Over the last 25 years Vanessa has worked on policy, education and community engagement in international organizations, private corporations and scrappy nonprofits. In 2020, while retrofitting her own home to net zero, Vanessa realized the importance and challenge of decarbonizing our buildings. With the professionals she met on that journey, Vanessa co-founded Electrify DC where she is Executive Director.

Vanessa has a law degree from Université de Lausanne, a masters of laws from University College London, and a master in business administration from INSEAD. She is quoted in publications such as The Washington Post and The Atlantic. Vanessa lives in DC with her husband and three children. You can find her weeding in Rock Creek Park or on building sites, which are her happy place.

With over 20 years of experience building impactful digital products, Natasha has worked in technology in the public and private sectors.

She leads strategic efforts that expand, inform, and educate diverse communities at scale. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from UCLA, and lives in Washington DC with her husband and four children. You can find her traversing Rock Creek Park with their dog while devising ways to minimize our collective carbon footprint.

Christie is a certified project manager with more than 25 years of business analysis, process improvement, and program management experience at top consulting firms. She advised U.S Department of Energy Federal and National Laboratory officials on DOE’s Sustainability Performance Programs and is providing project management expertise to a consultancy in the high-performance building industry.

She earned an Industrial and Systems Engineering degree from Virginia Tech and is certified as a PMP and a LEED Green Associate. Christie lives with her husband and four children in DC. She volunteers for DC’s FoodPrints program and enjoys yoga, gardening, hiking, and tennis.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Najma's passion lies at the intersection of environmental advocacy and maternal health. Her sustainability journey began during her undergraduate studies where she worked for the Minneapolis Health Department's Environmental Justice Team.

Currently pursuing an MPH in the Global Health program at George Washington University's Milken Institute of Public Health, Najma is dedicated to expanding her knowledge and skillset. Her current interests lie in addressing the US housing crisis and advocating for the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices.

Julie is a perceptive and creative manager of performance with comprehensive knowledge of sales and marketing strategy, advertising and partnership management. Julie led sales and marketing teams at The Washington Post, Watermark Communities, and Yankee Publishing. Through her leadership, she launched new partnerships with third-party clients including Russia Beyond the Headlines, China Daily, Media Planet, Super Lawyers, Thompson Reuters, Workplace Dynamics, American Law Media, C3, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and served as executive producer of video products for mobile ventures. Clients included Shell Oil, Lincoln, UPS and the Dairy Management Institute.

A journalism graduate of CU Boulder, her favorite science credit was a course entitled “Man, Nature and Energy” igniting her passion for all things nature and the environment. Enjoys skiing, hiking and cooking for her family and friends and has resided in DC for more than 30 years.

Delianny boasts nearly a decade of expertise in strategic communications, partnership development, and social and digital strategies across diverse sectors, including government, non-profits, Fortune 500 corporations, and media, in both direct and consultative capacities.

She resides in Takoma Park with her husband and two children.

Leslie Talmadge is a marketing leader who delivers awareness, engagement, and revenue for businesses and initiatives aiming to create a positive impact for people and the planet. Through her leadership, she develops and implements innovative programs and marketing strategies that connect people with information, resources, and opportunities to live more sustainably.

Leslie led global consumer marketing teams at National Geographic Partners, The Financial Times, American Express, and she led membership and sponsorship for American Clean Power. A graduate of Vanderbilt University's MBA program, Leslie began her career at American Express, where she played a pioneering role in the company's early social media efforts.

She was born in Washington, DC and lives in Crestwood with two children and one dog.

With more years of experience than you have fingers and toes, Jon has a background in technology, process optimisation, automation, problem solving, and building custom solutions. Having previously helped large corporations, he is now focussed on supporting climate and social organisations to maximize their impact. He is assisting Electrify DC with mobile app development, and sneaking in British spelling and humour whenever possible.

Jon originates from, and still lives in, Europe which shows that there should be no barriers to getting involved in any way you can to support valuable initiatives. Every contribution is hugely valuable. How could you get involved?

Lex is a 10th grade student born and raised in Washington DC. She found her passion for sustainable living while traveling abroad. She hopes to pursue an education studying both environmental sciences and psychology.

Lex attends DC International High School and has taken courses on environmental activism and political policy in CPH, Denmark. This summer she plans on traveling to Lisbon, Portugal to study marine sustainability. Lex lives with her family and new puppy (Shark) in DC. In her spare time you can catch her reading a book, climbing, or binge watching Grey’s Anatomy!

Born and raised in Northeast DC, Ricardo is an NYU MLK Scholar and Tandon Engineering GLASS Scholar pursuing a BS in Sustainable Urban Environments.

He aims to combat urban environmental injustice and socioeconomic issues through local advocacy, community-engaged scholarship, and sustainable urban planning. Ricardo has researched environmental injustice and urban development in NYC's coastal communities, partnering with South Bronx Unite and Columbia University to address flood risks, heat islands, and pollution. He also volunteers with the Bronx River Alliance and worked as a Housing Policy Research and Analysis Intern at NYC's Department of Housing Preservation & Development. He plans to pursue an MUP with a focus on City and Sustainability Planning.

Leo is a British-accented Italian/German undergraduate student who has lived across Europe and is currently enrolled in the Dual BA programme between Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University. He is currently majoring in Politics and Government with a focus on the Mediterranean and MENA region at Sciences Po Paris. At Columbia, Leo plans to major in Climate Systems Science and Financial Economics.

Leo started working at Electrify DC in the summer of 2023 as a research intern. He will continue to hone his skills and explore this burgeoning field both in Europe and the US, or wherever else policy and technological innovation is happening.