Sustainability
Meet the Cohort
Punchbowl News will bring together eight industry leaders for an open, robust and meaningful dialogue on sustainability. Cohort participants will include experts from Capitol Hill, the private sector and the nonprofit world, all recognized as leaders in their field.
Punchbowl News, in partnership with Google, is spotlighting four elected officials at the center of their state and local economies. The Leaders highlights their successes and the lessons they’ve learned along the way as they apply innovative approaches to job creation, economic growth and sustainability.
Read the third profile on Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is pitching Ohio as key to jumpstarting U.S. manufacturing.
What inspires you? “Action and scale, creative solutions that are better functionally as well as in terms of impact.”
Bridget Croke
Croke is a founding team member and managing director of Closed Loop Partners, a global investment and innovation firm that works to accelerate a more circular economy. In this role, she leads external affairs including investor partnerships, industry partnerships, communications and special projects. She is also an advisor for the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network.
“Everyone is investing in sustainability because businesses, communities and other stakeholders have realized the investments will save money and create economic opportunity.”
Laura Gillam
Gillam has more than 20 years of legislative and executive branch experience shaping laws and policies that support clean air, clean energy and climate solutions. She is currently the senior policy advisor for clean air and climate for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Previously, Gillam spent almost a decade working on these issues in three federal agencies and the House. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and the University of Tennessee.
What key words embody your work? “Connecting, learning, advocacy.”
Caitlin Haberman
Haberman is a senior professional staff member for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, advising Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. and other House members on a range of environmental policies, including climate change and clean air. As a long-time committee staffer, she also served in various capacities under former Chairs Henry Waxman and John Dingell. She is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, and is a graduate of Wake Forest University.
What has changed the most since you started your career? “The level of engagement from senior leadership and the investment community.”
Jack McAneny
McAneny, vice president of global sustainability for Procter & Gamble, has been with the company for over 25 years. During that time, he has had a variety of assignments in the health, safety and environment, and external relations functions. In his current role, he is responsible for coordinating P&G’s environmental sustainability efforts. Prior to joining P&G, McAneny worked for the Federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration as an industrial hygiene compliance officer.
Anna Palmer, Punchbowl News CEO and founder, will facilitate the conversation. She will guide participants through a candid discussion about their career experiences, including hurdles and advancements in their efforts to achieve a more sustainable world. In order to foster a sincere exchange of ideas and create a safe space for all opinions to be expressed, the Chatham House Rule will apply to the dialogue.
We will present topline themes and broad findings afterwards with the goal that Cohort participants and The Punch Up community walk away with concrete ideas for how the public and private sectors can work together to advance environmental sustainability.
“The potential to drive positive impact and growth has never been more apparent, and demand for action has never been higher. It’s energizing to see so many working to meaningfully answer that call.”
Amanda Nusz
As senior vice president of corporate responsibility and president of the Target Foundation, Nusz leads Target’s commitment to co-create an equitable and regenerative future together with its guests, partners and communities. In June 2021, she led the launch of Target’s sustainability commitments through its enterprise-wide sustainability strategy, Target Forward. Previously, she served as vice president of quality and responsible sourcing. Nusz is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and MIT.
What key words embody your work? “Systemic transformation and social inclusion.”
Kishore Rao
Rao helps global businesses and governments design and implement transformational initiatives to meet their sustainability and ESG ambitions and unlock the value of international markets. As Deloitte Consulting’s global co-leader for sustainability and climate, he works with partners across the globe to help clients develop and translate policy commitments into practical action on such issues as net zero strategies, energy transition, social inclusion and good governance. He has more than 25 years of work experience supporting multiple industries and governments in over 70 countries.
“Food transition is uniquely positioned to solve the two greatest contingent liabilities of our era – climate stability and healthcare.”
Cristina Rohr
As managing director of investments with S2G Ventures, Rohr’s portfolio ranges from agriculture focused investments in genetics, crop protection, soil health and digital to consumer facing brands. She has nearly 10 years of experience in sourcing, executing, managing and exiting venture and private equity investments. Previously, Rohr was a private equity investor with the Edgewater Funds in Chicago and First Reserve in London. She is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
“I am inspired by those who add their voices, experience, time and energy to building the momentum of the environmental justice movement.”
Carla Walker
As the first U.S. director of environmental justice and equity for World Resources Institute, Walker advances and expands WRI’s portfolio across climate and energy research projects and programming. In addition to supporting key projects like the American Cities Climate Challenge, Walker has launched WRI’s quarterly environmental justice and equity webinar series and is leading work to explore the barriers corporations face in this space. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, the University of Florida and Harvard.
Sandra Douglass Morgan
Sandra Douglass Morgan is president of the Las Vegas Raiders, a position she has held since July 2022. Before becoming the first Black female president of an NFL team, Morgan had a dynamic, two-decade leadership career that included serving as city attorney for North Las Vegas and chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Morgan is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, and the William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
“What I really want to focus on in 2023 is reducing our carbon footprint and looking and thinking about more creative ways to do that – whether it be educating our customers, educating our fans that are coming to the stadium, and then leading by example.”
Ingrid Irigoyen
Ingrid Irigoyen is the associate director, ocean and climate, for the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program. Irigoyen helps bring together public and private sector stakeholders to collaboratively address ocean and coastal sustainability. As part of that, Irigoyen serves as director of the Aspen Institute Shipping Decarbonization Initiative. She previously spent more than a decade at the Meridian Institute. Irigoyen is a graduate of Duke University and the University of New Hampshire.
“We need the right ways to come together. We need the right mindset in coming together. And we need to keep the collective ambition as high as possible. And that allows me to get through the hard days and stay optimistic.”
Daniela Fernandez
Daniela Fernandez was frustrated with older leaders focusing on the dire threats of climate change without developing solutions. So at just 19 years old, Fernandez founded Sustainable Ocean Alliance in an effort to unite young people and climate entrepreneurs to preserve the planet’s seas. Through SOA, Fernandez is helping startups scale to market and put innovation to work to protect the environment. Her advice for young people passionate about climate change: Roll up your sleeves and take matters into your own hands.
“We can’t simply be angry at this moment. We truly have to be doers. Because the reality of our situation is that, yes, we’re upset. Yes, we are fearful of what’s happening to our planet. But simply pointing the finger at governments and corporations and demanding more isn’t going to cut it anymore. We need civil society to do their part. You need to ask yourself, ‘How can you contribute.’”
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Events
Punchbowl News HQ debuts at CBC Week
In honor of CBCF ALC week, we launched our first ever Punchbowl News HQ. Members of our team and the Congressional Black Caucus communities came together Thursday for thoughtful conversations on health equity, networking, music and food.
COMMUNITY
DIVERSITY ACROSS THE AISLE
Check out the “Diversity Across the Aisle” event where we served as a media sponsor earlier this year.
Punchbowl News, in partnership with Google, is spotlighting four elected officials at the center of their state and local economies. The Leaders highlights their successes and the lessons they’ve learned along the way as they apply innovative approaches to job creation, economic growth and sustainability.
Read the third profile on Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is pitching Ohio as key to jumpstarting U.S. manufacturing.