Our Team

Joel is a seasoned non-dilutive funding professional who has been working in the climate grants space since 2004. He has worked on both sides of the grantmaking process, including winning billions of dollars from a wide range of non-dilutive funding sources in both the industrialized and developing worlds and awarding and overseeing the implementation of over a million dollars in grants while on the Coastal Fund’s Board of Directors. His other work ranges from engineering and high-tech manufacturing of bioenergy systems (where he also won and managed over $10M in grants), to global clean energy project development, state-level climate policy, working with a state environmental regulatory agency, climate-related sustainable development, and academic climate research. He currently serves as a mentor and advisor at a variety of accelerators and incubators, including the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program, Third Derivative, and Techstars. Joel was a co-founder and advisor at The Climate Map, a nonprofit dedicated to mapping underexplored carbon removal pathways, which was acquired by RMI in 2022. He holds a Master of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School (summa cum laude), with a self-directed dual concentration in climate change and renewable energy, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara (magna cum laude). Joel lives with his wife, daughter, and cats in Humboldt County—on California's rural north coast—and enjoys hiking, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, and all of the other outdoor activities that the region has to offer.

Ross is a global operations executive and has worked in the climate impact space for the past decade. With a focus on building strong partnerships, he’s been a part of teams that have helped companies raise over $100M - almost all of which has been non-dilutive capital. From small family offices in California to the East African regional offices of the World Bank, Ross has worked to bring together coalitions of financiers to develop innovative fundraising strategies, solve critical challenges and quickly address acute liquidity crises. Ross enjoys working with early stage companies around the world and believes deeply in the power of mission-driven for-profit enterprise to solve some of humanity’s most intractable problems. Based in San Francisco, his passion is impact at scale and working closely with dedicated social entrepreneurs.

Susan helps organizations align their strategic priorities with a sustainable development framework to achieve better outcomes for people, prosperity, and the planet. Her work has secured over $335 million to support 90+ high-impact projects in 4 countries since 2006. Her master’s thesis in Public Affairs explored the impact of landowner tax credits on conservation easement donations to land trusts, and assessed how incentives can enable a specific conservation agenda. She worked extensively with then Mayor Hickenlooper’s Greenprint Denver initiative to secure EPA funding for brownfields mitigation, carbon reduction initiatives, and Green Seal certification for hotels. As Development Director at Hawaii Island Land Trust, she facilitated a multi-stakeholder project with international conservation NGOs, state government, and the U.S. military to protect 4,500 acres of forested native songbird habitat. Most recently she has secured tens of millions of dollars in federal grant funding for energy resilience and equity programming, including extensive experience with Community Benefit Plans. Susan's grant development work builds public-private partnerships that deliver funding and advance policy to move the needle on our most pressing community needs. She is also an avid gardener and hiker, mother to three humans and one dog, and a proud dual U.S.-Italian citizen.

Lisa is an analyst and grant writer with a passion for identifying climate solutions at the intersection of food production and conservation. She has led efforts on the cutting edge of offshore aquaculture development in the US for both food and renewable energy production. Managing a research program developing innovative aquaculture technologies for six years enabled Lisa to gain valuable first-hand experience in funding strategy, cultivating collaborations, and all aspects of grants (research, applications, administration, and implementation). Her experience through the full life cycle of grants, including as a Principal and Co-Principal Investigator on several publicly-funded aquaculture programs, deeply informs her perspective when engaging with businesses to find actionable funding sources. Lisa thinks in possibilities—often identifying cross-sector opportunities to create competitive funding applications for clients. Lisa holds a BSc in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada and now resides in the tropics. In her free time, Lisa enjoys surfing, hiking, and gardening.

Komal is an experienced project manager, researcher, and environmental justice advocate and educator. She specializes in developing and executing strategies to drive organizational growth and operational efficiency, and foster internal and external collaboration. Komal has an interdisciplinary research background that encompasses social science, market analysis, and design research. As a Social Entrepreneurship Fellow at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, Komal led product innovation and partnership engagement for the 40x40 Initiative working to empower East Oakland communities and build local capacity. As an environmental justice advocate and educator, she spearheaded efforts to expand the environmental justice curriculum at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Furthermore, she has experience teaching and mentoring K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students, and co-founded a digital education and mentorship program for first-generation and low-income students across South Asia. She holds a Master of Arts in Sustainability Science and Practice and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Global Studies, from Stanford University. In her spare time, Komal enjoys reading memoirs and poetry, dancing giddha and bhangra, and cooking.

Dr. Ashley Rivenbark is a project manager and scientific writer with over 10 years of grant writing, editing, and management experience. She has managed and submitted over 60 SBIR/STTR grants and has won over $15 million to advance a wide range of cutting-edge technologies. Ashley has over 20 years of extensive experience in editing research papers, grant applications, and text for scientists who do not use English as a first language. She earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences with double minors in Genetics and Botany from North Carolina State University, and then earned a PhD in Toxicology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine studying cancer epigenetics. After obtaining her PhD, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center that was funded by the American Cancer Society focusing on epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation. Ashley has achieved an Excellence in Science Award from the American Society of Pathology (ASIP) and has published over 25 papers, reviews, and book chapters.

Dr. Debapriya Mazumdar has a PhD in Chemistry, and over 15 years of experience in the cleantech and the life sciences industries. She has expertise in SBIR/STTR grants having written grant applications to several US federal agencies including the Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Health (NIH), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Defense (DOD). Since 2020, she is engaged full-time as a grant writer for clients. Prior to that, she was the VP of Product Development at ANDalyze Inc. (acquired by Alpha Measurement Solutions), which commercialized sensors for environmental monitoring. She led the R&D and launched the company’s first product in the market. Further, she led the EPA validation of products, established manufacturing for the sensors, and managed pilot studies with partners and customers. She was involved in raising over $8 million in grant and equity funding for ANDalyze, and was the principal investigator on five federal and corporate grants, including DOE Phase I and II SBIR grants. She is the co-author of 4 patents and 10 peer-reviewed publications in the area of biosensors, and has also written several product manuals, case studies and application notes.

Based in Brussels, Alun has over a decade of experience in EU funding, policy, and project development, working with industry, NGOs, universities, research institutions, and global organisations on climate and sustainability initiatives. Alun has a strong track record in securing over €400 million from both European and global funding programmes, as well as a deep understanding of European environmental policies. Alun holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Psychology, with a focus on communications in sustainability, and a postgraduate diploma in Innovation and Design Thinking. His academic and professional background supports the creation of proposals that effectively bridge policy, innovation, and the implementation of climate policy at national and regional levels.

Dr. Matthew Jurow holds a PhD in Chemistry with decades of experience in chemistry, physics, materials science and electrical engineering. Dr. Jurow has led research and development at a series of climate tech companies as well as positions at the US National Labs and UC Berkeley. He has successfully won more than $20 million in funding from NSF and DOE for both academic and industrial clients, and has raised series A and B venture funding rounds. He has experience navigating EPA regulation and managing hard tech product development. His patents and publications have been cited more than seventeen hundred times.

Matt Grason is an experienced fundraising professional with a passion for environmental protection and nature-based solutions to climate change. He has more than 22 years of fundraising experience, including 16 years writing proposals and managing portfolios of foundation, government, and corporate funders for non-profits. Matt supported renowned conservation biologist Dr. Thomas Lovejoy in fundraising and organizational development for his seminal Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project. As a climate advocate, Matt founded and was a core member of the DC Divest campaign, which successfully persuaded the District of Columbia to remove fossil fuel stocks from its investment portfolios. Matt has extensive hands-on experience with a range of regenerative agriculture strategies, including industrial-scale composting, growing trees, soil health and soil building, and organic and regenerative gardening.

Anna brings 9+ years of grant writing experience in renewable energy technology, environmental justice, and agricultural science, with over $500 million in grant awards from the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and other funders. Anna also supported a successful application for over $1 billion to the DOE Loan Programs Office. In addition to grant writing, she has worked in climate advocacy for the Skoll Foundation, developed educational resources for Biointeractive (part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute), and been an energy analyst for Wexus Technologies (an AgTech company). Anna Kulow received a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability from the University of California, Berkeley and completed Masters coursework in Ecological Engineering from the University of Maryland. She holds a dual Bachelors degree in Environmental Policy and Science and Art History from McDaniel College. Aside from grant writing, Anna spends most of her time outdoors and is an avid climber, skier, and runner. She lives with her partner in Louisville, Colorado and, when at home, loves cooking, gardening, and playing with her two cats.

Dr. Somik Chakravarty brings over 10 years of experience in EU research and innovation grant writing and management. He has a proven track record, having managed and submitted over 60 EU Horizon Europe and H2020 grant proposals. This has resulted in raising and managing more than €45 million for a diverse range of clients and collaborators, including SMEs, Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs), industries, and universities. He holds a PhD in Process Engineering (Powder Technology) from Sorbonne Université – UTC (France), as part of a Marie Curie ITN fellowship, and has led several strategic R&I grant projects. His expertise spans a wide range of fields, including advanced materials (biomaterials, nanomaterials), advanced manufacturing (process modelling, simulation, additive manufacturing), digital twins, renewables, healthcare, cybersecurity, and risk and resilience management. Notably, three deliverables from his projects have been selected by the EU Innovation Radar for their significant scientific and business impact. He also possesses a strong awareness of relevant EU policies and regulations, particularly within highly regulated industries like the energy, food, pharmaceutical/healthcare, and chemical sectors. Currently, he is a grant writer at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) based in Germany.

Dr. Alessandro Varotto holds a PhD in Chemistry and 20+ years of experience leading science, technology, and innovation projects across academia, industry, and international consortia. He has secured more than $20 million in competitive funding through Horizon Europe, US SBIR, NIH, and NSF programs, and has raised private investment for his ventures. Dr. Varotto is the author of patents, peer-reviewed publications, and technology market reports cited more than 2,000 times. With a passion for education, he serves on the Advisory Board for the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Innovation at Loyola Marymount University. His work spans catalysis, nanomaterials, sustainable technologies, materials for energy applications, and more.

Verus is a grant writer and strategic advisor specializing in cleantech funding and cross-border project finance. Since 2017, he has managed EU-funded projects and written technology grant applications, helping startups and SMEs navigate transatlantic financing. He specializes in $5-15 million projects across programs including the EU Innovation Fund, CEF, EIC Accelerator, German regional funds, and U.S. Department of Energy, having contributed to over $33 million in awarded grants as both lead writer and consortium contributor. His cleantech expertise spans renewable energy, energy storage, carbon capture, methane reduction, marine energy, thermal storage, and biofuels. Earlier, Verus held senior roles in digital and media industries, including Managing Director for Deezer Central Europe and Vice President of Digital Accounts at Warner Music Group, growing digital revenues with iTunes and Spotify across 17 markets. These roles provided extensive experience bridging U.S. technology companies with European markets. Verus studied Economics and Philosophy at the London School of Economics and earned an MBA from Rotterdam School of Management. He speaks German, English, and Portuguese fluently. Outside of work, Verus enjoys playing guitar, practicing yoga, and swimming in the sea.

Christopher Wagoner is a grant strategist and project manager who helps clients secure and steward federal, state, foundation, and philanthropic funding for high-impact infrastructure and resilience projects. Chris blends analytic rigor with field experience across water management, wildfire prevention, emergency response, and disaster recovery. He has led multimillion-dollar portfolios from concept to closeout, building coalitions, aligning projects with agency priorities, and delivering compliant, audit-ready awards. Chris’s portfolio spans FEMA BRIC and HMGP, CAL FIRE vegetation management, DOE GRIP, USDA Rural Development, DOI WaterSMART, HUD CDBG-DR, USDOT, and NOAA climate resilience programs. He is known for translating complex technical goals into compelling narratives, measurable logic models, and budgets that withstand scrutiny. He has implemented program controls for schedule, cashflow, and performance, and established governance that clarifies roles, risks, and reporting. Whether developing a regional grant strategy, rescuing a troubled award, or standing up compliance systems, Chris delivers practical, data-driven results that turn promising ideas into durable public value for communities.

Dr. Ron Godiska is a scientific writer and molecular biologist with over two decades of grant writing expertise. He specializes in designing highly effective grant aims and approaches, underpinned by expert writing and editing. Ron has developed and written dozens of winning grants worth over $15 million to advance climate smart technologies, human and canine therapeutics, applications of machine learning, methods of molecular biology, and clinical trials of drug candidates. His early career was focused on developmental DNA rearrangement at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle), followed by research on inflammation at ICOS Corporation (Seattle). His grant writing began in 2000 at Lucigen Corporation (Madison, WI), a successful small business venture in which the R&D was funded for over 15 years by 70+ SBIR grants. Dr. Godiska has been the Principal Investigator on several Phase I and Phase II SBIR grants and has worked with research teams worldwide to help them achieve innovative goals. In addition, he is the author or co-author of 23 peer-reviewed publications, 13 United States Patents, and dozens of manuscripts, user manuals, and marketing communications. Ron holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Indiana University in Bloomington and a B.S. in Biology from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Dr. Lyza Maron is a multidisciplinary scientist with rich and diverse career experience. She has developed numerous SBIR and STTR proposals, securing $12M in non-dilutive funding for over 30 companies. Lyza excels in crafting compelling narratives that highlight innovation and value propositions, while also providing strategic guidance on partnerships and business development. Her expertise lies in designing effective grant strategies to support startups in their pursuit of funding and growth. Lyza joined the startup world after 15+ years in academic research. Her work focused on mechanisms of abiotic stress resistance in crops with the goal of increasing yields on marginal soils. Her research used genomic tools to integrate genetic diversity data for crop improvement. Lyza assembled a collaborative, interdisciplinary team in a research effort that culminated in the discovery of a major copy-number variant locus in maize. She also contributed to a large, collaborative effort to develop a platform of genomics resources for rice. Lyza lives in Ithaca, NY with her husband, two children, a cat, and a rescue dog—who despite being from Puerto Rico, loves running in the snow. Lyza enjoys walking with her dog, cooking with local vegetables, gardening, raising chickens, SUP, weightlifting, and singing in a choir.

Dr. Andrew Case is an experienced grants professional with a track record of supporting research and innovation in a wide range of fields — from startup companies to multi-million dollar federal science and engineering centers. He was a Senior Grant Writer and Proposal Coordinator at Purdue University for over four years and moved on to become Grants Manager at two innovative climate technology startups, Earthshot Labs and Capture6. Over his career, Andrew has won over $100 million in total grant awards and managed $8 million in grants post-award. He is deeply committed to advancing research and innovation that values both people and the natural world. He currently lives and works in Iowa City, IA.

Dr. Patricia Contreras began her career at various food research institutes within the Spanish Scientific Research Council (CSIC), where she gained extensive knowledge and skills as a CSIC fellow. She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering, a Master's in Organic Chemistry, and a PhD in Food Science and Technology. Transitioning to the food industry, Patricia aimed to create innovative products that benefit both consumers and the planet. Her journey took her from a multinational company to innovative startups disrupting traditional industries. Her interest in new technologies and the startup ecosystem led her to become an innovation consultant and grant writer, helping startups and consortia secure public funding for their climate-friendly innovations. In this capacity, she gained significant experience with EU funding programs like Horizon, European Innovation Council (EIC), Eurostars, and others. Currently, she is part of the expert roster for the Green Assist Initiative under the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), which implements parts of certain EU programmes, such as Innovation Fund, Horizon, LIFE Programme, and Renewable Energy Financing Mechanism. In her free time, she loves to unwind in nature, whether it's running, walking, swimming, or listening to podcasts. Based in beautiful Spain, she always finds joy in the great outdoors.

Peter Suechting is an interdisciplinary PhD candidate in Environmental Science, Studies, and Policy & Political Science at the University of Oregon. He holds a MS in Political Science from the University of Oregon and a BA in Environmental Studies from Amherst College. Currently, Peter teaches part-time at the UO (Go Ducks!) in the Environmental Studies department while completing his PhD dissertation, which examines the social dynamics shaping the unfolding 'green' energy transition over the past two decades. As a researcher, data wrangler, and analyst, he specializes in the design and implementation of information systems for mission-focused organizations in the climate space. He is grateful to reside in the beautiful Willamette Valley in Eugene, OR, with his wonderful partner Amanda and their two canine companions, Mowgli and Juniper. Together, the four of them spend their time hiking, baking, and pursuing their passions, whether they be climate solutions or digging in the yard.

Kathy joins the Climate Finance Solutions research team with 15 years of grants experience from the nonprofit sector. Her proposals have resulted in more than $10 million in public and private funding for nonprofits including The New York Public Library and The Giving Grove, an innovative community orchard organization now thriving in cities across the U.S. Her expertise includes securing and managing federal grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, and U.S. Department of Labor. Working with grant clients from coast to coast for the past three years through the Twin Cities-based firm Access Philanthropy, Kathy gained deep experience collaborating with diverse nonprofit leaders and stewarding relationships with corporate and foundation funders. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Georgia. At home in Kansas City, Missouri, she enjoys spending time with her two children, reading, writing, working for her local library, and growing fresh fruits and vegetables.

Julian joins Climate Finance Solutions with 8 years of experience wearing many hats as a consulting data scientist in the energy and utilities sector, specializing in program evaluation, engineering analysis of commercial and industrial equipment, and organizational efficiency. In addition to analytics, his writing, data carpentry, and knack for visualization have provided numerous utility clients in the US and Canada with insights into the proliferation of energy-efficient technologies and the markets surrounding them. Julian’s abilities as a researcher are rooted in a deep curiosity about material and energy flows, and people’s relationships to them. This curiosity has led him to performing audits of commercial and industrial facilities, as well as surveying and conducting semi-structured interviews with homeowners, contractors, small business owners, facility managers, and utility program administrators. Julian is also a seasoned educator, with 4 years of experience leading knowledge sharing and ideas teams, plus a handful of years as a tutor and classroom teacher. He is always looking for opportunities to hone people’s and organizations’ analytical abilities. In his free time, you’ll find Julian cooking, at spin class, or hanging out with his partner, Mari, and their cat, Hero.

Christy is an entrepreneur, fundraiser, coach, and advisor with a background in institutional and corporate fundraising and design. She brings six years of experience in corporate philanthropy, including at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, a research institution and one of the world’s largest natural history museums. At the Academy, she worked alongside some of the world’s foremost climate scientists to develop strategic partnerships and secure millions of dollars in philanthropic funding annually for climate-focused scientific research and global conservation programs. She also helped develop and fund educational programs, exhibits, and events focused on conservation and climate. Christy’s coaching practice leads high-performing entrepreneurs to make more intentional, value-driven decisions and create successful mission-driven businesses. Her experience and guidance have helped define and drive CFS’ goals and impact.

Jennifer McFarlane is an independent director, with experience on seven corporate boards - one public (NASDAQ quoted), and six private – in the climate, energy, and health tech sectors. She currently serves on five boards including Cascade Energy, Energy and Blue Planet Systems, and is an Audit Committee Chair. Jennifer is an Audit Financial Expert and holds an ESG Global Competent Boards Designation (GCB.D). To the board, Jennifer brings strategic vision, insights on global scaling and digital transformation, as well as finance savvy derived from her twenty years as a CFO in public and private companies such as NEXTracker (NXT) and LanzaTech (LNZA). During her C-level career, Jennifer was typically brought in to take technology driven companies to the next level by refining their strategies, executing on M&A and financings, and delivering on rapid global growth, which included doubling revenues to $700M within two years. She started her career as an investment banker, where she advised a wide range of clients including Fortune 500 companies and international governments. Jennifer is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a C3E Ambassador (DoE appointment) and serves on the board of two global non-profit organizations. Jennifer holds an MBA from Stanford GSB, and an LLB/BSc from University of New South Wales, Australia.

Victoria is an impact-oriented business leader and scientist with over 15 years of experience building complex projects from the ground up. She began her career with a doctorate and post-doctoral fellowship in Biology during which she authored 12 peer-reviewed publications, won a university award for Outstanding Graduate Research, and received competitive grants from National Geographic, National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation, among others, totaling approximately $400,000. She then went on to co-found and build Angaza, a climate-tech company focused on making life-changing solar electrification products radically more affordable for off-grid populations in emerging markets. To date, Angaza's technology platform has helped over 30 million people gain access to clean energy products worldwide and has been supported by over $800,000 in grants from USAID and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP). Victoria is a mentor for the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship and is passionate about contributing at the intersection of science and technology, global sustainability, and operational excellence.