Cohorts

2024 Cohort

Julia Ilhardt is currently pursuing a Master’s in International Policy at Stanford University, specializing in energy, natural resources, and the environment. She previously worked on the Global Climate team at the Environmental Defense Fund, an international NGO, where she engaged in policy advocacy and wrote reports related to energy transition, carbon pricing, multilateral climate finance, and rulemaking under the Paris Agreement. Julia received her BA in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University, with certificates in environmental studies, history and the practice of diplomacy, and journalism. You can reach Julia at jilhardt@stanford.edu.

This summer at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Julia will be updating the greenhouse gas inventory for the 16-county DFW region and helping to develop and evaluate appropriate actions to be included in the Energy Sector of the regional Comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

Ashwini Thakare is pursuing dual master's degrees (MIP/EIPER) from the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. She is interested in sustainable finance for just and equitable energy transitions, nature-based climate solutions, and the pursuit of net-zero goals.

Before joining Stanford, Ashwini served in the Indian government's administrative services, where she focused on implementing developmental schemes in health, education, finance, and deploying digital solutions for large-scale public service delivery.

This summer at Woodwell Climate Research Center, Ashwini will collaborate with the carbon team, which is engaged in developing the Rangeland Carbon Tracking and Management Tool and develop a financial model for stakeholders involved in sustainable rangeland practices. Her research will also encompass land restoration, rangeland preservation, and carbon monitoring projects led by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in the Northern Great Plains.

Xiaoqing (Estelle) Ye is pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, set to graduate in December 2024. Her academic journey began at The Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Systems Engineering, graduating in the top 1% of her class. With minors in Watershed and Water Resources, Mathematics, and Statistics, she has built a comprehensive toolkit to tackle complex environmental challenges.

Her professional adventures have taken her to Ernst & Young (EY), ZG Tech, and LONGi Solar, where she immersed herself in the world of ESG research and sustainability consulting. From crafting detailed ESG reports and analyzing carbon emissions to developing innovative carbon management and energy transition solutions, and financial models for climate risk, she has honed her expertise in sustainability. Her leadership role as the head of the Career Development Department at the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at Stanford University has allowed her to bridge the gap between students and industry leaders, fostering invaluable connections and opportunities. Looking ahead, she is eager to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders to create resilient and sustainable systems that benefit both people and the planet. Ultimately, she aims to be at the forefront of transformative projects that shape a sustainable future, contributing to a healthier, more equitable world.

This summer, Xiaoqing will be a Carbon Analyst Intern at CarbonSense Technologies, where she will focus on helping their clients, mostly data centers, calculate their carbon footprint and propose solutions to reduce emissions.

2023 Cohort

Pamella Eunice Ahairwe is a first-year graduate student in the Master’s of International Policy Program at Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. She is interested in sustainable finance for clean energy, climate mitigation, and climate adaptation and how technological innovations can help address environmental-related challenges. Before joining Stanford, Pamella worked as a Policy Officer at the European Centre for Development Policy Management in the Netherlands and Belgium, where she focused on development finance for sustainable development. She also worked with the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, where she helped assess the bank’s financial decisions in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. At the Environment for Development - Makerere University in Uganda, Pamella will focus on green finance regarding renewable energy, climate mitigation, and climate adaptation-related projects.

Panagiotis Boltsis is a first-year graduate student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department’s Sustainable Design and Construction Program focusing on Management. He is interested in financially feasible investments in sustainable project financing practices, clean energy and impact oriented projects that address environmental related issues. Prior to studying at Stanford, Panagiotis was working as a Project Manager in the Real Estate Development sector, supervising a number of bioclimatic eco-friendly buildings including residential and commercial. During the summer, Panagiotis will be working in ADN Capital Ventures aiming to streamline transactions involving renewable energy, sustainable technology, and infrastructure.

Oren Fliegelman is pursuing an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an MS at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Before Stanford, Oren worked across the private and public sectors. He led a special projects team on President Biden’s 2020 campaign and served as a speechwriter for Secretary Hillary Clinton. Oren was also a team lead at the Google Creative Lab and invested in climate and AI startups at DCVC, a $3B venture capital firm. At Stanford, he has been the co-director of the Corporations and Society Initiative. This summer, he will be working at the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, which provides billions of dollars in loans and loan guarantees to serve as a bridge to bankabality for key climate technologies. Oren holds an AB from Princeton University.

Henry Pollock is pursuing a Master's in Business Administration at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. His focus is to build a better food system, leveraging decarbonization to feed ten billion sustainably and ensure a just transition for foodworkers globally and locally. Prior to the GSB, Henry was a consultant at McKinsey and Company; led research on the Future of Work, on the Net Zero transition, and on post-Covid consumer behavior at the McKinsey Global Institute; and served as a Chief of Staff at a frontline workforce development coalition, the Rework America Alliance. He holds a MPP from the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy. During the summer, Henry will work at Alga Biosciences, an AgTech startup focused on decreasing agricultural methane emissions from cows and other ruminants by using one of the most scalable resources on our planet: algae.

Juan Rosenkrantz, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is pursuing an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Prior to Stanford, Juan worked for Vista Energy for Tomorrow - a fast-growing startup in the energy sector. He was one of the first hires of Vista and during his time there he helped grow the company to more than 400 employees and +$2bn market cap. Juan has significant experience in areas such as business development, finance, project management, fundraising, company building, and climate tech venture capital. Juan has a profound interest in the decarbonization process and during the summer he will be working for an early-stage startup based in San Francisco looking to develop the oceanic carbon removal space.

Summer Shaw is pursuing a JD at Stanford Law School and an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to Stanford, Summer was a Senior Policy Advisor in the New York Governor’s Office, where she helped to craft New York’s economy-wide plan to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. She was also a Director of Management in the Missouri Governor’s Office, where she led COVID-19 response analytics. Summer started her career in the private sector, first at McKinsey & Company and then at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory. Last summer, Summer was a SFI fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office (LPO), where she helped LPO deploy low-interest loans to finance innovative, large-scale, energy infrastructure projects. This summer, she will be researching how tribal communities can leverage Inflation Reduction Act financial incentives to build out clean energy infrastructure.

2022 Cohort

Daniel Gajardo, from Santiago, Chile, is pursuing a dual degree in Environment & Resources (E-IPER) at the Doerr School of Sustainability and International Policy at the Freeman Spogli Institute. His focus is to promote climate action with an environmental justice perspective, bridging the gap between environmental science, policy and business. Prior to Stanford he was the Head of Consultancy of the Latin-American Circular Economy company TriCiclos, and co-founded Engineers Without Borders Chile. This summer he will be working with Sway, an early-stage company developing seaweed-based alternatives for flexible plastics, strengthening its ocean regeneration impact thesis proposing best practices to promote the sustainable expansion of the seaweed aquaculture industry.

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Abigail Mathieson is pursuing a dual degree in Environment & Resources at the Doerr School of Sustainability and an MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Her background in product development and supply chain informs her focus: helping companies transform internal business practices and operating models to support decarbonization. She has previously worked in impact investing, corporate strategy, and sustainability across climate tech, retail, and food & agriculture. This summer, Abigail is researching Scope 3 emissions accounting in the context of a consumer goods supply chain.

Shreya Reddy is a first-year master’s student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department’s Atmosphere & Energy Program. Her work is focussed on aiding clean energy transitions especially in developing countries. Prior to Stanford, she worked in India to improve access to clean energy among rural communities. This summer, Shreya will be working with World Resources Institute, India on the Hydrogen Initiative, which aims to scale up green hydrogen production and utilization in order to achieve the country’s climate goals. Through this internship she specifically aims to address the technological and financial imperatives that will aid in improving the economic viability of producing Hydrogen from renewable energy.

Raghav Sharma is a master’s student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering’s Environmental Engineering Program with a focus on Environmental Data, Statistics, and Modelling. He is interested in climate-change induced extreme weather events and data-driven resilience and adaptation. He is passionate about using data science techniques for building a society resilient to the high likelihood and intensity of extreme events like floods, droughts, and wildfires. This summer, Raghav is excited to further his passion by interning at HighTide Intelligence, a flood intelligence start-up with a vision of leveraging data and tech for accelerating flood mitigation decision-making and accurately quantifying present and future flood-risk. Raghav will be involved in optimizing and scaling HighTide’s Hazard model which estimates flood depths for buildings across various storm events and sea level estimates.

Summer Shaw is pursuing a JD at Stanford Law School and an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is interested in exploring innovative business and partnership models that align public and private sector stakeholders on climate action. Prior to Stanford, Summer was a Senior Policy Advisor in the New York Governor’s Office, where she helped to craft New York’s economy-wide plan to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. She was also a Director of Management in the Missouri Governor’s Office, where she led COVID-19 response analytics. Summer started her career in the private sector, first at McKinsey & Company and then at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory. This summer, she will be working at the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office (LPO), where she will explore how LPO deploys over $40 billion in government loans and loan guarantees to help innovative decarbonization technologies reach commercial scale.

Phuthi Tsatsi is pursuing a dual MBA / EE MSc degree at Stanford. His main interests lie in helping to bridge the electrification gap in Africa, and improve the availability of affordable and reliable electricity to businesses in Africa. Prior to studying at Stanford, Phuthi was an Associate at CrossBoundary Energy where he supported the business in financing energy projects for commercial and industrial electricity users across Eastern and Western Africa. He also spent 3 years in consulting at BCG where he helped found the local Energy practice area. During the summer, Phuthi will be working for a minigrid developer in Nigeria to pilot and scale productive use activities in communities to help improve the financial sustainability of the minigrids.

2021 Cohort

Joanna Klitzke is a Masters student in business and environmental science with Stanford's Graduate School of Business and School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences. She is passionate about building the future's circular, low-carbon economy and has spent the last few years experimenting with how to make this happen: working to increase textile recycling and reduce material emissions at Nike, feeding seaweed to cows to reduce livestock methane, and hosting GSB's Climate, Business & Innovation Summit to spark conversations across the community. This summer, Joanna is excited to support climate startup SupplyShift in building better ESG management tools for private investors. In parallel, she is researching sustainable financing mechanisms to fund coral reef repair to protect Hawaiian coastal communities.

Wes Miller is a first-year master’s student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department’s SDC Program, focusing on Energy. He is interested in economically viable investment in sustainable infrastructure and clean energy. Prior to Stanford, Wes worked in heavy civil construction where he was extensively involved on large infrastructure improvements to dams, wharves, and highways across the United States. He grew up in Maine and received his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Vermont. This summer, Wes is very excited to work at ADN Capital Ventures, facilitating renewable energy and sustainable technology and infrastructure transactions. Through this experience he hopes to identify key drivers of value that attract, mobilize, and secure private capital engagement towards impact-oriented investments.

2020 Cohort

Morrison Mast, MS-MBA ‘21, Blue Forest Conservation, San Francisco, CA
Blue Forest Conservation launched the first “Forest Resilience Bond,” an innovative financial vehicle that leverages a blend of private capital to achieve landscape scale forest restoration for wildfire mitigation and increased streamflow. I worked with Blue Forest’s CEO and potential investors to conduct due diligence on a forest management project to be undertaken on the Tahoe National Forest, and worked with the COO and Project Development Team on project development on National Forests in Oregon and Washington. Had the opportunity to visit and photograph project sites off-the-clock and see ecosystem services benefits of Blue Forest’s projects in action.

Fabiola Quinzaños, MBA ‘20, Renewable Resources Group, Los Angeles, CA
RRG is an investment firm focused in water, energy and agriculture. The team is comprised by people from very diverse backgrounds but all of them share a strong passion and commitment to help the world transition into a sustainable way of living. My role during the summer was to lead a couple of deals.