We advise governments, labor organizations, philanthropies, and mission-driven institutions working at the intersection of climate, industrial policy, and economic development. We focus on designing strategies that survive politics, law, and implementation — not just aspiration.
Public & Private Investment & Industrial Strategy
Designing governance frameworks, funding strategies, and institutional rules that align public investment with workforce outcomes, labor standards, and place-based economic goals. This includes advising on how to structure programs, incentives, and requirements so they are ambitious, legally durable, and don’t undermine financial returns.
Workforce & Job Quality Strategy
Developing workforce and labor strategies tied to large-scale investments in energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing. This includes apprenticeship and training systems, labor standards, job quality expectations, and strategies for aligning employers, unions, education providers, and public agencies.
Community & Labor Benefits Architecture
Advising on the design of community and labor benefit frameworks—CBPs, CBAs, PLAs, and related mechanisms—grounded in a realistic assessment of legal authority, political risk, and enforcement capacity. The focus is on what governments and institutions can actually do, and how to do it without triggering litigation or backlash that undermines long-term goals.
Institutional Design & Change
Helping organizations redesign decision-making structures, incentives, and accountability mechanisms to move from vision to execution. This work often involves navigating internal politics, cross-sector coalitions, and competing stakeholder interests while maintaining clarity, independence, and integrity.
Strategic Counsel
Providing senior-level counsel to leaders facing high-stakes decisions where policy, politics, and implementation collide—particularly in moments of transition, scale, or conflict.
We work best with clients who are serious about outcomes and understand that durable change requires more than good intentions.
A sample of past projects:
Service Employees International Union | Developed memo on the need for social infrastructure in climate mitigation and resilience work: Creating a More Resilient America: Social Infrastructure’s Role in Responding to the Climate Crisis.
NextGen Policy | Climate and high-road jobs advisor for Chair Tom Steyer of Governor Newsom’s Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force.
City of San Francisco | Advisor on labor and workforce issues related to building decarbonization goals.
Building Electrification Initiative | Advisor and consultant on workforce and labor issues, City of Berkeley, City of New York.
Wallace Global Fund | Developed labor engagement strategy and theory of change to inform grant making.
ClimateWorks Foundation | Organized and facilitated panels on just transition and mobilization for 2050 Today Conference in 2018 and 2020| Organized roundtable on just transition strategy for climate funders.
State of Washington, Department of Commerce | Equity, workforce, and just transition advisor for Washington State Energy Strategy.
Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge | Workforce Advisor working with participating cities to align city climate goals with high-road workforce and equity goals for the mutual advantage of each
The Energy Foundation | California Public Engagement Develop strategy and advising on grantmaking in California to engage labor and workforce development actors in the prioritization, advocacy, and implementation of climate policy.
California’s Gas System in Transition | Participant in GridWorks Future of Gas Initiative.
Tom Steyer for President | Conducted the employment analysis for Tom Steyer’s Climate Justice Platform.
Rocky Mountain Institute e-Lab | Workforce Faculty Support teams at annual e-Labo accelerator to identify and address workforce issues and opportunities.
Sierra Club | Illinois Economic Justice Metrics Provided an updated set of policy metrics to advance a high-road, equitable path toward clean energy transition in Illinois.
The Energy Foundation | National Public Engagement Conducted an assessment for more effective engagement of and alignment with Labor in the Midwest on climate and clean energy policy
East Bay Community Energy | Local Development Business Plan – Workforce and Community Benefits Policy Development
This project was part of the Local Development Business Plan commissioned by Alameda County as part of the launch of East Bay Community Energy. The workforce policy identified skilled workforce needs, opportunities for training, and labor market and economic development impacts of local energy development initiatives.
California Workforce Development Board | Best Practices and Lessons Learned in CA Prop 39 Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
We synthesized a summary report drawing on case studies, evaluations, program reports, and other sources to identify elements and critical features of pre-apprenticeship training programs for reaching disadvantaged workers.
The Greenlining Institute and San Francisco Foundation | Evaluation of Workforce Inclusion in Green Infrastructure Investments
This project engaged training providers, community-based organizations, employers, and public institutions throughout the 9-county Bay Area to evaluate the current state of partnerships, success in engaging targeted populations (opportunity youth, immigrants, and re-entry workers) in infrastructure projects, and strategic opportunities for improvement.
Citizens Climate Lobby | Climate Change and Labor: Challenges and Opportunities
Provided background information and introductions to labor representatives and spoke at public forum held in San Francisco, CA to discuss the opportunities and challenges of deepening the engagement of the labor movement in climate change policy.
GreenID Vietnam and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung [Foundation] | Just Energy Transition Research Training Workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam
This 5-day workshop was offered to Vietnam’s leading clean energy NGO, GreenID, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, members of the Climate Change Working Group in Vietnam, and independent workforce and clean energy researchers to present research methods for measuring social justice outcomes of clean energy transition and power sector emission reductions.
California Air Resources Board | Tool for Measuring GGRF Jobs Co-Benefits
Re-designed and re-engineered Excel-based tool for evaluating jobs and job quality co-benefits associated with investments of Cap-and-Trade dollars through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Tool is based on job estimates from the economic model IMPLAN and indicators/proxies of job quality that can be readily reported by all implementing agencies and project applicants.
Selection of Past Projects
BlueGreen Alliance | Investing in Energy Efficiency in the MUSH Sector to Achieve Clean Power Plan Targets
Developed policy proposals tailored to state-specific (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois) Clean Power Plan targets, identifying the GHG, energy, jobs, health, and cost saving as well as specific policy mechanisms to implement the Clean Power Plan through dedicated investment in Municipal, School, University, and Hospital Energy Efficiency.
Sierra Club | Centering Justice and Equity at the Core of 100% Clean Energy
Conducted employment impact study of national 100% clean energy goal. Worked with Board of Directors and senior staff to develop indicators and metrics for evaluating job quality, access to economic opportunity, and energy affordability, and map out how to operationalize the shift in Sierra Club’s brand and mission to align with and track progress toward social and economic justice objectives.
UC Berkeley and American Jobs Project | Energy Efficiency Jobs Tool
Built a user-friendly Excel-based model to estimate employment impacts of different energy efficiency programs, policies, activities, and incentives customized for multiple measures and sectors based on extensive literature and model review. Deployed tool for American Jobs Project economic analysis of advanced energy opportunities.
Green Cities California and Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) | Climate Adaptation Breakthrough Convening
Convened a two-day “meeting of the minds” in San Diego to discuss and discern the most important roles for local governments in regional climate adaptation planning. Drafted a report on the findings.
NextGen | Obstacles and the Intersection of Energy Efficiency and Community Development
Presented practioner’s perspective on the tradeoffs and challenges of implementing a cost-effective energy efficiency retrofit program while also trying to support high-road employment opportunities and workforce development
Golden Sierra Workforce Investment Board | California Green Jobs Corps, Sierra Nevada
Designed and implemented a green job pre-apprenticeship training program serving 30 at-risk youth in three rural California counties.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company | Sierra Nevada Energy Watch – Local Government Partnership
Developed and launched Local Government Partnership (LGP) with 39 local governments, Sierra Business Council, and PG&E. Cornerstones of program were developing energy action plans with local municipalities and offering a small-medium business direct install program, in which local contractors were hired, provided training, and paid prevailing wages resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction and persistent energy savings of projects installed.