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At age 14, I took a class that changed my life and informed my career trajectory—Environment and You.

This month, HACE shares more about ClassACT HR 85’s Climate Action Working Group. The ClassACT HR85 Climate Working Group is a group of College 1985 alumni who are trying to make positive change, together, on the impact of climate change. They may not have all the answers, but they are convinced that their views as alumni and members of the global Harvard community can shape how Harvard follows through on its commitments.

Growing up in an immigrant household, my mother showed us how to live frugally - recycling shower water to water plants, altering torn clothes to use as dish rags, etc. Making the most of what is given to us and leaving things better than we found them became my norm…

Jeffrey Madison’s ‘85 climate journey started during his airline pilot days. For a few years, he flew the same routes from America’s northeastern seaboard to its lower Great Lakes. During those flights, he used to marvel at just how vast and green our country was. Over time, he saw that green disappearing into the browns and reds and greys as trees were razed by the acre, baring ground, leveled and then developed into housing or industrial parks. Jarring.

Ling Lin graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy in 2012. Ling is working with HACE's Climate Cohort Founders and finds it a fulfilling and practical way to apply what she has learned about climate in school and from reading books, along with her background in consumer tech.

Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment is thrilled to partner with Harvard Innovation Labs, with expertise from HBS's Business and Environment Initiative, to launch the Harvard Climate Entrepreneurs Circle, a selective incubation program for high-potential ventures working to address climate change.

Sophie Pesek graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Environmental Engineering in 2020. As a woman in STEM, she is interested particularly in the intersection of environmental and equity issues.

Melanie Long is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and works as the Strategic Communications Manager for the Sustainability Solutions Lab at UMass Boston. She graduated from Harvard College in 2010 with an AB in English and a secondary in Film Studies. Prior to starting her role at UMass Boston, she worked in the Creative Services department for Harvard’s Alumni Affairs and Development Office.

Michael Linn graduated from Harvard College in 1970 and from Harvard Business School in 1973. In addition to leading HACE’s upcoming Climate Reality Bootcamp, he is also a father of 5, investor, entrepreneur, and manager “lucky enough to know unbelievably good and talented people.” Michael feels as if he has completed the worker/parent part of his life and is now focused on addressing climate-related issues on behalf of the earth and its children from atop a mountain in Huntsville, Alabama, where he currently resides.

Valerie is an environmental activist and policy analyst, and she has worked at both the local and national levels. Her primary engagement has been in the water sector, as she is the founder and director of the Water Alliance. Valerie sees HACE’s potential in its ability to serve as a place for alumni of all generations and backgrounds to learn more about climate science, as well as emerging technologies and solutions in mitigation and adaptation.

Enough Americans say they prioritize the environment to have a monumental effect on policy. The problem is they just don’t vote. Tackling that challenge — from identifying to motivating environmental voters — was the focus of “Mobilizing the Environmental Vote: Report from the Front Lines,” an online discussion with Nathaniel Stinnett, founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project.

The panel was the first in a five-part series called “Climate Conversations,” interrelated discussions that bring together alumni, faculty, and student experts from a wide range of disciplines. The series was created by the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) in partnership with alumni volunteers and the Harvard Office of Sustainability,” and continues with its fourth installment on Wednesday. The final panel will be Jan. 13.

Naz Beykan returned to her hometown of Istanbul after graduating from the Graduate School of Design in 2013 with a Master’s Degree in Design Studies: Energy and Environments. Since then, she has been working as an individual consultant on areas ranging from climate resilience to green buildings with organizations such as the World Bank Group and UNDP.

Alaisha is originally from Mountain View, CA and is currently based in Santa Cruz, CA. She graduated from the College in 2020 with an AB in Computer Science and a secondary in Energy & Environment and is currently working as a Forward Deployed Software Engineer at Palantir Technologies. She identifies as an Indian / South Asian American woman, avid dancer, computer scientist, and passionate environmentalist.