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Founders & Principals

Founders & Principals

Philanthropy Advisory & Deal Origination for Community-Rooted Climate Solutions in Asia
Karunā

Mission & Vision

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Mission

To accelerate climate solutions in Asia by bridging grassroots communities and their abilities with strategic and mindful philanthropy, enabling philanthropists to organise capital that is both locally responsive and globally impactful.

Vision

A region where climate action is driven by the knowledge, values, and aspirations of communities, supported by consciously directed philanthropic resources that deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes.

Founding Principles

Community-Centric Design

  • Prioritise local knowledge and lived experience in identifying climate interventions.
  • Ensure communities are decision-makers, not just beneficiaries.
  • Prioritise Indigenous Communities

Strategic Philanthropy

  • Equip philanthropists with tools to organise support effectively, ethically, and sustainably.
  • Emphasise outcomes that are both high-impact and scalable.

Integration of Contemplative Wisdom

  • Facilitate mindfulness and values-based alignment for philanthropists to connect personal purpose with climate action.
  • Integrate contemplative practices to support reflective decision-making in complex, high-stakes climate investments.

Systems Change Orientation

  • Align funding with systemic interventions that influence policy, finance, and market mechanisms and territorial natural resource rights.
  • Promote innovations that scale beyond single projects to drive regional climate resilience.
  • Bringing partners together into a cohesive, collaborative ecosystem focused on collective impact—moving beyond siloed work and counterproductive competition.

Sourcing Resources, Aggregating for Scale and Impact

Core Programs

1

Community-Philanthropist Partnership Accelerator

Purpose:

Connect philanthropists with grassroots organisations, enabling co-designed climate solutions.

Key Features:

  • Curated matchmaking between funders and vetted community initiatives.
  • Partnering with Asian leaders to design and draft scalable strategies, supported by clear theories of change and defined pathways to scale
  • Field immersion programs for philanthropists to experience projects firsthand.
  • Workshops co-facilitated by Athena, Chip and others on translating community needs into measurable support strategies.
  •  “Community Wisdom Fora” to surface emerging solutions and field insights.

2

Climate Philanthropy Leadership Lab

Purpose:

Build next-generation climate philanthropists in Asia.

Key Features:

  • Support program led by Athena, Chip and others.
  • Intensive retreats integrating contemplative practice with strategic decision-making.
  • Modules covering:
    • Personal Evolution facilitated quiet retreat time in Bali’s Central Highlands, combined with strategic prioritisation.
    • Environmental justice and human rights frameworks.
    • Measurement, Evaluation, and Learning in Climate Philanthropy.
    • Discussions on Climate finance mechanisms (e.g., green bonds, blended finance, impact investing).
  • Access to a curated network of experts, policymakers, and regional practitioners.

3

Field-Building & Research Hub

Purpose:

Generate knowledge at the intersection of grassroots climate action and strategic philanthropy.

Key Features:

  • Conduct applied research to identify high-leverage interventions and funding gaps.
  • Strengthen global climate-solution portfolios through the sourcing and diligent assessment of locally led climate initiatives
  • Develop toolkits and guides to help foundations integrate local insights into their funding decisions.
  • Serve as a knowledge broker linking community innovation with philanthropists’ capital.

4

Strategic Support Services

Purpose:

Provide tailored support services for high-impact philanthropists and foundations.

Services:

  • Philanthropic portfolio design and strategic alignment.
  • Climate and social impact due diligence (assessing existing philanthropic strategies and ideas, and vetting grant partners).
  • Partnership Structuring for Cross-Border Initiatives.
  • Facilitation of reflective sessions and retreats to integrate personal values with funding strategies
Karunā

Target Audience

  • Next-generation philanthropists (ages 25–40) seeking impact in climate and environmental justice in Asia.
  • Family offices and high-net-worth individuals focused on strategic, values-aligned giving.
  • Foundations looking to incorporate community wisdom into their grant-making strategies.

Strategic Differentiators

Pointed Expertise

Athena’s global climate finance and policy expertise, Chip’s Indigenous rights and forest protection experience and international philanthropy, and Milag’s expertise as a climate and social justice leader skilled in inclusive governance, community empowerment, and environmental policy.

Values-Driven

Integration of contemplative practices ensures alignment of heart, mind, and action in funding decisions.

Asia-Focused

Deep regional networks and cultural fluency across Southeast Asia.

Field-Building Orientation

Commitment to building lasting capacity and knowledge within communities.

Systems Impact

Combines philanthropy, policy influence, and innovative financing for large-scale climate solutions.