Climate Corps Advisory Board
The Advisory Board
The purpose of the Climate Corps Alumni Advisory Board is to work in partnership with the Climate Corps team to enhance Climate Corps’ impact and programming through deeper alumni engagement.
Members serving in the 2024-2025 term are:
Frank Agwuncha
Management Consultant & Graduate Teaching Assistant
Vertical Bridge/Columbia University
Climate Corps 2023
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Frank Agwuncha is a seasoned professional shaping the future of sustainable energy. With over a decade of experience in energy, education, and management consulting, including key roles at Shell. Frank is recognized for his innovative contributions to oil and gas project development in Nigeria and net-zero strategy in the United States. He holds a master’s in Sustainability Management from Columbia University.
As an advocate for clean energy, Frank combines his industry expertise with academic leadership. working as a Teaching Assistant at Columbia University for courses like “Cost Benefit Analysis” and “Sustainable Investing and Economic Growth,” he seamlessly connects theory with real-world applications, fostering a dynamic learning environment.
Frank’s dedication to sustainability extends beyond academia. As part of the inaugural Charif Souki Global Energy Fellows in 2023 at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, he furthered his impact on global energy conversations. Notably, he won the 2023 EDF Climate Corps Business Case Award for his exemplary work in developing a net-zero strategy for Vertical Bridge, marked by robust quantitative and economic analyses.
Outside work, he enjoys spending quality time with family and friends. He also enjoys watching sports -football, formula 1, tennis and basketball.
Pranav Bhardwaj
Sustainability Project Analyst
New York Power Authority
Climate Corps 2022
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Pranav Bhardwaj is a Sustainability Project Analyst at the New York Power Authority, working on driving climate risk and resilience for hydropower assets and the electric grid. His work in sustainability has ranged from carbon mitigation, geospatial analysis, natural disaster modelling, and machine learning.
He earned his B.S. in Earth Science and B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle. He furthered his education with an M.S. in Public Policy, Management, and Data Analytics from Carnegie Mellon University. At the core of his analytical approach is the intersection of climate science and data analytics to drive sustainability strategy.
Originally from India, Pranav was born in Malaysia and has also lived in Japan and Singapore. With eight years of residence in the U.S., he has called Seattle, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and now New York City his home. As a recent transplant to New York City, Pranav has a particular affinity for the city’s numerous museums and bakeries. Additionally, he is a passionate sports fanatic, with a keen interest in college volleyball and basketball.
Emma Friedl
Consultant (Energy and Climate Practice)
3Degrees
Climate Corps 2020, 2021
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Emma Friedl has over four years of experience in corporate sustainability strategy and ESG reporting. She has worked on in-house sustainability teams within various industries including fintech, manufacturing, and entertainment. Her professional experience includes organizational goal setting, greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, CDP reporting, Scope 3 strategy, supplier engagement, and stakeholder management. She approaches projects through a lens of double materiality to maximize environmental and organizational impact. As a consultant on the Energy and Climate Practice at 3Degrees, Emma leverages her in-house experience to empathize with her clients’ challenges and advise them on their key points of leverage, ultimately supporting them in setting and reaching ambitious climate targets. Emma was an EDF Climate Corps Fellow in 2020 and 2021 and has served as both a summer mentor and NYC alumni hub leader.
Douglas Herling
Vice President
Open Road Renewables
Climate Corps 2014
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Doug is Vice President of Open Road Renewables, a utility-scale solar and energy storage development company based in Austin, Texas. At Open Road, Doug manages the development of solar projects in Ohio and leads frontline engagement with host communities and elected officials, addressing equity concerns of the energy transition. Prior to joining Open Road, Doug served as Director of Origination at Pioneer Green Energy, leading the development of 600 MW of operational wind farms and supporting development and marketing activities on additional operating wind and solar projects. As an EDF Climate Corps Fellow in 2014, Doug developed energy and water efficiency solutions across the JPMorgan Chase Global Real Estate portfolio. Doug holds a B.A. in Geology from Colgate University and received his MBA from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business.
Chad Hunter
Senior Director and Head of Sustainability
Aspiration
Climate Corps 2019
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Chad is Senior Director and Head of Sustainability at Aspiration, a green consumer financial services company. At Aspiration, Chad oversees all corporate sustainability as well as how climate is integrated into Aspiration’s products such as its debit card and checkings/savings account. Prior to Aspiration, Chad was CEO and co-founder of Carbon Insights, a B2B SaaS company that enabled banks to add carbon footprinting into their retail banking apps and empower everyday individuals to understand and reduce their personal climate impact. Before Carbon Insights, Chad was a Team Lead at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) overseeing a research group focused on carbon emissions modeling and technoeconomic analysis of transportation decarbonization technologies for the U.S. Department of Energy. Chad was also an EDF Climate Corps fellow at Bird (2019) where he built a life-cycle assessment modeling platform for Bird to evaluate their e-scooter and e-bike products. Chad has an MBA from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering Practice from MIT, and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester.
Sophia Luo
Energy Industry Analyst
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Climate Corps 2014
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Sophia is an energy industry analyst at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. Sophia began her career at FERC as an expert witness in the Office of Administrative Litigation, specializing in rates of return for public utilities in disputed electric rate cases. She has also worked in the Office of Energy Market Regulation, where she led teams to analyze the impact of public utility mergers and acquisitions on competition in wholesale electricity markets and advised senior officials on transactions with unique or complex issues. She is currently on the team in the Office of Enforcement that administers FERC’s electric quarterly reporting system. Prior to her career in government, Sophia was a consultant at Guidehouse (formerly Navigant), where she supported the US Department of Energy in developing energy efficiency standards.
Sophia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Yale University. While studying at Yale, Sophia was an EDF Climate Corps fellow at the investment firm KKR.
In her free time, Sophia enjoys practicing yoga, playing the piano, and spending time outdoors. She loves animals and volunteers with local animal rescues.
Megan Parker
Senior Manager, Sustainability
Ceridian
Climate Corps 2018, 2019
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Sophia is an energy industry analyst at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. Sophia began her career at FERC as an expert witness in the Office of Administrative Litigation, specializing in rates of return for public utilities in disputed electric rate cases. She has also worked in the Office of Energy Market Regulation, where she led teams to analyze the impact of public utility mergers and acquisitions on competition in wholesale electricity markets and advised senior officials on transactions with unique or complex issues. She is currently on the team in the Office of Enforcement that administers FERC’s electric quarterly reporting system. Prior to her career in government, Sophia was a consultant at Guidehouse (formerly Navigant), where she supported the US Department of Energy in developing energy efficiency standards.
Sophia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Yale University. While studying at Yale, Sophia was an EDF Climate Corps fellow at the investment firm KKR.
In her free time, Sophia enjoys practicing yoga, playing the piano, and spending time outdoors. She loves animals and volunteers with local animal rescues.
Liz Reichart
Senior Energy Policy Specialist
Washington State Energy
Climate Corps 2020
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Liz Reichart is a Senior Energy Policy Specialist in the Washington State Energy office where she leads building decarbonization and energy efficiency efforts for the state. Liz was a Climate Corps participant with the City of Cincinnati conducting projects focused on benchmarking buildings and siting EV charging.
Prior to EDF, she worked at World Resources Institute and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on a variety of climate and energy topics. In 2017, she was named a Fulbright research scholar and conducted research on the economics of the energy transition in Germany. Liz is a 2021 MPA graduate of the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
William Sapon
Founder and President
Tri-Sector Advisors LLC
Climate Corps 2016
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William Sapon is a visionary leader with 13+ years of experience in energy and sustainability. As the Founder and President of minority-owned Tri-Sector Advisors LLC, he drives social and environmental change via cross-sector collaboration. His expertise spans public, private, and non-profit realms, aiding diverse clients like government agencies, corporations, and non-profits in achieving sustainability objectives. William’s strength lies in developing strategies that enhance grid resiliency, cut carbon emissions, and foster innovation, showcasing his adept coalition-building skills.
Previously, William has worked for major energy providers, utilities, startups and nonprofits. William holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University, a Master’s of Business Administration from the Katz Graduate School of Business and a Master’s of Public Policy & Management from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. His passion for community service extends beyond his professional career and he serves on multiple non-profit boards, including the University of Pittsburgh’s Business Alumni Association (BAA) and the Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC), the designated regional organization for all U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Cities initiatives. William is also a vital figure to the foundation of University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Sustainable Business (CSB).
Ben Stacey
Senior Director, Sustainable Operations
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)
Climate Corps 2018
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Ben Stacey has dedicated his career to sustainability and environmental justice, working in both public and private sector roles aimed at restoring our natural systems and transforming our built environment to support a sustainable future. As a Director of Sustainable Operations at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a global leader in sustainability and the first real estate company with a SBTi certified net-zero target, his responsibilities include developing strategy and driving the decarbonization of commercial real estate portfolios. Prior, Ben began his career focused on serving communities through environmental conservation as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, where he collaborated with local fisherfolk organizations to co-develop coastal sustainability programs. After returning to the US and working several years for NOAA, he shifted his focus towards the built environment at the University of Michigan, during which he was recognized as an Energy News Network 40 under 40 awardee for his policy work in the field of energy justice. Ben was an EDF Climate Corps Fellow in 2018 where he was hosted by the City of Orlando and conducted GHG inventories and benchmarking policy analytics. His fellowship translated into his next role as the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge Advisor at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Ben holds masters’ degrees in Sustainable Systems (M.S.) and Environmental Planning (M.U.R.P.) from the University of Michigan.