Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy Appoints Viviana Alvarez as Chief Impact Officer

Having secured $500M+ in funding for 150+ Tribes since 2023, the Alliance welcomes Alvarez, whose 20+ years will expand impact and mobilize capital.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, November 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, an Indigenous-led nonprofit advancing energy sovereignty alongside Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Villages, today announced the appointment of Viviana Alvarez as Chief Impact Officer. Joining an accomplished leadership team as the Alliance prepares to enter its second decade, Alvarez brings more than 20 years of global experience in corporate strategy, sustainability, innovation and economic development to expand the organization’s reach and deepen its impact on behalf of the Tribal communities it serves.

Alvarez previously served as Head of Corporate Strategy and Sustainability for Unilever North America, where she worked with executive leadership to integrate sustainability, circular economy principles, and innovation into business strategy and operations. In 2019, she received a United Nations Leadership Award recognizing her work advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs.

She is also Co-Founder and former CEO of cDots Institute for Innovation and Economic Growth, a nonprofit established through philanthropic, municipal investment, green bank, and Tribal partnerships to connect people, capital and capacity in support of local energy resilience and economic opportunity. Drawing on her work with Tribal Nations and partners through cDots, Alvarez brings her experience and expertise to the Alliance’s established programs, partnerships, and expertise to expand opportunities for Tribes. Alvarez serves on the advisory board of the Center for Responsible Business at Berkeley Haas and contributes to academic discussions and learning initiatives there and at MIT, Wharton and other university networks. She holds an Executive MBA from Esade Business School and has pursued studies in leadership, sustainability and innovation through programs at Harvard, Oxford, INSEAD, and through the Yale-World Business Council for Sustainable Development partnership.

Founded in 2016, the organization now known as the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy has spent a decade advancing Tribal energy sovereignty with measurable results. The Alliance supports more than 150 Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Villages. Since 2023, it has helped Tribes secure more than a half a billion dollars in federal funding. Over the last 24 months, the Indigenous Power & Light Fund for Energy Sovereignty℠ has committed more than $6 million in catalytic grants and flexible financing to 21 Tribes, helping unlock more than $200 million in additional clean energy project funding and financing.

To address the unique legal, financial and jurisdictional complexities of Tribal clean energy development, the Alliance created the first-of-its-kind Weaver Platform℠, combining project planning, financial modeling, and legal document templates to save Tribes time and expense. Supporting solar, wind, geothermal, energy storage, and run-of-river hydropower development, Weaver℠ equips the Alliance to help Tribes evaluate project options, structure financing, and advance development more efficiently. It has already supported a portfolio of projects valued at more than $800 million.

These achievements reflect the work of a highly skilled, predominantly Indigenous team and an extensive network of Tribal, philanthropic, academic and industry partners. Funded entirely through philanthropy, the Alliance offers catalytic financing and comprehensive technical, financial, policy, education and workforce development services at no cost to Tribes.

“Together with the Tribal Nations and Alaska Native Villages we serve, we’ve built a deeply committed, highly capable team, trusted relationships across Indian Country, and a model of support that delivers real, measurable results,” said Chéri Smith (Mi’kmaq Descendant), Founder, President and CEO of the Alliance. “But the need far exceeds the resources available today. Viviana joins us to build on this foundation and grow our impact. She brings the strategic vision, relationships and experience to open new doors, attract more allies and investment and expand what’s possible for the Tribes we serve.”

As Chief Impact Officer, Alvarez will work closely with Dr. Ramon Sanchez (Mayo, Yaqui), the Alliance’s Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, and leaders across the organization to deepen and expand established relationships with academic, corporate, philanthropic and investment partners. Building on the Alliance’s collaborations with Haskell Indian Nations University and other Tribal colleges and universities, as well as Harvard, MIT and Wharton, Alvarez will help translate research and innovation into new opportunities, resources and sustainable revenue models that support Tribal priorities.

A central focus of her work will be strengthening the Alliance’s impact measurement and reporting. She will build on rigorous methodologies already developed with academic collaborators to capture the economic, social, health and environmental benefits of Tribal-led clean energy development, with meaningful input from Tribes on which outcomes matter most and how they are shared.

“Through our collaborations with institutions like Haskell, Harvard and MIT, we’ve developed innovative tools and methodologies to measure the far-reaching impacts of Tribal-led clean energy development,” said Dr. Sanchez. “But developing these tools is only part of the work. We also need to communicate what they reveal, bring that knowledge to the right audiences and translate it into meaningful partnerships and opportunities for Tribal Nations. Viviana brings the relationships, vision and expertise to help us do exactly that. I’m excited to work closely with her to expand the reach and impact of what we’ve built.”

Alvarez also will work alongside the Alliance’s finance and project development teams to strengthen partnerships and expand access to capital that helps Tribal-led energy projects move from planning to construction. By engaging mission-aligned lenders, investors and philanthropic partners, she will help advance sustainable financing approaches that can replenish the Indigenous Power & Light Fund for Energy Sovereignty℠, allowing its resources to support more Tribal Nations and projects over time. She will strengthen corporate engagement through the Alliance’s Preferred Provider Program℠ and Pathways to Trust℠, which foster respectful, mutually beneficial partnerships between Tribal Nations and the clean energy industry.

“I am deeply honored to join the remarkable leadership team and staff at the Alliance,” said Alvarez. “What this organization has accomplished reflects the strength of its people, the trust it has earned, and, most importantly, the leadership and determination of the Tribal Nations it serves. My role is to build on that foundation — connecting more institutions, companies, investors and philanthropic partners to the work already underway, while strengthening our ability to demonstrate its full economic, social, health and environmental value. I see real opportunity to bring new resources and allies to the work Tribal Nations are leading, always guided by their priorities and sovereignty. I am grateful for the opportunity to listen, learn and contribute to what the Alliance has already built.”

As the organization enters its second decade, Alvarez’s appointment reflects the Alliance’s proven model of impact and commitment to expanding the partnerships, capital and resources that are helping Tribes strengthen sovereignty and improve community members’ lives with the regenerative power of clean energy.

To arrange an interview with Alvarez, contact press@tribalcleanenergy.org.

About the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy:
The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy is an Indigenous-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting Native American Tribes and Alaska Native Villages in the self-determined pursuit of a clean energy future. Working across the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, the Alliance helps Tribal communities unleash the regenerative power of clean energy to reduce poverty, strengthen climate resilience, and build thriving, sustainable economies — while protecting Mother Earth for future generations. Founded in 2016 and funded entirely through philanthropy, the Alliance is the only organization of its kind, pairing catalytic funding with no-cost, wrap-around services including technical assistance, grant and financing support, policy advocacy, education, and workforce development. Learn more at tribalcleanenergy.org.

Dr. Keri Bradford-Gomez
Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy
press@tribalcleanenergy.org
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook

Media gallery