Jessi helps others apply a social/climate justice and human rights lens to new and emerging environmental, climate and economic initiatives. She is a thought-partner, advisor, facilitator and technical expert. She is also a nature lover, who knows that healthy ecosystems are both critical to life and nurture the soul.
Jessi is privileged to have had brilliant mentors and a diversity of rich experiences in biodiversity conservation and economic development. In 2019, she created Heartwood LLC, where she applies that experience to nature-based and financial solutions that are grounded in social justice; accountability standards with greater transparency and impact; and business practices that value people and environment.
During her 20 year professional career, Jessi has maintained the connection between ecological and human wellbeing, amongst the challenges of working within our dominant political and economic systems. She has advised a wide range of non-profit organizations, companies, governments, and trade platforms. Jessi is currently working with companies engaged in voluntary carbon markets to strengthen equity and community-ownership, including with the Equitable Earth Coalition to bring climate finance directly to Indigenous Peoples and local forest communities through next-generation REDD+.
Jessi previously played a vital role in advancing the work on global living wages and living incomes, as an advisor to IDH, GIZ, ISEAL Alliance and numerous companies and standards systems. Prior to starting Heartwood, she led the social science and social justice strategy for the sustainable agriculture NGO, Rainforest Alliance. Jessi began her career in global early warning systems, including directing the FEWSNET team responsible for modeling the impact of climate shocks on the livelihoods and resiliency of populations, to inform preparedness and early response by governments and international agencies.
Jessi is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Living Wage for US. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Development and Social Change from Clark University. Jessi and her family live and play in Oregon.
Jessi Grillo
Anna is always on a quest for the ingredients of a creative, happy and sustainable life and the recipe for a fair and just world where all living creatures can exist, thrive and flourish. Willing to re-connect with nature after twenty years of corporate work and big city living, she moved with her partner to a small rural community, between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean sea, where she now balances her consulting work with tending a vegetable orchard and some art practice. She loves the taste of freshly picked ripen tomatoes, the sound of bells and knowing her neighbours.
During her work at different positions for multinational corporations from various sectors, Anna was responsible to develop, implement, audit and certify integrated quality, environment and health and safety management systems in Europe, South Asia, and Latin America, gaining expertise on project and team management as well as awareness on the difficulties and challenges of driving change and promoting the sustainability agenda within complex organisations.
After her MBA, she established herself as an independent consultant and, for the last 10 years, she has helped scheme owners, companies and producer organisations to improve the requirements and audit process methodologies of sustainability schemes and company codes of conduct by providing benchmark, research, gap analysis and expert advice.
Anna also works in collaboration with other small consultancy firms, where she supports the development and implementation of sustainability strategies and provides training on sustainability topics such as certifications and living wages.
She is happy to be an associate consultant at Heartwood, where she supports Jessi on the IDH Roadmap on Living Wages and co-leads Salary Matrix implementation activities among others.
Heartwood LLC provides consulting services, individually and in collaboration with other talented consultants from a variety of practice areas
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