About Alexander (Lex)'s Work

I'm a nature-based solutions strategist and practitioner with over 20 years of experience tackling global and local sustainability challenges. My work has taken me across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa, developing innovative strategies to finance sustainable landscapes and build climate resilience. I’m passionate about bringing big ideas to life—whether that's securing major funding, designing impactful programs, or connecting the right people to drive change.

Most recently, I was a Senior Advisor for Sustainable Landscapes at USAID. I led the design and management of sustainable landscape activities for the Climate Finance for Development Accelerator (CFDA), deployed catalytic capital to launch innovative financing vehicles like the Acorn Smallholder Agroforestry Facility and Colibri Catalyst, and advised USAID Missions on project design and policy engagement in countries like Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, and Vietnam.

Before this, I worked as an independent consultant, mainly for sustainability intermediaries, including the Climate Leadership Initiative (developing curated philanthropy portfolios for new, high net-worth climate donors), Calyx Global (carbon credit ratings agency), and The Change Climate Project (enabling credible climate action by companies). 

I worked for 14 years at The Nature Conservancy, including 6 years in Indonesia, where I helped design and lead some of the first jurisdictional REDD+ programs in Berau District and East Kalimantan Province. As part of those programs, I developed and advised sustainable commodity programs (forestry, palm oil) and led multi-stakeholder processes involving governments, private sector leaders, and civil society.

Throughout my career I have co-authored several publications, including The Little Sustainable Landscapes Book, and written about sustainability transitions, cross-sector collaboration, and strategies for reducing deforestation.

I have an MBA and a Master of Forestry from Yale, plus a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from the University of Michigan.