During her early career in international development, Karina Ricks gained a lasting appreciation for transportation’s role in economic prosperity and social equity. Since 2017, she has applied these lessons at the local level within the U.S., overseeing transportation in Pittsburgh as the Director of Mobility and Infrastructure.

Ken Alston brought his experience working at the Department of Energy and Obama administration to New Energy Nexus, where he focuses on supporting entrepreneurs and international startups. The organization’s ambitious platform includes elevating 100,000 startups by 2030 in a quest to reach 100% clean energy.

Rich Lechner is a lecturer at Stanford University and the VP of Business Development at UrbanLeap, a startup that provides a platform for local governments to harness innovative solutions. Previously at IBM, Lechner has a long background fostering urban sustainability through intelligent building design and smart infrastructure.

Tech Exchange addresses digital equity by providing computers and digital support serves to underserved residents of California's Bay Area. Executive Director Seth Hubbert spoke to ESAL about the nonprofit and his journey in enabling technology for social change.

Henry (Hal) Cardwell, who earned a Ph.D. in geography and environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University, has always been interested in systems. He recently finished a 3-year term as an elected school board official in the City of Alexandria, VA, applying this interest to a school district with 15,000 students.

Nigel Jacob, a Ph.D. computer scientist, co-chairs the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) where he oversees local initiatives and innovative projects in Boston's mayoral office. Jacob spoke to ESAL about how MONUM brings an entrepreneurial spirit to Boston’s local bureaucracy.

Philip (Bo) Hammer, a Ph.D. in physics, has an abiding interest in applying his expertise to science policy and education. Outside of his day job with the American Institute of Physics, he previously served two elected terms on a local school board in New Jersey.

The CivicSpark fellowship program has engaged over 200 fellows and some 35,000 California residents on projects concerning sea level rise, affordable housing, climate action planning, and sustainable transportation. Scheuer told ESAL about the program’s new “resilience” focus as they prepare to select their latest cohort of fellows.

Audrey Lee, a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, has helped translate energy policy at the highest levels of US government, advised the president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and served on the BART Environmental Justice Commission. At Sunrun, she continues to work closely with policymakers, bringing residential energy solutions like solar and batteries to market to meet environmental and policy goals.