Our name (‘Op-teh-ruh’) blends two root words: Optic (a lens providing insight) and terra (a focus on the earth). It is also inspired by the Monarch Butterfly, a member of the Lepidoptera family, a species that makes an annual 3000-mile migration and one that is highly susceptible to climate change.
As with any good software story, Optera’s begins with a giant trove of data. The company’s founders were key contributors to ground-breaking publications Winning the Oil Endgame, Reinventing Fire and The 3% Solution – publications that informed the foundations of corporate climate action.
These studies culminated in a report called The Climate Has Changed – a report commissioned to launch the influential We Mean Business Coalition. To research corporate climate action for this report, Optera’s founders were given access to the complete history of data reported to the global corporate environmental impact disclosure system, CDP. The analysis of this large and unexplored dataset showed that the decisions of risk managers, investors and executives was starting to change, sending a powerful signal that a course correction is underway and where it should go. There was another key takeaway: that a software platform would be needed to make the key insights actionable by decision-makers inside companies.
The Optera Platform began as a skunk-works project called Flagstaff RPO (Resource Portfolio Optimization), or Flagstaff for short. At the time, the project was housed inside the sustainability innovation firm POINT380, which has since become Optera. From the beginning, Optera leveraged insights from its work on many corporate emissions inventories to develop a robust backend database. This “database of record” now supports the sustainability programs of a growing number of Fortune 500 companies and their suppliers.
With the foundation of the database complete, Optera turned to developing new analytical tools to enable platform users to go beyond generating summary data for annual reports. These tools help users to benchmark performance, to prioritize investments, to improve data quality, and to access granular operational data at the facility-level.
One analytic in particular intrigued Hewlett-Packard Enterprises (HPE). The Climate Point Ratio is a proprietary analytic that allows the reported emissions of any group of companies to be compared to each other and to science-based target pathways. HPE saw the potential to use this analytic in supply-chain management. Optera, in partnership with HPE, developed the analytic into a methodology to set science-based emissions goals for a supply chains. HPE and Optera subsequently used this methodology to set the world’s first supply chain science-based target.
Building on this work, Optera collaborated with HPE, Dell and other leaders in the tech industry to develop a supply chain management toolset within the Optera Platform. This toolset permits shared access to a common set of data and analytics that enables companies and their suppliers to collaborate on the transition to a climate-neutral supply chain.
Today, Optera’s wings are still unfolding. We continue to leverage insights from 20 years of developing innovative solutions with NGOs, industry leaders and all the companies we support. At present, we are working to expand our climate solutions to all industry sectors. Our team believes that scaling solutions to corporate climate action is the most important work most of us will do in our lives. We invite you to join us on the journey.
Major corporations are the largest emitters of carbon emissions. Our team designs and delivers the sustainability management solutions that enable companies to reduce the climate impacts of their operations, supply chains and products.
The Optera team is top-notch, creative and extremely tactical. They have been invaluable to me.
Optera is a cutting-edge sustainability information platform that has diverse features essential to accelerating environmental action, from setting, tracking, and achieving energy and sustainability goals, to developing project budgets and investment plans.
Optera’s tools and team are one of the best investments we’ve made. Their ability to help us develop and amplify our sustainability program has been invaluable.
Our knowledgeable and innovative team dedicates their skills, talents, and time to deliver tangible sustainability solutions to our clients.
Ali Rangwala
Junior Software Engineer
Role:
Ali supports both the front and backend development of Optera's products.
Background:Ali is experienced automating ETL workflows and maintaining franchise sales and customer data. Prior to Optera he worked at Buxton.
Kelvin Davis
Junior Software Engineer
Role:
Kelvin supports both the front and backend development of Optera's products.
Background:Kelvin supported multiple overseas missions as a Unit Deployment Manager in the US Air Force. Prior to Optera, Kelvin optimized and automated everyday solutions using Python.
Thomas Cazares
Associate Consultant
Role:
Thomas supports software and technical consulting engagements.
Background:Thomas has experience with sustainability operations and team management. Prior to Optera he worked as an ESG Analyst, while earning degrees in Sustainability and Urban Planning.
Dave Zelinka
Consultant
Role:
Dave supports software and technical consulting engagements.
Background:Dave has spent over a decade in academia specializing in sustainability engineering, systems science, and global development. Prior to Optera, Dave consulted for the United States Institute of Peace.
Siddarth Sharma
Consultant
Role:
Siddarth supports software and technical consulting engagements.
Background:Prior to Optera, Siddarth worked for CenturyLink where he developed a data analytics solution to find gaps, improvement opportunities and boost business performance.
Andrew Schlaepfer
Software Engineer
Role:
Andrew builds out and supports Optera's user interface.
Background:Andrew is an experienced project leader, open-source contributor and scrum master. Prior to Optera, Andrew supported front-end software development at Bloomberg L.P.
Manjula Rimmalapudi
Software Engineer
Role:
Manjula builds out and supports Optera's APIs and infrastructure.
Background:Manjula’s software experience ranges from design, development and maintenance to web-based applications. Prior to Optera, Manjula worked at TrackBack.
Blake Mackey
Principal Consultant, Strategy & Reporting
Role:
Blake leads Optera’s Strategy & Reporting services
Background:Blake has extensive experience leading complex projects and supporting public sustainability disclosures. Prior to Optera, Blake worked at Deloitte.
Britt Daiss
Sustainability Project Director
Role:
Britt leads delivery of integrated software and consulting services.
Background:Britt spent the last 2 decades working for Xanterra Travel Collection developing and implementing multiple robust ISO14001 certified EMS programs focused on reducing impacts to our National Parks.
Mitch Voss
Sustainability Project Director
Role:
Mitch leads delivery of integrated software and consulting services.
Background:Mitch has helped drive ESG strategy and performance by bringing companies ‘out of excel’ and into software solutions to manage risks and optimize results. Prior to Optera, Mitch worked for KPMG.
Melanie Gower
Director of Design
Role:
Melanie shapes the user experience and interface of Optera’s platform.
Background:Melanie has led design for several SaaS platforms to power rapid growth for businesses across industries and across the globe.
Ilya Sukhanov
Principal Software Engineer
Role:
Ilya leads Optera's engineering team and the design of platform architecture.
Background:Ilya is a skilled and experienced technical lead engineer with more than a decade of experience in the computer software industry. Prior to Optera, Ilya worked at Simple Energy and Uplight.
Nancy Schoemann
VP of Operations
Role:
Nancy oversees human resources and manages business operations.
Background:Nancy has worked across sectors to help purpose driven organizations scale and increase their impact. Prior to Optera, Nancy worked with Natural Habitats and the Obama administration.
Tim Weiss
Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer
Role:
Tim oversees the design, development and strategy of the Optera Platform.
Background:Tim has spearheaded thought-leading work with the World Economic Forum and Fortune 500 companies across many industries. Prior to Optera, Tim worked for AES Distributed Energy and Uncharted.
Ty Colman
Co-Founder, COO
Role:
Ty oversees Optera’s sales and client services.
Background:Ty has spent nearly two decades supporting the sustainability programs of Fortune 500 companies in nearly every major industry. Prior to Optera, Ty worked for Domani Consulting.
Jason Denner
Co-Founder, CEO
Role:
Jason is responsible for Optera’s long-term strategy and vision.
Background:Jason has contributed to influential corporate sustainability publications such as Reinventing Fire, The 3% Solution, and Green. Prior to Optera, Jason worked at the sustainability think tank RMI.