Our Team « Impact Carbon – Clean Energy for All.

Our Team

Evan Haigler (Executive Director):

Evan leads the Impact Carbon team in developing carbon finance for projects in less-developed countries. He contributed to the Voluntary Gold Standard Methodology for Improved Cookstoves and Kitchen Regimes V.1, is the lead editor for Version 3, and worked as the lead project developer on the first Voluntary Gold Standard Cookstove Project. Evan’s research and publishing has focused on carbon methodology development and monitoring for improved stoves, and on assessing and valuing the associated social, health and environmental cobenefits. He is Co-Chair of the Carbon Finance Working Group at the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, and in collaboration with Dr. Kirk Smith published “Cobenefits of Climate Mitigation and Health Protection in Energy Systems: Scoping Methods” in the Annual Review of Public Health. Evan holds an MS in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and a BS in Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Matt Evans (Managing Director):

Matt has experience developing projects focused on poverty reduction in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He focuses on the application of social marketing and carbon finance to scale projects. He managed the first ever Voluntary Gold Standard efficient cookstove project and has managed the origination of other healthy cookstove and water treatment projects worldwide. Matt was formerly the co-founder and Executive Director of Live Climate. He has worked in developing country enterprise growth with the Nonprofit Enterprise and Self Sustainability Team (NESST) in Santiago, Chile, on enterprise monitoring and strategy development. He has worked in product management with the solar energy company SunPower and in social entrepreneurship with Ashoka: Innovators for the Public. Matt holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley and a BA in International Relations from Stanford.

Jimmy Tran (Director of Project Development):

Jimmy is responsible for managing all aspects of project development from diligence, drafting of Project Design Documents (PDDs), technical project design, and guiding projects through the validation and verification process. He is concurrently a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley. His dissertation addresses critical barriers to the widespread adoption of improved household energy technologies in poor regions of the world. His research involves conducting rigorous field experiments, surveys, and market analyses to demonstrate quantifiable climate and health benefits from large-scale dissemination of household energy technologies. Jimmy holds BS degrees in Biology, Finance, and Environmental Resource Management from Pennsylvania State University.

Johanna Young (Development Director):

Johanna has experience in fundraising and marketing within the international development sector and has worked with a wide variety of donors and partners internationally. Prior to joining Impact Carbon, Johanna was the Fundraising and Marketing Director with London-based international NGO, Restless Development, where she led efforts to secure major strategic funding for youth led development projects in Africa and Asia and global advocacy efforts around youth inclusion in development. Johanna also managed corporate and foundation relations at Link Community Development in London to enable the delivery of educational projects in Africa, and drove regional fundraising efforts for Concern Worldwide in Scotland to secure support for a variety humanitarian and development interventions in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Johanna worked with the Southeast Asian chapter of Transparency International in Malaysia in project development and research. She also volunteered for several NGOs and human rights organizations in the UK and Africa focusing on project delivery and policy. Johanna holds an undergraduate MA in Politics from the University of Glasgow, Scotland.

Elisabeth Gomez (Project Development Manager):

Elisabeth has diverse environmental working experience linked to poverty alleviation and carbon related issues. She has worked in the fields of environmental engineering research, waste management, recycling technologies, energy efficiency, international cooperation and sustainability issues. Elisabeth worked on the preparation of Egypt’s Second National Communication report to the UNFCCC – GHG inventory & mitigation strategy in the waste sector, as well as conducted EIAs, audit proposals, feasibility studies, air pollution modelling studies, implementation of lifecycle CDM & GS projects for the MENA, African & SA region, carbon trade and capacity building of rural communities in Latin America. She is currently contributing as a sustainability practitioner at the charity level and is involved as a researcher aimed at finding alternatives to “unrecyclable” waste. Elisabeth is an environmental engineer and has a bachelor’s degree in international development. She is simultaneously pursuing a MEng in Sustainable Energy Technology at the Royal Swedish Institute of Technology.

Liz Grubin (Business Development Manager)

Liz comes to Impact Carbon with a background in carbon accounting, energy efficiency project management, and climate change strategy. Most recently, Liz was working at ICF International, a management consulting firm in San Francisco, where she was the project manager for the City of San Francisco’s energy efficiency program, while also supporting greenhouse gas inventory engagements with corporate clients. Prior to ICF, Liz was living in Boston, where she got her master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. While in school, Liz also worked for the City of Cambridge, helping to design and implement the energy conservation strategy for the city’s municipal buildings. She has previously done research and volunteer work for the World Wildlife Fund in Nepal, as well worked as an educator for the semester abroad program Sea Education Association. Liz got her undergraduate degree at Bates College, a small liberal arts school in Maine, and is originally from New York City.

Caitlyn Toombs (Program Manager):

Caitlyn manages Impact Carbon’s program work in Uganda, such as the Voluntary Gold Standard cookstove project in Uganda. She has experience with poverty alleviation and community development, having managed volunteer outreach efforts and development initiatives in central Appalachia. Caitlyn has also worked in environmental advocacy, with specific focus on climate change legislation and clean energy solutions at both the federal and California state levels. Caitlyn holds a BA in Public Policy Studies and Cultural Anthropology from Duke University.

Mike Ssemwogerere (Uganda Business Development Manager):

Mike manages Impact Carbon’s business operations on the ground in Uganda. He works daily with Ugandan partner Ugastove to implement new business development initiatives, creating marketing and sales strategies to expand the improved stoves’ market penetration. Having worked in Business Development services for Deloitte and Touche, Mike has assisted companies such as Coca Cola East and Southern Africa, AVIS, and Hewlett Packard to build sales operations in Uganda. Mike holds an MBA from the Makerere University Business School.

John Gwillim (Country Manager – Uganda):

John manages Impact Carbon’s project operations in Uganda, focusing on the development and implementation of new and existing cookstove and water filtration carbon projects. He manages partner relationships and business development with in-country partners, conducts due diligence on new project opportunities, and also helps manage the implementation of Impact Carbon’s USAID-funded TRAction Implementation Research Project: Behavior Change Interventions to Improve the Acquisition and Correct Use of Improved Cookstoves. Prior to Impact Carbon, John worked with two microfinance institutions as a Kiva Fellow in Colombia and Chile and also spent time working in the private sector as the Managing Director of an Internet start-up and as a consultant in the financial services industry. He holds a B.A. in finance and public policy from Michigan State University.

Mike Kisel (Office Manager)

Mike manages Impact Carbon’s administrative functions, including Human Resources, Payroll, Accounting, Information Technology, and office administration. Mike has worked in accounting and budgeting for a medium-size hospital, and spent several years as an auditor and consultant. Mike also held information technology positions in various industries including energy, fast food, automobile marketing, and health care, where he became Director of Information Management for a large HMO. He has also established his own private accounting practice. Mike holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Emily Smith (Program Manager):

Emily manages Impact Carbon’s safe water project work. Emily has a background in both private and public sector consulting where she’s worked with a variety of clients from international NGOs to large private companies. Most recently Emily was the founding member of a growing technology startup, leading product marketing efforts and nonprofit partnerships, and helping the organization to scale effectively. Emily has an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and received her undergraduate from Cornell University where she studied Electrical and Computer Engineering.