Carbon Yield Team
Sam Schiller (he/his)
Co-Founder, CEO
Sam is a climate impact entrepreneur and environmental policy advocate based in Chicago. He helped launch and scale two related environmental startups - Wabashco and Tradewater - which focus on carbon offset development through the destruction of CFC refrigerants and methane emitting from abandoned coal mines. These projects were among the first credited under California’s compliance emissions reduction initiative. Under Sam’s leadership, this work produced 21 carbon offset projects that generated over 2 million tons of greenhouse gas reductions. Since exiting Tradewater in the spring of 2018, Sam has focused on utilizing environmental markets to advance carbon sequestration in agricultural landscapes. In 2019, Sam founded Carbon Yield, where he has utilized his deep experience in carbon markets and agricultural communities to better align farm profitability with carbon storage in healthy soils.
Carbon Yield works with more than 100,000 acres of croplands to help them access the resources required to transition to regenerative agriculture. His work with Carbon Yield earned the Kellogg Zell Fellowship, first place in the 2019 Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge, and was recognized by Fast Company in its World Changing Ideas series. Carbon Yield serves as the Agricultural Lead of Climate TRACE, where Sam has collaborated across global research teams to help solve challenging emissions reporting and accounting challenges in ways that improve the credibility and impact of greenhouse gas programs and ultimately incentivize more regenerative food production systems. Sam served for over a decade in board leadership, including as Board Chair, of the Delta Institute, a nonprofit with deep experience in environmental markets, regenerative agriculture, and conservation finance. Sam graduated with a degree in social policy and environmental policy from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Claire Pluard (she/her)
Co-Founder, COO
Claire Pluard's career has focused on the strategic development of mission-driven organizations by making sure they effectively track impact and secure resources to scale effective work. She has over eight years’ multifaceted experience in nonprofit management, government relations, and social justice advocacy. Most recently, Claire revamped the data management system at Catholic Charities of Chicago and has raised over $30M in new funding for their programs.
Claire is passionate about seeking solutions to the amplified effects of climate change on vulnerable populations; she sees Carbon Yield as her next step in exploring this intersection. An avid gardener and lover of the outdoors, navigating carbon markets for regenerative farmers with Carbon Yield is a natural fit. Claire is finished her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2020. Claire lives in Chicago with her family and loves to entertain friends and family in her garden.
Vivian Powell (they/them)
Data Analyst
Viv works to design robust data systems for Carbon Yield’s farmers, collect and analyze data, and guide farmers through the process of participating in carbon programs.
Viv’s background and education lies in the exciting intersection of data and the environment – they hold a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Applied Math & Statistics from Macalester College. They are driven by a love for science communication and all things math, statistics, and data, as well as a strong desire to improve food systems through regenerative agriculture and environmental justice work. Originally from Seattle, Viv now lives in Minneapolis and enjoys playing the guitar, swing dancing, biking, and reading.
Madalene Andoe-Leggett (she/her)
Agriculture Project Manager
Madalene Andoe-Leggett’s career spans the environmental and social justice fields from promoting food equity and access to the establishment and growth of regenerative farms in upstate New York and Southwest Colorado. At the core of her work is a fervent dedication to forging environmentally beneficial, equitable food systems. She has over a decade of experience in sustainable food systems development. With a B.A. in Sustainable Food Systems, Madalene has excelled in managing regenerative organic farms, leading environmental advocacy cohorts, and food bank programmatic and operations development. Madalene demonstrates keen foresight, organizational prowess, empathy, and a robust work ethic honed through her extensive experience as a full-time produce and flower farm director. She understands the importance of equitably incentivizing producers to adopt regenerative practices to improve ecological systems for the benefit of our planet. Her passion for regenerative agriculture and food justice drives her commitment at Carbon Yield to support organizations and farmers on their journey to rebuild healthy soils and ecosystems.
Madalene enjoys cross-country skiing, paddle boarding, hiking, and camping with her family and friends as well as cooking, silversmithing, and arranging flowers.
