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Our People
2024
Our People
2024
On your journey to become a Leader tomorrow.
Founder & PRESIDENT
Robert Fetell
Robert Fetell is a PhD student in Civil & Environmental Engineering at MIT, researching the reliability of satellite InSAR to monitor critical infrastructure. Principally focused on mine waste (tailings) and flood mitigation embankments, Robert aims to develop early warning systems for disasters in frontline communities. He leads the Mining and Circular Economy Program at the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative and previously studied at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received both an MS in Engineering Geology and a BA in Geology. As a student at Penn, Robert founded a 501(c)(3) – the Resilience Youth Network (RYN) – to mentor high school and early college students and provide them with career development opportunities in climate adaptation. RYN runs an annual fellowship, hosts workshops and speaker events, and provides a platform to publish writing. In his hometown (Miami Beach), Robert helped launch the City’s 50-Year Resiliency Vision Plan and actively advocates for environmental justice.
(He/Him)
Head of Fellowship
Kira Clingen
(She/Her)
Kira Clingen is on the faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is a climate design researcher whose research focuses on place-based scenario planning and visualizing climate futures. She is also Research Affiliate at the Office for Urbanization at Harvard, where she was the project lead on a multi-year scenario planning project looking at regional climate adaptation in coastal Massachusetts.Kira holds a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and B.A. in Environmental Policy Studies and Asian Studies from Rice University. She was a 2016 Thomas J. Watson Fellow, 2021 Planet Reimagined New Futures Fellow, 2023 Aspen Institute Climate Future Leader, and is a founding member of the design collaborative APOCATOPIA. She was born, raised, and works on the Gulf of Maine.
Head of strategy
Sarang Mani
(He/Him)
Head of Global Programs
Deepak Marahatta
(He/Him)
Deepak Marahatta is a seasoned development professional specializing in disaster resilience, currently the Chairperson and Executive Director of the Disaster Education Promotion Office (DEPO) of Nepal. Deepak holds a Master’s degree in Environment Education and Sustainable Development from Kathmandu University School of Education and Deepak is pursuing a Ph.D. in Rural Development at Tribhuvan University.
In 2021, Marahatta was honored with the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) Award from the US Department of State for his outstanding contributions to strengthening the role of schools in disaster risk reduction in Nepal. This award recognized his efforts in empowering school teachers and children with essential disaster risk reduction skills.
Throughout his career, Deepak has held key positions and conducted comprehensive workshop sessions to deliver community-based disaster risk reduction training to diverse stakeholders. His contributions include the establishment of disaster and climate learning centers and the development of educational resources such as games, manuals, and guidelines. He has also served as a consultant on various projects related to disaster risk reduction, education module development, and community-based disaster management in India, Thailand, and Japan.
Head of Engagement
Paul Presendieu
(He/Him)
Paul Presendieu was born and raised in the City of New Rochelle, NY as the proud son of Colombian and Haitian immigrants. Paul is currently the Director of Community Engagement for Soulful Synergy, a millennial-minority-owned company funded by the United States Department of Energy and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to create green-collar workers in environmental justice communities for the execution of our federal and state climate agendas through the lens of equity. Prior to that, he served as the Outreach Manager for Sustainable Westchester, where he supported sustainable development and decarbonization efforts across 44 municipal governments in Westchester County.
Paul is the only millennial person of color to serve as the Sustainability Chair for a city-level municipal government in the State of New York, the first Black and Latino democratically elected to the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee’s Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis as the Director of Youth Engagement, and the first member of the Democratic Party to serve as the National Environmental Caucus Chairman for the Young Democrats of America and College Democrats of America. Paul also holds Consultative Status for the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council
Paul is an accomplished young professional, having been named to five 40 under 40 Awards, including Black Millennial for Flint’s National Young Gifted & Green 40 under 40 Class of 2022.
Michael Martello, PhD
(He/Him)
Michael Martello is a civil engineer actively solving problems at the intersection of infrastructure, climate change, and economics. His primary area of expertise is flood risk assessment for transit infrastructure (i.e., figuring out how transit tunnels flood and what ends up getting damaged). Working in the Plan Formulation Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District, he is actively involved in the planning of a variety of coastal infrastructure projects in the greater New York City area. Michael is an alumnus of MIT (PhD ’23; SM ’20) and Manhattan College (BS ’18) where he studied Civil & Environmental Engineering. He is passionate about developing and applying interdisciplinary approaches to planning investments in climate change adaptation.
Lauren Moore
(She/Her)
Lauren Moore is a second year Building Technology Masters student at MIT. Lauren received her Bachelor’s degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering in 2022 from Howard University. Moore’s current research focuses on lessening the energy burden on low-income communities. Aside from academia, Lauren has previous experience in general contracting project management and has remained steadfast in her commitment to serving communities through mentorship and volunteer involvement with organizations such as Green City Force, Habitat for Humanity, and Union City Food Bank.
Bodhi Patil
(He/Him)
Bodhi Patil is a young ocean climate solutionist passionate about the interconnection between Ocean Health and Human Health (OHHH). As the founder of Inner Light, co-creator of @oceanuprise, co-founder of Sea Dragon Studios – One World Breath, co-winner of the UN Oceans Conference Youth & Innovation Forum, and United Nations esteemed young leader, Bodhi supports young people to create impact at scale. He is a Youth Advisor for OnDeck Fisheries AI, World Ocean Day, and Break Free from Plastic Pollution. He is actively working on a Meaningful Youth Ocean-Climate Action strategy with various UN constituencies, UN Global Compact and youth partners. He is a second-year student in the BA + Masters of Management program at the University of British Columbia studying oceans, climate action, and business.
Andres Sabo
(He/him)
Andres Sabo is a Venezuelan American passionate about financing climate resilience infrastructure projects for frontline communities in the Global South. Currently a Global Markets Sales Associate at MUFG in New York City, Andres covers major institutional corporate credit investors and strengthens his institution’s climate finance franchise by supporting SDG transactions and new climate financing platforms. At MUFG, he principally focuses on stakeholder engagement across Latin America with a diverse range of investors, including private and public sectors, philanthropies, DFIs, MDBs, and governments.
A graduate of Cornell University with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Policy Analysis & Management as well as Business, Andres was an active participant in the 2023 UN Water Conference and remains closely involved in the Future Climate Leaders Initiative at the Aspen Institute. With these experiences, Andres aims to guide and inspire the next generation of climate resilience leaders in development finance through the RYN Fellowship program.
Max Sano
(He/Him)
Max Sano is a climate advocate, multimedia storyteller, and food systems advocate. Born and raised in New York City, he decided to get involved in climate action at the age of 12 after living through Hurricane Sandy.
Max earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Government from Franklin and Marshall College and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Food Policy and Advocacy at New York University. Max is a Posse Scholar, Udall Scholar, Aspen Institute Future Climate Leader, World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and Riley’s Way Fellow.
Max is the founder, President and Lead Editor of Greenzine, a 501c3 organization with the mission to provide mentorship and publishing opportunities for emerging climate changemakers, storytellers, and leaders. Max has been published on numerous outlets and acknowledged by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization for his narrative-driven report on the resilience of family farms in rural Pennsylvania during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pooja Tilvawala
(She/Her)
Pooja Tilvawala is an Indian-American climate justice advocate, opportunity curator, and youth engagement expert heavily engaged in the US and international climate spaces. She has degrees in Economics and International Studies with a focus on Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights from American University. Since 2020, she has served as the Founder and Executive Director of Youth Climate Collaborative (YCC) which is making the climate movement more just, inclusive, intergenerational, and one that allows youth to take meaningful climate action while sustaining themselves and their work. She focuses on collaboration to advance the SDGs, climate mental health, intergenerational and participatory decision-making, trust-based philanthropy, climate comedy and creatives, policy literacy, and youth engagement in UNFCCC processes. Most recently, she was double nominated to serve as the North America youth advisor to the UN Secretary General for climate change.
Corey Wills
(They/Them)
Corey Wills is a hazard mitigation planner with Michael Baker International. They hold a dual masters degree in environmental studies and city planning from the University of Pennsylvania. They have been involved in resilience and adaptation projects ranging from conducting stakeholder outreach for the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan to co-designing a social vulnerability index to identify at-risk communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They are also deeply committed to local environmental justice projects. Their work in this sphere includes creating a GIS analysis of potential locations for urban food forests for food desert alleviation in Philadelphia and the design of food forests, urban gardens, and green stormwater infrastructure for West Philadelphia public schools. Ultimately, their professional goal is to leverage ethical, sustainable, and community-driven resilience planning to equitably address climate change impacts in the urban environment.W
