Greenbiz 24 emerging leaders
Karina Abou-Chakra
Karina is on a path to transition from a career in wildlife conservation to corporate sustainability with the aim of preventing environmental impacts that affect both people and nature. In a few months she will earn her Master in Environmental Science and Management degree from UC Santa Barbara, where she serves as a Research Assistant in the Industrial Sustainability Analysis Laboratory, holds two elected committee positions, and is an officer for Net Impact. Additionally, she mentors four undergraduate environmental students and recently executed a research project on global emissions disclosure regulations for the Horizon Zero Team at RMI.
Her master's thesis project delves into an analysis of the region-specific environmental and social impacts of waste management strategies within Patagonia's Vietnamese supply chain. Drawing on her coursework, research endeavors, and prior work experience, she is driven to pursue a career in supply chain sustainability management, recognizing its pivotal role in addressing the environmental and social impacts of businesses. Karina's determination to foster environmental and social changes is deeply rooted in her family’s heritage and her lived experiences as a first-generation woman of color.
Trace Allen
Trace is an economic development professional with diverse finance, strategic planning, project management, and public policy capabilities, passionate about building economies that prioritize public and planetary health. Driven by this north star, Trace is pursuing dual graduate degrees in Business Administration and City Planning at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, respectively. During his time at MIT, he has supported Newlab with the geographic expansion of its climate innovation platform, MIT CoLab with growth financing for employee-owned home care companies, and deal sourcing for Type II Partners, a sustainability-focused private investment vehicle, aka a search fund.
Before coming to MIT, Trace served as Director of Capital and Community Advocacy at Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation, a New Orleans-based incubator providing technical assistance to startups, small business owners, and social enterprises. He founded Propeller's Community Economic Development accelerator, which focuses on supporting Black, Indigenous, and Latinx small businesses and entrepreneurs. During his tenure, this program provided growth consulting to 30+ entrepreneurs to multiply their revenues while creating 20+ permanent, local jobs. Additionally, he led Propeller's Social Venture Loan Fund, managing a $1M portfolio of entrepreneurs in food, health, education, water, and community economic development.
Kian Richard Climaco
Senior studying Accounting & Analytics at Loyola University of Chicago. Incoming Sustainability Associate at PwC. Passionate about ESG and sustainability education for business curriculum
Previously, I formerly interned with Deloitte in their core assurance practice and PwC's Digital Assurance & Transparency practice, serving the manufacturing and financial service industries.
After 11 courses in accounting, only in my final one did sustainability, GHG emission accounting was spoken about. It made me wonder why sustainability accounting and finance are not subjects predisposed more often to students in those disciplines. Even if ideas are still proposed, there is trove to be learned early on. There are master programs and concentrations which exist to hone in on sustainability/ESG skills; but, it feels as if there is apprehension to exposing that material sooner in undergraduate education.
I supplement my formal and work experience in the business world with seeking out the use of Net Zero Cloud by Salesforce, case competition about ESG-regulation, and my own personal enjoyment of the outdoors. I am also studying GIS in my final semester and hope to be able to use the ArcGIS software postgrad.
Larissa Crawford
Larissa Crawford proudly passes on Métis and Jamaican ancestry to her daughter, Zyra, and is a published Indigenous, anti-racism, and climate justice researcher, policy advisor, and restorative circle keeper with over 15 years of experience.
Furthermore, her lived experience as a survivor of sexual violence and poverty; a person living with chronic pain disabilities and brain damage; having lived in both rural and urban settings; and as a young mother positions her to carry out her responsibilities as a future ancestor with unique insight and consideration. After graduating from York University in 2018 with a Double Major Honours B.A. in Communication Studies and International Development Studies- Summa Cum Laude and a toddler on her hip- Larissa became disabled at 23 years old.
After graduation Larissa worked with the Government of Ontario as an Indigenous Policy Advisor with the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development, and Mines; as an Advisor at the Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate, Ministry of the Solicitor General; as a community mediator and restorative circle keeper with several organizations; and more.
Since 2020, Larissa has been the Founder and Managing Director of Future Ancestors Services, an Indigenous and Black-owned, youth-led professional services social enterprise that advances climate justice and systemic barrier removal with lenses of anti-racism and ancestral accountability. Through an intergenerational, disabled, and queer team of professionals and advisors, they provide speaking, training, research and consulting services, and influencer and interview services to +400 diverse clients. They do this while centering decolonized and Indigenized practices, and are constantly reimagining how we can learn, relate, and work together in healthy ways.
Relevant clients include Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Student Energy, GLOBE, Delphi Group, Indigenous Clean Energy, Association of Energy Professionals, Nike, Merrell, and The Body Shop.
PAIGE CURTIS
Paige Curtis is a Digital Communications Manager at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, an independent think tank working to forge practical solutions to climate change. With a career marked by dedication to the written word, Paige is a recognized expert in creative storytelling for climate and social impact. After working in climate tech, she went on to shape communications strategies at Boston Ujima Project, and wrote magazine stories for The Sierra Club and the National Audubon Society. She is published in print and online in publications like The Guardian, The Atlantic, Vox, and Grist. Paige received her Bachelor's and Master's in environmental management from the Yale School of the Environment and is currently based in Boston, MA. In her spare time, she writes a climate humor newsletter called "Bad Environmentalist."
Baindu Idriss
A 2020 alumna of Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland College Park, Baindu Idriss seamlessly weaves her varied sustainability experiences. Transitioning from Environmental Justice and influential state and federal environmental policy, she now centers her expertise on ESG reporting. As an ESG associate at PwC, she actively engages with clients, playing a hands-on role in guiding them toward accomplishing their sustainability goals.
Baindu is driven by a fervent commitment to champion sustainability in the realms of skincare, and fashion. Her overarching goal is to seamlessly integrate these passions by prioritizing ethical material sourcing, minimizing environmental impact in production processes, advocating for fair labor practices, and fostering transparency in supply chains within these dynamic domains.
With an unwavering dedication to environmental sustainability, Baindu envisions a future where her efforts contribute to positive transformations in the intersections of sustainability and beauty.
Supreya Kesavan
Supreya is a current graduate student at the University of Michigan pursuing an MS in Environment and Sustainability and an MBA. She is passionate about the intersection of business, justice and sustainability, having done work in Greenland, Antarctica, Denmark, Alaska and other states over her career in pursuit of this. Prior to returning to graduate school, she spent 5.5 years working in Technology Consulting where she did product management, project management and user experience design having learned and found her love for human centered design/design thinking. She has also spent two summer's interning on the Environment and Supply Chain Innovation function at Apple, focused on electronic waste recycling and supplier decarbonization efforts. During her time at Michigan, she has been a member of the COP27 delegation as well as served as co-president of the Erb Institute for Sustainable Enterprise Student Advisory Board.
In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer, doing pilates and enjoying chai with friends.
Supreya is currently seeking opportunities.
Andres Llado Muniz
Andres is a staff consultant in EY's Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) practice based in Chicago, IL. In his role as a sustainability consultant at EY, he assists clients with ESG/sustainability strategy and governance, regulatory readiness (CSRD, SEC, etc.), single/double materiality assessments and ESG due diligence. He has worked with clients at various levels of ESG maturity across several sectors and industries, including Power & Utilities, Advanced Manufacturing & Mobility and Private Equity. His ultimate goal is to help organizations achieve long-term value through more sustainable business practices, increase transparency in corporate ESG reporting and help businesses fully integrate their ESG strategy within their overall corporate strategy.
Before joining EY's CCaSS practice, Andres completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago in 2022, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies. He has prior experience in academic research (primarily atmospheric science and public policy), legal research and environmental policy. He is passionate about sustainability strategy, law and policy, impact investing, sustainable finance, and international relations. In his spare time, Andres enjoys learning foreign languages, reading in Spanish and French, playing/watching tennis, weight training, listening to podcasts and exploring the diverse neighborhoods of Chicago with friends.
Arely lopez
Arely Lopez commenced her professional journey as a Strategy & Consulting Analyst at Accenture, where she worked with clients to advance climate resilience and a clean energy transition in the Northeast through her work on energy and infrastructure.
A recognized figure in youth engagement for climate action and a fervent advocate for augmenting diversity within sustainability spaces, Arely was selected as a 2020 and 2022 Aspen Institute Climate Future Leader as well as a United States Delegate for the Local Conference of the Youth through the Youth and Children’s Constituency to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Her leadership roles as a UCLA Regents Scholar and as a founding member of the Philadelphia Latinas in Tech chapter underscore her commitment to initiatives enhancing access and retention for underrepresented minorities in sustainability spaces.
Arely earned dual Bachelor's degrees in Environmental Studies and Political Science, with a minor in Entrepreneurship, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), graduating with honors and distinction. Throughout her academic tenure, she served as a student leader, researcher, and business consultant, steering impactful changes to enhance sustainability and inclusivity within her campus and community. Her experience in academia extends to leading research endeavors at UCLA, exploring sustainability topics spanning from public health to carbon markets and delving into the impacts of the climate crisis on Latinx communities.
She is currently seeking her next role at the intersection of sustainability, business, and technology and is eager to contribute her skills and leadership to an innovative team.
Daija Odom
Daija Odom is a Master’s graduate from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a recent Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Climate Corps Fellow, she has spent her time working on sustainability and renewable energy strategies for a software company. Beyond that training, her career interests surround corporate sustainability, decarbonization, food insecurity, food waste, and, most importantly, the expansion of sustainability education to Black and Afro-Indigenous communities.
Being raised in the Washington, DC area, she constantly witnessed the disconnect of environmental sustainability within her community, not to mention the lack of representation of Black women in the sustainability field. Driven by the belief that everyone should be included in environmental solutions, Daija merges academic knowledge and professional experience. She aspires to be a climate storyteller, creating engaging content for companies and individuals that not only fosters sustainability awareness, but inclusivity as well.
As an incoming ESG/Corporate Responsibility Fellow at the strategic communications firm VOX Global, Daija will be refining her knowledge of sustainability reporting and communications to carry forward into her career. A mature, curious, and committed learner, Daija envisions a future where communications and media catalyze positive environmental change in communities. Her dedication to bridging gaps, fostering inclusivity, and advocating for the representation of Black women in the sustainability field positions her as a driven and engaged contributor in the pursuit of sustainable solutions.
Sheri Reid
Sheri D. Reid is a sustainability consultant from the Hudson Valley region in New York. She is passionate about working together with communities and the private sector to bridge programming gaps and equitably implement sustainability strategies that create socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable cities. Over the past ten years, she has helped commercial and industrial clients, businesses, non-profits, multi-family residences, and other organizations design and implement sustainable business growth and social media strategies, optimize customer relationship management, and access energy efficiency opportunities worth over $500,000 in utility incentives.
Sheri is committed to increasing access to the decarbonization and green energy transition. Motivated by advocacy, sustainable economies, and environmental justice, she enjoys mentoring, art, entrepreneurship, and education to foster the next generation of sustainability leaders.
Sheri is a BPI-certified Multifamily Building Analyst, Scrum Master, and contributor to the Initiative for Energy Justice (IEJ) Justice 100 Report. She is particularly interested in emergent strategy and using nature-based design as a foundation for imagining and building a more environmentally and socially just world.
WIlliam Walker VI
Imagine a modern-day anthropologist—one who explores the world through the lens of all things people, nature, and stories. That is how one would describe William Walker VI. As a recent graduate from the University of Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, William seeks to advance economic empowerment, nature-positive outcomes, and climate strategies.
His diverse roles, from climate justice initiatives to sustainability consulting, showcase a commitment to fostering positive environmental change. His experience encompasses research on carbon markets, blended finance, and infrastructure, conducted in the U.S., UK, EU, and Southeast Asia.
William aspires to launch a charitable foundation focused on decarbonization and nature-based solutions.
William is also currently seeking opportunities.