Our mission
To protect the health, income and dignity of women on the frontlines of extreme heat.
Durgaben Taretiya has worked in the salt pans for eight years, raking salt under relentless heat that triggers severe headaches and leaves her chest and feet burning. HERA/Rameshwar Bhatt
Our values
At HERA, our values serve as the guiding principles that drive our global mission to address climate-driven extreme heat through a gender lens.
Positivity
The power of women
Informed urgency
Partnership
Meet our board and advisors
Our board brings deep, real-world experience, from climate policy, finance and insurance to frontline organizing and academics.
We’ve brought together people who’ve shaped bold solutions, funded big ideas, and worked directly with communities bearing the brunt of extreme heat.
Emma Howard Boyd
Board Co-Chair, HERA
Former Chair, UK Environment Agency; Chair, UK Green Finance Institute, Commissioner, Global Commission
Joshua Amponsem
Board Co-Chair, HERA
Co-Director of the YouthClimate Justice Fund, and Founder of the Green Africa Youth Organization
Emilie Mazzacurati
Co-Founder, Tailwind & Climate Tech Entrepreneur
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr
Mayor of Freetown
Francis Bouchard
Managing Director for Climate, Marsh MacLennan Companies
Jeff Goodell
Climate journalist and author,The Heat Will kill You First
Ekhosuehi Iyahen
Secretary General, Insurance Development Forum
Lyla June Johnson
Indigenous Musician, Scholar, and Community Organizer
Leslie Anne Johnston
CEO, Laudes Foundation
Nathanial Matthews
CEO, PlanetaryX
Reema Nanavaty
Director, Self Employed Women’s Association
Ahmedabad, India
Dana D. Rice
Corporate Board Member and Philanthropic Advisor
Former Vice President of Philanthropy, MacArthur Foundation’s Lever for Change
Meet our team
Our team has led climate, conservation, development, finance, and communications work across NGOs, governments, philanthropy, academia, and business.
Kathy Baughman McLeod
Chief Executive Officer
Visala Annamalai
Program Manager
Allison Blotzer
Chief Financial Officer
Taylor Cohen
Program Operations Associate
Shauna Eisenberg
Director of Contracts and Grants
Laurie Goering
Extreme Heat Editor
Geraldine Henrich-Koenis
Chief Communications Officer
Allie Hollowell
Director of Partnerships
Kelechukwu Iruoma
Communications Manager
Eugenia Kargbo
Senior Strategist, Africa
Stephanie Lasure
Director of Finance
Mary McBryde
Chief Program Officer
Nikia Pounds
Chief Operating Officer
Siriporn Rathie
Thailand Country Director
Catherine Wallace
Editorial and Engagement Manager
Fueled by trusted partnerships
Philanthropy is our main funding source.
On the ground, we walk alongside our partners – we prioritize local, women-led organizations.
Informal women workers gather at Mahila Housing Trust in Ahmedabad, India, to learn how extreme heat is impacting their work and how to protect themselves. HERA/Supratim Bhattacharjee
