The Rockefeller Foundation has unveiled the first cohort of Big Bets Climate Fellows, a group of 16 leaders committed to reversing the climate crisis and accelerating opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a particular focus on the Amazon Basin. This fellowship, part of the Foundation’s billion-dollar climate strategy, offers programming, networking, and professional development to scale impactful climate solutions.
Running from June to November 2024, the fellowship emphasizes the LAC region, where The Rockefeller Foundation has a century-long investment history. As Brazil prepares to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), the need for innovative climate strategies in the region is paramount. The selected fellows will work on diverse solutions to address climate challenges, focusing on underserved communities disproportionately affected by climate change.
The LAC region is already experiencing severe impacts from climate change, including mega-droughts, extreme rainfall, heat waves, rising sea levels, and deforestation. The Big Bets Climate Fellows aim to develop and implement projects that mitigate these issues and enhance resilience among vulnerable populations.
Xiomara Acevedo, Colombia: Developing a regional strategy to educate and mobilize women for better representation in local government climate policies.
Marcela Angel, Colombia: Creating a community-based early warning system for landslides using integrated climate risk data.
Lina Ascencio, Colombia: Establishing a scalable model to ensure renewable energy transitions benefit indigenous communities in Latin America.
Luisa Fernanda Bacca, Colombia: Promoting indigenous leadership in climate governance through intercultural agreements.
Erika Berenguer, Brazil: Implementing guidelines to fireproof the Amazon and prevent catastrophic burn events.
Mariolga Reyes Cruz, Puerto Rico: Scaling an agroecology common land structure to support regenerative agricultural practices.
Avriel Díaz, Panama: Developing a climate-driven budget forecasting system for vector-borne diseases to enhance government response.
Reinhold Gallmetzer, Brazil: Scaling a data model to transform insights into actionable measures against deforestation.
Carlos Magno, Brazil: Creating a cross-national strategy for water and land rights for disenfranchised communities in semi-arid regions.
Elena Martínez, Dominican Republic: Enhancing sargassum harvesting and processing to boost carbon sequestration and support coastal communities.
Daniela Orofino, Brazil: Establishing a coalition to legally convert public lands into indigenous territories and conservation units.
Valmir Ortega, Brazil: Promoting regenerative agriculture among small farm-holders to transform local food systems.
Rodrigo Pacheco, Ecuador: Creating the world’s largest Biodiverse Edible Forest to protect nature and enhance local economic opportunities.
Ricardo Politi, Brazil: Securing carbon and biodiversity credit buyers to support regenerative agriculture benefiting local communities.
Fabiano Thompson, Brazil: Building a comprehensive biodiversity map of the Great Amazon Reef to support marine bioeconomy development.
Felipe Villela, Brazil: Increasing financing for reforestation and conservation by redefining the accounting of natural assets.
The program will convene fellows in São Paulo, Brazil; Bellagio, Italy; and New York City during Climate Week NYC 2024. These gatherings will facilitate collaboration, skill-building, and networking, supported by a custom curriculum designed by IDEO, known for its work on fellowships like The Earthshot Prize. This structure aims to provide fellows with the tools and connections necessary to turn their ambitious ideas into scalable impacts.
Sarah Geisenheimer, Vice President Convenings & Networks at The Rockefeller Foundation, emphasized the fellowship’s role in supporting leaders committed to changing the status quo and fostering both personal and professional growth. The Rockefeller Foundation is honored to assist the fellows in advancing their local solutions with the potential for global impact.
