Meet the team behind the impact

Dr. Aidan Preston has served as a carbon dioxide removal and science policy advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and non-federal governments. While at the Department of Energy, he designed and managed the Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot Prize, a first-of-its-kind government program for the procurement of high-quality, durable CDR credits. At Milkywire, Aidan manages the CDR Scale program, building a portfolio of high-quality, high-impact projects that will deliver CDR credits to organizations seeking to bolster their net-zero ambitions. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Utah and was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the American Association for the Advance of Science.

Jill Raval is a sustainability expert specializing in marine and freshwater ecosystem conservation and sustainable finance. Her career has been marked by significant roles at the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), where she led over ten projects to approval by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Jill’s contributions include prominent initiatives in conservation finance, freshwater and marine governance, blue economy and wastewater management. She has actively worked with NGOs, CSOs, and intergovernmental agencies to advance sustainability practices. A graduate of the Stockholm Resilience Center, Jill’s research there provided deeper insights into the blue economy and the financial sector's role in sustainable practices. Currently, she works as our Senior Impact & Partnership Manager, managing some of Milkywire's nature related funds.

Mariana Fernandez is a carbon markets and climate action expert with over 12 years of experience in quality assurance, risk assessments, and safeguards. Before joining Milkywire’s Impact team, Mariana led the strategic development of VCS requirement improvements, implemented globally risk management frameworks for carbon projects at South Pole, and contributed to stakeholder engagement initiatives with Indigenous Peoples and local communities through The Tenure Facility and UNDP. She also managed large-scale climate grants at The Nature Conservancy. At Milkywire, Mariana is the Senior Impact Manager, managing the nature areas of the Climate Transformation Fund and the Nature Transformation Fund.

Anna Samuelsson is a sustainable development expert with over 15 years of experience in financing social and environmental projects globally. With an LL.M. from Uppsala University, Anna specializes in compliance, due diligence, and anti-fraud measures, ensuring robust risk mitigation and quality. Her background in human rights and social development allows her to integrate social and environmental factors for maximum co-benefits and lasting impact.

Natalya holds a PhD in Environmental Science and has previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher on International Forest Policy at the Department of Forest Science at the University of Helsinki. There she focused on the forest-climate nexus in implementation of the EU climate commitments. Natalya has extensive experience working as a consultant in natural resource management and development of sustainability policies for several international and donor organizations such as UNEP, UNDP, and GIZ.

Annika Richter is a carbon finance and sustainable energy expert. Having previously served as the Regional Manager East Africa for Atmosfair, she has extensive experience in carbon project development, corporate climate action, and host country carbon market policy. She is a founder of the Tanzania Climate Network in Dar es Salaam, where she resides part-time. Annika has consulted for several international organisations, including GIZ, USAID and MECS, and leads the carbon market workstream of the FCDO-funded UK-Tanzania Green Growth Facility.