Alayna Van Dervort Wagner
Alayna is a climate-tech strategist and environmental systems leader with 20+ years of experience driving carbon removal, AI innovation, and sustainable land use across public, private, and philanthropic sectors. Currently the Chief of Climate Innovation & Partnerships at OptiCloud – winner of the UN COP29 AI for Climate Action Award – she leads partnerships that turn digital waste into measurable emissions reduction for enterprise and public sector clients.
Alayna has advised the Biden Administration, consulted the Bezos Earth Fund on a $100M Climate, Nature & AI Fund, and built pioneering carbon governance frameworks rooted in nature-based solutions and indigenous partnership. She is also the founder of The Big Wild, a nonprofit delivering high-impact wetland restoration and biodiversity corridor projects, and was formerly the AI for Good Program Manager at Amazon AWS.
Alayna holds a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resource & Ecosystems Management from Harvard. She is also an AI for Good Fellow at Stanford University, where she focuses on energy and carbon removal.
Recognized globally for her integrity, scientific rigor, and systems-thinking leadership, Alayna is a frequent speaker at climate, policy, and sustainability forums around the world.