About Us

Hannah Chai is the Director of People & Culture at Rewiring America. She joins the team after years in the start-up space. Prioritizing the employee and candidate experience, she’s helped many organizations build out their company strategies. Hannah’s diverse background across all areas of the people function, combined with her fascination for data and over a decade operationalizing processes, strengthens her ability to create and drive innovative initiatives across the business. As a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging advocate, she leads with empathy and prioritizes DEIB in every initiative and strategy. Hannah is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and calls Philadelphia her original home.

Amy LaThanh is Deputy Chief of Staff at Rewiring America.

Prior to Rewiring America, Amy held the role of Chief of Staff & Head of Project Management, Community Department at FWD.us, a bipartisan political advocacy group focused on immigration and criminal justice reform. She helped build the digital capabilities of FWD.us from a team of five into a team of over twenty specialists spanning technology, creative, audience, and digital campaigns teams.

Amy began her career in the Bay Area tech sector in social media and social games. She held product management roles at Bebo, Kabam, and MTV Games, helping to establish and shape the social games economy during the height of social gaming.

Amy attended California Polytechnic University at Pomona, where she earned a degree in History. In her off hours, she loves keeping up with Russian-U.S. politics (way before it was cool), getting out the vote in key states, and spending time with her husband, two rambunctious boys, and kinda-instafamous corgi @skycorgisf.

Christin Pelgrum is the Operations + Administrative Manager at Rewiring America. Over the course of her career, Christin has taught micro- and macroeconomics at her alma mater, led data analytics and reporting for an economic development nonprofit, as well as served as the EA to executives of Silicon Valley tech startups and venture capital firms. She earned both her undergraduate degree in Business Administration and her Master degree in Applied Economics from Ohio University. She lives with her husband, three children and Portuguese Water Dog in Issaquah, Washington where she spends her free time exploring the great outdoors.

Sam Marx is the Sr. Manager, Organizational Development at Rewiring America. He has spent more than a decade in the nonprofit digital communications and organizing sector, working with hundreds of organizations of all sizes to tackle issues including environmental justice, healthcare, civil rights, housing access, racial equity, and gender equity. Sam earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Oregon and his master’s degree in International Economic Relations at American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC. He also sits on the board of directors for The Small Press Expo, the country’s largest independent comics and cartooning festival, held annually in Bethesda, MD. He is based in Portland, OR. When not obsessing about organization, Sam likes to watch 80s B-movies and eat sandwiches.

Joshua Gilstein is the Operations Manager at Rewiring America. He brings a broad spectrum of professional experience in public health, arts and culture, political campaigns, higher education, LGBTQ+ equality, and healthcare IT. Most recently, Joshua worked as a Logistics Engineer at the American Red Cross where he led process improvement and strategy projects for blood distribution in the United States. He earned Master of Public Affairs and Master of Arts in Arts Administration degrees from Indiana University. He also holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland (Go Terps!). Originally from New Jersey, Joshua now lives in San Francisco, CA where he spends his free time enjoying the local parks, spending time with friends, and playing piano.

LaToya Green is the People & Culture Generalist at Rewiring America. Prior to joining, she spent years working in various people functions primarily in Healthcare industries and brings a deep and balanced understanding of organizational dynamics and the importance of creating a supportive work environment.

Driven by her commitment to diversity, inclusion and employee well-being, LaToya recognizes that a thriving workforce is built on the foundation of diverse perspectives and equal opportunities and that fostering an inclusive environment not only promotes individual growth but also drives organizational success. She has designed and implemented comprehensive well-being, onboarding and DEI programs that have empowered employees to flourish in every facet of their lives throughout their entire employee life cycle.

LaToya proudly calls Atlanta home and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Georgia State University. In her free time, she enjoys picnics in the park with her senior dog.

Alex Amend is Director of Communications at Rewiring America. He has over a decade of experience leading teams and executing communications strategy for mission-driven organizations including the Sierra Club and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Most recently, he was communications director for a startup dedicated to helping governments, NGOs and tech companies disrupt online harms. He lives in rural New Mexico with his wife and daughter and serves as a volunteer firefighter.

Jessica Dulaney is the Social Media Manager at Rewiring America. Previously, she led communications strategies for billion-dollar federal agencies focused on infrastructure, the environment, and research and development. She's also developed strategies and content to help nonprofits communicate about issues like climate justice, children's rights, voting rights, and immigration. Jessica graduated from Mississippi State University's Shackouls Honors College with a bachelor's degree in English.

Jordan Fontenot is the Communications Manager at Rewiring America. She is a skilled communications professional with almost a decade of experience in media analysis, strategic communication and public relations. She has supported both public and private-sector clients, including a variety of nonprofit clients addressing issues around education access, food insecurity, and volunteerism. In her previous role as a public relations counselor, she helped secured her clients top-tier media coverage, fostered positive brand recognition, and developed communication strategies to tackle the ever-changing media landscape. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from George Mason University. Jordan lives in Virginia Beach with her husband.

Alana Murphy is Communications Associate at Rewiring America. Alana joins the Rewiring team with experience managing communications for federal and state-level electoral campaigns, as well as a variety of issue areas from environmental policy to reproductive rights. Most recently, Alana served as a Political Communications Associate at Arc Initiatives, where she provided strategic media relations support to a range of progressive clients. Alana is a New Jersey native and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Fordham University.

Laura Fraser is the Wordsmith of the Communications team at Rewiring America. She is an award-winning journalist and essayist whose work has been featured in numerous national publications and anthologies. She is the author of four nonfiction books, including the New York Times-bestselling memoir An Italian Affair. She has collaborated with several authors on their books, including Rewiring America founder Saul Griffith’s Electrify (MIT Press). She is also a mentor for the OpEd Project and was founder and Editorial Director of the feminist digital press Shebooks. She is a long-time San Franciscan, a devoted salsa dancer, and has kept a list of all the books she’s read since she was 12. Find her at laurafraser.com.

Geneviève is the Creative Director at Rewiring America. She’s an award-winning multidisciplinary designer and art director who has worked for major National media companies and a health tech startup. She was previously Senior Director of Visual Design at Figure 1, a platform where healthcare professionals share and collaborate on medical cases globally. She has also done work for multiple non-profits supporting climate, political and educational initiatives. Her design experience extends widely, from print, digital, branding, illustration, motion and video. She currently lives east of Toronto, where she enjoys the winters snowboarding with her family.

English Prevo is a Designer and Visual Artist with a passion for visual storytelling and creating captivating experiences through her work. With over 8 years of experience in the start-up industry, she has honed her skills across a diverse range of products, spanning SAAS tech to hearing aids to podcasting platforms.

English is a recent Connecticut transplant and enjoys exploring the area with her husband. In her spare time, you can find her taking care of her many plants, covered in acrylic paint, and running or riding her bike.

Brock Benefiel is the Content Partnerships Lead at Rewiring America. He is the co-host of The Climate Pod, a leading climate change podcast. He joins Rewiring America from Octopus Energy, a global renewable energy supplier, where he served as Digital Marketing Executive for the United States. Prior to that, he served as Director of Marketing for renewable energy supplier Hero Power, Audience Development Manager for Angi, and advised a number of startups and multinational technology companies. Brock is a graduate of Butler University, where he earned a degree in journalism, and an alumni of the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship in Indianapolis.

Gabriela Hills is the Newsletters Editor at Rewiring America. She is a writer and editor with over 10 years of experience in Operations and Supply Chain. With stopovers in craft beer, medically-tailored meals, and industrial battery chargers, Gaby excels at writing for a wide range of audiences. Her favorite audience is her daughter and she enjoys workshopping different character voices at storytime with varied success (tough crowd). She goes by Gaby to those who’ve had at least one interaction with her - if you’re reading this bio, that counts. Cheers!

Ren Little is an Email Analyst at Rewiring America. He has been an #emailgeek for 5 years and made the transitioning from marketing to campaigning 2 years ago, using my email powers for good. Ren is a California native and in his spare time you can catch him trying to fit as many of his 12 pets as he can on his lap - 7 dogs, 1 cat, and 4 reptiles.

Sam Weber is the Senior Director of Marketing Campaigns and Digital at Rewiring America. Before joining Rewiring America, he built and led the marketing and support teams at Fyn, a crypto tax accounting platform. Previously, Sam was the Global Customer Marketing Manager at technology company Owl Labs, and Head of Marketing at a professional organization CMX where he led marketing and sales through a successful acquisition by Bevy Labs. With a decade of experience building marketing orgs, he’s excited to move the world to an electrified future. Sam graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. When he’s not building marketing campaigns, you can usually find Sam in the kitchen cooking up some Korean food or exploring the world with his family.

Harper Yi is the Manager of Partner Communications Strategy at Rewiring America, building the partnerships and alliances that will accelerate America towards electrification. Her area of expertise is in creating win-win situations, and she’s done so across a variety of industries including social impact, entertainment, media, and tech. She blends storytelling and strategy to drive big actions, whether it's encouraging investment in women-owned businesses, getting people to see Broadway musicals, or generating millions of dollars in revenue. Harper is also Associate Producer of the Canary Film Project, a documentary about health equity, reproductive justice, and race in America. She is a graduate of The College of William & Mary, and is an inaugural member of their Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern (APIM) Alumni Advisory Board. Harper often sings to her cat, Clover, at home in the DC suburbs.

Jonathan is Partner Communications Strategy Manager at Rewiring America. He’s a big brother, poet, and narrative strategist inspired by technology that transforms how we live together. Before joining the team, Jonathan founded The Third Revolution, a language-first messaging consultancy for underrepresented startup teams in ed-tech, SaaS, and Web3. He’s developed speeches, scripts, and strategy for Fortune 500 CEOs and leading philanthropists, edited academic journals, and managed literary and legal advocacy programs across the US.

Jonathan earned a bachelor's degree in American Studies and Africana Studies from Tufts University and a master's degree in African-American Studies from UC Berkeley.

He is based in Detroit alongside his surprisingly complementary kitty and pup, Mílo and Mitski. He enjoys traveling, running, cheesecake, fancy decaf, and poetry (ask him for a recommendation!)

Molly Nicholson is the Digital Marketing Manager at Rewiring America. She has developed the digital ads strategy for many progressive political candidates and organizations and helped win her previous employer the 2023 Reed Digital Agency of the Year award. She holds degrees in Public Relations and German from the University of Georgia and, while originally from Atlanta, GA, has lived in Washington D.C. since 2018. In her free time, Molly enjoys watching men’s and women’s soccer, gardening and trying yet another D.C. restaurant.

Emily is the Events Director at Rewiring America. Over the past decade, Emily has produced hundreds of events in the nonprofit, public media and outdoor industries. She’s lead events in more than twenty states across the country, from cycling events in the Santa Cruz Mountains to advocacy days on Capitol Hill. Prior to joining Rewiring America, Emily spent more than a decade at Share Our Strength, raising funds and engaging the culinary industry to end childhood hunger. An avid cyclist and reluctant runner, she can often be found doing late afternoon laps in Rock Creek Park.

Alexis is the Project Management Coordinator at Rewiring America. With over 6 years of experience, she has worked in various sectors, including education, entrepreneurship, and with women-owned and minority-owned tech startups. Alexis holds a Master's degree in Public Health with a focus on Health Education and Promotion from California State University, San Marcos. Prior to joining Rewiring America, she successfully managed her own consulting business. Alexis is deeply passionate about public health, supporting first-generation entrepreneurs, and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Based in San Diego, Alexis is a native of Southern California. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, exploring local coffee/matcha spots, and taking leisurely walks on the beach with her two pugs.

Erik is the Senior Director of Data Science at Rewiring America. He previously led data science and analytics teams at Rally Health, the digital arm of UnitedHealth Group, and at Microsoft. Prior to this, Erik was an early member of Opower’s analytics and data science teams where he measured energy savings and built models of household energy use to find further savings opportunities. A Virginia native who spent the last nine years in San Francisco, Erik currently lives in Richmond, VA where he works with local climate leaders to electrify the city.

Miki Verma is a member of the Research Team at Rewiring America. Miki joined Rewiring from Stanford’s Regulation Evaluation and Governance Lab, where she conducted research on modeling river pollutants in agriculturally dense regions. Prior to this, she was a research data scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Cyber Security Research Group. She received an MS in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and a BS in Applied and Computational Math Sciences from the University of Washington. Miki is a Chicago native currently living in Knoxville, TN, where she spends time away from her computer hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau.

Talor Gruenwald is a Research Associate at Rewiring America, where he conducts quantitative analyses evaluating the economic, emissions, health, air quality, and equity implications of building electrification policies. Prior to Rewiring America, Talor worked at RMI on the Carbon-Free Buildings team, where he contributed to a number of research and analysis efforts aimed at quantifying the benefits of building electrification measures. These included several reports on the greenhouse gas emissions impacts of specific building electrification measures in states like New York and Washington, in-depth analysis of the effects of burning fossil fuels in buildings on neighborhood-level air quality, and estimation of the childhood asthma burden associated with gas stoves. Talor has a master’s in international affairs from UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy in strategy, where he focused on applied statistics and energy policy. Talor holds bachelor’s degrees in international relations and Spanish from SUNY Geneseo. Talor currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Wael Kanj is a Research Associate at Rewiring America. Prior to joining the team, Wael received his Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Rutgers University, where he conducted research on state resiliency plans, the community impacts of transit-oriented development, water access in the Navajo Nation, and where all the food waste in New Jersey came from. Wael also spent a summer at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority expanding a home energy efficiency pilot program. Previously, Wael was a data consultant for nonprofits and environmental advocacy groups at Blue State.

Mohammad Fathollahzadeh is a Senior Building Energy Modeler at Rewiring America. In his role, Mohammad focuses on the technical, economical, and environmental modeling and analysis of building energy systems. Prior to joining Rewiring America, Mohammad worked at RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings Program where he researched various aspects of residential and commercial electrification, including energy, emissions, economics, and equity. Mohammad was also involved in designing the Empire Technology Prize (ETP), which aims to significantly reduce the GHG emissions of the heating systems of tall buildings in New York.

Mohammad earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines, where he specialized in Thermal-fluids and Energy Systems analysis. During his time at Mines, Mohammad developed an integrated framework for modeling and optimizing HVAC systems in commercial districts. He also evaluated the feasibility of implementing hybrid renewable energy systems for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Before pursuing his Ph.D., Mohammad completed a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Tarbiat Modares University, where he focused on Energy Conversion. His master’s thesis involved using Computational Fluid Dynamics to investigate the energy consumption, indoor air quality, and thermal comfort of occupants in densely occupied spaces served by Underfloor Air Distribution systems. In his free time, Mohammad enjoys hiking, cooking, and reading poetry. He currently resides in Broomfield, CO.

Carla Burns is a part of the Research team at Rewiring America, where she conducts research to empower Americans to electrify their homes and communities. Carla joins Rewiring America from the Environmental Working Group where she served as Director and managed consumer-facing databases and published a variety of environmental and public health content. Prior to that, she provided research and project management support for energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives. Carla received her bachelor’s degree in Earth & Environmental Science and master’s degree in Ecotoxicology.

Camila Thorndike is Director of Policy Programs at Rewiring America. She joins the team after working on key elements of the Inflation Reduction Act as a Legislative Assistant to Senator Sanders. Prior to the Hill, Camila co-founded the national nonprofit Our Climate; led the campaign that passed 100% renewable electricity in the District of Columbia; worked for the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution; and led outreach for a regional land use planning process in Arizona. Originally from southern Oregon, Camila holds a B.A. from Whitman College and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Her lifelong commitment to equitable climate action has been honored with the Udall Scholarship, Sitka Fellowship, Mic 50, Grist 50, D.C. Environmental Network Award, HKS Bacon Environmental Fellowship, and HKS Littauer Award.

Kristin G. Eberhard, JD, MEM, is the Senior Director of State & Local Policy at Rewiring America.

She previously served as the Director of Climate Policy at the Niskanen Center, a centrist think tank in Washington, DC, as the Director of Climate and Democracy at Sightline Institute, a regional policy think tank based in Seattle, and as the Western Director of Climate and Energy at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Kristin has taught climate change policy and energy law at Stanford Law School and UCLA School of Law. She is the author of the book Becoming a Democracy: How We Can Fix the Electoral College, Gerrymandering and Our Elections. She earned her JD cum laude from the Duke University School of Law, an MEM in Energy Economics from the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, and a BA with Honors from Stanford University.

Michael Hernandez is the New York Policy Director for Rewiring America, he leads our efforts to influence state policy initiatives to accelerate the policy transition to demand-side electrification as the most tangible and common sense strategy for addressing the climate crisis. As the Assistant Secretary for Program & Policy at the New York State Assembly, Michael was a lead negotiator for the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and was responsible for facilitating the legislative process for the Energy, Environmental Conservation, Transportation and Corporations legislative committees. Michael was also a lead negotiator for the laws enacting Congestion Pricing in Manhattan and the creation of the Gateway Commission. Michael was the Director of Intergovernmental Relations at the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) where he facilitated the coordination of New York State’s Capital program by resolving any delays and/or inefficiencies between governmental entities in the financing and construction of the State’s infrastructure. Prior to working at the Assembly, Michael was a practicing attorney in New York City and advocate for the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). Michael was awarded Common Cause’s I Love an Ethical New York honor in 2003 for his actions to ensure transparency at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Michael grew up bi-coastal spending time in New York City and Los Angeles and enjoys hiking, biking and birding.

Jamal is the Director, State & Local Policy for the Mid-Atlantic & South for Rewiring America. Previously, he led the energy and climate initiatives at Green & Healthy Homes Initiative and worked with states and localities across the country to advance electrification, healthy housing, and energy efficiency programs and policies. He has multiple publications outlining pathways to promoting equity by retrofitting our existing housing stock to be healthy, energy-efficient, all-electric, and affordable. He is a Young, Gifted, & Green 40 under 40 award recipient for his leadership in Environmental Justice.

Jamal has an MPH from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and a certificate from the Fall 2021 DC Cohort of the Clean Energy Leadership Institute.

Zach has spent over ten years working as a public servant and an advocate on climate change and clean energy policy across the United States. He most recently served as North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s Senior Advisor for Climate Change Policy. Zach previously served in senior climate policy roles for Governor Jared Polis and Governor John Hickenlooper in Colorado. He was also a Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, focusing on clean energy regulatory and legislative advocacy in Colorado and New Mexico.

In his free time, Zach likes to rock climb and play music.

Sage Briscoe is the the Director of Federal Policy at Rewiring America, where she strategizes ways to optimize the development and implementation of federal policy to maximize electrification. Sage joins Rewiring after developing energy and climate policy as a Legislative Fellow on Senator Amy Klobuchar’s staff. Prior to her time on the Hill, she spent the first half of her career as a federal employee, including three years in England as a Senior Technical Liaison to the UK. Sage holds a bachelors in mathematics from Tulane University and a masters in mathematics from University of Michigan.

Noah Goldmann is a Policy Associate at Rewiring America, where he shapes implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act. Before joining Rewiring America, Noah managed federal infrastructure policy at BlocPower. He also wrote and published a white paper, Leading with Equity and Justice in the Clean Energy Transition, on equitable building electrification in partnership with Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. Noah studied Mathematics and Environmental Policy at Syracuse University, during which he took a semester off to field organize on the 2020 election. If dressing up as a heat pump will help solve the climate crisis, he can't wait to do it.

Amanda Sachs is a Policy Analyst at Rewiring America, where she supports partner collaborations and helps bring policy research and initiatives to fruition. Previously, she analyzed New York State climate legislation and watchdogged the state’s Climate Law implementation with Environmental Advocates NY. Amanda holds a BA in Political Science from SUNY Purchase and an MS in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her partner and two cats Avocato and Gary.

Before joining Rewiring America, Serena worked as a Policy and Government Relations director for an Arizona state agency. Serena is passionate about policy at all levels, and received her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington in 2018. Though her background is in education policy, she was ecstatic to move into the clean energy policy realm with Rewiring America because electrification and clean energy makes a positive impact on lives all over the world. Serena is committed to using her experience and education to create real change and drive electrification for all.

Charles Hua is a Policy Analyst at Rewiring America. Previously, Charles supported clean energy investment efforts with Generate Capital, developed clean energy projects with Avangrid, and analyzed climate policies with Clean Energy States Alliance. While in college, Charles helped develop and write his university’s sustainability plan, served on its sustainability committee, and organized energy conferences. He also published research on advancing environmental justice through state climate action, equity outcomes of public utilities commissions, the effectiveness of renewable portfolio standards, and the role of technological innovation in the energy transition. Charles has advised Fortune 500 companies and international NGOs on sustainability issues and serves on the Board of Directors for environmental nonprofits Slipstream, Energy News Network, and Clean Wisconsin. Born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Charles organized a campaign that successfully petitioned his school district to become the largest in the U.S. at the time with a 100% renewable energy commitment. For his work, Charles has been recognized by the White House and U.S. Department of Education as a 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholar and as an Energy News Network 40 Under 40 honoree. Charles holds an A.B. in Statistics and Mathematics from Harvard College.

Cora Wyent is Director of Research at Rewiring America, where she is conducting research and analysis to enable rapid electrification of everything in the economy. Prior to Rewiring America, she completed her PhD in Physics at Caltech, where she studied new materials for ultrathin solar cells and performed technoeconomic analysis of new photovoltaic and carbon capture technologies. She got excited about electrification as a cost-effective, job-creating, and equitable climate solution through representing the Sunrise Movement Los Angeles on the SoCal Building Electrification Coalition. Cora received her bachelor’s degree in Physics from UNC Chapel Hill. She is from the Bay Area, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their cat.

Alexandria is a research associate at Rewiring America. Alexandria’s background is at the intersection of research and writing focused on climate solutions and environmental justice. Her writing, audio journalism, and illustrations can be found in Grist, where she was formerly a fellow, as well as The Washington Post, The Guardian, Floodlight, Capital and Main, Atmos, and elsewhere. Her journalism has received multiple awards including a 2021 Online News Association's Online Journalism Award and a 2022 LA Press Club Southern California Journalism Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, a master’s degree from Oxford in Environmental Change and Management, and was previously a PhD student in UCLA’s Institute of Environment and Sustainability, where she was an NSF trainee.

Tarren Peterson is a member of the Research team at Rewiring America, where he helps to quantify and model the transition to an electric future. He comes to Rewiring America from the University of Chicago, where he recently completed a master’s degree in Computational Analysis for Public Policy and researched the use of satellite-based methods to detect floating patches of plastic in the ocean. Tarren received his bachelor’s degree in International Political Economy from Georgetown University and has previously worked in International Development. He became interested in working towards decarbonization after learning about the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities while living and working in Myanmar. Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, he currently lives in Chicago, IL

Joel Rosenberg is part of the Special Projects team at Rewiring America. He is an educator and entrepreneur focused on helping solve the climate crisis for his elementary-age daughter, his amazing partner, and the future of everyone on the planet. He has worked on science and engineering education — especially how to teach about energy systems — at the Museum of Science, Boston; the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany; the Lawrence Hall of Science at U.C. Berkeley; Maker Media; and Otherlab. He is also the co-founder of 3D Fab Light, an industrial laser cutter company. Joel has a mechanical engineering degree from MIT, and a master’s from Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Evie is the Manager of Local Engagement at Rewiring America, focusing on recruitment, engagement, and strategy for local government leaders and communities committed to electrification. Prior to joining RA, Evie was the Director of Sustainability for the City of South Bend where she guided the implementation of the community’s climate action plan.

Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, Evie started her career in international affairs, working for a nonprofit in Haiti and later for Eurasia Group, a political risk research firm in New York City. She holds a BA in Economics and French from the University of Notre Dame and is a 2020 graduate of the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs in New York City. Outside of work, you can find her running, reading memoirs/stalking her friends on Goodreads, and trying and failing to take care of her plants.

Katie Ingebretson advises the Communities Team. She previously worked in politics, serving on both Obama campaigns, from field operations in the Iowa caucuses to Deputy Battleground States Director for the reelection. She was a political appointee during the first term of the Obama Administration at the Pentagon, where she was awarded the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Achievement. She has since worked on efforts spanning entertainment and media, education and green energy.

She is a proud native of the panhandle of Texas, though currently resides in Pasadena in California.

Kelsey Kane-Ritsch is the Program Manager for the Partnerships and Engagement team at Rewiring America. She joins the team from the Natural Resources Defense Council where she spent the last five years working with a range of multidisciplinary teams including the Energy Efficiency for All project, the Science Center, and the Oceans division. Most recently, she served as Program Coordinator in the Resilient Communities division where she helped advance programs and policies in support of energy efficiency and electrification. Kelsey has also worked as the Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator at D&R Greenway Land Trust where she coordinated coalition efforts and advanced projects promoting access to nature. Kelsey has a BA from Princeton University and an MS from Columbia University. She lives in NYC but misses California winters.

Valeria is the Coordinator of Local Engagement at Rewiring America, focusing on recruitment, engagement, and strategy for members of Rewiring America’s Local Governments Leaders for Electrification Coalition. Prior to joining RA, Valeria was the Midwest Building Decarbonization Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council where she focused on policy development and campaigns for statewide building decarbonization policies in Illinois and Michigan and at the local level in Chicago. Prior to her time at NRDC, Valeria was also a 2020 Stanford Haas Center Climate Justice Fellow at Climate Resilient Communities and Stanford's Future Bay Initiative, where she helped build and assess climate resilience among low-income communities in the Bay Area.

Originally born in Bogotá, Colombia and having grown up in Gwinnett County, Georgia Valeria is proud of her multicultural roots and commitment to the betterment of local communities. Valeria holds a BA in Political Science and an MS in Sustainability Science and Practice from Stanford University. In her free time Valeria enjoys traveling, being outdoors, training for half-marathons, hanging out with friends, and scouting new restaurants and coffee shops.

Rahul Young is the Director of Local Engagement at Rewiring America, where he leads the Local Government Leaders for Electrification Coalition within the Community team. Rahul has spent over twenty-five years working at the intersection of climate change and local government in for-profit, non-profit, and municipal roles. He was the City of Berkeley, California’s first Green Building Coordinator. He then spent ten years at ICF building a corporate sustainability program, and designing and managing energy efficiency programs for cities and utilities. More recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Tides, and the Deputy Director at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Rahul has an MS in Energy Engineering and a BA in Public Policy from Stanford University. He was born in Indiana, grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in San Francisco with his partner, their two daughters, and their cat Koko. Rahul has a deep and abiding love for low-talent karaoke and dragging his family along on epic hikes up beautiful mountains around the world.

Lindsey is the Director of Investment at Rewiring America where she raises funds to advance the organization’s critical mission to electrify everything. She is a seasoned professional fundraiser, strategist, and advocate for social and climate justice. Most recently, she worked as the Managing Director of Major Gifts at the Sierra Club where she secured investments to support the programming of the organization and cultivated relationships with key major donors and institutional funders. Her past work experience also includes raising funds for Barack Obama’s 2012 Presidential Campaign, Kiva Microloans, as well as Sungevity Solar -- a mission aligned solar company. She served on the Boards of several reputable organizations, including UN Women and Her Footprints, an initiative aiming to empower young women of color through outdoor excursions.

Lindsey holds a MPA in Urban Social Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and a BA from Occidental College. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, but will always be a California girl at heart.

Hannah is the Investment Coordinator at Rewiring America. Before joining the Rewiring America team, she was the Development Coordinator at End Citizens United / Let America Vote, where she helped to build out grassroots fundraising programs to advocate for democracy reform. After spending several years working on campaigns at every level of government - from school board to U.S Senate, Hannah got her start in fundraising on Senator Ed Markey’s 2020 campaign, and started her climate activism working to elevate the Green New Deal through relational grassroots fundraising. She built her background in advocacy organizing for local progressive candidates and causes all over her beloved home state of New Hampshire.

Hannah earned her B.A in Political Science and International Relations from Simmons College, where she achieved national recognition as an opinion writer and radio show host. She now lives with her cat in Washington D.C. and can often be found negotiating at yard sales or expanding her rooftop vegetable garden (which her landlord doesn’t know about so please don’t tell).

Marwa is the Grant Writer and Prospect Research Manager at Rewiring America, playing a crucial role in shaping our donor voice and narrative strategy. With a strong scientific background, she earned her master's and Ph.D. in Earth Science, specializing in Paleobotany, from Egypt. Inspired by her passion for making a broader impact, Marwa transitioned from academia to the nonprofit sector in 2017. She is dedicated to championing social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, while also providing educational access to underprivileged students. Marwa brings her extensive experience from esteemed organizations such as the UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, Upwardly Global, Students Rising Above, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and iMentor, where she led fundraising efforts. In addition to her professional achievements, Marwa is a talented author and illustrator of a children's book. Beyond work, she finds joy in hiking, baking, reading, creating cheerful content on social media, and painting.

Taylor is the Private Sector Outreach & Partnerships Manager at Rewiring America focusing on recruitment, engagement, and strategy for the CEOs for Electrification Coalition. Taylor joins RA from Arcadia, a clean tech company where she helped launch and scale the commercial community solar line of business, personally subscribing over 60 MW of community solar capacity. Prior to Arcadia, she spent four years building strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies to promote health, wellness, and sustainability in K-12 classrooms. She started her career working for US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in Washington, DC.

Originally from Northern California, Taylor currently lives in the mountains of Vermont with her partner and their yellow lab, Finn. She is a graduate of California Lutheran University, is passionate about DEI, and loves to cook (and talk about cooking) delicious vegetarian and vegan food.

Ian Magruder is the Director of Private Sector Outreach and Engagement at Rewiring America, where he leads the growth of the CEOs for Electrification coalition within the Partnerships and Engagement team. Prior to joining Rewiring America, Ian spent a decade leading partnerships and business development for mission-driven startups Landed and Organizer. At Landed he led the team that built 300+ employer partnerships, including closing deals with many of the nation’s largest universities, hospitals, school districts, and local governments. Early in his career, Ian worked in electoral campaigns, including Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Ian has also served as a leader in many civic organizations, including as Co-Director of the San Francisco chapter of the New Leaders Council, Political Partner with the Truman National Security Project, and as a member of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). He graduated magna cum laude from UC Berkeley and was a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at Princeton University's of Public and International Affairs. Ian was born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA and still holds a penchant for occasional surfing, beach volleyball, hiking in redwood forests, and enjoying the natural beauty of the Central Coast.

Chell Zeng is the Product Manager at Rewiring America. She joins Rewiring America from FWD.us, a political advocacy organization focusing on immigration policy reform and criminal justice reform, where she served as the Design Director. Prior to that, she was the Chief Designer at a prominent nonprofit cultural and arts institution. She received her bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication from Tsinghua University, Beijing and a master’s degree in Interaction Design from California College of Arts. In 2016, Chell’s interactive animal-rights project was awarded the Red Dot Award in Communication Design. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her two adorable kittens, Time and Space.

Sarah Ransohoff is a Senior Software Engineer at Rewiring America. Previously she worked at Venmo, was a student at Recurse Center, and contributed as an IC and manager at Grailed to build a second-hand clothing market. She has written about environmental and moral issues as a senior in college, winning The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay contest, and in a satirical humor piece in The New Yorker about animal rights. She is passionate about painting and comedy. Throughout Sarah’s career, she’s tried to “follow the fun” and do work that is interesting and useful alongside good people. A lifetime east coaster, she lives in Brooklyn.

Nick Stevens is a Senior Software Engineer and a founding member of the Engineering Team at Rewiring America. Over the last decade he’s supported tech startups from seed stage to Series B across diverse industries including solar energy, urban mobility data, social media and healthcare. While he specializes in user experience engineering, Nick has worked across the tech stack, managed projects and teams, led design research and taught at the graduate level.

Before joining tech, Nick worked for the ONE Campaign as a grassroots organizer, a skillset which he has applied as a volunteer for numerous climate organizations over the past few years. In 2022, Nick co-founded Go Electric Colorado, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting people and our planet by transitioning our homes and commutes to cleaner, more economical electric appliances and vehicles. On occasion, you can find him shredding some gnar trail (pardon the technical term) on his e-mountain bike in the foothills outside Denver, CO where he lives with his wife and fur babies.

Owen Yamauchi is a Senior Software Engineer at Rewiring America. Previously, he worked as a software engineer at Segovia Technology and at Facebook. As an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon, he interned at VMware and Apple. Owen has a wide range of software experience including full-stack development of web, mobile, and macOS desktop apps, low-level systems work, and debugging tough issues in weird situations. He is also a technical writer, and has authored an O’Reilly book about the Hack programming language. Most recently, Owen taught a course on cryptography at Northeastern University.

Hannah is a Senior Software Engineer at Rewiring America. She started her career at Khan Academy, where she developed software for the nonprofit's educational web and mobile applications. She also coordinated the internship program, which she had participated in as an undergraduate student. Hannah later transitioned to the climate space and joined Running Tide, an ocean health startup. There, she developed data pipelines and models to quantify the effectiveness of the company's nature-based carbon removal efforts. Throughout her career, Hannah has enjoyed the company of her loyal office-mate / dog, Nomsy.

Veekas Ashoka is a Software Engineer at Rewiring America. Prior to joining Rewiring America, he worked for Arcadia Power and The Knot on their core infrastructure teams and used to be a regular speaker at tech meetups in New York City. Veekas has also served on the leadership team for Sunrise Movement NYC and co-led their Good Jobs for All Campaign to create a national Civilian Climate Corps. Subsequently, he helped organize a statewide coalition called Climate Can't Wait and co-founded Beacon Climate Action Now (BCAN) in 2022, which successfully organized a campaign to pass a municipal electrification mandate in the City of Beacon, NY. He currently lives in Beacon with his wife and two dogs and can regularly be found kayaking on the Hudson River, hiking the nearby mountains, and cultivating mostly-native edible plants in their garden.

Asa Matelau, a Senior Software Engineer at Rewiring America, brings with him nearly a decade of experience in software development across various startups in diverse industries such as security, healthcare, fintech, logistics, marketing, and social domains. Asa is passionate about all stages of the software development lifecycle, including conception, planning, validation, and implementation.

During his undergraduate years, Asa found inspiration and guidance from Haunani-Kay Trask, who played a significant role as a mentor. This encounter transformed Asa from a hesitant student to an active advocate for social justice. Motivated by this experience, Asa co-founded a mentoring group aimed at supporting BIPOC youth, actively campaigned for immigrant rights as a member of the Brown Berets, led protests against biased "anti-gang" legislation in Salt Lake City, Utah, and co-established an organization to introduce underserved communities to the opportunities in the technology field.

The turning point for Asa occurred when he attended an event where Haunani-Kay Trask delivered a powerful speech. Afterwards, she counseled Asa, highlighting the impact of systemic forces on his life. She assured him that his challenges, including witnessing his father's incarceration and being raised by a single mother in a hostile and violent society, were not coincidental but products of these pervasive forces. This moment served to validate Asa's experiences and empowered him to confront and influence these systems through his own actions.

Asa resides in Camas, Washington and enjoys being outdoors with his family, which includes a large lovable dog.

Rachel Partridge is a Senior Software Engineer at Rewiring America. She joined Rewiring America from Arcadia, where she spent 4 years leading teams and building technology to support the expansion of community solar. Prior to joining Arcadia, she started her career as a software engineer at Capital One. Rachel is passionate about mentorship and increasing opportunity in tech. At Arcadia, she created a department-wide mentorship program, and at Capital One she was an organizer with Women In Technology and volunteered weekly in a program teaching middle schoolers how to code.

Rachel studied Computer Science at Washington University in St. Louis and now lives in Seattle, WA. When she’s not working you can find her outside, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, or biking.