About Us
Our Theory of Change
The WBCSD describes "the good life" as a future where all 9 billion people on the planet live well. But living well is often equated with increased – and increasingly unsustainable – production and consumption. The impact can be seen in deforestation, congestion, climate change, waste, water scarcity, injustice and many other areas.
Why not imagine a future of progress and abundance? Far from a pipe dream, there are countless strategies and models which can build a better world. Our principles are:
Apply both human centered and circular design
Innovation is the art of "And" not "Or"
Transparency is the engine of change
Many small efforts can move mountains
Assembling the right team for your job
The Team
ClimatePath was formed by two consumer internet and social enterprise veterans.
Dave Rochlin - Founder and CEO
Dave teaches "good life", "better world", and design thinking based courses at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Many of his courses are project based, with students and faculty forming consulting teams that engage in deep innovation projects or design sprints on behalf of corporate and non-profit clients. With over 500 consultant alumni and 50+ clients -- including Clorox, Intel, PG&E, and SAP, the applied innovation program he leads is one of the largest design and innovation agencies in the US.
Dave has an extensive background in the international NGO and social enterprise sector, as well as in technology, consumer products, and consulting. Dave was previously COO of the NGO Fair Trade USA, a four-time winner of Fast Company/Monitor’s social capital award, and leading certifier and enabler of ethical commerce solutions designed to alleviate global poverty. He started ClimatePath with the idea that the principals of transparency and sustainable development that underlie fair trade can also be applied to climate and conservation, and that consumers, businesses, and NGOs can work together to lead change.
Dave has held key executive positions with several fast growing Internet pioneers, including helping to build, grow, and eventually sell businesses to Hollywood Video and Earthlink, and placing companies on both the Deloitte 50 and INC 500 lists. He has also been a brand manager and big four consultant.
He combines a Berkeley upbringing with an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern to bring a pragmatic approach to the idea of sustainable business and natural capitalism. Dave speaks and writes frequently on green business, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability, and has also published a textbook on technology strategy. He is board chair of the International Tropical Conservation Fund – North America (AKA the ClimatePath Ecologic Fund.)
Katy Foreman - Founder and Principle
Katy has over a decade of web related operations product management experience, both in managing technical and customer operations, and user experience and back end development projects. Before co-founding ClimatePath, Katy managed the web and web strategies for Fair Trade USA, including streamlining workflow, introducing new advocacy programs, and managing partnerships with Ebay, Google, and Salesforce.com. She also managed the roll out of the Whole Foods “Whole Trade” program, which has integrated sustainability into Whole Foods’ overall product procurement strategy.
Katy is a committed naturalist, and lives a sustainable lifestyle whenever possible. She has a degree in Astrophysics from the University of Washington, is a community sustainability advocate and wildlife rehabilitation volunteer.
Staffing
We use a "low overhead / high trust" virtual model. Tapping into and extensive network of former students, consultants, clients, and educators, we build teams to address specific client engagements.
Our Fund
ClimatePath provides professional services and assists companies and NGOs in developing strategies and partnerships to encourage conservation, impact reduction and positive change. Our purpose is to also support on the ground projects, which we accomplish through a non-profit partner organization, called the ClimatePath Ecologic Fund. We also offer direct donation to these projects, which are made directly to and through the Fund. The Fund retains a small portion of the donation to cover expenses, and the rest is passed on to the project provider.
In the case of carbon offsets, they are immediately and permanently retired in the name of ClimatePath Ecologic Fund on your behalf. ClimatePath Ecologic Fund is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, making all donations tax deductible.