Meet the Team

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Michael Bernstein is the executive director of Clean Prosperity, a Canadian non-profit that works toward practical climate solutions that reduce emissions and grow the economy.

Michael is an economist by training. He is an advisor to elected leaders across the political spectrum, and a frequent commentator on climate policy. He was named on The Hill Times’ Top 100 Lobbyists List for 2021.

Michael joined Clean Prosperity in 2018. His career has spanned business, management consulting, international development, and politics. Prior to Clean Prosperity, Michael was the CEO of Mama Earth Organics, a small business that delivered organic produce from local farms to families around the Greater Toronto Area.

He worked directly with dozens of farmers and saw first-hand the effects climate change was having on the farms he worked with. As a father of two young kids, he’s also very concerned about the future that we’re leaving to the next generation.

Before working in the local food sector, Michael was a business management consultant at McKinsey where he advised Fortune 500 companies, institutional investors, and governments on key strategic and business issues. He also worked with InvestEco Capital to set up an advisory service that offered support to companies in the sustainable food sector.

Michael holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and a B.A. in Economics from Yale University.

Michael serves on the C.D. Howe Institute’s Energy Policy Council, on the Public Policy Forum’s Energy Futures Forum, and as a MaRS Cleantech Volunteer Advisor.

When he’s not working on climate change, you can find him building Lego airplanes with his kids or doing his best karaoke impression of Vanilla Ice.

Allison joined Clean Prosperity from Crestview Strategy, where she planned and executed public affairs campaigns. Before joining Crestview, Allison worked for the Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions, Marketing and Communications Office at Queen’s University, crafting marketing and recruitment materials for prospective and incoming students.

Allison has always been interested in people, how they are informed, and how this can impact their quality of life. She’s become passionate about using her skills and experience to communicate and educate others on climate policy.

Allison holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Studies and English Literature from Queen’s University. She grew up in St. Catharines and now lives in Toronto, where she enjoys cooking and exploring the outdoors in her free time.

Melissa Felder is an environmental specialist who has conducted research projects for organizations across Canada since 2001. Prior to joining Clean Prosperity, she was Climate Change Lead at MaRS Discovery District, where she developed initiatives integrating climate, clean technology impact, and the future of work.

Melissa has worked with the Canadian Climate Institute, the Information Communications and Technology Council, Sustainable Buildings Canada, and Sustainable Development Technology Canada, among others. She is a Cleantech Advisor for the Centre for Social Innovation’s Climate Ventures and a Coalition Advisor for Mission from MaRS. Previously, she served a five-year term on the board of ZooShare Biogas Cooperative, Canada’s first zoo-based bioenergy plant.

Melissa has a Masters in Bio-Resource Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Brendan leads Clean Prosperity’s policy development, and designs strategies to achieve the organization’s objectives. Prior to joining Clean Prosperity, Brendan worked for several organizations that specialize in climate policy and the low-carbon energy transition, including Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy program, and Innovative Research Group. His experience spans the private and public sectors, academia, and civil society.

With roots in Alberta and Ontario, Brendan strongly believes that addressing environmental challenges can be a unifying issue across regional and political lines. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Calgary and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from Queen’s University. Outside of work he is a musician, runner, and occasionally successful cook. Brendan lives in Ottawa with his wife and son.

Anastasia is a sustainable development professional with over 10 years of experience in environmental, socio-economic, and climate research and analytics. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and a professional certificate in Data Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Anastasia has served as a collaborator on studies spanning a broad range of topics including socio-ecological systems, food and water security, rural development, climate risk modelling, and environmental governance. Her work informed multi-national multi-stakeholder collaborations and international assessments of biofuel policies and their impacts on deforestation, biodiversity, and sustainable development goals.

Etienne leads Clean Prosperity’s federal advocacy. Prior to joining the organization, he headed research advocacy for Universities Canada, an industry association representing universities to the federal government. Before that he advised clients in their government relations approaches as a Senior Consultant at Earnscliffe Strategies. Etienne began his career in Ottawa as a political staffer to Canada’s minister of public safety.

Etienne hails from Fort McMurray, Alberta, and holds a Master’s in Political Management from Carleton University and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alberta.

Adam joined Clean Prosperity from the Government of Alberta, where he helped establish Canada’s first ESG Secretariat as its Executive Director, ESG Coordination and Integration. Prior to this, Adam led the Government Relations team at the University of Alberta and held various roles with local economic development, consulting, and business organizations, and also led a local strategic advisory firm focused on helping private and non-profit organizations develop and implement new growth strategies rooted in the concepts of shared value creation.

Adam returned home to Alberta in 2013 following many years in Ottawa working on Parliament Hill, including in Canada’s Environment Minister’s Office in 2011-13. Prior to that, Adam spent time in Canada’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., and served nearly two years on the ground in Afghanistan deployed with the Canadian Government.

A fervent believer in the power of people to create positive change in their communities, Adam is a very active national, provincial, and local volunteer, currently serving on the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation’s Board of Trustees, as a Reservist in the Canadian Army, and as a local minor soccer coach.

Born and raised in rural Alberta, Adam and his unstoppable wife Katherine spend all their free time outdoors exploring Edmonton and hiking the Rocky Mountains with their young son and their two Nova Scotia Duck Tollers.