Home: San Francisco, CA. Age: Forty-something. Birthplace: California, USA. Profession: Public policy and climate innovation leader. Organization: Heirloom. Title: Head of Public Policy. Alma mater: University of California.
Current project: Building durable, bipartisan support for carbon removal and climate innovation. Recent recognition: Trusted advisor to technology startups and climate organizations. Recent professional development: Engagement with EU Parliament and the Trump White House on Energy policy and AI legislation. Latest accomplishment: Helping secure and defend bipartisan backing for large-scale carbon removal investments. Latest contribution to others: Mentoring founders, policy leaders, and community advocates. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Transitioning from civil liberties and political organizing into climate and deep-technology policy. Hobbies: Cooking, sourdough baking, travel with family, long urban walks for reflection.
Personality profile: Values‑driven, strategic, collaborative, warm. Moral compass: Would I be proud explaining this to my children, and to the communities affected? What is your greatest joy? Time with family and building things that outlast me. What is your greatest fear? Short‑term thinking overwhelming moral courage. What is your guilty pleasure? Late‑night policy rabbit holes. What natural talent have you neglected? Creative writing. What is at the top of your bucket list? Helping normalize climate repair at planetary scale. How do you relieve stress? Long walks and conversation.
What was your first paying job? Congress. What book have you repeatedly read? The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. What movie have you repeatedly watched? Contact. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? Local artists and family photos. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Leave places better than you found them. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Always take the meeting. It helps build trust and opportunity before you need it. What is your go-to source of news and information? Long‑form journalism and primary policy sources.
What is your big idea?
Climate repair and AI governance should be built together.
What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? Making climate innovation politically durable and socially inclusive. What change would you like to see in the world? Long‑term thinking recentered in public decision‑making. What message do you want to send out into the world? Build systems worthy of the people who depend on them. What widely held belief do you reject? The belief that ethics and progress are opposites.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? The Long Game. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Riz Ahmed. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? James Baldwin. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A writer. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? Family photos. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? With family, outdoors, in conversation. What advice would you give your younger self? Don’t rush. Depth compounds.
Personal mission: To help build just, durable systems for a world shaped by climate change and artificial intelligence. Personal motto: Lead with values, think in decades. Favorite quote: “The future is already here - it’s just not evenly distributed” (William Gibson). Desired epitaph: He helped people think longer and act better.
