Inaugural MCS Cohort

Adam Samazin

Adam Samazin

Adam is a former management consultant with a background in energy, sustainability, and technology. He is passionate about the potential of emerging technologies

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to address the climate crisis and is pursuing the MBA/MCS program to deepen his understanding of both climate science and business. Adam aims to transition into clean technology venture capital after the program.
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Akintunde Ahmad

Akintunde Ahmad

Akintunde Ahmad is a climate-focused entrepreneur and storyteller committed to sustainability and economic justice. He is the founder of Ade Dehye

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a West Africa-based fashion brand that upcycles textiles and promotes ethical production, and co-founder of Kinfolx, a community-driven coffee shop and wine bar in Oakland. With a background in investigative journalism, Akintunde uses business and storytelling to address systemic inequality and environmental harm. His work centers historically marginalized communities and aims to build regenerative solutions that support a more just and resilient future.
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Amelia Marinai

Amelia Marinai

Amelia is a Senior Marketing Manager at Trellis Group with a background in Environmental Studies from UCSB. Based in San Francisco,

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she is passionate about corporate climate strategy, including internal carbon pricing, carbon removal, and circularity in CPG and fashion. Through the MCS program, she hopes to build the technical skills to join an in-house sustainability team.
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Andrea Forero

Andrea Forero

Andrea is an Economist and Business Administrator with over nine years of experience in sustainable development and five years in ESG strategy

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She is passionate about using data-driven insights to advance climate solutions and support organizational sustainability goals. Through the MCS program, Andrea aims to deepen her expertise in climate and biodiversity policy and collaborate on scalable strategies for a more sustainable future.
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Anurag Pal

Anurag Pal

Anurag is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who sold his tech-enabled services company in 2022. With a background in engineering and an MBA,

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he has worked across corporate, startup, and culinary worlds—most recently training as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Now turning his focus to climate, Anurag joins the MCS program to deepen his understanding of carbon removal, particularly through direct air capture.
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Ava Barnett

Ava Barnett

Ava is a Le Cordon Bleu–trained chef and MBA/MCS candidate at UC Berkeley. With a background in strategy consulting

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and climate-philanthropy, she is passionate about building sustainable, bio-regional food systems. Ava is pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Food Systems and focuses on integrating regenerative agriculture into regional supply chains and reducing food waste in the hospitality sector.
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Ben Dennis

Ben Dennis

Ben is a former Product Manager at Uber with 10 years of innovation experience, including scaling electric autonomous vehicles and

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leading multi-billion dollar product initiatives. He is passionate about circular models, post-growth economics, and nature-based, Indigenous-led climate solutions. Through the MCS program, Ben aims to join or found a values-driven team focused on regeneration and collective wellbeing.
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Camila Amaral Grespan

Camila Amaral Grespan

Camila has nearly a decade of academic and professional experience across sustainability, from equitable housing research to operations

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and supply chain roles in the solar industry. She joins the MCS program to deepen her focus on climate policy and sustainability initiatives that advance environmental and social responsibility.
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Cara Hostetter

Cara Hostetter

Cara brings over five years of experience across climate tech venture capital, corporate sustainability, renewable energy,

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regenerative agriculture, and social impact. She is passionate about helping mission-driven organizations advance innovative climate solutions and aims to catalyze change at the intersection of climate and capital through her work.
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Charlie Loitman

Charlie Loitman

Charlie studied mechanical engineering and economics at Yale, with a focus on energy policy. He later worked on the commodity futures team

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at a market-making firm, developing carbon credit trading strategies. At Berkeley, he’s excited to build the skills and connections to help multinational tech companies set and achieve ambitious sustainability goals.
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Effie Angus

Effie Angus

Effie is passionate about building resilient, sustainable food systems. She began her career in agriculture commodities derivatives at JP Morgan

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before joining McKinsey & Company, where she led teams focused on scaling regenerative and climate-smart agriculture solutions. Through the MCS program, Effie aims to deepen her expertise and step into a leadership role in sustainable agriculture.
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Ethan Taswell

Ethan Taswell

Ethan holds a degree in conservation science and policy from Brown University and has worked in national parks and public lands in Aotearoa

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New Zealand. His experience ranges from tracking endangered species to partnering with Indigenous groups on conservation policy. He is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration and is excited to tackle new challenges in the climate space.
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Forrest Pasturel

Forrest Pasturel

Forrest holds a degree in Environmental Policy from UC Davis and has worked as a Legislative Analyst for both the California

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Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board. He is passionate about reducing greenhouse gas emissions through clean energy, electrification, and transit-oriented development, and aims to focus on energy efficiency and sustainable transportation solutions.
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Frances Swanson

Frances Swanson

Seeking to elect leaders ready to confront the climate crisis, Frances began her career as a press secretary on political campaigns in battleground states across the country.

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She then served as a Biden-Harris appointee at the Department of Energy, working to advance the President’s climate, jobs, and equity priorities. Frances was the Special Advisor to the first-ever Under Secretary for Infrastructure, a branch of DOE created to implement the historic clean energy funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Frances is intensely motivated to support a clean energy transition that achieves economic opportunity and energy justice.
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Haley Ross

Haley Ross

Haley is a Berkeley native with a degree from UC Davis and experience in the residential solar sector. She currently works at

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the Association for Energy Affordability, helping low-income multi-family properties access decarbonization and solar incentives. Haley is passionate about environmental equity and aims to focus on climate policy solutions that serve underserved communities.
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Hassan Muse Mumin

Hassan Muse Mumin

Hasan is a climate finance specialist from East Africa with experience supporting governments on adaptation finance, carbon markets,

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and green fiscal policy. He is passionate about unlocking finance for climate action in the region and joins the MCS program to explore innovative financing models and proven climate solutions to strengthen his climate impact toolkit.
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Hope Wilson

Hope Wilson

Hope is a sustainability professional with a background in environmental economics and nearly a decade of experience in

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sustainable investing and climate finance. At BlackRock, she led ESG and impact strategy for a global climate infrastructure platform and was an early member of the firm’s Sustainable Investing team. Through the MCS program, she aims to deepen her expertise in emerging technologies and design scalable solutions to accelerate the low-carbon transition.
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Ian Moor

Ian Moor

Ian is a dual MBA/MCS student with a background in climate and transit advocacy, including roles with the Beyond Oil and Gas

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Alliance, APTA’s Center for Transportation Excellence, and Mothers Out Front. He is focused on renewable energy and the just transition, aiming to ensure new projects benefit the communities where they’re built. Ian has worked at Powerhouse Ventures and is interning this summer at Fervo Energy.
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Ian Yun

Ian Yun

Ian Yun is from Korea and has spent the past nine years working on climate change issues in the corporate sector. Passionate

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about collective action, he joins the MCS program to collaborate with peers and develop meaningful solutions to the climate crisis.
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Jalissa Williams

Jalissa Williams

Jalissa is a climate justice advocate with a background in nonprofit administration, project management, and environmental policy. With

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a foundation in American Studies, they use storytelling to bridge complex issues and community-driven solutions. Jalissa is focused on advancing equitable environmental governance, particularly for Black communities, and aims to deepen their expertise in climate policy and political strategy through the MCS program.
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Katrina Midgley

Katrina Midgley

Katrina Midgley is a product manager with eight years of experience building data-focused software products. She thrives

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in cross-functional collaboration and is excited to expand her expertise beyond tech to tackle climate challenges. Through the MCS program, Katrina is exploring the energy sector, electrification, clean tech startups, and corporate decarbonization—with a particular interest in agriculture and hybrid carbon removal.
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Laura Coronado

Laura Coronado

Laura is a computer engineer with experience in customer success, strategic business development, and applications engineering. She has

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led technical projects, go-to-market strategies, and employee resource groups, and is fluent in English and Spanish with additional proficiency in Portuguese and German. Passionate about renewable energy, startups, and supporting at-risk communities, Laura is focused on decarbonization, GHG methodologies, product circularity, and carbon markets during the MCS program.
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Lola Fernandez Flores

Lola Fernandez Flores

Lola is a lifelong learner from Spain with a decade of international experience. She joined VentureSouq six years ago as one of its

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first employees and now leads the firm’s climate and impact investing theses, as well as investor education programs. Her background includes roles at ING, Plug and Play, foundations, and startups. Lola holds a B.A. in Economics from NYU Abu Dhabi, where she now guest lectures on impact investing.
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Madison Spinelli

Madison Spinelli

Madison holds a degree in Policy and International Relations from Princeton University and has worked in Kenya with the

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International Livestock Research Institute, the CGIAR Livestock and Climate Initiative, and One Acre Fund. She is passionate about sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, and livestock management. Through the MCS program, Madison aims to deepen her technical and policy expertise to drive equitable, climate-resilient change in agricultural systems.
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Margo Wilwerding

Margo Wilwerding

Margo is a Midwest native with a passion for food and fashion systems, rooted in her upbringing and early creative interests. She began

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her career in strategic sourcing at Kohl’s before moving into sustainability consulting at Deloitte, focusing on strategy and supply chain innovation. At Berkeley, Margo is exploring systems change through alternative economic models and cross-sector climate solutions to accelerate a circular, low-carbon economy. She is also active in the Center for Responsible Business, Beyond Capitalism Coalition, and several Haas clubs.
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Louise Chan

Louise Chan

With a background in change management and human capital consulting, I’ve led large-scale initiatives for federal and private sector clients.

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I’m passionate about advancing sustainability and reducing emissions in transportation. Through the MCS program, I aim to deepen my expertise in business operations, energy, and mobility to streamline processes and accelerate the shift to cleaner, more efficient transportation solutions.

Max Yu

Max Yu

Max is originally from Taiwan and currently based in Japan, where he works in business development at a cleantech startup. With seven

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years of experience commercializing chemical recycling technologies globally, he is passionate about scaling climate innovations at the intersection of science, business, and policy. Through the MCS program, Max aims to deepen his expertise in climate policy and decarbonization strategy to accelerate the transition to a circular, low-carbon economy.
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Melvyn Tan

Melvyn Tan

Melvyn is originally from Singapore and currently works in aviation at Airbus in France, with prior experience studying and working

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in Canada. Passionate about global connectivity and sustainable flight, he joins the MCS program to explore the business side of sustainability—particularly the green energy ecosystem and strategies to address the high upfront costs of sustainable solutions in aviation.
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Mohamed Kante

Mohamed Kante

Mohamed is a project manager from Côte d’Ivoire with a background in electrical engineering, focused on renewable energy and water

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access initiatives across Africa. He is passionate about using sustainable infrastructure to address energy poverty. Through the MCS program, Mohamed aims to deepen his expertise in climate science, business, and finance to help bridge the gap between policy, technology, and investment for resilient, inclusive energy systems in Africa.
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Rashel Bajaj

Rashel Bajaj

Rashel is a climate strategy and implementation analyst supporting public and private sector clients on decarbonization, climate

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risk reduction, and environmental justice. As an Indian American committed to equity, she focuses on developing scalable, locally led solutions at the intersection of climate, poverty, and economic development. Through the MCS program, Rashel aims to deepen her expertise in human-centered environmental strategies and public-private partnerships to build resilience in vulnerable communities.
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Rebecca Salaway

Rebecca Salaway

Rebecca holds a degree in Economics from Pomona College and started her career as an investment professional at Hall Capital Partners,

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where she focused on the firm’s impact investing efforts and oversaw staffing, operations, and cross-functional projects for the firm’s research departmentShe is passionate about the intersection of health, nature, and food systems and is particularly interested in solutions that promote sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. Through the MCS program, she hopes to deepen her understanding of climate science and explore opportunities to commercialize and scale impactful technologies.
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Ridhima Awasthy

Ridhima Awasthy

Ridhima is a finance professional with cross-border experience in investment banking and economic policy.

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She has advised on deals in India’s electric vehicle and hydrogen sectors, including pre-IPO fundraising for leading climate-tech firms.Her passion lies in leveraging capital to scale sustainable businesses and support the energy transition. Through this program, she hopes to deepen her understanding of climate technologies and impact investing.
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Sabreen Ahmed

Sabreen Ahmed

Sabreen Ahmed is a motivated professional with four years of experience in clean energy policy and environmental advocacy.

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At the Environmental Defense Fund, she supported global initiatives on clean air, transportation, environmental justice, and public health. Previously, she spent two years supporting clean energy advocacy coalitions and conducting policy research on climate mitigation technologies at the state and federal levels. Driven by the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and its consequences, Sabreen is pursuing a Master of Climate Solutions to advance clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure with a focus on community benefits and local outcomes.
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Samuel Houmaoui

Samuel Houmaoui

Samuel Houmaoui is a climate finance professional specializing in sustainable infrastructure and the global energy transition. As part

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of Berkeley’s inaugural MBA/MCS cohort, he focuses on economic development and the commercialization of next-generation energy technologies, including storage and advanced nuclear. His experience includes roles at TPG Rise Climate, Hannon Armstrong, and Booz Allen Hamilton, with a background in decarbonization strategy and resilient energy systems. Samuel holds degrees in Economics and Environmental Science from The College of William & Mary.
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Sara Amiot

Sara Amiot

Sara is from the Sonoran Desert and has worked with the U.S. Forest Service in roles including climate change coordinator,

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adaptation specialist, and NEPA planner. She is passionate about ecological healing, equity, and nature-based climate solutions. An ecological generalist at heart, Sara joins the MCS program to explore TEK, policy, and global strategies for climate resilience.
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Sharon Smith

Sharon Smith

Sharon is a Community Outreach Analyst at the California Department of Insurance, where she helps communities and local governments

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address climate-related risks through resilience and innovative insurance strategies. Originally from Sacramento and now based in San Diego, she is passionate about advancing equitable climate solutions for historically marginalized groups. Through the MCS program, Sharon aims to deepen her expertise in urban climate adaptation and nature-based solutions.
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Shek Jain

Shek Jain

Shek is Chairman of the Pura Terra Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting natural resources, supporting Indigenous rights,

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and advancing non-partisan climate and energy transition strategies. With over 30 years of professional experience, he works at the intersection of policy, strategy, and innovation. Based in Curaçao, Shek joined the MCS program to deepen his impact in climate resilience and sustainable development.
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Varun Rajaram

Varun Rajaram

Varun Rajaram is a native Texan and dual-degree MBA/MS student at UC Berkeley. Previously, he was a software engineer on McKinsey & Company’s climate analytics team,

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where he led the development of geospatial tools to help mitigate physical climate change risk. Varun is passionate about translating complex climate data into actionable strategies that safeguard infrastructure, ecosystems, and communities. Through the MCS program, he is exploring the intersection of adaptation, nature-based solutions, and emerging carbon markets, aiming to scale efforts that protect nature and build resilience.
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Walter Russ

Walter Russ

Walter has eight years of experience in biotech, spanning startups, big pharma, and consulting, with a focus on commercialization,

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launch srategy, and analytics. A Bay Area native, he is passionate about climate impact measurement and improving how we communicate environmental progress. Through the MCS program, Walter aims to deepen his understanding of impact assessment and climate communication.
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Zoe Hall

Zoe Hall

Zoe Hall is a trained ecologist and social scientist currently leading international operations at a nature-based solutions

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company,overseeing large-scale reforestation projects across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. She has also worked with organizations like the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Colorado State University. Zoe is passionate about restoring degraded ecosystems and advancing equitable, scalable climate solutions. Through the MCS program, she aims to deepen her expertise in climate finance, policy, leadership, and carbon markets to better align ecological integrity with economic viability.
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