Vanessa Pizer is the director of Climate Resilience Initiatives at Episcopal Relief & Development, where she has played an integral role in building the organization’s gender-based violence and climate resilience portfolios. Vanessa and her team test innovations at the nexus of long-term livelihood resilience and short-term emergency response. Prior to joining Episcopal Relief & Development, Vanessa was an instructor with the Earth Institute. She has worked in Uganda, Cambodia, and Mali on various natural resource management projects. Vanessa has a master’s degree in public administration & development practice from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.