Our Team
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Ania Korsunska, PhD
FOUNDER & CEO
Ania brings a decade of experience in interdisciplinary research, data science, user-centered design, communications, creative work, and community building to Zemlia. Led by the guiding principles of empowerment and collaboration, she manifests these values through tangible actions that contribute to a better future for everyone. Prior, Ania was the project lead of the ROADMAP, the first description of the state of rare disease drug repurposing, and Community Lead at Climate Vine. She is completing her PhD in information science from the Syracuse iSchool in May 2024.
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Zach Garrett
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Zach is a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in industrial design and full-stack software development. He has co-founded multiple teams across a range of industries, from climate tech to logistics to consumer goods. Known for his thought leadership and systematic problem-solving approach, Zach excels at turning ideas into practical solutions. He was a member of the Climatebase Fellowship's cohort 2 in 2022.
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Sarah Page
PRODUCT & VISUAL DESIGN LEAD
Sarah is a passionate and skilled product and visual design leader with two decades of versatile experience. She combines entrepreneurial thinking, engaging storytelling, and functional design to drive significant business growth. Having collaborated with numerous climate tech start-ups, Sarah brings a distinct blend of expertise and enthusiasm to each project.
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Theertha Shetty
UI/UX DESIGNER
Theertha has led design in AI, legal and mental health start-ups, focusing on aligning user requirements with business goals. Outside of coming up with nice looking screens, she has worn hats as a UX researcher, illustrator, product designer + manager and social media manager. Her background in architecture and human centered design has made her a contextual designer, bringing to light what lies beyond the user and product interactions. She is passionate about driving individual sustainability through behavior change by using the power of design.
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Rachel Kenion-Hanrath
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Rachel brings a strong foundation in software development, data analysis, and research to the climate tech industry. With a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering complemented by her professional experience in software development and team leadership, she is uniquely positioned to bridge technical expertise with innovative solutions geared toward climate resilience. A recent Climatebase Fellow (Cohort 4), Rachel is keenly aware of climate challenges and excited for the opportunity to work with the Zemlia team exploring AI-driven approaches to a more sustainable future.
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Ares Fisher
RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Ares did his PhD in the neuroscience of visual and embodied perception, and recently finished a postdoc working on how the brain might weave actions and experiences into concepts. He has been excited to apply and grow his expertise to contribute to the climate space. He's interested in complex systems, ecology, and how individuals can organize to make positive change, including bridging the gaps between polarized or otherwise distant communities. He enjoys road biking, meditating, and is figuring out how to write a novel.
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You ?
Interested in joining our team?
We do not currently have paid opportunities, but please consider applying for our Residency Program.
Advisors
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Jimmy Carney
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION ADVISOR
With a history of scaling software and engineering teams from the ground up, ranging from solo pioneers to groups of 30 or more, Jimmy brings insights into the intricate journey of turning visionary ideas like Zemlia into tangible realities. His expertise spans the entire development lifecycle, from initial proofs of concept and MVPs to robust, high-quality, production-level software. Jimmy's holistic approach is centered around finding and building solutions that are both innovative and sustainable. In addition to advising startups in the sustainability space, he is in senior leadership at Kevala, a renewable energy planning software company.
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Umair Surani
ELECTRIFICATION & COMMERCIALIZATION ADVISOR
Umair brings a breadth of experience in commercializing nascent clean energy and sustainable technologies. He spent the first decade of his career in accelerating the adoption of heat pumps, with stints at AHRI and Fujitsu, and since then on commercializing city-scale digital twins. His career is a testament to bridging cultures – between technology and business, tradition and innovation, and today's practices and a sustainable tomorrow. Umair holds a BS in aerospace engineering and an executive MBA.
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Steve Isley
GENERATIVE AI & SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH ADVISOR
Steve Isley brings a depth of experience in behavioral science and generative AI. He led sustainable customer research at Amazon for five years, helped launch The Climate Pledge, served as the company's first carbon offsets expert, and cofounded a sustainable shopping startup. Before that, he was a behavioral scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where he did research in smart transportation, home energy management systems, and augmented reality informed consumer choice. Steve holds a BS and MS in aerospace engineering and a PhD in policy analysis.
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Gray Graziani
PRODUCT STRATEGY ADVISOR
Gray is a seasoned product leader with over 15 years of experience, skilled in B2B SaaS, IoT, PLG, AI, UX, games, e-commerce, and cookies. He has grown and lead product teams at Siemens and AKQA. With a proven track record in designing, launching, and scaling innovative products that exceed customer expectations, his expertise lies in driving product vision, strategy, and roadmap. He also founded a cookie company, and still has an entrepreneurial spirt, as well as a passion for sustainability.
Contributors & Collaborations
Artists
Anastasiia Khmelevska, Natasha Kasatka & Ieva Ziede
Climate Base Fellows
The ideas behind Zemlia and its tools started through a Capstone project during the Climate Base Fellowship, and many fellows from Cohort 2 and 3 contributed to the development of the ideas, data, prototypes and visual strategy approach in the early days. Some of these fellows are listed below, though many others provided important encouragement and feedback!
Stuart Maxwell, Farah Assir, Micah Elm, Kellie Sukhi, Wendi Wu, Miah Shull Olmsted, Adam Gordon, Nathalie Tchorek, Patrick Shipway, Alejandro Fernandez, Bryant Karin, Shannon Koy, Tessa Alford, Megan Mayzelle, John Tripp, Kate Selfridge, Shubhashree Venkatesh, Iris Zhan, Lionel Church, and Thomas Ebrahimi.
Collaborations
Chitra Ramesh, Sayur
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