Climate change is no longer just an environmental risk; it is a risk to businesses, investments, and it is the greatest challenge facing Zach's generation. He believes this cannot - and should not - be solved by public and philanthropic funds alone. This challenge also presents the biggest investment opportunity in a generation; the ever-growing field of climate finance offers investors the opportunity to change the paradigm on risk management and long-term returns.

Offering private and institutional capital market rate returns is the only way to meaningfully scale and innovate climate finance opportunities. But to grow this opportunity set will require more collaboration than most financial professionals, like Zach, are used to. This will require work with NGOs and academics, with public and private stakeholders, and even other financial firms that might otherwise be considered competitors. This transition also requires a blended capital approach to speed the development and adoption of new financing opportunities.

With a background in financial engineering, Zach is passionate about expanding the opportunity set for private and institutional investors seeking market rate returns in the climate finance space.

Alongside a great team, Zach co-founded Blue Forest Conservation to do just that - develop sustainable solutions to pressing environmental challenges with an initial focus on watershed health. Their financing, the Forest Resilience Bond, will tap institutional capital to finance proactive forest restoration, returning forest land to its natural ecological state, in an effort to alleviate two of the most pressing environmental challenges in California and the Western US - severe wildfire and water security.