Planet Labs PBC
Impact Program Creation & Launch
I spearheaded the launch of Planet’s first structured nonprofit program, expanding data access for mission-driven organizations. This involved designing scalable imagery data packages and approval workflows supporting hundreds of mission-driven organizations, while unlocking new revenue streams and expanding market reach into underserved sectors.
Additional work at Planet:
- Strategic partnership portfolio management, facilitating access to Planet’s daily satellite data for tier-1 organizations, including United Nations, World Bank, NASA, The Nature Conservancy, Jane Goodall Institute, Microsoft, ClimateTRACE, Global Fishing Watch, and Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
- Cross-sector geospatial innovation, orchestrating the development of new global geospatial products in collaboration with domain experts and AI partners, advancing social impact and reinforcing Planet’s leadership position in geospatial technology for social benefit.
- Crisis response coordination, establishing cross-company protocols to ensure responsible, ethical use of Planet imagery during humanitarian emergences, such as natural disasters and conflict.
- Carbon accounting leadership, enabling accurate GHG reporting across complex, company-wide satellite operations that positioned Planet as sustainability leader in commercial space sector.
Cross-Company AI and Sustainability Innovation
At Microsoft, I provided leadership for cross-functional initiatives at the intersection of AI and sustainability across global operations, including the release of a 2025 published paper, Accelerating Sustainability with AI: Innovations for a Better Future, which reinforced Microsoft as a leader in both AI innovation and environmental stewardship.
Additional work at Microsoft:
AI strategic planning, engaging across Microsoft’s AI and sustainability programs to: 1) develop evaluation frameworks for assessing project impact and scalability, 2) prioritize impactful AI applications aligned with global sustainability goals, and 3) recommend strategies to reduce barriers to AI adoption and scale.
Global trend analysis, tracking the evolving landscape of AI and sustainability to identify emerging impactful opportunities.
UCSD Center on Global Justice
Binational Climate Vulnerability Assessment for the San Diego-Tijuana Region
In partnership with the UCSD Center on Global Justice, I led a first-of-its-kind climate vulnerability assessment for San Diego-Tijuana border region, enabling coordinated cross-border climate adaptation planning. I developed a novel methodology combining satellite imagery with census data from both the U.S. and Mexico to create the Binational Social Vulnerability Index (BSVI). The BSVI was integrated into dasymetric mapping techniques to reveal complex relationships between social and ecological climate risks across an international border. This complex technical analysis was translated into accessible, evidence-based policy recommendations for nature-based solutions, bridging academic research with actionable strategies to advance climate resilience and social equity in underserved communities across the region.
Research Impact & Publication
The research addressed unique challenges in cross-border data integration and policy coordination, establishing a reproducible framework for transboundary climate vulnerability assessments applicable to border regions worldwide.
“A binational social vulnerability index (BSVI) for the San Diego-Tijuana region: mapping trans-boundary exposure to climate change for just and equitable adaptation planning” – Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change (2023)
NOAA Green Infrastructure Mapping Guide
Product Development & Technical Innovation
At NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, I led a two-year effort to develop a comprehensive GIS workflow that integrated multiple data sources for community-wide open space mapping, a critical gap in tools available to coastal managers addressing flood risk and sea level rise. This initiative resulted in a standardized methodology, currently known as the NOAA Green Infrastructure Mapping Guide, for assessing preserved open space consistently across diverse environments, providing a scalable solution to support climate resilience planning.
Additional work at NOAA:
- Technical advisory and partnership management, maintaining strategic relationships with state and federal government agencies across California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska; and guiding geospatial strategies for flood risk mitigation within coastal management programs.
- Stakeholder engagement, participating in community stakeholder meetings to assess geospatial data needs and identify opportunities for impactful tool development.
Knowledge Transfer & Professional Development
Conservation International
Multi-Scale Ecosystem and Livelihoods Monitoring System
Over a three-year period, I led the implementation of a comprehensive monitoring system for ecosystem services, biodiversity, and agriculture in Rwanda as part of a MacArthur Foundation–funded initiative. This project successfully integrated satellite technology with ground-based social and ecological assessments, resulting in an innovative methodology that linked satellite imagery analysis with socioeconomic data. In close collaboration with local stakeholders, I developed custom impact evaluation metrics and established a scalable framework for generating evidence-based policy recommendations tailored to the needs of developing nations.
Research Impact & Publication
“An integrated approach to monitoring ecosystem services and agriculture: implications for sustainable agricultural intensification in Rwanda” – Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (2017)
Additional work at Conservation International:
- Geospatial program leadership, providing technical support to field teams across 17 global sites within the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network (now Wildlife Insights).
- Standardized monitoring protocol development, ensuring consistent data collection, high-quality data analysis, and scientific rigor across geographically dispersed field operations.
- Satellite-based workflow design, streamlining image processing tasks for terabytes of Earth observation data.