Shaping Solutions for Climate, Communities, and Biodiversity
Brazil's reforestation finance model offers a clear lesson: it takes more than a single type of capital, government, philanthropy, or private investment to accelerate and scale forest restoration. Government action and philanthropic investment build the capacity and lay the groundwork; that groundwork is what makes private finance possible. This session examines what a functioning "country platform" for nature-based solutions looks like: the legal and policy frameworks, the sequencing of capital, how to de-risk, and approach to take to replicate that flow in regions like the Congo Basin, where capital has historically been hardest to deploy but hosts some of the most ecologically critical reforestation opportunities.
Chief Executive, Forestry Commission, Ghana
Dr. Hugh Clement Adokwei Brown is a professional forester with over 30 years of experience in tropical forest management, protection, and development. He holds a BSc. in Natural Resources Management and an MBA from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; Masters in Forestry (MF) from Yale University, U.S.A.; and a Ph.D. in Sustainable Use of Renewable Natural Resources from the University of Helsinki, Finland.
Program Officer, Hewlett Foundation
Jim Stephenson is a Program Officer in the Environment Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation where he leads grantmaking on climate finance and oversees the Foundation’s multilateral portfolio within its global climate strategy. Jim brings nearly two decades of experience advancing climate and nature finance, with a track record spanning forest and land-use, nature-based solutions, and sustainable supply chains in regions including Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Before joining the Foundation, he co‑founded Terranomics, a specialist consultancy that helps design and raise capital for high‑impact climate and biodiversity initiatives. Previously, he held roles in Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Sustainability & Climate Change team and RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests.
Director, Global Restoration Initiative, World Resources Institute
In his current role as the Director of the Global Restoration Initiative at World Resources Institute (WRI), Sean DeWitt leads a talented team of restoration experts who drive coordination among governments, civil society, companies and communities to restore ecosystems and deliver benefits to communities, climate and nature. Sean previously worked for 15+ years in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. He supported women in Africa and Asia with microbusiness ideas at Grameen Foundation. He strengthened small businesses and small nonprofits at the Fund for the City of New York. He delivered innovative projects for the US Department of State in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Sean worked in the private sector with PwC as a Management Consultant and worked as an Industrial Engineer for Intel and the Walt Disney Company.
MODERATOR
President, Terraformation
Jad Daley is President of Terraformation, where he partners closely with CEO Yishan Wong to forge transformational partnerships, drive philanthropic and private-sector investment, and advance the company’s mission to scale native, biodiverse reforestation worldwide. He previously served as President and CEO of American Forests, leading national efforts on climate resilience, social equity, and forest conservation. Before that, Jad held senior roles at The Trust for Public Land and played a key part in authoring federal forest legislation, including the USDA Community Forest Program and Community Wood Energy Program, and is a TIME100 Climate honoree. He brings decades of experience in policy, conservation finance, and coalition-building to accelerate Terraformation’s impact in the decade ahead.
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