Executive Director
/jɛsˈiːni͡ə/
she/her
residing in the territory of the Piscataway of the Nacotchtank
Yesenia has been a community organizer from the start, working alongside climate-impacted communities. Her first-hand experiences of energy insecurity mobilized her to become an advocate for the elimination of barriers to solar for all. Yesenia Rivera started her career as a law student and Student Attorney for the Community Development Clinic. Then, as housing counselor and tenant organizer for the Latino Economic Development Center. She joined Solar United Neighbors in 2017 as DC programs Director and was promoted to Director of Energy Equity and Inclusion in 2019 where she launched a program that installed 0.5 MW of solar on income-qualifying households. At Energy Allies, we are building a people-centered culture inside and out to center communities in the climate movement.