Board Chair

Aina is the President and Executive Director of VertueLab, a Pacific Northwest Innovation Lab and Funder of early stage climate entrepreneurs. She’s been a climate tech entrepreneur and a 3x founder and CEO.

She’s also worked across the US and Europe, and notably was the first Black woman to run a venture backed tech company in Germany.

Board Member

Broderick is lead organizer with Together Louisiana, a coalition of congregations and citizen organizations that is a vehicle for citizen power. Since 2007, he’s worked to win $75 million for affordable homeownership after Hurricane Katrina; helped triple funding for public transportation in Baton Rouge and won reforms to petrochemical tax giveaways that have restored $800 million to public schools and local services.

Since Hurricane Ida in 2021, he’s been working to build the Community Lighthouse project, a strategy to build a network of 500 solar + storage resilience hubs at faith and community organizations across Louisiana.

Board Member

Dr. Terrence Chambers is an internationally recognized expert in solar energy technologies and a leader in renewable energy research. As a professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he directs multiple research centers, including the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab and the Green Hydrogen Center of Excellence. With expertise spanning photovoltaics, solar thermal, thermal energy storage, and green hydrogen, Chambers has played a pivotal role in advancing clean energy solutions. He has secured major research funding, including an $87 million grant for the Hubs for Energy Resilient Operations (HERO) initiative, which aims to develop solar-powered microgrids for disaster resilience. A dedicated educator and mentor, Chambers has received multiple teaching and leadership awards, solidifying his impact on the next generation of engineers and energy innovators.

Board Member

Rodney serves as the Business Manager and Financial Secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 130 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In this capacity, he oversees the local's operations and financial matters, ensuring the union's commitment to its members and the electrical industry.

Throughout his career, Rodney has held various significant roles within Local 130. He has been an Organizer, Chairman of the Executive Board, Political Director, member of the Apprenticeship Committee, and a trustee on the Health and Welfare Board. These positions have allowed him to contribute to the union's growth, advocate for workers' rights, and enhance earn-and-learn training programs for apprentices.

Board Member

Grant is a seasoned aerospace and safety professional, currently serving as the Deputy Director of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Stennis Space Center. With over two decades of experience in systems engineering, software safety, and mission assurance, he has held key leadership roles at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, ManTech International, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Grant’s expertise spans human spaceflight systems, robotic spacecraft development, and defense systems, with a strong background in business development and engineering management. He holds an MS in Systems Engineering, along with BS degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics. In addition to his technical achievements, he is deeply engaged in pastoral leadership, currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at the Oblate School of Theology.