 2002, where parties welcomed a federal state in Sri Lanka. He continued to lead peace efforts in Sri Lanka as Minister, and has contributed to peace processes in Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and Burundi.

Mr. Solheim has received a number of awards for his work on climate and the environment, including UN Environment’s Champion of the Earth award, TIME Magazine’s Hero of the Environment, and an honorary doctorate from TERI University in Delhi, India. He holds a degree in history and social studies from the University of Oslo.

Éliane Ubalijoro, PhD, is the Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age and the Global Hub Director in Canada for Future Earth. Her decades of experience span academia, science-policy, and the non-profit and international development sectors. She is a Professor of Practice for Public-Private Sector Partnerships at McGill University’s Institute for the Study of International Development, where her research interests focus on innovation, gender and sustainable development for prosperity creation. Her teaching over the last decade has focused on facilitating leadership development.

She is a member of Rwanda’s National Science and Technology Council and has been a member of the Presidential Advisory Council for Rwandan President Paul Kagame since its inception in September 2007. She is a member of the Expert Consultation Group on the Post COVID-19 Implications on Collaborative Governance of Genomics Research, Innovation, and Genetic Diversity. Éliane is a member of the African Development Bank’s Expert Global Community of Practice on COVID-19 Response Strategies in Africa. She is a member of the newly created Capitals Coalition Supervisory Board.

Éliane teaches and advises in Leadership programs to help equip executives in science, innovation and international development with tools that support inner and outer sustainable transformation towards global prosperity.

Juha Leppänen is a social scientist and serves as the Chief Executive at Demos Helsinki, leading independent Nordic think tank. Demos Helsinki works to ensure societal transformation that is both fair and sustainable through projects in over 30 countries around the world. Juha has served as advisor for multiple strategy, innovation and policy initiatives for both public and private organisations and as a speaker on forums such as Slush, Innovation Week and Smart Cities NYC. In addition to his work at Demos Helsinki, Juha is a member of Global Innovation Council and RSA Fellow.

Jonathan Papoulidis is Global Director of Fragility and Resilience at Food for the Hungry where he provides leadership on multidimensional resilience, adaptive management and scaling approaches in fragile contexts. He is an inaugural fellow at Columbia World Projects at Columbia University where he is working on new frameworks for adaptive scaling. He previously served with the United Nations, including in Indonesia as UN Coordinator for Aceh and Nias and UN Security Coordinator for Sumatra. From 2004-2006, he served in the UN peacekeeping mission in post-war Liberia as advisor to the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Governance and Recovery. Before that, he was the senior UN OCHA representative in Turkey preparing for the 2003 Iraq humanitarian response.

Prior to these postings, Papoulidis served at UN headquarters in New York, focusing on protection of civilians, conflict prevention, private sector partnerships and post-crisis transitional planning. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University and the Center for Refugee Studies, York University.

He has written for the Brookings Institution, OECD, World Bank, Harvard International Review, Yale Journal of International Affairs, and the Cambridge Review of International Affairs. He has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.

Ravi Prabhu is an accomplished scientist who has engaged in multi-disciplinary research and action in forested landscapes for almost 20 years. He earned his professional degree and doctorate in forestry from the University of Goettingen, Germany.

Ravi was previously a Senior Programme Officer, Forests and Climate Change with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. He led the UNEP team that contributed to the UN-REDD Programme – mainly by supporting countries to realize multiple benefits from REDD+, and to use REDD+ as a catalyst to transform to a green economy. Prior to that, he coordinated the Regional Plan for Collective Action in eastern and southern Africa, a joint initiative of CGIAR. He also worked in various capacities at CIFOR.

Ravi joined World Agroforestry (ICRAF) as Deputy Director General (Research) in 2012. He has served on numerous international initiatives and committees, including the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment where he served on the review and editorial team, and the UN Millennium Projects Task Force 6 on Environmental Sustainability. He received the Queen's Award for Forestry at Buckingham Palace in 2005.

Reiko Niimi has worked on development, humanitarian and human rights issues through various United Nations agencies and departments as well as the World Bank. She most recently served as president of the Board of Directors of Margaret McNamara Education Grants, a non-profit whose mission is to support the higher education of women, particularly from developing countries.

With international relations and public health in her formal education, she managed UNICEF country offices in West Africa, Turkey, and Brazil for more than two decades. She has also served as a public health specialist in southern African countries and as a global disaster recovery specialist in World Bank, as well as a disaster recovery advisor in other UN agencies. Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, she was Deputy to the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Indonesia, and worked in a similar capacity in Myanmar.

Tony began his early career in the music industry, with Sony and Virgin in Australia, before moving into public relations consultancy and to Southeast Asia where he advised government, business and NGO clients on strategic communications, media and corporate responsibility.

During ten years in Indonesia Tony led public relations campaigns for local and international organisations in their efforts to address poverty, climate change and other development-related issues. He then went on to establish Global Initiatives in Singapore and convene a series of multistakeholder sustainability forums held in partnership with governments, the UN and international agencies, in more than 20 countries.

Tony’s most recent venture, Impact X, brings together innovators and investors to shift increased capital into emerging impact technologies that can improve society, restore natural resources and create the sustainable systems of the future.

Prior to Impact X Tony was one of the founding Directors of the Natural Capital Coalition, set up to develop a protocol framework for businesses to measure and value their impacts and dependencies on nature.

Internationally Renowned Social Entrepreneur, Impact Investor, Animal Advocate, Humanitarian, Best Selling Author - Wendy Diamond is CEO and Founder of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO)/#ChooseWOMEN, a non-governmental volunteer organization with chapters in 144 countries on a global mission and to empower women in business to alleviate poverty.

She is an Investor/Advisor in social impact disruptive technologies and women led businesses in health/life sciences, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and virtual reality, including IGP Energy, Blocktower Capital, Crescent Capital, CoinFund, Basepaws, Waggit, SAFE Health, Rise Wealth, Producers Market, IPWE, Infinigon Group, Farma Trust, Look Lateral Art , Breathometer, and Snakt.

Wendy has authored 10 widely-celebrated books, garnered Three Guinness World records, and has appeared in media outlets including Oprah, NBC’s Today Show, The New York Times and Forbes. She has also been a featured keynote speaker at the United Nations, Harvard University and Davos.

Wendy sits on the Advisory Boards of Ellis Island Honors Society, Global Women in Blockchain, Social Innovation Summit, Humane Society of New York and Grey Muzzle Foundation. Prior to WEDO, Wendy founded Animal Fair Media, Inc., the premiere pet lifestyle media platform bridging celebrity, pop culture and animal rescue, to support animal rescue/welfare when she learned 12 million animals were euthanized a year.

Craig Cogut has spent a career building successful investment businesses. Mr. Cogut founded Pegasus, a private equity fund, in 1996 and serves as its Chairman and CEO. Through Mr. Cogut’s leadership, Pegasus has focused on sectors influenced by global resource scarcity and the need to combat climate change, as well as on the growth in demands globally for human health and wellness, leading to Pegasus becoming the first U.S. private equity fund manager to be accredited by the Green Climate Fund.

In 1990 Mr. Cogut cofounded and was one of the original partners at Apollo Advisors L.P., a position he held for six years preceding the creation of Pegasus. Mr. Cogut has been an active philanthropist in the fields of improving education, building civil society and championing environmental and health issues. Mr. Cogut is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of HealthE, Inc. and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of PanTheryx. Mr. Cogut is an alumnus of Brown University and Harvard Law School.

Aditi Balbir is an angel investor with significant experience in Finance and Strategy.

She is one of the Top 20 influential women entrepreneurs in India and Winner of Business World 40 under 40, CNBC Young Women Leader, MPW Fortune Asia, DWEN, Women Economic Forum, and UNWTO Community Impact Award.

Previously she worked at Barings Private Equity and McKinsey & Company. Additionally, she has written for the Economic Times, YourStory, Times of India, and World Economic Forum. Ms. Balbir holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Andrew Mitchell is an international thought leader on natural capital finance and tropical forests. In 2017, he founded the consultancy Equilibrium Futures, to provide strategic advice to Family Offices, Asset Managers, and Banks on risks and opportunities linked to natural capital in their philanthropy and finance. He remains a Senior Adviser to Global Canopy, an international think tank he founded in Oxford in 2001 and leads its work on developing landscape green bonds. He also retains a leading role in the continuing development of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).

As Founder and Senior Adviser to the Natural Capital Finance Alliance, he helps design tools for banks, investors and insurers worldwide on natural capital. He Chairs the Advisory Board of Ecosphere Plus (E+), a company specialising in environmental assets, and advises its parent, Mirova-Althelia, an impact investment company. In 2014, he was named as one of the world’s 100 ‘Most Influential Investors’ by the Journal of Environmental Investing. Prior to Global Canopy in Oxford, Andrew was Vice President of Programme Development and International Relations at Earthwatch Institute in Boston, USA, managing 130 field research projects in 30 countries.

Andrew is a Distinguished Fellow of YES Global Institute in India, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and is the Emeritus Rufford Fellow in Environmental Understanding at Green Templeton College, Oxford.

Angelene Huang is the Founder and CEO of Alliance for Impact (AFI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that focuses on finance and investment education, social impact, and community leadership activities. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, AFI and its affiliates have raised millions of dollars for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and provided over 1,000+ online seminars and workshops. By emphasizing social impact, AFI has grown to become one of the largest Asian professional networks with more than 50,000 members. She is also the Board Chair for the Youth Entrepreneurship and Finance Association (YEFA). YEFA’s mission is to empower the next generation with financial literacy and business thinking and encourage youth entrepreneurship and social responsibility to better serve the community.

Ms. Huang previously served as the Head of Treasury for Two Sigma Investments, a top global quantitative hedge fund based in New York. She was responsible for billions of dollars in short-term investments. Before that, she was a senior Foreign currency trader at IBM Headquarters in New York.

Ms. Huang holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management, a Master's degree in Computer Science and Civil Engineering, and a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Tsinghua University.

Bisrat Aklilu is a senior advisor for sustainable development and fund management for various governments and international organizations. He served the United Nations for over 30 years starting as Portfolio Manager for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Deputy Executive Director and Director of Operations of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Executive Coordinator of the UN-wide Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF Office) in UNDP. He established and managed the MPTF Office, which when he left the UN in 2013, had a portfolio of over 100 UN Trust Funds with $6 billion funding and was the first UN Office to introduce full public transparency through real-time financial and narrative reporting.

Dr. Aklilu has served on the Boards of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund (EDTF) and the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF). At present he is on the Boards of Oxfam America and Chemonics International (as Vice-Board Chair), and advisor to the Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF). He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Boston University, where he was also an Assistant Professor and a M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts.

Chami Akmeemana is the CEO of Convergence.Tech and Trybe.ID. He pursued a Ph.D. in 3D Printing of Bioceramic Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London, until deciding to forgo an academic career in favor of Law Enforcement. In 2002, he joined London’s Metropolitan Police.

Mr. Akmeemana has had 4 successful exits over the last 16 years and is passionate about the intersection of technology, business and social good. His experience includes serving as Fintech Advisor to the Ontario Securities Commission; Managing Director, Fintech and Blockchain at the Global Risk Institute and also serves on the advisory committee of Supply Chain Canada.

Joost Oorthuizen became CEO of Invest International on 19 October 2020. Invest International is a new development and finance facility planning to open its doors in 2021. Its shareholders are the Dutch government and FMO. It brings together 100s of development professionals and investment managers from FMO and RVO under one roof, and over 2 B Euro's of development and project finance. Its mandate is to create SDG impact in emerging markets in sectors relevant for the Dutch economy. Dr. Oorthuizen previously served as the founding CEO of The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH). IDH is a government-funded organisation that structures, monitors and finances projects to leverage private sector investments in the Sustainable Development Goals through grants, loans and guarantees. IDH is involved with public-private partnerships in 15 different commodity sectors, and invests over 100 M Euro annually in innovations in global supply chains, working with over 500 companies.

Dr. Oorthuizen serves as a Board Member and played a key role in incorporating the &GreenFund to provide long-term mezzanine finance to supply chain companies investing in sustainable commodity production in emerging markets. He holds a PhD from Wageningen University in natural resource management, a post-master in change management and was schooled at Insead in financial management.

Manon Littek is widely recognized as one of Europe's pioneering investors in food tech and a prominent figure in the food tech and green tech ecosystems. In addition to serving on the Finance Advisory Board at the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, she is an independent board member at Upfield, a company backed by KKR. Dr. Littek is also a founding partner of the Green Generation Fund, a recently established venture capital firm that focuses on supporting early-stage sustainable food tech and green tech companies in both Europe and the US. Prior to her current roles, Dr. Littek was the CEO of Katjesgreenfood and the Managing Director of DLD Ventures at Hubert Burda Media, where she led various initiatives that helped to drive innovation in the industry.

Dr. Littek holds a doctoral degree from the FU Berlin and a BA in Philosophy from Oxford University. In recognition of her significant contributions to the industry, Dr. Littek was awarded the "Best Female Investor" award by KfW in 2022.

Sean Kidney is CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO working to mobilize global capital for climate action. Projects include a green bond definitions and certification scheme with $34T of assets represented on its Board and some 200 organizations involved in its development and governance; working with the Chinese central bank on how to grow green bonds in China; and market development programs in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria and East Africa.

He is a member of the European Commission's Platform on Sustainable Finance, and was a member of its predecessors, the 2017 EU High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and the EU Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance. He is also a member of green finance advisory groups in China, India, Mexico and Kazakhstan. Sean is also a Professor in Practice at SOAS University of London.

Tony Lent has been working at the intersection of climate and investment for 27 years, building principal investing businesses. He is the co-founder of Capital for Climate, an intelligence platform to help large scale investors navigate towards the highest leverage opportunities on the path to net zero. He has mobilized more than $2 billion into the low-carbon market transition.

Mr. Lent holds an MBA with an emphasis in technology commercialization and strategy from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and a BS in Biology from Tufts University.

Satya S. Tripathi is Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet.

A development economist, lawyer and changemaker with over 40 years of varied experience, Mr. Tripathi is the Chancellor of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences - the world's largest academic institution dedicated exclusively to indigenous people and cultures. He is also a Senior Distinguished Fellow on Innovative Finance at the World Agroforestry Centre.

He has served with the UN for more than two decades in key positions across the planet and was most recently the UN Assistant Secretary-General, Head of New York Office at UN Environment and Secretary of the UN Environment Management Group. His other strategic engagements with the UN include: Head of Human Rights Investigations for the UN in post-war Bosnia (UNMIBH); Chair of the Committees on Laws, Treaties and Administrative matters for the UN-mediated Cyprus unification talks in 2004; UN Recovery Coordinator for Aceh and Nias where he facilitated international cooperation and funding of over US$ 7 billion for post-tsunami recovery efforts in support of the government and affected populations; and Executive Head of UNORCID, a UN System Office established by the UN Secretary General in 2011 to facilitate the implementation of a US$ 1 Billion REDD+ partnership between Indonesia, Norway and other stakeholders.

Mr. Tripathi was instrumental in establishing the Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF) in Indonesia in 2016 and the Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF) in 2017 to leverage ‘private finance for public good’ at mega-scale to achieve transformative social and environmental impact for millions of people in developing countries. He previously served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Forests.

Aakanksha Varma is a Brand and Communications Strategist with a strong background in graphic design. She has helped brands across various industries establish their identities and find their voices. She specializes in strategic marketing and outreach and works with teams to align communications with organizational values and goals.

With diverse experience in roles across editorial, digital media, and events, her work has extended to areas including air pollution, energy systems, and climate change. Aakanksha is passionate about the synergy between climate solutions and addressing global inequality.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi.

Niti manages the Global Alliance's portfolio of programs, overseeing management, fundraising, and execution. In this role, she brings several years of experience as a development economics professional in research, impact assessment, project management, and developing large-scale grant proposals for climate solutions.

Before joining GASP, Niti served as a consultant in India’s largest agroecological initiative program with the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Her work focused on assessing and accelerating sustainable food systems and establishing research evidence for agroecological practices. Niti has also worked on Climate-Smart Agriculture and air pollution issues with the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water, an Indian think tank.

Niti holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies, with a major in Economics of Development, from the International Institute of Social Sciences (ISS), Erasmus University. Her postgraduate thesis was awarded one of the Best Three Research Papers of ISS MA in Development Studies. She also holds an undergraduate honors degree in Economics from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University.

Bryan Taylor is a passionate leader who can create a vision and implement it in complex stakeholder environments. He has strong global operational management experience and networks. Bryan’s interests lie in interdisciplinary approaches which transcend barriers to address emerging 21st century risks and opportunities. Above all, he is motivated by initiatives with positive and lasting social and environmental impacts.

Bryan previously served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF) in Indonesia, a partnership between UN Environment Programme, World Agroforestry (ICRAF), ADM Capital, and BNP Paribas. Before that he was Manager of Special Initiatives for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Country Manager of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Prior to his UN career, Bryan worked as a professional engineer in the private sector in North America. Bryan holds a Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University.

Chabeli Chain is a musician and activist, with experience as digital community manager, a blog writer and a content creator from Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, Venezuela. She is passionate about supporting the indigeneous tribes of the Amazon through raising awareness on sustainable development and cultural understanding. She believes that by supporting natives and empowering small producers, is the way to conservation of the Amazon rainforest territory.

Dina Storey is a climate change and sustainability expert and an executive advisor to governments, civil society organizations and the private sector. With nearly 20 years of experience, Dina is currently a senior partner with Marfa Advisors focusing on sustainable finance mechanisms, PPP’s, entrepreneurship and innovative climate technologies. She also served as the Senior Director for the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA) and was the ESG and Sustainability Partner with PwC MENA.

Dina led the sustainability strategy for the World Expo 2020 Dubai, as the Director of Sustainability Operation. In this role, she spearheaded the development and implementation of the World Expo’s sustainability strategy and operational excellence. She speaks regularly at high-profile global events related to climate finance, social impact, circular economy and environmental sustainability.

Dina serves on numerous boards including The Great Green Wall of Africa Foundation and The Beekeepers Foundation. She is a LEED-certified sustainability expert with a BSc in Chemical Engineering, an MBA in international Business, and a Masters in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, New York.

Eeshan Chaturvedi is an environmental and energy scholar.

He is the Founder-Director of the environmental consultancy firm 'EnviPol', Co-Director of the Global Policy, Diplomacy, and Sustainability (GPODS) Fellowship (gpods.org), Assistant Dean at the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability, and also a Member of the World Commission on Environmental Law; International Association for Water Law, Rome; Global Network for Human Rights and Environment, and Global Policy Insights.

Mr. Chaturvedi holds a Masters in Environmental Law and Policy from Stanford Law School, where he was selected as one of the top 20 Rising Environmental Leaders.

Eileen de Ravin has managed many events, from several to hundreds of attendees, over her 15 years at the United Nations. While on UNDPs Environment team she managed the Equator Initiative for over ten years.

Ms. de Ravin has deep experience with environmental issues and health care, program management, and partnership building. Eileen holds a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University and a BA in Anthropology from Fordham University. Before UNDP she spent eight years leading a Community Based Development Programme in India with a strong focus on health care and environment. Before that Eileen was a midwife and women’s health care practitioner in inner city New York.

Elle Carberry is Go-to-Market Leader, Enterprise Strategy-Sustainability, and Global Business Services at IBM. She previously served as IBM’s Director of Strategy and Environment, working to electrify energy, environment, and utility industries in order to decrease carbon emissions to mitigate climate change.

Ms. Carberry brings over two decades of experience in commercializing advanced technology products and services in Asia and the United States. She has served as VP Corporate Development at Mainspring and Ziff-Davis Online Network, and was a Regional Sales Manager for IBM’s US Financial Services Sector. As Director of IBM Global Services & Business Consulting Services, Ms. Carberry introduced and led a new unit into China’s Financial Services Sector. She also expanded Red Hat, an American IBM subsidiary software company, into China, where she grew the $30M OEM business by 15-30% CAGR.

In 2008, Ms. Carberry founded the China Greentech Initiative, a Chinese-International commercial platform of 100+ commercial and policy organizations and 500+ experts focused on identifying, developing, and promoting green technology. In 2014, the China Greentech Initiative merged with the Paulson Institute, with Ms. Carberry serving as Managing Director of the China Office.

Ms. Carberry has also served as Advisor for Greentech Capital Advisors, and was Vice President of Georgetown University, where she graduated herself in 1983, holding a B.A. in Economics and Literature.

Femi Peter Alege, Ph.D., has been a Research Fellow with E8 Cleantech Angel Investors in Seattle, Washington since 2019. In this role, he reviewed several technologies and provided technical guidance to investors on agricultural and clean technologies. His work experience includes academia, banking, and law enforcement.

Dr. Alege is passionate about sustainable agriculture and environmental pollution control. He holds a Ph.D. in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering from Washington State University. He obtained his master’s degree in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the United States Composting Council, and the African Group Network of the ASABE.

Kwasi Akyeampong is the Chief Transformation Officer of Fidelity Bank, in Ghana. Kwasi has over two decades of experience working in the investment banking industry in London. Before joining Fidelity, Kwasi where he served as the technology head of strategy, architecture and innovation for the Fixed Income and Wealth management within the investment banking division.

Kwasi initially joined Credit Suisse as the Global Head of Commodities Technology. Prior to that, he was the Global Head of Commodities Trading and Sales Technology at Morgan Stanley. Having held a variety of senior roles within the industry, Kwasi has a vast experience in leading large teams globally.

Kwasi was also the Chair of the UK Financial Inclusion Advocates at Credit Suisse. This role enabled him to leverage the skills and enthusiasm of Credit Suisse employees to raise awareness, build, advance financial inclusion, and impact investing efforts across the firm to address some of the SDG goals.

Kwasi holds a first-class degree in Computer Science from Salford University in Manchester, and a MSc in Finance from the London Business School.

Larry Hutcher is Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Davidoff Hutcher Citron LLP (DHC) where he has spent his entire legal career. Using his formidable litigation insight, Mr. Hutcher concentrates on representing business owners in solving their business issues.

Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Hutcher has built a reputation as a ‘lawyer’s lawyer’, being cited as a New York Super Lawyer in 2007, and from 2014 – 2020. His work and insights have appeared in various publications such as The American Lawyer, The New York Times, New York Post, New York Daily News, New York Law Journal, and Forbes.

With extensive experience in commercial law and litigation, Mr. Hutcher has tried cases in both New York State and Federal Courts, as well as arbitration proceedings throughout the United States. He has particular expertise in representing equity holders and partners in the resolution of ownership disputes and other intra-corporate issues.

Lena Bratic brings a purpose-driven private sector perspective from her role as Western Balkans Regional Manager for E3 International, where she has advanced the company’s mission to scale up investment in energy efficiency (EE), renewable energy (RE), and resilient infrastructure solutions creating economic, environmental, and energy benefits to support a world where all can thrive.

She has 15 years of experience in strategy, outreach, public relations, communications, media, and education, with an extensive background supporting projects in the industrial, commercial, and public sectors space. She has been involved internationally in the market assessment of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, throughout Europe and EU transition countries.

Ms. Bratic has coordinated national and civil society actions, public awareness, and outreach campaigns throughout Southeast Europe, establishing networks of info-centers and related tools for capacity building to enable information dissemination and education in support of governments and citizens.

An alumnus of the University of Sarajevo, Ms. Bratic holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs.

Mahesh Kc has over twenty years of experience in natural resource management and expertise in ecology, forestry, and agriculture. Mr. Kc served as a Forest Ranger at both the Department of Forests in Nepal and BC Ministry of Forests in Canada. He was also an Agriculture Adviser as part of a partnership between the Center for International Studies (CECI) and the Nepal Agriculture Co-operative Central Federation.

Mr. Kc holds a Master's in Ecology and Natural Resources Management from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and is passionate about promoting Nature-based Solutions.

Nara Luvsan is a seasoned development professional with 28 years of diverse headquarters and field experience with the United Nations and World Bank on environmental economics, sustainable finance, transitional capacity development, migration policy, refugee reintegration, post-conflict reconstruction and capacity building.

Nara has led policy development, as well as negotiated, planned and supervised implementation of programs in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, meeting humanitarian, environmental and development needs.

Her considerable experience in Central Asia, the Trans-Caucasus, Russia, China and former Soviet sphere, as well as in Western Europe, have provided her with an in-depth understanding of the economic conditions, legal structures, governmental operations and social needs and realities of the region. Fluent in many of the region’s languages, Nara has developed a strong ability to frame international activities in the local context.

Nick Mehmel is a process development engineer at Heirloom, a company on a mission to remove 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2035 by harnessing mineralization to engineer the world’s most cost-effective Direct Air Capture solution.

Nick previously worked as a geospatial data analyst at GRID3 (Geo-Referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development) at Columbia University, where he specialized in mapping health facility accessibility across Sub-Saharan Africa. He has diverse research experience within climate science, having conducted field research on the Antarctic Peninsula where he studied the ecological response of marine bacteria to modern climate change. His previous research in the field of analytical geochemistry focused on the use of polar ice cores and marine sediment archives to reconstruct ancient climate anomalies.

Nick holds an MS in Earth Science with certification in GIS from Oregon State University, and a BA in Earth Science from Columbia University.

Nila Madhab Panda is an award winning film producer and director. He has produced and directed over 70 films, documentaries and shorts based on social issues such as climate change, child labor, education, water issues, sanitation and many other developmental issues.

He has won numerous awards and critical acclaim across the planet for his films which have been judged as entertaining yet socially relevant, driving home the point that films can be a powerful medium of catalytic social change.

Nila Madhab's distinguished filmography has seen him collaborating extensively with civil society organizations, national broadcasters, UN Organisations, BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, Sony and many others.

Pallavi Gupta is an ESG consultant with experience evaluating the green bonds market. Her diverse background ranges from banking operations to media marketing of Learning Management Systems. Throughout her career, Ms. Gupta has supported pathbreaking companies, including cleantech firms such as Attero Recycling Private Ltd.

Ms. Gupta holds a Master's degree in Economics and Business Management from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in India. Her dissertation looked at sustainable development and environmental governance through market-based instruments. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law and Management from Delhi University.

Ms. Gupta seeks to better understand climate impacts from a global perspective and promote sustainable lifestyles within society.

Preeti G. Bishop is a dual-licensed attorney in India and United States. Ms. Bishop has dedicated 16 years of law practice to social equity, in various contexts. She has represented federal and state governments in India, as well as marginalized populations in India and the United States.

Ms. Bishop holds an L.L.B. (~J.D.) from the University of Delhi Faculty of Law, and an L.L.M., from the University of California - Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. As part of the LawrenceBerkeley National Laboratory’s Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT), she was part of a team involved in the development of solar-powered refrigerated backpacks to help mitigate the last-mile vaccine delivery problem, particularly in developing nations. While at the Institute of Environmental Entrepreneurship in Berkeley, she was part of the team involved in development of the Infrastructure Master Plan for the UC Berkeley Global Campus at Richmond.

Ms. Bishop firmly believes that climate adaptation and resilience-building are irretrievably linked to social equity, globally. She is committed to utilizing her skills and expertise to development of social capital and social justice.

Mr. Rajratna Sardar has completed two Master’s degrees, one at Tufts University in Sustainable Water Management, and one in Habitat Policy & Practice from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Mr. Sardar has over 10 years of experience in international and national projects in the water sector, specifically in water management. He has also been engaged in numerous capacity building programs and water management workshops. HIs areas of interest and expertise include sustainable and equitable water and sanitation, water resources, green infrastructure, urban resilience, and sustainable development.

Prior to joining GASP, Mr. Rajratna Sardar worked as a Municipal Stormwater Management Intern with Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) in Boston, MA, United States. Additionally, he worked on water affordability initiatives in New York State with The Water Center, UPenn.

Sunetra is a Senior Communications specialist with 15 years of experience. She has worked with national and international agencies including UN agencies worldwide (WHO, UNAIDS Geneva, UNICEF Nigeria, India, IntraHealth International and The International Union Against TB and Lung Diseases).

She specializes in Strategic Communications, Advocacy, Media Relations, Branding and Partnership Engagement. She holds a Masters degree in Sociology, a post graduation in Health Management and Public Relations, along with a degree in Mass Communications and Journalism.

Her hobbies include music, reading, travel and cooking. She espouses a number of causes including education, environmental issues and is also an active volunteer for animal welfare.

Sonal Bhalla is a seasoned Project Portfolio Manager, Technology Advisor, Digital Marketing Strategist and Business Continuity Specialist.

Mr. Bhalla is currently the Global Head of Digital at Success Resources, a global entity organizing the world’s largest motivational events. He has worked closely with leading entrepreneurs, financial markets, ecommerce businesses and peak performance executive coaches, including promoting celebrities such as Tony Robbins, Sir Richard Branson, Mary Buffett, Randi Zuckerberg, Chris Gardner, Les Brown and more.

He has previously served with the United Nations, leading information technology teams in diverse and complex operational contexts. Mr. Bhalla has an honours degree in Philosophy and Psychology with advanced Project Management professional qualifications from Stanford University.

Ujjaini Moulik's career in communications spans more than 12 years. She has worked in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, such as Educational Testing Service (ETS), Brother USA and Verizon, where she served in senior roles overseeing advertising, marketing, brand strategy and copywriting.

Ms. Moulik is passionate about storytelling, engagement, and driving results through multilateral partnerships at the global, national, and local levels. Her core skills include developing digital strategies, social media marketing campaigns, and written content.

Ms. Moulik holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Usharani Kannan has worked with several civil society organisations in India, Amnesty International, Care Canada, UNFICYP, and the UNSG's Good Offices Mission, in Cyprus. She has travelled, worked and lived in countries across the planet in pursuance of her professional commitments.

An award-winning entrepreneur, Usharani is an empathetic soul, who has led several significant fund-raising campaigns for worthy causes in India, Rwanda, and Malaysia.

Usha has a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Madras, India.

Vidhi Sharma is a dual-qualified lawyer (admitted to practice in India and New York) with several years of experience working at leading law firms in India. She has advised private equity funds, investee entities and corporations on a diverse range of cross-border transactions, including in the impact investment/social finance space in India.

Ms. Sharma holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Delhi and a Master of Laws degree from New York University.

Mr. Yifei (Felix) Zhou has 10 years of experience in consulting, planning, architecture, and analytical work focusing on the sustainable built environment. His work is complemented by broad research on other aspects of sustainable development, including stormwater management, land use planning for agricultural economies, sponge strategies, and green cities. His country experience and research scope include China, India, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Germany, and the United States.
 
Mr. Yifei Zhou is passionate about integrating policy, financing, and planning instruments into development proposals to guide green investment and related infrastructure development on a global scale to accelerate the net-zero urbanization processes. His most recent research lies in environmental finance, climate-related stress testing, and energy project finance.
 
Mr. Zhou graduated from Columbia University with a Master's in Urban Planning and wrote his thesis on battery energy storage infrastructure (BESS) deployment in New York State. He received a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and Environmental Design from China Academy of Art.

Bhaskar Chandra Adhikari has over 30 years of experience working with several grassroots organizations, including international NGOs, rural communities and women’s farmer groups in India.

In his previous role, Mr. Adhikari led Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) under the Sustainable Agriculture and Diversified Livelihoods (SADL) program at Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre (AFEC). He also oversaw research and the implementation of projects at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and Chetna Organic Farmers Association. Projects he led in Agroecological Development and Water Conservation and Development were recognized with National Awards from the Government of India.

Mr. Adhikari holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Andhra University in Visakhapatnam and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Berhampur University in Odisha.

Akshay Nambiar is passionate about the crossroads of climate finance, public-private policy design and impactful youth leadership for building a just and impactful climate transition. He held various leadership roles at AIESEC - the world's largest youth-run leadership development organization. First, as the President of AIESEC India, he launched SDG-based projects in India. Later, as the Global VP for Finance and Governance (CFO), he led the financing and implementation of SDG-based projects in over 119 countries and territories where AIESEC mobilizes youth leadership. Over the four years at AIESEC, he has worked with civil society, local governments and private actors across twenty-one countries to implement SDG-based projects to amplify awareness and actions towards the UN's 2030 agenda.
 
Later, as a Project Manager of the ASPIRe accelerator program at Ashoka – Innovators for the Public, he supported Social Entrepreneurs to amplify and scale their impact to millions using Societal Platform Thinking enabled digital infrastructure.
 
Akshay holds a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology from SRM University in Chennai, India and is currently a Master in Public Policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, USA.

Abigail is a Sustainability Intern at GASP, and is currently studying Urban Planning and Sustainability at Miami University in Oxford Ohio. Growing up in Chicago, she has a passion for planning urban development sustainably and communicating sustainable practices to both public and private entities. Previously, she worked as a Public Policy Intern at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago under Commissioner Marcelino Garcia, focusing on stormwater management, resilience, and PFA research.

Emanuel is currently a student at the University of Connecticut studying Economics and Creative Writing.

His previous experience includes interning for Universitas 21, where he researched how to combat joblessness in Birmingham, UK. His current research interests include urban decay and the integration of sustainability with the financial sector.

Chisomo is a Sustainability Intern at GASP. She has an Honors degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Namibia. She is passionate about sustainable development in LDCs, climate change adaptation and mitigation in vulnerable communities and restoration ecology. Previous experiences include working with a team at Otjikoto Gold Mine in Namibia to assess the progression of rehabilitation efforts on the mine’s waste rock dump, using a Landscape Function Analysis.

Emma is a Sarajevo-born Bosnian American currently studying International Relations with a concentration in Sustainability at SUNY Geneseo. Her upbringing in Belgrade, Serbia - an otherwise beautiful city suffering from poor air quality- ignited her passion to advocate for sustainable development practices. In pursuit of international experience, in 2022 she became a Sustainability Intern at Mace Group in Nairobi, Kenya - contributing to Mace’s UNFCCC-driven efforts to implement sustainable construction practices. In mid-2023, Emma shifted her attention to the educational plight of women in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and currently teaches women and girls in Kabul and Kandahar through a volunteer online program. At SUNY, she works as a Research Assistant focused on a forthcoming publication exploring socialism in Yugoslavia prior to its dissolution.

Yu is an international student from China. She is currently pursuing Sustainability Management at Columbia University in New York City and earned a Bachelor's degree at Lawrence University majoring in Environmental Studies and Anthropology. Yu is really interested in studying the relationship between humans and the environment. Her senior project was investigating how heavy industrial pollution affects human lung health. As a sustainability intern at GASP, Yu is exploring sustainable food systems and supply chains

Lavnish Dharwal is a Policy Intern at GASP, currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Economics at Delhi University. With a background in research methodology and a passion for evidence-based policy-making, Lavnish is dedicated to advancing sustainable development goals. Previously, he interned at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Indian Centre of Child and Human Rights, focusing on promoting sports for women and youth awareness, as well as contributing to the National Employability Campaign.

Javier Rodríguez Pascual, a Seville native, is currently studying Communication and Audiovisual Creation at the University of Salamanca. In 2023, he expanded his expertise by pursuing an online master's degree in "Sustainability ESG" from the Higher Institute of Environment in Spain.

Passionate about using media for sustainability, Javier serves as a Communication and Media Technician at the first Sustainable Development Goals Centre in Andalusia, Spain. With previous experience in photography, videography, and set running, he also volunteered as an English teacher at Garay Otavo School in Colombia in 2022, contributed to food collection efforts with the Seville Food Bank Foundation and provided companionship to residents at San Juan Beato Residence in Seville.