Team
M.R. Rangaswami
Founder
M.R. Rangaswami is an entrepreneur, investor, corporate eco-strategy expert, community builder and philanthropist. Recognized as a software business expert, he participated in the rapid expansion of the Silicon Valley software industry during his tenure as an executive at both large and small software companies. In 1997, he co-founded Sand Hill Group, one of the earliest “angel” investment firms, and was profiled on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. He was named to the Forbes “Midas” list of investors and also recognized by CRN as one of the Top 25 Technology Executives. He also hosts the Enterprise Retreat for the top 100 leaders in technology. In 2012 M.R. founded Indiaspora, a non-profit organization to unite the Indian Diaspora and to transform their success into meaningful impact in India and on the global stage. M.R. is a board member of the Kaliash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, The Nudge Foundation and the WISH Foundation. He received the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) “Influential Leaders” award in 2015 and the US-China Educational Trust (US-CET) inaugural “Asians in America” award in 2016. In 2020 he was the recipient of the “Global service” award from the Canada-India Business Council.
Laura Keenan
Chair
Laura Keenan joined the CEF team in February 2023, following nearly a decade of participating in CEF as an individual member. Previously, she served as Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of Environmental Sustainability and Resilience for Fidelity Investments, where she was responsible for the company’s corporate environmental impact and integrating environmental considerations into Fidelity’s business strategy as part of the company’s broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) program. An experienced leader in the corporate, institutional and public sectors, Laura has leveraged her strategic problem-solving skills throughout her career to strengthen the communities that she has worked with. Whether as a public sector architect, multi-party coordinator and manager in academia, or as a corporate sustainability officer, she has worked to establish and implement long-term strategies that best support the future needs of those that she engages.
Amy O’Meara
Executive Director
Amy O’Meara joined CEF in 2011 and currently serves as Executive Director. Though she has worn many hats during her 12-year tenure, she primarily drives CEF’s program/content strategy and leads a variety of member engagements. She especially loves exploring creative solutions to big sustainability challenges and supporting members interested in collaboration and collective action. Before joining CEF, Amy was Senior Manager for Environment and Energy at the Clinton Global Initiative, advising corporate and NGO members on commitments related to clean energy, corporate sustainability, green mobility, and waste management. Previously, she was Policy Director for Business & Human Rights at Amnesty International USA and on the Corporate Community Engagement Team at Pact Worldwide. She holds a Masters Degree in International Educational Development from Boston University. In her free time, Amy loves exploring the mountains, woods and waters across her new home state of Vermont with her adventurous husband, teenage sons and dog.
Mike Rama
Deputy Director
Mike joined the team in 2020. He plays a key role in shaping CEF’s programming strategy and leads CEF’s information and research efforts, including the CEF Member Center. Mike holds an MBA in Sustainable Innovation from the University of Vermont, a degree designed around the business concept of generating profit through purpose. Before CEF, Mike consulted for private companies and nonprofits, providing ESG-related research and strategy solutions. He also held several different leadership roles in the social impact space, involving stakeholder and community engagement, resource development, and values-based storytelling across the areas of poverty alleviation, affordable housing and homelessness, emergency response management, and youth empowerment and skill-building. Topics that excite Michael the most: GHG sequestration/carbon removal; agroforestry; animal welfare; climate tech & innovation; authentic storytelling; social impact and access to basic needs; and local entrepreneurship.
Dana Gulley
Senior Program Associate
Dana works with the CEF team as a strategic advisor, researcher and facilitator for special initiatives and the CEF Annual Leadership Retreat. They are passionate about economic thinking that centers equity, justice, and the possibility of flourishing, diverse communities that function in harmony with thriving ecosystems. They support this vision through their strategy consulting practice, Third Peak Solutions and their podcast project, Decade of Courage. Dana has worked on environmental sustainability in the private sector, nonprofits and through public service in both Vermont and on Capitol Hill. They have spent the past four years lecturing in the Sustainable Innovation MBA program at the University of Vermont, where they obtained their degree in 2017. They also serve as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources where they earned their B.S. in Environmental Studies in 2010.
Erik Assadourian
Editor-in-Chief, CEF Weekly Briefing
Erik joined CEF in August 2022 as the editor of the CEF Weekly Briefing. He has been a sustainability researcher, writer, and educator since 2001. He served as a researcher with the Worldwatch Institute for 16 years. There, he directed two editions of Vital Signs and directed or co-directed five editions of State of the World, including the 2017 edition: EarthEd:Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet, the 2013 edition: Is Sustainability Still Possible? and the 2010 edition: Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability. Erik also designed Catan: Oil Springs, an eco-educational scenario for the popular board game The Settlers of Catan.
Alissa Stevens
Editor, CEF Monthly Research Digest
Alissa is the editor of the CEF Monthly Research Digest. Alissa has enabled organizations to drive their sustainability impact mission forward through various journalistic and consulting endeavors centered around circularity, water, and consumer goods. She hosts the sustainability and CSR-focused podcast “Get Real With Alissa Stevens,” through which she bridges the gap between brands and the consumer by simplifying complex, nuanced sustainability issues and making them accessible and relatable. She is on the Advisory Board of Grades of Green, a nonprofit providing practical environmental education and leadership opportunities for students in over 27 countries. She is transitioning her award-winning water conservation initiative, The Gallon Challenge, into a curriculum for Grades of Green to implement worldwide.
Christine Ramos
Events Director
Christine brings over two decades of experience in managing meetings, events and large-scale productions for major corporations as the founder of Encore Productions. She works meticulously to incorporate the highest standards in green meeting design and practices at all CEF events. For logistical information relating to CEF events, including travel and accommodations for the annual meeting, please contact Christine directly.