Expertise: Climate Philanthropy

Helen Mountford

Helen Mountford is the president and CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation, a global platform for philanthropy to innovate and scale high-impact climate solutions that benefit people and the planet. She brings almost 30 years of global experience at the intersection of environmental action, economic development, and climate policy to her role.

Before joining ClimateWorks, Helen was the vice president of climate and economics at World Resources Institute where she led global teams to advance policies and economic approaches to successfully address climate change. Helen was also the program director for the New Climate Economy project, a flagship initiative of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate that provided independent and authoritative evidence on actions which can both strengthen climate ambition and deliver social and economic benefits.

Helen previously was the deputy director of environment for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She worked at OECD for over 16 years advising governments on policy reforms and overseeing work on green fiscal reform, climate change finance and economics, fossil fuel subsidy reforms, green growth, water pricing, biodiversity incentive measures, and economy-environment outlooks and modeling. Prior to joining the OECD, Helen managed recycling schemes in England and worked for an NGO in Australia.

Helen holds Masters degrees in Environmental Economics from University College London and Environmental Management from the University of Melbourne. She has a BA in Philosophy and History.

Xiaohua Zhang

Xiaohua is the Senior Director of ClimateWorks’ China Program where he manages the overall operation of the Program and our direct grantmaking to support climate action in China.

Prior to joining ClimateWorks Foundation, he was the senior policy advisor on climate action and cooperation in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, headed the International Cooperation Department of China’s National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation and served as program officer of UNFCCC secretariat. He started his career as the assistant researcher in Tsinghua University.

He has a Ph.D in nuclear engineering from Tsinghua University.

Makeeba Browne

Makeeba Browne is the Chief of Equity, Justice and Culture at ClimateWorks Foundation. She brings over 16 years of experience working with foundations, academic institutions, nonprofits to transform ideas into effective strategies and policies that address pressing social issues. Makeeba applies her leadership and operational acumen to engage stakeholders and support programs firmly rooted in equity and justice.

Makeeba rejoined ClimateWorks in 2021 after five years of consulting with various institutions. Through her consulting practice, Makeeba has facilitated small and large group sessions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion for nonprofit, academic, philanthropic, and private organizations. She has also worked with institutions to revamp strategic plans, implement new programs, and design initiatives across many topics, including youth leadership development, equitable climate solutions, accessing arts in youth detention centers, and equitable evaluations for environmental philanthropies in the U.S. and abroad. From 2008-2016, Makeeba was at ClimateWorks, where she provided strategic portfolio management, grantmaking, and operations support.

Makeeba holds a BS in American Studies with an emphasis on race and pop culture from Dickinson College and a certificate for grant writing from Temple University. Outside of the climate and philanthropy space, Makeeba advocates creating inclusive environments on college campuses. She is also a storyteller, using narratives to imagine equitable, thriving futures for BIPOC communities across the globe.

Rebecca Fisher

Rebecca Fisher is the Drive Electric Program Director. She has almost 15 years of experience in sustainable international development, climate finance, and electric vehicle technology and policy.

Prior to moving back to the West Coast, Rebecca was a climate finance negotiator for the Obama Administration, representing the United States during the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals negotiations. Before joining ClimateWorks, Rebecca worked on light-duty EV grant programs and policy development at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. She previously served on the National Board of Directors of the U.S. Electric Vehicle Association and currently sits on the board of Charge Across Town.

Rebecca holds a Master of Environment Economics and Sustainable International Development from Duke University and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Brandeis University.

Jessica Brown

Jessica Brown is an internationally recognized expert and policymaker with 20 years of experience working at the nexus of climate change, development, and poverty reduction in the global South. She has led policy, finance, grantmaking, research, and consulting activities for foundations, NGOs and the United States government.

At ClimateWorks, Jessica leads the Foundation’s work on climate adaptation and resilience. Previously, she spearheaded the justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion program as well as led the Clean Cooling Collaborative (formerly named Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program), a $60M+ global program to advance efficient, climate-friendly cooling for all.

Before joining ClimateWorks, Jessica was a foreign affairs officer at the U.S. State Department, where she led the international climate finance negotiations. She has also held various positions at the Overseas Development Institute, Climate Policy Initiative, and California Environmental Associates.

Examples of Jessica’s previous work include: designing equitable governance arrangements for bilateral and multilateral climate funds; leading efforts within the U.S. government to increase overall contributions to international climate aid, including the Obama Administration’s initial $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund; managing the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative; and field research on the social benefits of climate change programs and policies in India, Costa Rica, and Indonesia.

Jessica holds a Masters in International Development Studies from the London School of Economics, a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs, and a Bachelors in Political Science from Barnard College.

Shawn Reifsteck

Shawn Reifsteck is the Managing Director for ClimateWorks Foundation. Shawn has extensive leadership experience in the fields of philanthropy, environmental conservation, and civic engagement, and has built a reputation in the climate philanthropy community over much of the past decade as a strategic and collaborative leader. He has held numerous leadership positions with organizations over the past 20 years, including with Points of Light, Philanthropy Associates, The Ocean Foundation, and the food bank system in the U.S. Shawn earned his Masters in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco, holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Macalester College, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School—University of Pennsylvania.

Casey Cronin

At ClimateWorks, Casey Cronin’s primary responsibilities include management of Global Intelligence team activities as well as providing a holistic view of ClimateWorks’ grantmaking portfolio and to provide advice and insights into philanthropic opportunities and risks. Further, he leads aligned Global Intelligence and programs workplans related to international policy and the UNFCCC, especially in areas related to Global Intelligence efforts tracking collective progress toward long term climate goals.

Prior to ClimateWorks, he was a Senior Account Executive at Antenna Group, a strategic communications agency representing clean technology companies focused on alternative energy, energy efficiency, storage, pollution remediation, etc. While there, he developed industry experience with silicon and thin film PV, concentrating PV, utility-scale solar thermal, algal biofuels, and other emerging clean energy technologies. Mr. Cronin has an M.Sc. in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University and a B.A. in Development Studies and Economics from Brown University.

Surabi Menon

Dr. Surabi Menon is a leading climate scientist with over 25 years of experience in the field of climate change and vice president of Global Intelligence at ClimateWorks Foundation.

At ClimateWorks, Surabi plays a pivotal role advancing climate philanthropy by offering a global perspective on climate solutions, identifying investment trends, funding gaps, and action on high-impact opportunities. In 2023, Surabi served as the Executive Director of Partnerships for the UAE government for the Conference of Parties (COP28) in the UAE.

Surabi is currently a member of the advisory council of the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium, and Chair of the Science Advisory Council for the Carbon Technology Research Foundation, based in Oxford, UK. She was a charter member of the U.S. EPA’s Science Advisory Board (2012-2018) and has served on many other Boards and advisory councils.

Prior to joining ClimateWorks, Surabi was a climate scientist at Columbia University and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York and later a staff scientist and leader of the Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California. She has published numerous peer-reviewed publications and co-authored the 2007 IPCC report that was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. She has a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science and an MBA in Sustainable Management.

Charles McElwee

Charlie McElwee is the Vice President of Programs at ClimateWorks Foundation. At ClimateWorks he helps direct funding to support public policies that prevent dangerous climate change and promote prosperity in the geographic regions that have the greatest potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. McElwee practiced environmental and energy law for over 25 years at an international law firm, including five years in Shanghai. He developed an expertise in Chinese environmental and energy law and policy and served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Shanghai Jiaotong University’s School of Law. He won the President’s Prize, the University’s highest award, for extraordinary contributions to the University, and was awarded the Shanghai Municipal Government’s Magnolia Award, the highest honor the city bestows upon foreigners. He is a board member of the International Council on Clean Transportation, the Climate and Land Use Alliance, and serves on the China Advisory Board of the Environmental Defense Fund. His book, Environmental Law in China, was published by Oxford University Press in 2011.

Anthony Eggert

Anthony Eggert is a director at ClimateWorks Foundation which mobilizes philanthropy to solve the climate crisis and ensure a prosperous future. Anthony comes to ClimateWorks with 20 years of public and private sector experience working on clean energy technologies and policies. Prior to ClimateWorks, Anthony served as the founding director of the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy dedicated to leveraging university expertise to inform better policy. Anthony public sector experience includes serving as an appointee of Governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger including as Senior Advisor to the Chair of the California Air Resources Board, Commissioner of the California Energy Commission and Deputy Secretary of California Environmental Protection Agency where he helped implement California’s landmark clean energy and climate policies. Anthony’s started his career as an automotive engineer and program manager at Ford Motor Company working on regulatory compliance and advanced vehicle technology development. Anthony received a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison and master degree in transportation technology and policy at UC Davis.