Kacky Andrews, Founder & Partner
Most recently, Kacky Andrews served as the Executive Vice President, Global Strategies, for The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s leading conservation organizations. Prior to taking on this role, Kacky served as Managing Director for TNC’s Protect Land & Water strategy and as Director of Conservation Programs for the North America Region. Her background includes several years at NOAA as Program Manager of the Coral Reef Conservation Program and a post as Executive Director of the Coastal States Organization, a DC-based nonprofit that represents interests of the Governors of the 35 coastal states and territories on legislative and policy issues related to coastal and ocean management.
A native Floridian, Kacky spent eight years with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, where as Director of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, she oversaw the management of nearly 2 million acres of sovereign submerged lands in the state system of Aquatic Preserves and three National Estuarine Research Reserves. Kacky also served as Florida’s Co-Trustee in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, initiated Florida’s Coral Reef Conservation Program for southeast Florida, and was lead for the state on the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. While in Florida, Kacky also spent almost two years with The Nature Conservancy’s Florida Chapter as the Director of Government Relations.
Kacky holds a B.A. in Economics from Duke University, a J.D. from the University of Florida, and a LL.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College.
Mark Burget, Founder & Partner
Mark served as one of the most senior leaders of The Nature Conservancy, most recently as Executive Vice President and North America Managing Director. In that role, he led nearly 3,000 staff in North America, including programs in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. He was responsible for recruiting and nurturing an extraordinary team of high-performing leaders, executing conservation strategies, developing strategic partnerships, and raising funds to support priority projects.
Prior to his role at The Nature Conservancy, Mark served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the ClimateWorks Foundation, a $1B+ global philanthropic network focused on energy and land use policy in the U.S., China, India, Latin America and the European Union.
Mark earlier served as The Nature Conservancy’s Chief Conservation Programs Officer, overseeing all country programs in North America, Latin America, Africa, Australia and the Asia-Pacific Region. Mark also has served as TNC’s Director of Global Priorities, Director of the California Program and Director of the Colorado Program. He began his TNC career in 1992 as Director of TNC’s Upper Colorado River Project.
Mark earned both his J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Virginia and his B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College. Mark has served on numerous boards, most recently including the Energy Foundation (U.S. and China) and Allotrope Partners. He also has served on the boards of the European Climate Foundation, the International Council on Clean Transportation, the Climate and Land Use Alliance, the Institute for Industrial Productivity, and Bio-Logical Capital, LLC.
Melissa Grumhaus, Vice President
Melissa Grumhaus is a philanthropy professional with more than 20 years of experience in major and principal gifts fundraising, fundraiser coaching, staff and board management, donor strategy, and staff and board training.
Her passion for nature led her to work for The Nature Conservancy in Illinois, Colorado and globally. Most recently as the Global Director of Development supporting the team in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, Melissa discovered her passion for supporting Indigenous-led conservation. As the Global Director of Development for the Lands and Cities Teams, Melissa led fundraising strategies for programs focused on Natural Climate Solutions, Sustainable Agriculture, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, Energy, and Cities. She became a trusted partner to fundraisers, executives and donors across the organization.
She also worked for Rocky Mountain Institute and was the lead fundraiser for a political fundraising effort under then Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. She has led campaigns both as a volunteer Board member and as the Director of Development ranging from $1M to $75M, and was part of The Nature Conservancy’s $7B Our World campaign. Her work has taken her to Europe, Africa, Latin America and across the United States and Canada.
Melissa served on the board of Friends School, a private elementary school based in Boulder, CO. She is Chair of the board of The Liv Project, a creative collective focused on turning the tide on youth suicide through fearless conversation.
She is also an Executive Producer of a documentary film, BRING THEM HOME, and a narrative film, BUFFALO STONE, both of which are centered on the Blackfoot Confederacy and their relationship with bison.
Melissa holds a B.A. in English with a minor in Environmental Studies from Indiana University, and is a graduate of Humanity First, a year-long teacher training in leadership and mindfulness.
When not working for people and nature, Melissa can be found practicing yoga and meditation, hiking in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and hanging out with her three boys, husband and dog in Boulder, Colorado.
Luis Anibal Solórzano PhD, Senior Associate
Luis Aníbal has over 25 years of combined professional experience in ecological research, conservation science, international project/program management, philanthropic grant making as well as public and non-for-profit, results-based executive management.
He has worked in the Americas, Caribbean, Africa and Asia with teams pursuing the goals of protecting and restoring natural ecosystems, eliminating rural poverty and ensuring food security; more recently with an emphasis on Nature based solutions for climate adaptation and risk reduction.
Luis has held positions at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Princeton University, the Woods Hole Research Center, the Andean Science Unit at Conservation International, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the International Consortium for Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and The Nature Conservancy. Luis also served as counselor to the former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the High Advisor on Environment, Water and Climate Change Sandra Bessudo.
Luis holds degrees in Biology from the National University of Colombia, M.A in Evolutionary Biology and PhD in Ecology from Princeton University and a CPM from Stanford University’s Business and Engineering School Advanced Management Program.