Matthew Cullinen is Senior Associate in the Research & Intelligence Group. Matthew plans and manages research initiatives in partnership with some of the world’s top business and other graduate schools, as well as NGO’s and corporate partners. Prior to working with CWR, Matthew worked in electoral politics conducting policy and opposition research for several candidates, including Sen. Gillibrand, and most recently as deputy policy director for Reshma Saujani, candidate for U.S. Congress. In this capacity he directed political and opposition research activities, developed policy positions on local and national issues, composed policy literature for publication in a variety of mediums, provided briefings and advice to the candidate, and drafted legislation on a full range of issues including creation of a federal innovation fund to increase investment in renewable energy.

Previously, Matthew worked for a political and market research firm in New York on projects ranging from public opinion in Afghanistan for clients such as the Department of Defense, to studies on the effects of aquaculture in South Asia for World Wildlife Fund.

Matthew holds an M.A. in international relations from New York University where he studied Islamic radicalism in Western Europe and the rise of the far-right in European politics. While attending graduate school he was associate editor of the Journal of Political Inquiry. He received his B.A. in political science and philosophy from Indiana University - Bloomington.

Matthew is passionate about environmental conservation and back country hiking. After graduation he worked as an Urban Park Ranger Fellow for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, for whom he had worked previously as a member of the Park Conservation Corps, and during graduate school he led outdoor leadership programs for the New York University Office of Student Activities.

Maya Doolub brings a wealth of project management experience to Carbon War Room's Smart Island Economies Operation, having delivered on implementation of key priorities across the UK private and public sector to enhance the reputation and wellbeing of organisations by supporting their development and communications. Maya’s core work has been supporting the National Health Service to deliver against key agendas and objectives, and this has included the development of health models and their essential communication.

Maya has worked with not for profit organisations during times of considerable change, and her skills are demonstrated through her ability to manage and communicate that change effectively. Recent projects include the redesign of healthcare pathways and service to focus delivery within primary care, as well as delivering against key Public Health agendas to improve the health and wellbeing of local and national populations. Globally, Maya has worked with the World Health Organisation to develop mental health models in primary care, working with stakeholders and communities to identify pathways which provide both accessibility and acceptability.

Having started her career in the media, Maya enjoys demonstrating her communication skills and ability to manage essential engagement. Her broad experience provides a sound understanding of dynamics across stakeholders and organizations, and she is able to recognize the potential of relationships between stakeholders and maximize the opportunities that lie therein. Maya has core experience in community consultation as well as managing a wide range of stakeholder engagement projects, and she identifies this ability to engage as the success of all key operations.

Tayt Held joined the Carbon War Room team as Development Associate in July of 2011.

Prior to joining the Carbon War Room, Tayt worked in environmental and clean energy advocacy, including time spent as a community organizer for California’s recent Vote No on Proposition 23 ballot campaign.


Tayt brings his experience as an organizer, event coordinator, and fundraiser to Carbon War Room where he focuses his time on strategic donor outreach, assisting the Director of Development and integrating development work into all three strategic pillars of CWR: Network Engagement, Research and Operations.

Tayt graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a BA in International Affairs, and is originally from a small, rural island in the Pacific Northwest.

Suzanne Hunt leads the Carbon War Room's work on aviation and renewable fuels. She is the President of Hunt Green, LLC, in Washington DC which provides strategic advising on transportation, energy, agriculture, and the environment. In 2007 Science Magazine featured Ms. Hunt as a “Pioneer”. She directed the Worldwatch Institute’s bioenergy program from 2005-2007, where she orchestrated the landmark study, "Biofuels for Transportation: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture.” She was a founding advisor to the annual Art Center Sustainable Mobility and the Climate Lab. Currently she sits on the advisory boards of the Latin America Council on Renewable Energy and the Regional Bio-fuels Technical & Knowledge Center (CHIBAS), and recently concluded an alternative aviation fuels initiative with the X PRIZE Foundation. Other former clients include private equity firms, UN bodies, government agencies, clean tech start-ups, fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and other innovators.

Suzanne is engaged with the ongoing implementation of sustainability practices at her family’s 7th generation farm and winery, Hunt Country Vineyards, in upstate New York. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from Penn State and a dual master’s degree in International Affairs and Natural Resource Management from American University and the UN’s University for Peace in Costa Rica. Ms. Hunt makes frequent speeches and media appearances around the world. You can find her on Linked In and follow her on Twitter @HuntGreen.

Joshua Kagan is the Carbon War Room's Operation Lead for energy efficiency in the built environment. Joshua manages a team focused on developing and implementing large-scale energy efficiency transactions in a network of partner cities such as NYC, San Francisco, Washington DC, London, Vancouver, Vilnius, Melbourne and Copenhagen. His team’s goal is to standardize and scale energy efficiency transactions across the built environment that result in $1.5B in deployed capital. Prior to the War Room, Joshua was a Senior Analyst with the clean tech investment firm Atlas Capital Investments and a Fellow with the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development. Joshua also co-founded The NOW Project – a social enterprise that created organic apparel and accessory products and utilized the proceeds to fund yoga classes for at-risk teens in public schools in southern California. Joshua has consulted for Gerson Lehrman Group and Greentech Media, lectured on alternative energy economics at UC Berkeley, and been a New Leadership Council (NLC) Fellow. He was lead author on the 300+ page biofuels report “Biofuels 2010: Spotting the Next Wave” and is the sole author of “Third and Fourth-Generation Biofuels: Technologies, Markets, and Economics Through 2015.” Joshua holds a Master's degree from the London School of Economics and Bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.

Tessa Lee is a Research Analyst with the Carbon War Room. She heads the development of content for the Creating Climate Wealth summit series, as well as other CWR research endeavors. Originally from North Carolina, Tessa has a BA in International Relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree in International Development and Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics, where her work focused on the intersection of growth and conservation, and culminated in the design and execution of a community recycling program in the Sudan. She has also worked for many years in Central and South America, and she has a better-than-passing competency in 6 languages. Her professional career has included various roles as an educator and research in academia as well as time in the non-profit world working for Amnesty International and the Rainforest Foundation. She comes to CWR from Purpose Campaigns in New York City, where she supported a project on scaling renewable energy in the United States.

Alisdair is a Senior Advisor to Carbon War Room and an expert contributor to media and analysts on maritime developments. He has over twelve years experience of working in the marine and allied fuel and commodities markets, including six as a journalist. Alisdair is a former Associate Publisher with Informa Group (owners of Lloyd's List) and a former director of Petromedia, where he founded the highly regarded environmental news and information site SustainableShipping.com.

He is co-founder of Blue Communications, an agency whose mission is to bring new strategic intelligence to reputation management and public affairs in industries that must alter perceptions of their economic and social value.

Alisdair has extensive contacts and networks within these industries spanning international media to government and regulatory bodies, and has lobbied at the highest level, where he has been responsible for driving positive change within the marine industry. He has pioneered the development of powerful and farsighted public relations platforms in the marine, energy and environmental sectors, achieving major breakthroughs in reputation for clients and influencing policy on key industry issues.

David currently is a Senior Associate at the Carbon War Room, which he joined at its inception. The Carbon War Room is an initiative launched by Sir Richard Branson that focuses on market-based solutions to climate change. David currently leads Carbon War Room’s Network Engagement team. In his role, David engages with external stakeholders to incubate roadmaps that accelerate the deployment of clean technology solutions.

David holds a Bachelors degree from Cornell University. It was at Cornell where David began to develop a passion for combining entrepreneurial spirit with helping the environment. David started a company that designed, built, and maintained green roofs specifically tailored for hotels. It was this experience that allowed him to see first hand that there does not have to be a choice between the economy and the environment.

Outside of Carbon War Room, David serves on the boards of William James Foundation and North American Council for Freight Efficiency. David also serves as the Vice President of Programs on the professional chapter of DC NetImpact. In his spare time, David volunteers as a reading judge for the Unreasonable Institute and is passionate about all things related to start-ups, sustainability and technology.

Katya was brought up in London, where she was educated at the French Lycee and is a native speaker in English, French, Croatian and is also competent in Spanish. In 2004, Katya took her Baccalauréat in Economics and Social Sciences and then attended UCL to complete a degree in East European studies including a year at the University of Zagreb in her native Croatia.

In 2010, Katya joined Virgin Unite, the charitable foundation of the Virgin Group. Her main project focused on researching companies committed to sustainable initiatives for Richard Branson’s book Screw Business As Usual. This stimulated her interest in environmental causes and prompted her move to the Carbon War Room. At the War Room she acts as the Global Projects Associate, where she supports and coordinates the Active Operations as well as looking into the development of potential new initiatives. Katya has acquired invaluable knowledge and experience of supporting operations from start up, and this has increased her awareness of all the key pieces that are integral to CWR delivery of implementation and success.

Katya has travelled through most parts of the world and her ambition is to make a difference for the better in society. She is still an active member of KIDS young people’s fundraising committee, and volunteers her time to Crisis as well as other non-profit initiatives.