Takeshi Benjamín Kaji
Program Manager, Climate Solutions
(he/him)

Born at home in his family’s apartment in San Francisco, Takeshi’s academic and career paths have taken him around the world. Having worked to advance climate action internationally through nonprofit and governmental roles, he is keen to use the diversity of his past experiences to contribute to Climate Solutions grantmaking.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to be immersed in the dynamic and energetic community of nonprofits advancing climate action,” says Takeshi. As Program Manager for Climate Solutions, Takeshi is proud to support Skyline’s community of grantees working on durable solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through technological innovation, legal and policy strategies, and community-based action. He joined Skyline after three years at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), where he supported the coordination of California’s international climate partnerships and advised state government leadership’s participation in United Nations climate conferences.

Takeshi also has six years of international experience in nonprofit organization management, curating and convening public dialogue on climate action and circumpolar affairs at the Arctic Circle Secretariat in Reykjavík, Iceland. He earned an MSc in Environmental Management and Policy from the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University in Sweden and also holds a BA in Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species from Columbia University in the City of New York.

After 14 years away, Takeshi is now back in his hometown of San Francisco, where he spends as much time as he can relaxing with his family, learning languages, and enjoying the great outdoors.