Maki Tazawa

Maki Tazawa
Degree Programs Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Master of Environmental Management, 2019
Affiliations Conservation Finance Network Clean Energy Finance Forum

Maki Tazawa is an intersectional environmental professional focused on innovative approaches to climate finance, especially for nature-based solutions. She is currently the Program Officer for the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, as well as a Co-Founder for ClimateRaise, an initiative to bolster women in climate tech. She was most recently the Program Manager for the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in Partnership with The Nature Conservancy. Previously she worked at the CREO Syndicate covering natural capital and circular economy investing for a network of family offices, especially focused on regenerative agriculture. She also managed international sustainable development programs with the National Audubon Society across Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Maki completed a graduate program at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies focused on impact investing, sustainable food systems, and social innovation; and an undergraduate degree from the George Washington University in International Affairs and Environmental Studies.

Authored Articles
Forest in Royalston, MA

Royalston, MA / Tyler Frost / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Conservation’s Role in Philanthropic Giving Is Changing

Maki Tazawa
Several recent reports, as well as observations from experts in the field, demonstrate a changing landscape of philanthropic conservation giving. Now, foundations more often incorporate broader social and environmental issues into conservation work. They also frequently approach conservation through the lens of climate change.
Panda in Chengdu

Companies Can Stave off Forest Tipping Points

Maki Tazawa
What does it take to make a forest collapse ecologically? How can the corporate sector prevent this collapse of its natural capital? According to Kerry Cesareo, vice president of the Forests Program at World Wildlife Fund, there are threats to the natural capital of the private sector that lie outside...
Poplar trees near water

Voluntary Surcharges

Maki Tazawa
This article by Story Clark and Maki Tazawa is part of the Network Toolkit, a resource designed for professionals who want to learn or communicate about the industry. Voluntary surcharge programs have raised millions of dollars for local land preservation. They are a financial tool for conservation in...
Lion

Ecotourism Investment Begins to Flourish

Maki Tazawa
Ecotourism is beginning to catch the eye of private investors and other funders who are interested in financing sustainable development, land rehabilitation, wildlife reintroduction, and/or conservation research. Examples from Africa show how ecotourism can synergistically build support for these goals.