Meet the Climable Team

Climable is made up of a passionate team of Boston-based students, climate activists, and experienced community leaders.

 

Erin Ash

Interim Executive Director

Erin Ash (she/her) is the Interim Executive Director of Climable where she manages operations, staff, and strategy. Erin also supports microgrid development, community resilience, and future leaders training projects. Erin previously spent seven years at the energy and environmental consulting firm Synapse Energy Economics. At Synapse, Erin managed recruiting and operations focused on organization goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and recruiting strategy. Prior to joining Climable and Synapse, Erin worked as an Environmental Educator at a science museum and as a Program Coordinator in Addiction Medicine at Boston Medical Center.

Erin holds an MPH in Environmental Health from Boston University, a BS in Environmental Science from Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University, and a Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University. Erin enjoys being outside, learning new cooking techniques, and spending time with her dog.

 
 
 
 

Sarah Tahang-bianco

Finance and Operations Manager

Sarah Tahang-Bianco (she/her) serves as the Finance and Operations Manager at Climable, focusing on accounting, bookkeeping, and fundraising efforts, as well as operations and human resources. Prior to joining Climable, Sarah served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator and Associate Director of Admissions at an independent school in Cambridge.

Sarah is a graduate student specializing in Equity, Access, and Community Art in Education as well as an artist, crafter, and a lover of music, spending much of her downtime vending various arts markets and events around the Boston area.

Elena Gonzalez-Sosto

Technical Director

Elena Gonzalez-Sosto (she/they) is the Technical Director of Climable. At Climable, Elena provides guidance on engineering, energy, and sustainable development aspects of projects, through a lense of social justice and policy making. She develops guides for communities to implement community microgrid projects. Originally from Costa Rica, where she studied and worked as a civil engineer in public infrastructure projects, private real estate development, and customer support.

Elena holds a MSc in Engineering and Public Policy from Northeastern University and a Licensure degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. During her time as a grad student at Northeastern University, she worked as a Co-op at the Boston Planning and Development Agency as a Development Review Co-op. Elena enjoys gardening, learning new crafts, and spending time with her family. 

maisy rohrer

Program Manager

Maisy Rohrer (she/her) is the Program Manager at Climable where she manages interns and both leads and collaborates on many projects. Maisy also supports the Technical Director and Interim Executive Director, as needed, on strategy and operations. Prior to her time at Climable, Maisy worked for the Michigan Public Service Commission as a renewable energy researcher and as a freelance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant for natural resource management agencies. She has experience with community organizing and engagement and a background in social science research.

Maisy holds an MS in Environmental Policy and Environmental Justice from the University of Michigan and a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from New York University. Maisy enjoys spending her free time with friends, family, and pets, walking, hiking, reading, and painting. 


INTERNS

Khadija Hussaini, Energy Workforce Diversification Intern

Education: MA in Sustainable International Development, Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, ‘23

Hometown: Originally from Afghanistan

Best thing you’ve read recently: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Favorite place in Boston: Institute of Contemporary Art

Cassidy Chang, Programs & Operations Intern

Education: BA in Environmental Studies, minor in Political Science, Northeastern University, ‘24

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Best thing you’ve read recently: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Favorite place in Boston: MBTA gift shop

Rachel Liang, Marketing & Communications Intern

Education: BS in Engineering Psychology, BFA Studio Art, Tufts University, ‘25

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Best thing you’ve read recently: Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Favorite place in Boston: Chinatown

Andrea Hilsaca, Energy Workforce Diversification

Education: B.S. in Management and Sustainability Science, Bentley University, ‘23

Hometown: Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Best thing you’ve read recently: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Favorite place in Boston: Quincy Market



Jean Ann Ramey

Founder

Jean Ann Ramey (she/her) is the founder of Climable, where she previously directed and supported projects focused on the impacts of energy use and climate change. She is also a co-founder of the energy and environmental consulting firm Synapse Energy Economics. Her professional experience also includes working as an economist in the Electric Power Division of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and as an analyst at Tellus Institute.


Board members

Our Board! From L-R: Sonia DeMarta, Mary Custic, Patricia Flaherty, Awinja Otiato, Åsa Aulin Ahlberg.Not pictured: Carolyn Gillette

Our Board! From L-R: Sonia DeMarta, Mary Custic, Patricia Flaherty, Awinja Otiato, Åsa Aulin Ahlberg.

Not pictured: Carolyn Gillette, Gabby LaPorta, and Marjorie Morales

Currently, our board consists of women and minority members of varying ages. We hail from Kenya, Venezuela, Sweden, Croatia, Canada, and the US. We have members who have fled war torn countries and understand the experience of losing a home, something that the growing number of climate change refugees are experiencing.
— Climable Board

Åsa Aulin Ahlberg

Åsa advises startups and non-profits on issues relating to finance, operations, and HR. She has served as the CFO of multiple startups and had a career in venture capital with Flybridge Capital Partners and Masthead Venture Partners before that. Early in her career, Åsa worked in real estate for construction company Skanska in Sweden, the US, and in Bermuda. She served on the Board of Directors of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of New England for 8 years. Åsa holds an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. She’s passionate about environmental issues and is thrilled to be able to serve on the Climable board.

Mary Custic

Mary Custic is a marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in marketing communication, loyalty program management, events, and campaign creation and implementation at Intel and other high tech firms and non-profit organizations.  Her latest pursuit is to master digital marketing. She is passionate about the environment and female empowerment, just like Climable! Mary has a B.A. in International Relations & English from the University of Toronto and she studied Marketing at Ryerson University in Canada.

Sonia DeMarta

Sonia has a Master's degree in environmental management from Boston University. She worked at The Spoleto Festival, The Cousteau Society, Preserve, and Whole Foods before becoming the proud owner of a home chef business. She is also the founder of the Lexington Farmers’ Market. She has three children, a husband, and two dogs and practices yoga to keep sane. She is very proud of Climable and our aim to help stem the tide of climate change.

Patricia Flaherty

Patricia Flaherty has a Master's degree in public and nonprofit management from Boston University.  She worked at the State House as a Fiscal Policy Analyst in the Department of Administration and Finance during the Weld and Cellucci administrations.  After a break from full-time employment to raise two daughters and work on a variety of volunteer projects at their school, she returned to part-time work for an Early Literacy Program for the Cambridge Public Schools.  For the past 9 years, she has been visiting families in Cambridge to provide a play-based, preschool readiness curriculum for 2-3 year olds and mentoring for their parents. Patricia is excited to support Climable's growth in developing community-based environmental programs.

Carolyn Gillette

Carolyn has supported water and climate change programs at the national, regional, and state level with a focus on water infrastructure finance and resilience, outreach, and regulatory implementation. Her past work with NOAA and the EPA led her to Eastern Research Group where she is a senior program manager. Carolyn holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an M.Sc. in international relations from the London School of Economics. She is proud to serve on the board of an organization that proactively takes on the urgent challenges caused by climate change to facilitate real and positive change.

Gabby LaPorta

Gabby (Gabrielle) LaPorta has a B.B.A. in Public Accounting from Baruch College in New York City. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Maine working as a tax manager with BerryDunn.  Since she has worked in the Renewable Energy Sector for over three years she has a great understanding of the many different types of renewable energy projects from development to energization.  In her spare time she volunteers at a local animal shelter, The Haven.  Gabby is proud serve on a board that educates the public and makes clean energy technology understandable.

Marjorie Morales

Marjorie manages an analytics team at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Her team provides deep dive analytics and strategic solutions on initiatives for the Chief Quality Officer with a focus on reducing patient harm, improving quality of patient care, and providing equitable healthcare to all patients. In conjunction with the UT System, she has established several endowments and volunteers to help promote educational advancement with a focus on diversity and inclusion. She is a member of the UT Chancellor's Council Executive Committee and helps with initiatives and issues of importance to higher education in Texas. Marjorie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. She is passionate about providing equity in education, healthcare, and environmental outcomes and is proud to serve on Climable’s board.

Awinja Otiato

Awinja is Chief of Staff and Director of Policy at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) where she advises the Commissioner in deciding strategic, policy, program and communication issues; identifies and implements strategies to accomplish office
strategic, program and operational goals; and directs and exercises an efficient system
of control through the development and implementation of office operational policies
and procedures. Awinja earned her B.S. in Accounting from the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (now Philadelphia University). She earned her MBA in Social Policy & Management from Brandeis University’s Heller School of Social Policy & Management in Waltham, MA. She is excited to be part of Climable, a team of individuals who are devoted to challenges caused by climate change, and who are actually doing something about it.

Contributors

Aileen Flores

Maeve Hulsman-Wells

Charlie June

Alana York

Livia Costa

John M DeLappe (he/him)

Lia Ward, Research Intern (she/her)Education: B.S. in Health Science w/ a minor in Environmental Studies, Northeastern University ‘23                                                        Hometown: Ridgewood, NJ                                                  Best thing you’ve read recently: Diversifying Power by Jennie C. Stephens

Lia Ward (she/her)

Hannah Mohtadi, Research Co-op (she/her)Education: B.A. Environmental Studies and International Affairs w/ a minor in Spanish, Northeastern University ‘23  Hometown: Portland, OR  Best thing you've read recently: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi                                                           Favorite place in Boston: Arnold Arboretum

Hannah Mohtadi (she/her)

Cecelia BolonEducation: B.A. in Environmental Studies, Northeastern University Hometown: Cambridge, MA

Cecelia Bolon

Laura MartzEducation: BSBA Marketing & Interactive Media , Northeastern University '18 Hometown: Wheaton, IL

Laura Martz

Emma HibbardEducation: B.S. in Physics, University of Massachusetts-Amherst '18 Hometown: Boxford, MA Favorite Climable Project: Working on Blogs

Emma Hibbard

Belle ZhangEducation: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Boston University ‘19 Hometown: West Orange, NJ

Belle Zhang

Isabel BairdEducation: Environmental Studies & International Affairs, Northeastern University '19 Hometown: Madison, CT Favorite Climable Project: Exploring solar energy with The Farm School

Isabel Baird

Andrew GrandahlEducation: B.A. Anthropology, University of Massachusetts-Boston ‘20 Hometown: West Simsbury, Connecticut

Andrew Grandahl

Maya Anand

Deylin Molina

Margot Jeanne Cohen

Rachel Cerato

Amelia Verhar

Pepper Schneekloth, Research Co-op (she/her)Education: B.S. in Environmental Science, Northeastern University ‘23                                                        Hometown: Buffalo, NY                                                  Best thing you’ve read recently: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer                                               Favorite Place in Boston: The Public Gardens in Spring

Pepper Schneekloth (she/her)

Emily Hunter, Research Intern (she/her)Education: M.S. Energy and Environment and B.A. Earth and Environmental Science, Boston University ‘22                                                                                     Hometown: West Stockbridge, MA                                 Best thing you’ve read recently: A Terrible Thing to Waste by Harriet Washington                                                       Favorite place in Boston: The Riverway

Emily Hunter (she/her)

Bryan Pierre (he/him)Education: Prospect Hill Academy Charter School, current student at Boston College                                      Hometown: Saugus, MA

Bryan Pierre

Eduardo Martín Quiñones (he/him)Education: B.A. Environmental Studies & International Affairs                  Northeastern University ‘23                        Hometown: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Eduardo Martín Quiñones (he/him)

Alex StockEducation: B.S. Environmental Science, Northeastern University ‘23 Hometown: Sunnyvale, CA

Alex Stock

Hannah StewartEducation: Environmental Studies & Health: Science, Society, & Policy, Brandeis University '18  Hometown: Plainview, NY

Hannah Stewart

Sika GadzankuEducation: Technology & Policy Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Hometown: Accra, Ghana Favorite Climable Project: Working on the Climable Podcast

Sika Gadzanku

Anna SciarutoEducation: Environmental Studies w/ a Minor in Spanish, Northeastern University '19 Hometown: Amherst, MA Favorite Climable Project: Working on Behind the Switch Season 2

Anna Sciaruto

Julia MastersEducation: M.A., Urban Planning and Environmental Policy Tufts University '20, and B.A. in Political Science, University of Michigan '15 Hometown: Evanston, IL

Julia Masters

Caroline Fraser

Jen Stevenson Zepeda

Sophie Kelly, Research Associate (she/her)Education: B.A. Environmental Studies and International Affairs w/ a minor in Global Social Entrepreneurship, Northeastern University ‘21                                                        Hometown: Broomfield, CO                                                  Best thing you’ve read recently: There, There by Tommy Orange           Favorite place in Boston: Arnold Arboretum

Sophie Kelly

Aunjoli Das

Kael RandallEducation: Visual Media Arts, Emerson College '19 Hometown: Portsmouth, NH

Kael Randall

Eden Floyd

Liddy Grossman (she/her)

Neha Chinwalla (she/her)

Malia ShenEducation: B.S. Business Administration Hometown: Boulder, CO

Malia Shen

Pranav Moudgalya

Sarah ParkEducation: Engineering Psychology, Tufts University '20Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Sarah Park

Colby KyesEducation: A.L.B. Environmental Studies, Harvard Extension School '21,  Hometown: Seattle, WA

Colby Kyes

Anna-Rose SchenermanEducation: BFA in Design, Northeastern University '12 Hometown: Baltimore, MD Favorite Climable Project: Helping plan, and attending the first Soup Supper

Anna-Rose Schenerman

Natalia LimaEducation: A.S. Environmental Science, Bunker Hill Community College ‘20 Hometown: Tampa, FL

Natalia Lima

Past MassCEC and other interns:


Olivia Goolkasian
Olivia Eschenbach-Smith
Nathaniel Mendez
Isabel Jordan
Sofia Bacon
Justin Galle