Since Upstream Tech’s founding, we’ve been lucky to have been supported and guided by a network of experts with deep experience in technology, environmental issues, and growing organizations. As we continue to grow and bring Lens and HydroForecast to new markets, we’re thrilled to announce that Upstream Tech is adding three strategic advisors to our team: Katherine Birnie, Paul Fleming, and Rand Wentworth.
Since Upstream Tech’s founding, we’ve been lucky to have been supported and guided by a network of experts with deep experience in technology, environmental issues, and growing organizations. As we continue to grow and bring Lens and HydroForecast to new markets, we’re thrilled to announce that Upstream Tech is adding three strategic advisors to our team: Katherine Birnie, Paul Fleming, and Rand Wentworth.
If you know or have worked with any of these amazing people, you know how fortunate we are to have them join us. As you can see from their bios below, they bring a depth of expertise, creativity, and leadership in the environmental field. We’re grateful for their partnership and looking forward to continuing to build Upstream Tech together.
Katherine has served hundreds of permittees and mitigation customers since joining the team in 2009. Katherine has cross-disciplinary experience in sales and marketing, real estate acquisition, conservation finance, and market analysis. Prior to joining EIP, Katherine served as the Conservation Innovation Program Manager at the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. She has also served as Project Manager at the Peninsula Open Space Trust in California. Katherine has a BA in Biology from Williams College and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Paul has extensive experience in the public and private sectors in building strategies and programs to address the opportunities and challenges at the intersection of water, climate change, utility management, corporate stewardship and technology. He is currently a fellow of the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, a member of a US National Academy of Sciences Committee that is advising the US Global Change Research Program, a corporate advisor to startups and early stage companies and an independent consultant. Previously, he created and directed Microsoft's global water program and established and led implementation of the company's commitment to be water positive by 2030 while also advising internal business groups on digital water strategies.
Rand Wentworth teaches environmental politics, leadership, and negotiation at the Harvard Kennedy School and serves as the Louis and Gabrielle Bacon Senior Fellow in Environmental Leadership. He is president emeritus of the Land Trust Alliance, having served as president from 2002-2016. During his leadership, land trusts doubled the annual pace of conservation in America and have now protected over 56 million acres. During this time, the Land Trust Alliance also created a national accreditation system; built a virtual university that trains 5,000 people each year; and founded Terrafirma, a non-profit insurance service that funds the legal costs of defending conserved lands from legal challenge.