Join us on March 12th, to hear from Hessann Farooqi, Executive Director of the Boston Climate Action Network, Rafael Monge, MPA ’24 Clean Energy Deployment Policy Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Jaida Nabayan, MUP ’23 Principal Climate Policy Advisor for Sonoma County, reflect on their career, education, and current work in climate and sustainability policy.  

Location: Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Building Salata Conference Room Floor 3.5 , 79 JFK St. Cambridge, MA 02163
Time: 6-8pm 

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Hessann Farooqi is the Executive Director of the Boston Climate Action Network. He is the youngest person and the first person of color appointed to lead BCAN. Hessann studied economics at Boston University, worked in the United States Senate under Sen. Ed Markey, and served on various federal, state, and local political campaigns. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also appointed him to oversee the implementation of Boston’s key climate law on the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) Review Board. Hessann is Co-Coordinator of the Boston Green New Deal Coalition and serves as an Environmental Justice Advisor to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council on developing their Greater Boston Climate Action Plan. Hessann previously served as an advisor to The White House and Department of Energy’s Opportunity Project. 

Rafael Monge, MPA ’24, an economist from the University of Costa Rica and a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Mid-Career Master in Public Administration. He is currently a Clean Energy Deployment Policy Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States. His role focuses on advancing clean energy and interoperability initiatives in Latin America and other regions, using innovative data-driven strategies to address regional energy challenges. 

As a Mason Fellow at Harvard, Rafael developed his expertise in environmental policy and data management, which began in Costa Rica, where he directed the National Center for Geoenvironmental Information at the Ministry of Environment and Energy. His leadership in this role was instrumental in shaping national environmental strategies and increasing Costa Rica’s participation in global environmental policy discussions. 

Outside his work in the lab, Rafael is an active contributor to several international forums and initiatives. He is a board member of the EO4SDG initiative, which aims to use Earth observation data for sustainable development, and works with the IUCN Sub-Group on Nature and Mental Health to explore the links between ecological systems and human health. 

Rafael also shares insights from his sustainability journey through writing. His article for ReVista, the Harvard Review of Latin America, discusses Costa Rica’s sustainability journey, which can be read here. 

Jaida Nabayan MUP ’23, serves as the Principal Climate Policy Advisor for Sonoma County, where she works at the intersection of climate resilience, urban development, and land use policy. Her leadership at the county resulted in the approval of a landmark $2.27 million Climate Resilience Comprehensive Action Plan. This first-of-its-kind initiative focuses on nature-based solutions, decarbonization, and energy efficiency, leveraging GHG accounting to achieve Sonoma’s carbon neutrality goals. 

With extensive experience collaborating with local governments as both a consultant and public service professional, Jaida has been a steadfast advocate for centering climate resilience, justice, and equitable transitions for communities disproportionately affected by climate change. 

Raised in Los Angeles, Jaida’s commitment to environmental justice began in her youth through organizing efforts with Communities for a Better Environment and Heal the Bay. She holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s in Environmental and Urban Studies from the University of Chicago. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates rigorous academic training with practical expertise in environmental governance, ESG, and climate policy, enabling her to drive impactful cross-sector collaboration. 

Join us on April 9th, to hear from Nisha Desai, MBA ’97, Founder & CEO of Intention, Jock Gilchrist, Vice President of Sustainability at JPMorgan Chase, Michael Kaschak, Director of Impact Investments at NatureVest at The Nature Conservancy, and Vid Mićević, Investor at Collaborative Fund, reflect on their career, education, and current work in climate and sustainability finance and investment. 

Location: Mignone Center for Career Success,  54 Dunster St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Time: 6-8pm 

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Nisha Desai, MBA ’97, is the Founder & CEO of Intention, a climate impact investment platform for retail investors and consumers, and the managing partner of the Intention Climate Fund, a microfund investing in early-stage climate tech startups across the U.S. With extensive experience in the energy industry, Nisha has held leadership roles in six energy-related startups, including as co-founder and CEO of ActualSun. She also founded Aurora Clean Energy Partners, a boutique consulting firm advising on renewable energy growth initiatives and incubating new ventures. 

Nisha previously served as Vice President of Distributed Generation at NRG Energy, leading strategy and engineering teams to deliver sustainable energy solutions. She was an independent director for the Puerto Rico Public Power Authority, where she played a key role in transformation plans after Hurricane Maria. A Yale and Harvard graduate, Nisha has also contributed her expertise through board roles with Greentown Labs, BikeHouston, and the US Department of Energy’s Blue Ribbon Task Force for Puerto Rico. 

Jock Gilchrist is an accomplished professional with expertise in climate policy, climate finance, and sustainability strategy. He currently serves as Vice President of Sustainability at JPMorgan Chase, where he works to advance the firm’s environmental initiatives. Jock recently completed Yale’s Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program (Class of 2024) and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy, with a concentration in climate policy, from Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 2020. Recognized as an Emerging Leader by Environmental Entrepreneurs, he was also awarded a 1 Hotels Fellowship for his work on the business case for regenerative agriculture. Jock brings a dynamic combination of academic rigor and practical experience to driving sustainability in the financial sector. 

Michael Kaschak serves as the Director of Impact Investments at NatureVest at The Nature Conservancy, where he is responsible for originating, structuring, and closing investment opportunities that deliver both conservation outcomes and market-rate returns. With over 15 years of investment management experience, Michael specializes in sustainable agriculture, water resource development, transaction structuring, value creation, and strategic execution.

Vid Mićević is an Investor at Collaborative Fund, a $1B venture capital firm supporting transformative companies across climate, food, health, consumer tech, and industrial innovation. The fund’s portfolio includes category-defining companies such as Beyond Meat, Lyft, Dandelion Energy, and Brimstone. With a decade of experience, Vid combines investor and operator expertise to back social impact entrepreneurs and drive meaningful change.

Vid holds an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology. His career highlights include serving as Principal at Mission One Capital, Venture Selection Manager at Unreasonable, and founding Climate DC, a professional community dedicated to advancing climate solutions. He also co-founded 33 Buckets, an initiative pioneering clean water access through micro-franchise filtration systems.

Outside of work, Vid is a passionate triathlete, photographer, and lifelong learner who explores the intersection of well-being, climate action, and philosophy.

Join the Salata Institute and Harvard Business School’s Business and the Environment Initiative on Feb 5th, to hear from Oliver Badenhorst, MBA ’20, Principal, Boston Consulting Group, and Naomi Davy, AB ’20, Associate, Coho Climate Advisors, and Emma Howe, Senior Sustainability & Climate Change Consultant, Deloitte, reflect on their career, education, and current work in climate and sustainability consulting.   

Location: Harvard Business School Aldrich Hall Classroom 108 – 35 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
Time: 6-8pm 

Oliver Badenhorst MBA ’20 is a Boston-based Principal with the Boston Consulting Group, focused on strategy projects in the energy sector, primarily for renewable energy developers, utilities, and energy OEMs. He was a member of the HBS class of 2020 and, immediately following his MBA, joined GE’s Offshore Wind business, where he led proposals for the sale of the Haliade-X offshore wind turbine. Oliver additionally holds a Bachelors of Law (LL.B) (J.D equivalent) and Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) in Finance from the University of Queensland.  

Naomi Davy, BA’22, works as a sustainability consultant at Coho Climate Advisors, with the ERM group. Coho is a renewable energy, climate, and water advisory firm that supports companies in reaching their sustainability targets. She has worked there since 2022 after graduating with a bachelor of arts in social studies from Harvard College. During her time in undergrad she studied environmental law and justice and wrote her thesis on environmental impacts of gentrification in Washington, DC (her home town where she currently lives and works). Prior to working at Coho she worked as an intern with Dream.org (fka Dream Corps), a non-profit started by Van Jones which focuses on facilitating a just climate transition. There Naomi served as a policy analyst, researching legislation that favored energy justice in underserved communities. Before her work with Dream.org she interned with the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada developing an implementation plan for the use of public lands in Nevada. 

Matteo Gasparini is an External Advisor for Sustainable and Climate Finance at McKinsey & Company and a Climate Fellow at Harvard Business School’s Institute for Business in Global Society (BiGS) and Associate Fellow at the University of Oxford. His research delves into the financial economics of sustainability and climate change. He investigates this line of inquiry through both empirical and theoretical studies. His work was cited by The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

Dr. Gasparini holds a DPhil (PhD) from the University of Oxford. His undergraduate and graduate education were in economics and finance. He has also served as a consultant at McKinsey & Co. in London and at the World Bank.