Since 2012, Max has partnered with institutional foundations, family offices, nonprofits, and impact investors to advance environmental missions focusing on climate solutions and ocean conservation. He has supported several of the world’s leading climate and ocean conservation funders and NGOs, including Oceankind, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Builders Vision, the Sobrato Family Foundation, the Valhalla Foundation, the Sandler Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, Climate Lead, Oceans 5, and Environmental Defense Fund. Max’s advisory expertise encompasses grantmaking strategy, theory of change development, grantee pipeline creation, due diligence, grant structuring, and program monitoring and evaluation. He frequently leads integrated client teams, serving as an extension of their philanthropic programs. Additionally, he oversees many of the firm’s initiatives in impact investing and data analysis, helping clients align financial investments with environmental objectives. Max’s work spans local initiatives to global solutions. Notably, he co-led the launch of the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance, a global initiative addressing ocean-climate priorities that secured over $325 million in philanthropic investment.
Prior to joining CEA, Max worked for a boutique investment bank that focused on structuring and raising debt and equity capital for rapid-growth companies and providing advisory and capital-raising services for specialty lenders, both domestically and internationally. Max earned his master’s degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University and his bachelor’s degree in international politics and economics.
Max serves on the International Advisory Board of the Global Initiative for Nature, Grids, and Renewables.