Green Team 
to Green Jobs

GreenLight facilitates a five-step, community-centered process designed to match the unmet needs local individuals and families identify as barriers to prosperity with proven organizations. They partner with a Selection Advisory Council (SAC) made up of local leaders, residents and experts. Every year, they prioritize a pressing need and select an organization with a track record of success addressing that need elsewhere in the country. They invite them into the community and provide collaborative and financial support so they quickly take root and deliver change.

I deeply believe that sustainability is a poverty-related issue given that climate change is disproportionately affecting under-funded/resourced communities. During my time as the Executive Assistant to the CEO I created the "Green Team", an internal cross-functional, multi-level working group to make GreenLight, well greener! My aim was to inspire operational-level change - like lowering our carbon footprint, however the influence of the group was much broader. Many of our Executive Directors joined the group because they too, believe in the intersectionality of the climate crisis. 

In my final few months at GreenLight, I was asked to contribute to our Boston site's selection cycle by researching the local job market for green careers since "Green Jobs" were identified as an issue area by the local community. This was the first time in the organization's nearly 20 year history that sustainability became a core issue area! I focused on the renewable energy sector boom happening in Massachusetts, as the nation's first offshore wind farms were being built 60 miles off the coast. Ultimately, GreenLight did not end up investing in the organization being considered for a grant, since the process is complex and considers many factors before choosing the right fit at the right time. Despite this, the the City of Boston ended up launching the PowerCorpsBOS, a job readiness program for young adults seeking green careers.