Our Team

  • Rishika is passionate about building connections and expanding equitable access to clean energy. She previously worked at the Philadelphia Green Capital Corp., where she helped develop new technical assistance and financing programs and led growth initiatives to connect energy projects with capital across Southeast Pennsylvania.

    Rishika holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from the Wharton School.

  • Franz brings over 15 years of experience across climate investment, clean energy, and federal climate policy. He was the founding CEO and co-founder of the climate investment platform Raise Green and New Haven Community Solar, and previously spent eight years in the Obama Administration.

    As Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the U.S. State Department, Franz played a key role in negotiating the Paris Agreement, with earlier roles spanning climate and energy policy at the White House and USDA.

  • Gabriela brings a strong, cross-functional operations background with experience spanning merchandising, mental health, manufacturing, aviation, customer service, and law. She holds degrees in Marketing and Administration, along with an MBA, and has supported teams in roles including Operations Manager, Project Coordinator, and Administrative Assistant.

    Gabriela applies a solutions-oriented approach to supporting effective operations and works remotely from Honduras.

  • Shara is a co-founder of S2 Strategies and brings deep experience across state and federal climate policy, international climate diplomacy, and philanthropy. Most recently, she served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Energy’s $4B Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and previously led international climate grantmaking at Bloomberg Philanthropies.

    Shara has also held senior advisory roles at NYSERDA and the White House Office of Management and Budget, supporting community engagement and federal climate policy.

  • Bennett focuses on the intersection of climate policy and finance to advance the clean energy transition and equitable economic development. He previously co-founded and served as COO of Verb Energy, growing the company from a college startup into a nationally distributed food and beverage brand that was acquired in 2024.

    Bennett holds a Master’s in Sustainability Management from Columbia, an undergraduate degree in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale, and brings an entrepreneurial lens to climate-focused policy and finance work.

  • Dan Adler brings 25 years of experience in climate finance and clean energy policy. In addition to his role with GB50, he currently serves as Senior Advisor at Net-Zero California and UC Berkeley’s Center on Law, Energy and the Environment, and previously led California’s Green Bank efforts at IBank and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

    Dan has held senior roles across state government, philanthropy, and clean energy finance, helping shape some of the nation’s most ambitious climate and renewable energy policies.

  • Sam is a co-founder of S2 Strategies and brings extensive experience advancing climate and clean energy policy at the state and federal levels. He previously served as a longtime adviser to Governor Jay Inslee, including five years in the Washington State Governor’s Office and leading climate policy for Inslee’s 2020 presidential campaign.

    Sam has also held leadership roles at Evergreen Action, the Congressional Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition, and the Center for American Progress, shaping climate strategy and advocacy nationwide.

  • Alicia brings experience across international development, energy policy, and climate-tech program design. She previously served as Program Director at Edo Energy, where she helped launch and scale an $11M DOE Connected Communities project, and led a nationally recognized smart buildings market transformation program at NYSERDA.

    With a background in urban planning, Alicia is passionate about the role of city and state action in advancing climate and clean energy solutions.