In the 2024 landscape of climate tech and innovation, a new wave of dynamic female leaders is emerging at the forefront of transformative change. This article by Climate Insider highlights the incredible contributions of these inspirational women who are reshaping the sector. From pioneering new technologies to driving impactful policies, these leaders are making significant developments in addressing climate challenges. Here’s 20 women leading climate tech and innovation you should know about in 2024:
1. Rachel Malka Barr, Founder & CEO at Climate Tech Propel
About Rachel Malka Barr
Rachel Malka Barr is the Founder and CEO of Climate Tech Propel, a role she has held since May 2023. Under her leadership, the company drives innovation and adoption in climate technology, focusing on sustainable and impactful solutions. Prior to founding Climate Tech Propel, Rachel served as Vice President of Sustainability at UBQ Materials from November 2019 to May 2023. In this role, she spearheaded sustainability initiatives and contributed to the company’s mission of transforming waste into valuable resources. Rachel’s entrepreneurial journey includes her role as President of Sustainabooth, the world’s first carbon-neutral photo booth rental company, from March 2017 to November 2019. Sustainabooth advanced several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals with each rental, promoting sustainability in a unique and engaging way.
2. Gillian D. Francis, Managing Partner & Co-founder at Rapid Ventures
About Gillian D. Francis
Gillian D. Francis boasts over 20 years of experience in financial markets, private markets, real estate, energy, venture investing, impact investing, fintech, and climate tech. Her career spans prestigious institutions like JP Morgan, Citigroup, Société Générale, and Lockheed Martin Energy. At JP Morgan, she helped establish remote clearing operations and explored strategic fintech expansions. At Citigroup, she managed a $750 million portfolio focused on social and environmental impact investments. Her expertise in climate tech was honed at Lockheed Martin Energy, where she led a strategy team supporting tech startups. Since 2016, Gillian has mentored startups through incubators and accelerators, aiding their market readiness and commercialization. She also serves on the boards of various non-profits and is an active supporter of youth squash programs.
3. Olena Kholodova, Head of Climate Solutions, Innovation at Manifest Climate
About Olena Kholodova
Olena Kholodova has demonstrated significant leadership in the climate tech and innovation sector through her extensive career. Currently, she serves as the Head of Climate Solutions and Innovation at Manifest Climate, where she has been instrumental since October 2022. Prior to this role, she led the content team at Manifest Climate for over two years and worked as a Climate Strategist, contributing to the development of effective climate strategies. Her experience also includes a tenure at Elsevier, where she held various finance roles, including Business Controller and Finance Analyst, further honing her analytical and strategic skills.
4. Christie Burley, Vice President at BlackRock & Co-founder at ReWorld
About Christie Burley
Christie Burley is the Co-Founder of ReWorld, a company she has been leading since January 2023. In this role, she focuses on innovative solutions to environmental challenges, emphasising sustainability and impactful change. Prior to founding ReWorld, Christie has built a diverse career in sustainable investment and climate tech. Since February 2021, she has served as Vice President at BlackRock in Washington, D.C., where she has contributed to the company’s sustainable investment strategies. Her tenure at BlackRock also included a seven-month stint in London, focusing on sustainable investment from February to August 2021. Christie has been involved with the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper since September 2022, engaging with a community of young leaders dedicated to driving global change. Additionally, she is a Climate Tech Fellow at On Deck, a position she has held since October 2021. The On Deck Climate Tech Fellowship brings together experts in climate and startups to collaborate, exchange ideas, and build impactful climate tech companies.
5. Maryam Golnaraghi, Director Climate Change & Environment at The Geneva Association
About Maryam Golnaraghi
Maryam Golnaraghi is the Director of Climate Change & Environment at The Geneva Association, a position she has held since September 2015. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, she leads transformative initiatives to innovate and scale up the insurance industry’s contributions to a resilient and low-carbon economy. Her work involves engaging with Group CEOs of major re/insurance companies, leveraging C-suite and expert engagement, and fostering cross-sectoral partnerships. At The Geneva Association, Maryam has pioneered initiatives to expedite the commercialization and market adoption of climate technologies for energy transition and industrial decarbonization. She has collaborated with the US Department of Energy, Breakthrough Energy, Worley, banks, and project owners, focusing on technologies such as hydrogen, carbon removal and storage, long-term energy storage, and renewables.
6. Deanna Zhang, CEO at V1 Climate Solutions
About Deanna Zhang
Deanna Zhang is a leading figure in climate tech and innovation, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer at V1 Climate Solutions, where she tackles first-of-a-kind (FOAK) challenges for startups, investors, developers, and fund managers. Since May 2023, she has been a Founding Partner at the Texas Climate Tech Collective, contributing significantly to the Houston Climate Tech Ecosystem. Additionally, Deanna has been an Advisor at Hyperfuel Labs since November 2022. She also runs a blog and consulting practice under ETM Advisors, focusing on a broad spectrum of climate tech and energy transition topics, including carbon capture, hydrogen, sustainability software, new fuels, waste management, and alternative energy.
7. Emily Farrar, Co-Founder at Genuine Taste
About Emily Farrar
Emily Farrar is a prominent figure in the field of sustainability and innovation, currently serving as the Co-Founder of Genuine Taste in Toronto, Ontario since February 2022.She leverages her extensive background in energy and climate to ensure that Genuine Taste’s offerings not only meet consumer demands but also adhere to high environmental standards. She was part of the CDL-Rockies Ag Stream 2023 Cohort at the Creative Destruction Lab, contributing to the agriculture technology sector. Her earlier experience includes serving as an Analyst at the Transportation Sustainability Research Center in Berkeley, CA, and as an Environmental Affairs Intern at Gulf Power Company. Emily is pursuing a PhD in Civil and Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto, building on her MS in Energy, Civil Infrastructure, and Climate from the University of California, Berkeley.
8. Charlotte Connell, Director of Impact at Climate Zietgeist
About Charlotte Connell
Charlotte Connell is a prominent figure in the climate tech sector, currently holding multiple influential roles. As part of the Building the Melbourne Climate Network initiative with the City of Melbourne, she works on a part-time basis to drive climate action and innovation within the city. In her role as Director of Impact at Climate Zeitgeist, Charlotte focuses on unlocking Australia’s potential in climate tech by leveraging the country’s resources and innovation ecosystem to advance the sector. She also serves as a Climate Tech Ambassador for Greenhouse, where she advocates for climate technology, forges partnerships, and promotes the adoption of sustainable solutions. Additionally, Charlotte provides strategic advice to Seabin™, a global climate tech company, helping to scale its operations. As a Founding Advisor for the Climate Tech Fellowship at Startmate, she mentors and supports climate tech startups in Australia, contributing to the growth and development of emerging ventures in the field.
9. Sneha Shanbhag, Co-Founder at Carboform Inc.
About Sneha Shanbhag
Sneha Shanbhag is a dynamic professional in the fields of materials engineering and environmental sustainability. As a Co-Founder of Carboform Inc., she has been instrumental in advancing innovative solutions related to carbon capture and sustainable materials since September 2023. Concurrently, Sneha is serving as an NSERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at McMaster University, where her research focuses on developing natural polymer composites for biodegradable applications, including smart packaging, wearables, and tissue culture scaffolds. Her previous role at McMaster University as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow involved biomass characterization and the development of circular economy solutions.
10. Neha Manaktala, Head of Climate Tech, CIB at J.P. Morgan
About Neha Manaktala
Neha Manaktala is a prominent figure in climate tech and digital innovation with a strong background in finance and investment. As the Head of Climate Tech at J.P. Morgan’s Commercial & Investment Bank (CIB) since September 2022, she leads global investments and strategy in the climate technology sector. Her role involves overseeing partnerships, innovation strategies, and investment opportunities aimed at advancing climate tech solutions. Before her current role, Neha served as the Head of Fintech Investments and Digital Strategy EMEA at J.P. Morgan CIB from June 2021 to October 2022. In this capacity, she developed digital strategies for the bank’s corporate and investment operations, focusing on launching new digital businesses and accelerating fintech investments through partnerships and acquisitions. Her earlier role as Executive Director, Digital Innovation, Fintech, CIB involved being a senior member of the bank’s digital innovation team, where she played a key role in driving fintech initiatives.
11. Sue Satyro, Head of Carbon Solutions at Innovatree Carbon Group
About Sue Satyro
Sue Satyro has an impressive career in carbon management and climate tech with a strong background in research and strategic partnerships. As the Head of Carbon Solutions at Innovatree Carbon Group, a position she has held since January 2024, she leads the development of large-scale biochar projects and oversees alignment with scientific standards and certifications. Her role includes securing funding, fostering strategic partnerships, and consulting on carbon removal projects within voluntary carbon markets. Prior to her current role, Sue worked as a Carbon Strategist from October 2022 to January 2024, where she focused on carbon dioxide sequestration and removal projects, managed relationships with carbon registries, and provided insights into offset projects and methodologies. Her experience also includes serving as a Startup Mentor at Creative Destruction Lab since September 2022, where she evaluates climate-tech companies and supports founders in the carbon market.
12. Anna Lerner Nesbitt, CEO at Climate Collective
About Anna Lerner Nesbitt
Anna Lerner Nesbitt is an accomplished leader in climate finance and technology, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Climate Collective since September 2022. In this role, she oversees a community of companies, labs, and investors working on digitising natural assets and climate solutions to achieve large-scale impact. Her efforts focus on advancing carbon markets and integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. Additionally, since April 2023, Anna has been an Advisor for the Ethereum Climate Platform, where she contributes to scaling CO2 mitigation efforts through Web3 technologies and innovative financial structures. This role involves leading coalitions of investors and technology providers to develop effective tools for climate action. Prior to her current positions, Anna worked at Meta as the Lead of Project17 and Global Strategic Partnerships from November 2021 to September 2022, where she supported the UN Sustainable Development Goals by advancing global strategic initiatives and partnerships.
13. Tracy Jin Cui, Head of Hydrogen Policy and Renewable Energy Innovation at ACT Government
About Tracy Jin Cui
Tracy Jin Cui is a prominent figure in renewable energy and climate policy, currently serving as the Head of Hydrogen Policy and Renewable Energy Innovation at the ACT Government in Canberra, Australia, a role she has held since 2020. In this position, she oversees hydrogen policy, net-zero industry innovation, and renewable energy skills development. She is pivotal in advancing the ACT Government’s renewable energy research and development agenda, including leading the design of the ACT Renewable Energy Innovation Fund and overseeing Australia’s first hydrogen refuelling station project. Tracy also represents the ACT Government in national energy policy discussions, contributing to Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy, National Clean Energy Supply Chains Action Plan, and other key national initiatives. Her role involves working with various stakeholders, including government bodies, industry sectors, universities, and vocational education institutions, to drive the renewable energy and innovation agenda.
14. Katya Constant, Head of the Climate Brick at The Climate Brick
About Katya Constant
Katya Constant is currently the Head of The Climate Brick, an initiative launched by EQT Ventures and Contrarian Ventures aimed at accelerating the large-scale deployment of climate technology. In this role, she is instrumental in introducing a comprehensive playbook for scaling and funding seven different climate tech archetypes, drawing on data from over 3,000 companies. Her focus is on uniting the climate tech ecosystem by building the largest cross-stakeholder community, facilitating collaboration, and enhancing the effectiveness of climate tech solutions. Katya’s professional background includes a notable tenure as Chief Financial Officer at ZeroAvia from July 2019 to December 2023. At ZeroAvia, she played a critical role in building the first practical zero-emission hydrogen-electric powertrain for aviation. She joined the company after leading the seed round at SYSTEMIQ and contributed to raising over $250 million in Series A-C funding from prominent climate and strategic investors. Her leadership helped grow ZeroAvia to nearly 300 employees in the UK and US.
15. Kritika Tyagi, Co-Founder & Head of Product at erthos™
About Kritika Tyagi
Kritika Tyagi is the Co-Founder and Head of Product at erthos™, an advanced materials science startup based in Toronto. Since May 2018, she has been leading the development of sustainable plastic alternatives by transforming biogenic inputs, such as agriculture by-products, into products that aim to mitigate plastic pollution. Under her leadership, erthos™ focuses on innovative materials science to address environmental challenges. Before her role at erthos™, Kritika was involved with the Creative Destruction Lab as part of the Prime Stream Venture from September 2018 to June 2019. In this capacity, she engaged with the lab’s venture support program, contributing to the growth and development of emerging startups.
16. Elena Maksimovich, Founder & CEO at Weather Trade Net
About Elena Maksimovich
Elena Maksimovich is the Founder and CEO of Weather Trade Net, based in London. Since February 2019, she has led the company in providing physical climate risk assessments through innovative software and data solutions. Weather Trade Net addresses the impacts of climate change—such as floods and droughts—on business operations, supply chains, and financial stability. The company’s offerings bridge the gap between climate science, emerging sustainability policies, and risk management, providing standardised, globally comparable, and actionable climate risk products. Prior to founding Weather Trade Net, Elena was a Scientific Project Manager for Meteorology and Aviation Weather at Leosphere from September 2018 to January 2019. Her role involved site definition and validation for LIDAR installations, developing aerosol inversion and validation algorithms, and scientific programming. Elena also worked at Meteo Protect from November 2016 to August 2018, where she was involved in R&D, data analytics, meteorology, and risk assessment, as well as actuarial assistance.
17. Dominique Souris, Head of Climate at Goodwall
About Dominique Souris
Dominique Souris is the Head of Climate at Goodwall, a role she has held since April 2024. Goodwall is a mobile-first platform that supports over 2.5 million young talents across 150 countries. As Head of Climate, Dominique leads partnerships aimed at accelerating climate action and enhancing youth livelihoods globally. In addition to her role at Goodwall, Dominique is an Independent Strategist, working since March 2022 with investors, philanthropy, climate tech, and social change organisations. Her focus is on catalysing new partnerships and exploring innovative approaches to shift capital and scale equitable climate solutions. Dominique also serves as an Advisor at The Atlas Capital, starting in November 2023. In this position, she helps scale the SEA Climate Tech Coalition, a venture aiming to influence $1 billion in climate innovation investments and market expansion in the South East Asia Pacific region.
18. Clementine Chambon, Co-founder & Director at Oorja Development Solutions
About Clementine Chambon
Clementine Chambon is the Co-founder & Director of Oorja Development Solutions Limited, a position she has held since January 2018. Oorja is a Farming-as-a-Service company based in India, focused on providing agricultural services powered by solar energy. The company aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through affordable solar-powered irrigation, milling, and cooling services. Oorja’s mission includes scaling up access to clean energy, displacing diesel fuel, and reducing CO2 emissions from farming. The company has received several accolades, including the Startup Energy Transition Award 2023 and the Cisco Global Problem Solver Grand Prize in 2019. In addition, Clementine has been a Fellow at The Global Good Fund since January 2023. This role involves supporting emerging leaders and social entrepreneurs to enhance their impact.
19. Courtney Savie Lawrence, Global Senior Advisor, Climate, Technology, Systems and Sustainability Innovation at United Nations
About Courtney Savie Lawrence
Courtney Savie Lawrence serves as a Global Senior Advisor for Climate, Technology, Systems, and Sustainability Innovation at the United Nations. Since May 2018, she has been instrumental across several UN agencies, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). At the UNDP Nature Hub, she acts as a Senior Innovation Advisor on the Food, Agriculture, and Commodity Systems Team, contributing to initiatives like the SECO Sustainable Landscapes Program Initiative and the C3 Lab, which aim to address environmental challenges through collaborative efforts. In her role at the UNDP Chief Digital Office, she spearheaded the ‘Digital X Partnerships for Scale’ initiative, overseeing the recruitment of over 4000 sustainable development solutions and fostering external partnerships to support over 170 countries. At UNICEF’s Global Office of Innovation, she led the creation of the ‘Climate Innovation Landscape Assessment’, which directly influenced the climate portfolio and built a cross-sector global ecosystem team. Additionally, at UNICEF’s East and Southern Africa Regional Office, she headed the ‘Tech for Climate Resilience’ technical team, developing a climate innovation marketplace and securing vital partnerships.
20. Katharina Riederer, Co-Founder & CEO at eco.mio
About Katharina Riederer
Katharina Riederer is the Co-Founder and CEO of eco.mio, a company focused on decarbonizing business travel while helping organisations achieve their climate targets and realise savings. Since launching the company in August 2020, she has been at the forefront of integrating climate solutions into business travel strategies. In addition to her role at eco.mio, Riederer has been a Startup Mentor for both ETH Entrepreneur Club and RWTH Innovation. Since March 2023, she has provided guidance to emerging startups at ETH, and since November 2021, she has been mentoring at RWTH Innovation. Prior to her entrepreneurial ventures, she worked as a Consultant at Roland Berger from September 2017 to June 2020, focusing on industrial products and services. Her earlier experience includes a role as a Product Management Intern at ZF Friedrichshafen, where she assisted in product management and sales within the off-highway aftermarket segment.
