For an early stage startup like Cella, there is a lot to be done to build out the organization. I worked on quite a few different projects for organizational support, predominantly in the communications, media, and public engagement spaces. During the first half of my internship, I researched startup marketing tactics and codified an internal communications and media strategy, which focused on content generation, building out KPI's for increased page traffic, building a brand identity, and delegating with media sources/journalists for press releases. Part of the organization's mission is to raise awareness around carbon removal technologies and their increasing relevance in regard to meeting our net-zero goals as embedded in burgeoning carbon markets. While media and branding are important for an organizational identity, it is also a way of educating individuals and institutions alike on our novel technology development for meaningful climate mitigation.

Additionally, I worked on creating a community engagement strategy for our pilot injection site in Naivasha, Kenya. Through the development of this project, I was able to go to Washington D.C. for a \"Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Community Engagement and Responsible Deployment Symposium,\" hosted by the XPrize for Carbon Removal and the Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy at American University. From previous research experience at the National Wildlife Federation and from this symposium, I was able to incorporate a lot of findings into an official internal strategy on how to equitably deploy a CDR project, especially one with delicate needs due to its location in Sub-Saharan Africa. This project is vital to how Cella proceeds with project development; the CDR industry is nascent, so it is essential to codify justice, inclusion, and proactive principles into the organization's outreach to ensure community benefits are created by our presence. Finally, one of the major deliverables I was able to work on is a collection of policy briefs to delegate with external stakeholders. I interacted with the UNFCCC Article 6.4 Supervisory Body on the Article 6.4 Mechanism on Removal Activities by preparing a series of structured consultations on in-situ mineralization to inform their deliberations on how to include CDR into the Paris Agreement. Additionally, I have worked on the in-situ mineralization working group at Breakthrough Energy to codify a common code of conduct for carbon mineralization startup companies.

I have been incredibly fortunate to apply a lot of my findings from my master's degree at the Climate School into this position. The skills include translating complex climate information to general audiences, integrating climate data diagnostics, observed trends, and data, speaking about climate mitigation technology, and understanding the historic and current landscape of international climate politics.

There were a couple of challenges I faced, mostly from the demanding and busy nature of startup culture. Time management was the most challenging aspect of this position: with a large work volume and trying to facilitate inventive ways of going about my tasks, there was a lot to delegate. My supervisors and I worked closely to create a weekly action items list of high priority tasks and timelines on which to execute them.

Additionally, through this position, I was asked to speak on a panel for the Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy's Carbon Removal Justice Fellows Program, and it did not go as planned. As an intern representing the company on this panel discussing community engagement around CDR, I was met with a lot of opposition from the fellows. I take environmental justice concerns very seriously, and it drives the core of why I care about this in climate mitigation solutions. The fellows were incredibly skeptical about Cella's work in Africa, and while I echo their concerns and am trying to codify strong principles to avoid adverse effects of tech and infrastructure development, it felt like they had already made their mind up about it before I spoke. It was challenging, but it was an excellent opportunity to learn that not everyone agrees with you.

After this experience, I really want to continue working in the CDR space, and I am currently negotiating a full-time position contract with Cella. The CDR space is burgeoning with momentum, investment, and political will, so it is very promising and exciting for me coming out of graduate school and in search of a full-time career in the space.