Yesenia Rivera is the Executive Director of Energy Allies. Yesenia centers climate-impacted communities in clean energy projects, policy advocacy, and education. Yesenia has been a community organizer from the start, working alongside climate-impacted communities. Her first-hand experiences of energy insecurity mobilized her to advocate for eliminating barriers to solar for all. Yesenia started her career as a law student and student attorney for the Community Development Clinic and transitioned to a housing counselor position and tenant organizer for the Latino Economic Development Center. In 2017, she joined Solar United Neighbors as DC Programs Director and was promoted to Director of Energy Equity and Inclusion in 2019 when she launched a program that installed 0.5 MW of solar on income-qualified households. She learned from these experiences that we can’t authentically center communities without deliberately engaging them every step of the way.