Melissa has most recently worked in corporate climate governance and accountability at As You Sow. Previously she has worked to educate on natural science and environmental issues with a particular focus on understanding coastal and marine ecosystems and human interactions. She has consulted for a variety of nonprofit organizations providing quantitative and qualitative research on a variety of sustainability issues to provide strategic direction for the organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Emory University, a master’s in environmental management from Duke University, and an MBA in Sustainable Solutions from Presidio Graduate School.

Melissa lives in Alameda, California with her family. She enjoys exploring the Bay Area and spends a good amount of time in her garden growing vegetables.

Melissa Merkel-Dallaryan has been working at the intersection of global health and business for nearly 20 years and is deeply passionate about joining the climate mitigation movement. As a public health professional whose career has been guided by improving health outcomes for marginalized populations, it feels only natural to shift her focus to the urgent work of decarbonization and materializing a future free of fossil fuels. Without achieving immediate climate policy changes, the most vulnerable amongst us will continue to experience exacerbated health threats. As a member of the Board of Directors at Run on Climate, Melissa looks forward to bringing her professional experience in fundraising and communications to bear for this essential cause. In her downtime, Melissa enjoys toiling in the dirt at her regenerative family farm in Jamaica, VT, where she is teaching her two-year-old daughter the joys of a day well spent in the fresh mountain air, connecting with and nurturing our most precious resources.

Mike Purnell is a seasoned executive with a multifaceted background in venture capital, clean energy, and strategic management. As the Managing General Partner at EHI Cleantech Ventures, based in Chicago, IL, he has been instrumental in raising and deploying investor capital to drive growth and execution strategies for portfolio companies in clean energy and sustainability. He is also a Board Member of Capital Region Innovation Cluster Consortium(CRICC), a Maryland-based firm committed to helping startups and small businesses gain access to capital and grow. Prior to his role at EHI Cleantech Ventures, Mike served as the Executive Director at Mexico Energy Partners, where he played a pivotal role in shaping strategy and direction for projects and investments in clean energy, renewables, and climate technology.

Mike holds a deep-rooted commitment to advancing clean energy and sustainability. His experience in raising and deploying capital for climate tech initiatives, building corporate partnerships, and supporting startups aligns directly with Run On Climate’s mission to accelerate local climate policy and empower community changemakers.

Keyshon Bachus is a sustainability executive with an extensive background in financial services, insurance, and power generation. He currently serves as vice president of Sustainability at commercial property insurer FM (Factory Mutual Insurance Company), focusing on decarbonization, climate risk solutions, and supporting clients on their sustainability journey.

He is heavily engaged in supporting mitigation and resilience around climate change and how we can better prepare our communities and infrastructure to deal with climate risks on a global scale. He believes that moving to a lower-carbon economy is essential for society, communities, and future generations. Keyshon is intentional in working across industries to help leaders better understand climate risk, finding solutions, and identifying business opportunities that companies may leverage and integrate into their long-term sustainability and climate strategy business models. He aims to better understand the current climate science and forward-looking data, and he believes a responsible society should take action to protect the environment and communities against climate risks.

Keyshon holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering with an emphasis on sustainability from the University of North Dakota and has conducted significant research on how industries can better deploy renewable energy to support their corporate sustainability goals and accelerate the energy transition.

Jack is passionate about all things environmental and focuses on sustainability-based businesses and non-profit organizations. He has owned, invested in, and served on the boards of numerous impact-oriented companies ranging from alternative energy, energy efficiency, organic foods, non-toxic cleaning products, and reusables. Jack currently consults for companies with a particular focus on start-up and early-stage businesses, and advises environmental organizations.

An executive with 40 years of experience, he was Chairman and CEO of BigBelly, a pioneering green-tech firm in the smart waste industry, previously was President of First Data Investor Services Group until its sale to Providence National Bancorp, and held officer positions with American Express, and Merrill Lynch. Jack splits his time between Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire and Cambridge, Mass.

Sarah R. Iles currently works as the Chief Compliance Officer of Methode Electronics, Inc. As an attorney practicing since 1999, Sarah’s expertise is in preventive compliance programs, governance and business risk management. Anti-corruption is her primary practice area, including knowledge of compliance risks around government interactions with non-profit organizations.

Sarah has advised global companies on commercial and compliance matters since 2004, in roles with Abbott Laboratories, CDW, and Akorn Pharmaceuticals. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and the College of William and Mary, where she studied International Relations.

Sarah is passionate about improving climate policy for the sake of future generations. As a mother of teens and a weekend gardener, she believes in planting seeds and building climate resilience wherever possible.

Jeremy Schroeder is a social justice alchemist who has diverse experience leading organizing, policy and electoral campaigns. These experiences have included serving in elected office on Minneapolis's City Council as well as running Illinois's successful campaign to abolish the state death penalty.

On the city council, Jeremy helped lead the city on environmental justice in the city's energy use, built environment, and food systems. Currently, Jeremy is the Public Power/ Local Government Program Director for Climate Cabinet where he works with local leaders to help them pass climate policies.

Lis Best has spent the past 15+ years at the intersection of sustainability, government affairs, and leadership development. Today, she is an executive coach for women in impact, founder and facilitator of the Girls Club Collective, and host of the Women Changing the World podcast. Based in Oakland, California, outside of work you can find her enjoying the beach, seeking out hot springs, or hiking in the redwoods.

Cyriac Joseph is a strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in digital communications, marketing, and climate advocacy. He has led transformative campaigns at the intersection of clean energy, climate advocacy, voter engagement, and digital engagement—designing innovative strategies that scale impact, shift narratives, and mobilize communities globally. His work includes launching tools like ClimateSense, an AI-driven platform to counter climate disinformation, and leading award-winning digital campaigns that have grown organizational reach, influence, and revenue.

As a board member, Cyriac brings deep expertise in digital strategy, brand-building, and cross-sector storytelling. He has successfully scaled communications programs for climate-focused organizations, expanded annual budgets from $3M to $21M through compelling outreach and fundraising, and built global influencer networks to amplify mission-driven work. He is excited to contribute this experience to help the organization sharpen its voice, expand its audience, and deepen its impact.