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.

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.

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.

Alana Murphy is Communications Associate at Rewiring America. Alana joins the Rewiring Team with experience in both 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.

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.

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.

Sam Marx is the Senior Project Manager for the Communications team 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.

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.

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.

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 of Policy Partnerships and Equitable Electrification 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.

Sage Briscoe is the Federal Senior Policy Manager for Implementation at Rewiring America, where she strategizes ways to optimize the 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 Analyst at Rewiring America, where he supports the team's policy leadership and coalitional engagement. 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 a Research Associate 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.

Sam "Mr. Heat Pump" Calisch leads Special Projects at Rewiring America, with a focus on unlocking opportunities and tackling thorny problems on the way to electrifying a billion machines. He is the founder of Elmworks, a start-up developing manufacturing technologies for electrification, and is a Research Fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s Cyclotron Road Division through Activate. Sam has run projects with the National Science Foundation, the DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office, and the DOE's Buildings Technology Office, and recently collaborated with Saul Griffith and Laura Fraser on Electrify, an optimistic vision for a zero carbon future. Sam completed his PhD from MIT in 2019, where he worked with major companies on technology development and taught hands-on STEM in classrooms and community labs. Sam lives in Berkeley, California, but remains a midwesterner at heart.

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.

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.

Katie Ingebretson supports 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.

Luis Aguirre-Torres is a senior adviser at Rewiring America, where he focuses on identifying and articulating community-scale electrification projects. Prior to joining Rewiring America, he was the director of sustainability for the City of Ithaca, NY, where he led the design and implementation of the first city-scale building electrification program in the US. He is a member of the Senior Executive Group for Net Zero Carbon Cities at the World Economic Forum, and co-chair of the New York State Climate Impacts Assessment, for Society and Economy. He holds a first degree in computer engineering, a masters in computer science and a PhD in electronic and electrical engineering from University College London. He also holds certificates in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy, from Yale University, and Systems Thinking, from Cornell University.

Rahul Young is the Director of Local Engagement at Rewiring America, where he leads the Mayors & Municipal Leaders for Electrification coalition within the Partnerships and Engagement 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 International 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.

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 Senior Director, Product Design 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. As a visual & UX designer, Chell believes that design is a strategy, and empathy is at the core of every phase of the process. 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.