MaryKate is an ESG and impact investing professional with 15 years’ experience in forestry, climate, and conservation consulting and asset management. She is passionate about leveraging sustainable finance to deliver benefits for climate, biodiversity, and communities through the net zero and sustainable land use transitions. In her current role, she leads the ESG and sustainability program for Forest Investment Associates, a US-based investment manager with more than 2 million acres of assets across the Americas. MaryKate has worked internationally across a range of forestry and land use investments in developed and emerging markets and is recognized as a leader in developing and applying responsible investment approaches for the timberland asset class.
In addition to her advisory role with Upstream Tech, MaryKate is a member of the advisory councils of the Women’s Forest Congress and the Social License Platform, is co-chair of the ESG Task Group for the National Alliance of Forest Owners, and participates in working groups of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and Verra. MaryKate holds a BA in Anthropological Sciences and an MA in Latin American Studies both from Stanford University. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the US National Forests through hiking, camping, and skiing as well as embarking on cooking adventures at home in Atlanta.