She/her
Areas of Expertise
Implementation-Focused Climate Strategy; Philanthropic Strategy and Funder Advisory; Subnational Climate Leadership and Governance; Impact Investing; Sustainable Communities and Land Use Planning; Grantmaking Strategy and Portfolio Management; Impact Measurement; Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks; Data Visualization and Visual Communications; Building Decarbonization and Electrification Strategies; Stakeholder Engagement; Strategic Storytelling; Subnational Policy Implementation
About Kirsten
Kirsten has dedicated her career to advancing high-impact solutions at the intersection of climate, clean energy, and sustainability. At Hua Nani Partners, she leads implementation-focused climate and energy transition strategy for state and local governments, philanthropic institutions, and mission-driven organizations across the U.S., helping partners translate ambition into durable, on-the-ground outcomes.
Kirsten brings deep experience advising funders and public-sector leaders on how to deploy resources for maximum impact. Her work focuses on clarifying strategy, strengthening governance and coordination, and designing monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks that support accountability and adaptive decision-making. Her work spans philanthropic strategy and portfolio design, impact measurement, climate action planning, energy resilience and grid reliability, climate finance, and cross-jurisdictional coordination, with a strong emphasis on subnational leadership, policy implementation, and delivery.
Before joining Hua Nani Partners, Kirsten managed a portfolio of for-profit and nonprofit climate investments at High Tide Foundation, where she partnered closely with grantees and portfolio companies to accelerate the clean energy transition in the U.S. and internationally. She developed and implemented investment strategies and built diverse coalitions to elevate nontraditional voices within these issues. Prior to climate philanthropy, Kirsten served as an earth science consultant at NASA’s Ames Research Center, where she studied the effects of climate change through the lens of remote sensing. Previously, she was a sustainability consultant at Innovative Workshop Consulting, supporting the design, construction, and operation of high-performance buildings pursuing USGBC LEED certification.
Kirsten holds a Masters in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning and a B.A. in Urban Studies, both from the University of California, Berkeley. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.