Jo is a transformational leader in design and sustainability with over twenty years of experience in private and non-profit sector roles. She is driven by the belief that we are all better when we work as an ecosystem - in connection and interdependence. Especially now, with so little time left to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis, she is committed to bringing forward climate solutions that counteract the extractive economic systems at the roots of the climate crisis and racial inequality. Her career reflects success in various roles interfacing with diverse audiences with a broad range of perspectives – identifying synergies and building long-lasting working relationships of trust. Over the past 13+ years, Jo served as a key leader of VertueLab, a climate action nonprofit working at the intersection of climate tech innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact investing in the Pacific Northwest. At VertueLab, Jo led research, visionary thinking, and development of VertueLab strategic plans. She developed and scaled key programs and activities for VertueLab, including regional and national ecosystem convening and leadership, their accelerator and the full holistic set of entrepreneurship support programs, initiatives for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, impact measurement and management, and marketing and engagement activities. She managed relationships with key strategic partners and funders from corporations to foundations, individuals and governments, both regionally and nationally. Through this combination of experience, Jo has a deep and broad understanding of the climate tech innovation and impact investing space and what is needed to bridge the gap to reach marginalized communities not yet served well by existing institutions. For the decade prior to working at VertueLab, Jo was an early leader in the design of a sustainable, high- performance built environment, combining her love of design with her passion for sustainability. She is a mother to two nearly grown kids, dog mom to two hilarious mutts, is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in an Americana cover band, loves nothing quite so much as a cup of coffee outdoors first thing in the morning, and is a bit of a genealogy nerd.