Daniele Guidi

Economics undergraduate (B.A. La Sapienza University, Rome 1989) and Fulbright graduate in Environmental Policy (M.A. at Tufts University 1993), he holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics & Policy (Siena University, 1997). In 1999, his PhD thesis was awarded the 1° national ENEA Sustainable Development Prize. After a period of post doctoral research and several collaborations with national, international authorities, NGOs and with the private sector, in 2000 was the founder of Ecosoluzioni, as specialized environment and energy consulting firm. As Environmental Economist with expertise in cost benefit and multi-criteria evaluation, sustainable investments business planning and evaluation, renewable energy technologies and markets, climate change, he has taken part of many research and consulting projects. As a development consultant and researcher, he has served to institutional donor/lenders (EC, FAO, IFAD, ILO, SIDA, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and to the private sector, mainly focusing on agriculture and rural development, and on cross-cutting issues related to microfinance, renewable energy technologies, micro-enterprise support and climate change. He designed/monitored/supported rural/energy development and technology transfer projects in several countries, including Brazil, Morocco, Ghana, Syria, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic and China for both donor agencies and the private sector. Over the past decade, he has participated to several project evaluation panels for the EC. During the period 2004-2009, on behalf of LaGuardia Foundation (NGO), he supported coordination, stratigic advisory, funding, and M&E of initiatives in Brazil, China, India. In 2010, he started collaborating with the PFAN of the Climate Technology Initiative, coaching clean tech entrepreneurs in developing their business plans and finance strategies. During the 2010-11 academic year he was a Fulbright Research Scholar and Sustainability Science Mid-career Fellow at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, conducting research on smallholder inclusive value chain approaches to sustainable agriculture.

Stephanie Cunningham

Stephanie, holds a M.A. in Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley University, (Cambridge USA, 1993) and has a background in social policy issues. She was responsible for training trade union leaders in leadership skills for a major Italian trade union, CISL, and assisted in founding their Intergenerational program, the first of it’s kind in Italy. After 8 years of running an Eco-Tourism business in Chianti Tuscany, she co-founded Ecosoluzioni. She is responsible for project management and renewable energy business development tasks. Stephanie also contributes by studying  group dynamics and engaging creative processes in visioning social-environmental change to the design of training, empowerment and capacity building programs. She is currently researching Ecopsychology, a field which connects psychology to ecology, examining why humans behave the way they do (and damage their own environment) and investigates the re-visioning of this relationship to nature. The basic assumption is that the human relationship to nature is of interdependence rather than dominance and that deep contact with the environmental challenges that we face along with meaningful immersion in and awareness of nature motivates people to act more responsibly, moving towards a more sustainable culture.

Francesco Francisci

Natural sciences’ graduate with concentration in zoology (Florence 1979). Until 1994, chief researcher with several wildlife biology/conservation projects, mainly in Italy; member of the Italian scientific authority for the application of CITES legislation (1990-1993). Thereafter consultant on aspects of waste management (waste operated biogas- and incineration-pyrolisis-gasification processes; waste diversions and environment- and virgin material conservation; evaluation of aerial emissions of large combustors and waste treatments; water as final recipient of combustion gases and waste-heat), energy conservation (knowledge of specific sectors such as thermal solar; combustors/engines for methane and biofuels, power/heath-storage devices, insulating materials), local resource conservation (rainwater conservation and soakway alternatives to run-off; water recycling; felled/scrap wood types and specific agri-residues, and furnaces or digestors; straight virgin/fried vegetable oils in diesel engines and multifeedstock biodiesel). Experienced in work with public bodies, NGOs and environment oriented projects, enterprises, academic and scientific institutions. Competence in analysis of environmental policies and regulations; environmental training and education; project evaluation and formulation; critical policy issues regarding renewable sources of energy, energy saving, waste/pollution prevention and the international agreements, actions, binding decisions existing in the face of climate change.