Corporate Sustainability and Advisory
Canopy Edge is a global management consulting firm that provides clients with the strategic advice and tools needed to navigate and excel in the Net Zero corporate sustainability journey.
Our firm offers measurement and strategy for science-based targets, supplier engagement solutions, ESG reporting and program management, thought leadership, and market messaging advisory services.
Our mission is to empower our clients to navigate the complex landscape of sustainability, ensuring they not only reduce their environmental impact but also seize the numerous opportunities that arise from responsible business practices.
What Makes Canopy Edge Unique?
Our veteran management team has decades of practical management, technology, and sustainability experience. Our team launched the leading cleantech research and consulting firm, Pike Research, in 2009. The team has collectively assisted over 500 companies with Net Zero journeys toward sustainability and ESG compliance, through more than 1,200 client engagements in over 80 countries, across diverse industry sectors.
Canopy Edge focuses on small and medium companies, which make up roughly 90% of businesses worldwide. The progress our clients make has a positive impact on the Scope 3 emissions of large corporations.
In addition to advancing our clients toward a Net Zero landscape, we go one step further by providing go-to-market services that create positive outcomes to customers, employees, investors, and the communities our clients serve.
Leadership Team
Daniel Cardamone, Managing Director
Daniel brings 25 years of experience in consulting and executive leadership. Prior to Canopy Edge, Daniel co-founded the North America Sustainability Consulting Practice for Guidehouse and expanded the group into one of the largest and most successful ESG management consulting practices globally. In a span of 12 years, Daniel was a catalyst for over 1,000 companies executing Net Zero plans. He led groundbreaking initiatives and consortia in multiple segments such agriculture, fashion and apparel, digital and technology, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, infrastructure, food and beverage, logistics and transportation, material handling and packaging, and real estate. One of the most innovative and impactful initiatives Daniel co-founded was The Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition (S-LOCT), which is one of the largest supplier engagement programs in the world, with over 800 companies engaged. He was responsible for building the S-LOCT consortium with companies such as Disney, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Estee Lauder, Heineken, Mars, McDonalds, Neiman Marcus, Nestle, PepsiCo, Puma, Starbucks, and Yum!
Daniel was a technology consulting executive for 13 years prior to Guidehouse, with companies such IDC, Keller Fay, and C Space. During that time, Daniel led annual double-digit growth initiatives with companies such as AT&T, Cisco, Dell, Google, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP. Daniel led global sales and marketing teams, as well as operations at the regional and country level.
Prior to his years in consulting, Daniel spent 7 years representing Toshiba, Electrolux, and Xerox and doing business in 50+ countries. He holds an MBA from Thunderbird – Arizona State University and a BA in International Relations from Saint Joseph’s University.
Jonathan Keller, Managing Director
Jonathan brings over 18 years of executive management and corporate ESG messaging experience in B2B consulting, research, and digital media publishing.
He co-founded Dash Network, an integrated research and digital news media platform in 2021 and joined The Futurum Group through acquisition, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and worked with the largest technology brands in the world.
Prior, Jonathan spent 10 years with Light Reading, a digital media, research, and events company serving the global telecommunications market, where he was Chief Sales Officer and member of the executive ownership team that sold Light Reading to Informa PLC in 2016. In his time at Informa, Jonathan served as Managing Director of Informa Tech’s Light Reading Network, which included media brands such as Light Reading, Telecoms.com, Connecting Africa, and over a dozen B2B event brands including The Big 5G Event and 2020 Vision Executive Summit.
Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Colorado’s School of Journalism and a Recording Engineering Degree from the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences.
Clint Wheelock, Managing Director
Clint brings over 25 years of management consulting and market analysis experience, focused on sustainability, energy, and emerging technology sectors. He was previously the founder and President of Pike Research, a leading market intelligence firm focused on the global cleantech industry, which was acquired by Guidehouse in 2012. Following the acquisition, Clint continued to lead and expand the Guidehouse Insights business as part of the firm’s Energy, Sustainability & Infrastructure consulting practice.
He previously founded Tractica, a market analysis firm with a focus on human interaction with technology, including coverage of artificial intelligence, robotics, user interface technologies, and other emerging sectors. Following Tractica’s acquisition by Informa Group, Clint served as Chief Research Officer for Informa’s research division, Omdia, with management and content strategy responsibility for a global team of more than 400 analysts and support staff. Clint was subsequently co-founder and CEO of Dash Network, an integrated research and digital media firm focused on the CX market, which was acquired by The Futurum Group in 2022, after which he served as Chief Research Officer.
Prior to Pike Research, Clint was Chief Research Officer at ABI Research, a New York-based industry analyst firm concentrating on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets. He previously held senior management roles at Circana, RELX Group, Lumen Technologies, and Verizon, in addition to a prior background in management consulting and private investment banking.
Clint holds an MBA from the University of Dallas and a BA from Washington & Lee University.
Consulting Team
Kevin Foley, Director
Kevin Foley is a Director at Canopy Edge, with a focus on sustainability strategy, Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG footprinting and reporting, supplier engagement, TCFD and CDP reporting, disclosures, and climate scenario analysis. Kevin, who is based in Chicago, brings more than 15 years of experience in sustainability management and consulting across multiple industry sectors.
Kevin was previously Director of Sustainability Solutions at Aspiration, where he helped clients and partners unlock value creation through climate transition initiatives. In that role, he led teams to deploy sustainable business models involving GHG emissions assessments, implementing tailored sustainability solutions aligned with clients’ business strategy, in addition to leading Aspiration’s reporting and compliance with CDP, TCFD, etc. Prior to Aspiration, Kevin was a Managing Consultant at Guidehouse, assisting clients with GHG footprinting assessments, navigating the CDP and SBTi target setting and reporting processes, developing abatement plans, devising supplier engagement programs, and conducting climate scenario analysis.
Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering, as well as a Master of Engineering focused on sustainable energy, both from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In graduate school, he served as a research assistant for the MIT Energy Initiative and was a graduate researcher at Nanyang Technological University, where he researched the feasibility of using alternative energy sources to power wastewater treatment plants in Singapore.
Amer Khaqan, Director
Amer Khaqan is a Director at Canopy Edge, focused on client engagements related to GHG accounting and reporting, circularity, carbon trading and offsetting, risk management, and environmental health and safety. Amer has 30 years of experience as an ESG professional, consultant, and chemical engineer, with over 15 years in leadership roles managing global and enterprise multiethnic teams in highly complex manufacturing sites. He is based in northern Virginia.
Amer was previously Managing Director at Technology Edge, an EHSQ and ESG consultancy serving oil and gas, petrochemical, food, and consumer products industries around the world. In that role, he managed more than 15 projects and led cross-functional teams by incorporating ESG and sustainability into all business units, in addition to supporting the implementation of numerous EHS, ESG, climate change, GHG, and carbon management projects across the globe by providing technical knowledge. Previously, he was an EHS Manager at Arrazi Mitsubishi Sabic Corp in Saudi Arabia, responsible for many technical projects and implementations for the world’s largest methanol manufacturing complex. Amer also served as an EHSQ Engineer for Engro Exxon Corp in Pakistan.
Amer holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, as well as an MBA, from University of the Punjab. He has presented at and participated in dozens of industry events, and holds multiple professional certifications including Certified Security Professional (CSP) and Associate Safety Professional (ASP) from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, Certified Auditor ISO 14001 from Moody’s International, Certified Auditor OHSAS 18001 from the Environmental Consulting Bureau, Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) from ABS, and ESG and Sustainability Principles for Business from Arizona State University.
Ria Persad, Director
Ria Persad is a Director at Canopy Edge, where she conducts client engagements related to quantitative modeling and data science as well as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework, on which subject she is a world-renowned expert. Ria splits time between Amsterdam and Ohio and has more than 25 years of experience in consulting, analysis, and advisory work focused on developing and deploying cutting-edge modeling techniques to achieve sustainability improvements.
Ria is founder and chair of StatWeather, a business she started in 2009 to focus on accuracy and forecast accountability, innovating proprietary state-of-the-art algorithms in Bayesian forecasting, neural networks, pattern recognition, machine learning, and artificial intelligence for precision long-range weather and climate prediction. She has also served as Chief Scientific Officer for NatureAlpha, which provides science-based, AI, and machine learning-powered biodiversity risk modeling to global financial institutions. She was previously Senior Advisor to Open Earth Foundation, President of the European Chamber of Digital Commerce, Chief Climate Councilor for the Caribbean ASEAN Council, Strategic Advisor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and a subject matter expert and principal statistician at the US Department of Defense.
Ria has been a keynote and invited speaker for major events including the EU Climate Research & Innovation Days, the CNNMoney Switzerland Digital Future Board Room, and TechPark Davos during the World Economic Forum. She is a prolific writer and editor, contributing to publications such as Forbes, Reuters, Energy Central, The Manila Times, and Digital Future Magazine. Ria studied at Harvard University, Princeton University, and Cambridge University, in addition to doctoral work at Rice University.
Susan Lewis, PhD, Associate Director
Dr. Susan Lewis is an Associate Director at Canopy Edge, with client engagements focusing on corporate sustainability best practices, decarbonization, GHG footprinting and reporting, energy efficiency, renewables integration, fleet electrification, and building efficiency. Based in Denver, Susan is an experienced corporate sustainability professional and has more than 20 years of experience in managing sustainability programs, energy management, and conservation.
Susan was previously Senior Director, Corporate Sustainability for Campbell’s Soup Company, where she spearheaded and managed enterprise environmental sustainability initiatives, leading the corporate climate team and creating the implementation plans to meet targets. Prior to that post, she was Director, Corporate Sustainability Strategy for Comcast NBCUniversal, where her responsibilities included influencing, defining, and executing enterprise sustainability goals, collaborating with business units to develop implementation plans and integrated sustainability and efficiency into enterprise functions. She spearheaded the research and execution of new enterprise sustainability targets and initiatives, a $1 billion green bond initiative, energy strategy, and related disclosures. Susan also previously served as State Energy Manager for the Delaware Army National Guard.
Earlier in her career, Susan was a Research Associate at the University of Delaware Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, a grant and program coordinator at Miami Dade college, and a project manager and sea turtle specialist at Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Florida, Master of Science degrees in Environmental Education and Coastal Zone Management from Nova Southeastern University, and a PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware. Susan is also a LEED Accredited Professional.
Amir Yadghar, Associate Director
Amir Yadghar is an Associate Director at Canopy Edge, concentrating on climate change modeling, climate risk assessment, Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG footprinting and reporting, target setting, regulatory compliance, and big data and artificial intelligence techniques for quantitative analysis. Amir, who is based in Montreal, brings more than 20 years of experience in ESG management, consulting, data analytics, and environmental engineering with a substantial background in various industry verticals including financial services, aerospace, oil & gas, and software.
Amir previously served as Senior Manager of Sustainability and ESG for Pratt & Whitney, where he was responsible for developing a digital platform for sustainability and executing sustainability strategies, collecting and managing ESG data, monitoring KPIs for sustainability progress, and engaging with internal and external stakeholders. Prior to that post, he was Manager of ESG Product Architecture and Methodology for MorningStar Financial and its predecessor firm Sustainalytics (where he was CTO), where he developed an AI-based methodology for climate risk assessment of assets, investment portfolios, and businesses. In that role, he led the design and development of innovative ESG products, ensuring alignment with industry standards and client requirements. He has also served as a Senior Consultant for environmental data intelligence and strategy at Bell Media. Earlier in his career, Amir was an environmental project manager for Broadsign.
Amir holds a BSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering from AmirKabir University of Technology, as well as an MSc in Environmental Engineering from the University of Tehran. He holds certifications and licenses as a project management professional (PMP) and AI code developer, business analysis, climate change modeling, and wind tunnel laboratory testing. He is also an entrepreneur and business coach for cleantech and technology startups and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Aruna Sankar, PhD, Managing Consultant
Dr. Aruna Sankar is a Managing Consultant at Canopy Edge with a focus on sustainability strategy, supply chain and logistics, market research, and quantitative modeling. Aruna, who is based in Dallas, has more than 25 years of experience in sustainability consulting and advisory, corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG indices and ratings, and engineering across multiple industries.
In 2020, Aruna founded Caribou, a CSR awareness company aimed at spreading CSR initiatives in local communities and industries to enhance livelihoods while embedding sustainability, people, and planet as core values of those programs. She previously founded Blue Sepal, an ESG research and consulting firm, in 2010 and spent the subsequent decade working with hedge funds on ESG indices and ratings, educating highschoolers in ESG-focused massive open online courses, and publishing ESG research in leading CSR publications such as The Triple Pundit. As part of her work, Aruna developed the Corporate Environmental Performance Rating (CEPR) methodology, which was later adopted by several impact investors in their free green rating schemes.
Aruna began her career in automotive engineering, overseeing cross-functional teams for leading manufacturers such as Jaguar, Ford, Visteon, Tata, and Mahindra. She holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, a Master in Science in Logistics from the University of Texas, Arlington, and a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Texas, Arlington in addition to a professional certificate in sustainable business strategy from Harvard Business School.
Jon Schroeder, Managing Consultant
Jon Schroeder is a Managing Consultant at Canopy Edge, focused on sustainable materials, waste mitigation, recycling, lifecycle assessment (LCA), quantitative modeling, supplier engagement, and sustainable procurement. Based in Minneapolis, he has extensive experience in sustainability initiatives, with deep expertise in waste and materials management.
Jon is a Sustainable Materials Management Specialist at the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), based out of the University of Minnesota. He conducts free technical assistance with various stakeholders and clients, including hospitals, grocery stores, food manufacturers, schools, restaurants, nonprofits, and startups. Previously, he was a Research Fellow at the US Environmental Protection Agency, where he worked on various food waste and materials projects including the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines, Anaerobic Digestion Report, Excess Food Opportunities Map, and SWIFR/REO grant programs. Concurrent to EPA, he was a Research Fellow at Project Drawdown where he updated food waste and plant-rich diet solutions. He has worked in various arenas including academia, a startup, private sector, public sector, and consulting.
Jon holds a bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurial and Nonprofit Management from the Carlson School, a master’s degree in Sustainable Systems from the Golisano Institute for Sustainability, and studied business at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. He has published papers on food waste, soilless farming, clean energy patenting and economics, plant-rich diets, and waste management in various journals and magazines. He is LEED AP Homes and will be a certified Master Gardener in December 2024. He is an environmentalist because of the wildlife we share this planet with and tries to give them a voice through his work. He occasionally lobbies on Capitol Hill for stronger legislation around pressing environmental topics.
Adam Winston, Managing Consultant
Adam Winston is a Managing Consultant at Canopy Edge, with client engagements focused on economic evaluation of clean energy technologies, renewable energy portfolios, energy efficiency, programs, policies, and economic and workforce development strategies. Adam is based in Boulder, Colorado and has more than 20 years of experience in consulting and economic analysis.
Prior to his work with Canopy Edge, Adam was a Managing Consultant at Guidehouse, where he focused on projects related to energy investment, economic development, and program evaluation as part of the firm’s State & Local Government practice. Previously, he was a Senior Associate and Economic Analyst at Development Research, where he leveraged various quantitative methods to evaluate how transportation investment strategies, policies, and emerging technologies affect the economy and socioeconomic trends. Earlier in his career, Adam was a Production and Forecasting Analyst at Polaroid Consumer Electronics and a Supply Chain Senior Analyst at Best Buy.
Adam holds an MBA from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Brigham Young University. His technical proficiencies include IMPLAN, R, QGIS, Power BI, SQL, and TREDIS, and he is conversant in Portuguese.
Kari Oglesbee, Senior Consultant
Kari Oglesbee is a Senior Consultant at Canopy Edge, concentrating on GHG footprinting and reporting, decarbonization, climate finance modeling, CDP reporting, renewable procurement, target setting, and supplier engagement. Kari, who is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a seasoned ESG strategist with 6 years of experience in climate impact solutions and sustainability consulting.
Prior to her work with Canopy Edge, Kari was Senior Manager, Climate Impact Solutions for Aspiration, an environment-focused financial services company. In that role, she managed climate calculation and strategy development for diverse clientele, specializing in GHG footprinting, decarbonization strategies, and climate finance modeling, in addition to supervising internal sustainability initiatives such as CDP reporting, value chain GHG reductions, and employee engagement. Previously, she was Member Success Manager for Climate Action Corps, an outdoor industry association, where she conducted analysis of Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions for prominent global brands and retailers. In addition, she formulated strategies for abatement, designed and implemented supplier engagement programs, and organized and led educational events.
Kari began her career as a Carbon Footprint Manager for Natural Capital Partners, leading the GHG accounting procedures, creating and implementing an online GHG footprinting instrument for small and medium-sized enterprises, and supporting sales and client service activities. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Business Management from Aquinas College Grand Rapids.