Renewable energy marketing nonprofit built by the best.

Eric Asche

Chief Executive Officer

Elan Strait

Executive Director

Elan Strait is the Executive Director of Potential Energy Coalition. He served in the State Department as a negotiator on the Paris Agreement, the National Security Council in the Obama Administration, and under John Kerry in the Envoy’s office in the Biden Administration. In between, he founded and ran the We Are Still In campaign, which helped states, cities, and businesses uphold the Paris Agreement after the US withdrew during the Trump Administration.

He lives in DC with his wife and his dog Scout, who was born mostly deaf but pretends to be completely deaf. Ask Elan about obscure 1990s baseball players.

John Marshall

Founder & Executive Chair

Chris Bast

Director of Policy

As Director of Policy, Chris leads policy analysis, tracks market and policy developments, and supports state level campaigns to drive climate and clean energy action.

For nearly two decades, Chris has been deeply engaged in the work to accelerate climate action by leveraging opportunities at the intersection of politics, policymaking, and power building. He has consulted for major collaborative approaches to state and local climate action, led climate and decarbonization strategy for the Governor of Virginia, managed electric vehicle and initiatives for the City of Seattle, and worked on major climate advocacy campaigns across the country.

Chris is a proud Girl Dad and lives outside Richmond, Virginia with his wife, two extraordinary daughters, and aging rescue mutt. Ask Chris about roundabouts.

Forrest Boleyn

Executive Creative Director

As Executive Creative Director at Potential Energy, Forrest leads creative teams, writes words, and pitches in wherever needed to help save the world (no pressure).

Prior to Potential Energy, Forrest spent 14 years everywhere else. A former creative journeyman, Forrest’s stops have included the world’s biggest (and smallest) agencies and clients, where he produced work for the likes of Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, 72andSunny, Meta, Omaze and more.

Ask Forrest about ASMR.

Taylor Brazukas

Senior Art Director

Taylor joined PE in June of 2022, and has been the human rolodex for fonts and color codes ever since. As part of the creative team, she sees the work from the idea all the way to the final-final-export-28.png.

Before this she attended the VCU Brandcenter, and followed alumni Forrest Boleyn and Casey Rand on their mission save the world with Potential Energy.

After hours you can find her starting 10 art projects at once, snuggling her dog Bug, and making concert plans. Ask Taylor about your birthday.

Katy Butler

Community Manager

At Potential Energy, Katy manages social media growth, email marketing strategy, and relationships with coalition partners.

Prior to Potential Energy, Katy spent a few years on The Hill in Washington DC, and has been working in social justice and digital activism for 10 years. She contributed to campaigns for climate justice, LGBTQ rights, mental health advocacy, voting rights and democracy, and anti-bullying.

Ask Katy about her time playing rugby.

Dan Clay

Senior Advisor, Thought Leadership & Strategy

As Senior Advisor, Thought Leadership & Strategy at Potential Energy, Dan ensures all creative work is strategically grounded in the deep analytics of Potential Energy’s research. He also synthesizes insights for external distribution, helping with Potential Energy’s newsletter and knowledge sharing resources.

His career spans nearly 20 years in Brand, Marketing, and Communications, advising some of the world’s biggest companies, from Walmart to Google, on how they can best connect with their customers.

He’s also a novelist and drag queen. Ask Dan about Becoming a Queen!

Nicole Dorrler

Global Head of Marketing and Brands

Nicole serves PE as a Global Head of Marketing and Brands, driving critical mission strategies on things like clean energy and climate disasters.

Prior to PE, Nicole served as the Deputy Chief Marketing Officer at Truth Initiative, where she produced award-winning, lifesaving, anti-smoking, vaping, and opioid campaigns. During her 16-year run at Truth, she built winning strategies for media, production, social, experiential, analytics, advocacy, data, partnerships, and influencer marketing… to name a few.

Nicole has more than 25 years of high-level marketing experience for some of the world’s biggest brands. She’s garnered more than 400 awards, and been recognized by the American Marketing Association as 2016 Nonprofit Marketer of the Year, Chief Marketer for the 2018 Future CMO award.

Ask Nicole what cocktail she would make for you given your flavor profile.

John Eaton

Head of Media Investment

As Head of Media Investment, John translates strategy into high impact, cost efficient media programs.

John is a marketing and technology entrepreneur with over a decade of experience helping organizations to understand and move consumers. He’s worked in the public sector with communications teams like Climate Nexus and Art Not War, and as an executive in the private sector delivering marketing and research programs for Fortune 500 global enterprise clients at Ipsos, Mondelez, Fox. John’s start-up expertise includes founding a digital marketing agency, a social advocacy SaaS and a musical artist management firm. His early expertise in digital technologies includes electrical engineering in aerospace and managing, producing musical artists in the entertainment industry where he participated in Grammy award-winning projects.

Ask John about his horse named Texas.

Isabella Gama Dantas

Senior Analyst, Strategy & Insights

As a Senior Analyst on the Strategy and Insights team at Potential Energy, Isabella combines analytics and creative storytelling to accelerate the global energy transition. With a PhD in geophysics from Brown University, she brings a background in scientific research, data analysis, and science communication to her work. Before joining Potential Energy, Isabella led interdisciplinary decarbonization projects at McKinsey & Company, guiding clients on sustainability strategies across sectors such as renewable energy, hydrogen, semiconductors, metals, and consumer packaging.

Outside of work, Isabella can be found training for her next marathon in Central Park. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and their cat, Waffle. Ask her about earthquakes or science field trips across the globe!

Sarah Gross

Senior Manager, Strategy & Insights

As Senior Manager of Strategy and Insights, Sarah conducts research and analyzes data to better understand how to effectively communicate about climate change.

Prior to joining Potential Energy Coalition, Sarah led the North American Insights & Analytics team at KIND Snacks and worked as a Middle School Math Teacher.

She lives in San Francisco and enjoys being outside, doing crossword puzzles, and cooking big meals for her loved ones. Ask Sarah about her sitcom pitch.

Michael Gonzalez

Associate Director, Finance

As Associate Director of Finance at Potential Energy Coalition, Michael manages daily financial operations, implements controls and provides reports to stakeholders that aid in the mission of helping our planet.

Prior to Potential Energy, Michael spent nearly a decade with a leading medical institution, wildlife, and land conservation nonprofits. In his free time, Michael loves learning and engaging with new technology, cooking and creating new experiences with family.

Ask Michael about traveling the world for free.

Allie Halprin

Senior Development Associate

As Senior Development Associate at Potential Energy Coalition, Allie contributes to research, writing, and operations that fund innovative climate projects.

Prior to Potential Energy, Allie supported national public health initiatives at the local level and helped implement the largest health equity grant in U.S. history. She is passionate about the intersection of climate change and public health, striving to create impactful solutions for all communities.

In her free time, you can find her searching for the perfect light bulb– where energy efficiency meets warm yellow. Ask Allie why she won’t go to waterparks.

Julian Hollinger

Producer

As a Producer, Julian oversees project management of physical and post production ads. He organizes logistics, hires collaborators, creates and tracks budgets, and sees projects from ideation to publication.

Prior to PE, Julian worked as a Production Manager and Line Producer for commercial and documentary shoots after climbing the production ladder from a PA.

When he’s not producing you can find Julian writing and reading screenplays. Ask Julian about PE’s Production Onboarding Process.

Stephanie Holznagel

Senior Executive Assistant

As Senior Executive Assistant, Stephanie supports the Executive Team and assists with special projects for Operations & Development. Prior to Potential Energy, Stephanie primarily worked in education, from administrative support to school counseling, and enjoyed years as a high school teacher.

Even though Stephanie has dreams of being the next drummer in Beyonce’s band, she currently enjoys fancy donuts and true crime podcasts. Ask Stephanie about The Purple Goat.

Will Howard

Head of Strategy & Insights

Will is Head of Strategy & Insights for PEC. For the last decade, Will led messaging research at maslansky + partners — the world’s premiere language strategy firm.

Across sectors, from snacking to scrap metal and pharma to farming, he helped clients find the right words to frame public debates, sell products, and communicate their ideas in a polarized political environment. The language he crafted is still used at Meta, the Hershey Company, Kaiser Permanente, Procter and Gamble, and dozens of Fortune 500 companies.

Ask will about flyfishing (if you ever have an hour to kill).

Sara Justus

Head of Operations & Production

As Head of Operations & Production at Potential Energy Coalition, Sara oversees both strategic operations and creative execution, ensuring high-quality work that shifts the narrative on climate change. She optimizes workflows, manages budgets and timelines, and fosters collaboration across teams to deliver impactful campaigns.

Prior to Potential Energy, Sara worked in entertainment production, starting in the film industry and for TV networks such as MTV, Freeform, and WGNA. She then transitioned into boutique creative agencies and commercial production houses, gaining extensive experience across video, film, digital, social, and print production.

Ask Sara how to play mahjong.

Emma Kirby

Manager, Strategy & Insights

As a Strategy & Insights manager at Potential Energy, Emma spends her time in the data, investigating what types of climate messages get people excited to make a difference (and what makes them angry, too).

Prior to Potential Energy, Emma was a business analyst in the tech world until she realized that she could use those same skills to help save the planet.

Outside of work, Emma loves to explore everything that her adopted home of California has to offer. Ask her about hosting the best Mardi Gras party west of the Mississippi.

Matt Kruth

Social Engagement Manager

As Social Engagement Manager, Matt focuses on developing creative ways to maximize social performance for every campaign.

He creates memes and spends a lot of time on Reddit. Matt has worked in social for nearly a decade.

Ask Matt about cycling or the time he was in Vogue.

Dawn Lombardi

Chief Financial Officer

As Chief Financial Officer at Potential Energy Coalition, Dawn leads and supports the finance team, provides financial data to both management and program departments, and serves as a point of contact for all financial matters.

Prior to Potential Energy, Dawn worked at various non-profits (Education, Healthcare, Social Services) and truly values the mission of each one.

Ask Dawn about her role, her amazing finance team, or what her favorite scary movie is.

Melissa Lee

Director, Compliance & Contracts

Associate Director of Compliance & Contracts, Melissa ensures that PE and our partners are aligned on shared goals, know the rules, and stay out of trouble.

Before PE, Melissa spent 11 years at Sierra Club, the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization in the US, managing regulatory compliance for its 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and political programs.

Outside of work, Melissa spends her free time catering to her mini Goldendoodle and fixing up her 100-year-old house. Ask Melissa about making your own candles.

Alaina Lentin

Senior Producer

Managing timelines, overseeing budgets and optimizing processes are the bread and butter of a Senior Producer, but Alaina’s favorite part is fostering the relationships and collaboration of the people behind the work here at Potential Energy.

Before this, her decade of experience includes working agency-side for brands like Keurig and Liberty Mutual Insurance, and in-house on marketing/creative teams at Michael Kors and Northwestern Mutual.

When Alaina is not juggling projects, you can find her boxing, at New York’s Museum of Natural History or exploring National Parks – ask her about her roadtrip to 13 of them!

Luis Lopez

Manager, Strategy & Insights

Luis’s long-term commitment to climate progress goes back to teaching high schoolers to be climate leaders through University of North Carolina’s Climate Leadership and Energy Awareness Program. At Potential Energy, Luis conducts qualitative and quantitative research and leads strategic communications initiatives on a range of topics from the Inflation Reduction Act to global communications.

Prior to Potential Energy, Luis was a management consultant at AT Kearney, focusing on digital transformation and M&A for telecom and healthcare companies. He also has experience in marketing and strategy for enterprise blockchain SaaS. Luis graduated with a degree in Management and Marketing from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Outside of work, you’ll find Luis trying new cuisines in NYC, lounging with his cat, or playing pickleball. Ask Luis about mindfulness and meditation.

Jessica Lu

Director of Impact

Jessica works on strategy, research and analytics. She spends her time running tests, listening to everyday citizens, and going down internet rabbit holes – all to find out what (and how!) people actually think about climate change.

Prior to PE, Jessica was an analyst at the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, supporting entrepreneurs building innovative, non-profit startups and social enterprises to solve gnarly social issues. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Ask Jessica about the best way to brew tea.

Erin McCusker

Senior Communications Manager

As Senior Communications Manager at Potential Energy, Erin oversees media relations, thought leadership, and content development to elevate the reach and impact of Potential Energy’s insights on effective climate messaging.

Prior to Potential Energy, Erin was a Senior Account Executive on the climate technology public relations team at BerlinRosen, where she had the opportunity to work with climate nonprofits and technology companies. Erin also represented technology clients at PAN Communications, a global PR firm. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Rollins College.

Ask Erin about fashion art history.

Hailey Malach

Director of Talent and Engagement

Supporting campaign management and execution across channels, Hailey ensures our campaigns are as impactful as possible. She also develops data-backed program ideas to engage new climate warriors and build strategic relationships with partners.

Before receiving her Master’s degree in Political Management from George Washington University, you could find Hailey developing and producing digital content for CBS Interactive, NBCUniversal, and Vevo.

As a lifelong New Yorker (who can navigate the subway system with her eyes closed) and an expiring Driver’s Permit, Hailey might just have the lowest carbon footprint. Ask Hailey about the Spice Girls.

Alix Mammina

Project Manager

At Potential Energy, Alix manages a portfolio of national and global climate research projects for the Strategy & Insights team.

Before Potential Energy, Alix led communications strategy for research in the fields of immigration, child welfare, and gender-based violence prevention.

Alix spends her free time writing about movies and exploring Austin’s music scene. Ask Alix about her microcinema.

Nicole Monica

Operations Associate

As Operations Associate at Potential Energy, Nicole works at the intersection of People Operations and Contract Management, supporting organizational needs that keep the team running smoothly.

Before joining Potential Energy, she built her career in people‑focused roles including Operations Assistant, Executive Assistant, and Office Manager. She’s passionate about creating strong workplace cultures and brings her training as a certified Life Coach into her work to support and empower colleagues.

Ask Nicole about Van Life and the Hotel W.

Sarah O’Neil

Associate Director, Data Science & Analytics

Sarah is a data scientist, currently building out Potential Energy’s cloud-based infrastructure and extracting insights from larger datasets.

Before joining the team, Sarah worked as a data professional across various sectors like public health, energy, and EdTech.

Sarah loves taking walks in the woods behind her house with her husband and two dogs. Ask Sarah about the time she found herself jogging with Lance Armstrong in Leadville, Colorado.

Kristin Owen

Director, Partnerships

Kristin has been with Potential Energy Coalition since the start, and worn quite a few hats in her time here. But the team all agreed that she was mostly just fun at cocktail parties, so when the Partnerships capability was created it seemed a natural fit. It is her favorite hat to date – making new friends, learning about their amazing contributions to climate, and connecting them to Potential Energy’s talent and insights to enhance impact across the board.

Before Potential Energy, Kristin worked in book publishing, spearheading much of the Penguin Random House merger and trying to keep her cool whenever celebrity authors were in the building. She left partially because she was worried about the structural integrity of her home if she kept getting free books.

Ask Kristin about how to make a travel binder or if you need a book recommendation from before 2019.

Matthew Phillips

Sr. Advisor, Global

Matthew leads Global work at Potential Energy, building partnerships and delivery opportunities, starting with the UK and Europe.

He’s spent the past 15 years working on how we talk about and act on the climate crisis, including as part of Christiana Figueres’ Executive Office in the lead-up to the Paris Agreement, and later at the UN on campaigns like Race to Zero and the Paris Agreement’s Action Agenda. From 2023-2025, he led Groundswell, a collaboration with the Bezos Earth Fund, Global Optimism and the Systems Change Lab, shifting the climate story from doom to possibility.

Ask Matthew about his TED Talk on climate movements and house parties.

Gaven Simon

Analyst, Strategy & Insights

Gaven Simon is a Strategy & Insights Analyst responsible for highlighting and analyzing climate related media trends. The analysis supports future research projects and strategies to communicate more effectively about climate.

Gaven has multiple years of market research experience where he was focused on covering Supply Chain and ESG software markets. In 2025, he completed his Masters of Science from the University of South Florida in Global Sustainability with a concentration in Renewable Energy. In 2020, he completed his Bachelors of Arts from the University of Florida in Sustainability Studies.

Gaven enjoys attending shows from his favorite artists, an occasional hike, and going to the movie theaters. “Ask Gaven about the last movie he saw.

Maureen Smith

Senior Director, Development

As Senior Director, Development at Potential Energy, Maureen writes, researches, and manages processes to resource campaigns and programs that drive action on climate change.

Before this, she spent three years at Indivisible working to resource pro-democracy efforts during critical moments, including the 2020 election. As a creative strategist and fundraiser, she’s worked with Americans for the Arts, the Kennedy Center, Jenny Holzer Studios, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Ask Maureen about her trip to Iceland.

Whitney Smith

Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications

Whitney Smith is a strategic communications consultant who serves as Senior Advisor at Potential Energy Coalition. She has 20 years’ experience helping leaders and organizations create opportunities, mitigate risks, and navigate complex domestic and global challenges.

She served as Communications Director for U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and has also held senior communications roles at Boston Consulting Group, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Senate.

She lives in New York City. Ask Whitney about her love of Ann Arbor.

Linsey Sutherland

Director of Media

As Director of Media at Potential Energy, Linsey leads media implementation, optimizations, and metric analysis to ensure media is delivered in the most efficient way.

Before Potential Energy, Linsey led paid media at Gusto and managed campaigns for numerous non-profits including ASPCA, Make-a-Wish, World Wildlife Fund, and Conquer Cancer Foundation.

Ask Linsey about dough.

Tia Taffer

VP of Marketing

As VP of Marketing, Tia oversees the development and execution of campaigns and content, managing creative, digital and social initiatives to drive impact.

For over 15 years, Tia has helped to shape brand and digital strategy for brands both in agencies and in-house, with a passion for mission-driven work. Most recently, Tia oversaw the Digital Engagement team at Truth Initiative, driving impactful campaigns to inspire young people to live healthy lives.

Tia’s favorite thing to do is go on hikes and explore nature with her husband and two little boys. Ask Tia about the Housewives.

Eliza Tewson

Senior Policy and Strategy Analyst

As a Senior Policy and Strategy Analyst, Eliza spends her time figuring out what winning means and how we can do more of it. Before joining Potential Energy, Eliza was a Herchel Smith scholar at Harvard University, where she tried to learn everything she could about climate change. She holds a BA and Masters from the University of Cambridge.

Ask Eliza how her Swedish lessons are going (it’ll remind her to practice).

Shaniqua West

Sr. Accounts Payable Coordinator

As Sr. Accounts Payable Coordinator at Potential Energy, Shaniqua manages invoice processing and ensures timely, accurate payments to our vendors.

Prior to Potential Energy, Shaniqua spent 20 years working in accounts payable for a multitude of industries from startups, tech companies and labor unions.

Ask Shaniqua about her photographic memory with numbers.

Yuen Yan-Lim

Senior Accountant

As senior accountant at Potential Energy, Yuen supports financial reporting, accounting, external audits, budgeting/forecasting and monitoring controls to advance the firm’s mission.

Prior to PE, Yuen worked in various non-profit organizations and investment banks, and she performed external audits.

Yuen enjoys the outdoors, baking and creating great memories with her family and friends. Ask Yuen about homemade soups and K Dramas.