Shalini Gupta

Strategic Advisor | Activist | Speaker 

 

Bringing a historic and international lens to my life's work - I center ecological sustainability, community health, and social justice. I have over 20 years of experience encompassing research, policy advocacy, community education, facilitation, writing, and nonprofit start ups/management. My work is intersectional, with specific expertise in the fields of energy, climate policy, and environmental justice.

 

I work with foundations, funder networks, donors, city and state government agencies, nonprofits, artists, and community based organizations to integrate a justice lens into environmental and climate programmatic work. 

​

Recent Consulting Clients:
 

Foundation and Funder Spaces
Chicago Frontline Funding Initiative (2022-present)

Senior Advisor

 

McKnight Foundation (2020-present)

Midwest Climate & Energy program and Vibrant and Equitable Communities strategy refinement. 

​

Midwest Environmental Justice Network (2023)

Strategy refinement

​

Health & Environmental Funders Network (2019-2020)
Climate, Health, and Equity national research survey, in collaboration with seven funder affinity groups and nearly 200 foundations and nonprofits around the country (survey report).

​

Surdna Foundation, Sustainable Environments Program (2019)

Team facilitation and research for Understanding and Tracking Organizational and Movement Progress Initiative report.

Nonprofits / CBOs

Community Members for Environmental Justice (CMEJ) (2018-present)

Strategic advisor on city land use/zoning, organizational development, and state environmental justice policy in Minnesota.

​

Aniccha Arts (2021-present)

Advisor to Prairie \ Concrete project which explores the intersection of movement, public arts, and reciprocity with the earth.

​

Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE, Roxbury, MA) (2023)

Advising on BERDO building emissions standard regulatory integration of environmental justice.

​

Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL) (2022-2023)

Strategic planning on environmental justice work.

​

Metro Blooms (2023)

Review of Sustainable Landcare Training Program from an environmental justice lens.

​

Chicago Environmental Justice Network (2021)

Facilitation on cumulative impacts city ordinance.

​

National Audubon Society (2018-2019)

National network-wide Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Assessment of Audubon chapters and state offices.

​
 

Government / Public Institution Facing​

 

City of Boston / One Square World (2020-present)

Policy advisor on integrating community-based environmental justice input into Boston's Building Emissions Policy Standard development and Northeastern University's Climate Action Plan.

 

City of Minneapolis (2019)
Policy facilitation/research/design of community-based Minneapolis Southside Green Zones Council (policy recommendations report) +

Strategic planning and staff retreat facilitation for Office of Sustainability.

 

University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs (2019)

Student advising related to equity oriented facilitation techniques for University wide events. 

​

City of Providence, Rhode Island / One Square World (2018-2019)

Racial and Environmental Justice Committee

Policy advisor on integrating community-based environmental justice input into City of Providence Climate Justice Plan.

​​

​

My work is done both solo and in teams, with roles fluctuating as needed to fit the needs of the project. 

 

​I am committed to justice in the place I immigrated as a child almost 40 years ago - Minneapolis, Minnesota (Mnisota Makoce), home of the Dakota people.

​

​

***************************************************

Read some of my recent articles:

​

MN governor, leaders must act to save lives of state’s most vulnerable

​

Bearing Witness: A Story of Life in Chernobyl's Aftermath

​

​