What We Do
cDots connects the Dots that move ideas forward.
CONNECT
We bring the right people, institutions and resources to the table.
COORDINATE
We align projects, capital, workforce and partnerships around local priorities.
CATALYZE
We help move opportunities from ideas toward readiness and implementation.
Our Work
Turning complexity into action.
Our work has focused on strengthening the conditions for communities to fully participate in and benefit from a rapidly changing economy— connecting infrastructure needs to capital access, the local workforce, and innovation.
This has included significant work alongside Tribal Nations, as well as collaboration with community organizations, universities, financial institutions, businesses and public sector partners.
cDots helps develop project pipelines, identify capital pathways, strengthen workforce and leadership capacity, and align partners to move complex opportunities forward.
Our work is made possible through partnerships, including with philanthropies, municipal investment funds, green banks, and Tribal entities.
Economic Development · Infrastructure · Workforce · Capital · Innovation
About
cDots Institute for Innovation & Economic Growth is a nonprofit initiative working at the intersection of economic development, infrastructure, workforce and innovation.
Have something worth exploring? Reach out →
LinkedIn | info@cdots.org | © cDots Institute
Core Team
Viviana Alvarez brings global leadership experience in strategy, sustainability, philanthropy and systems change. She previously led Sustainability and Corporate Strategy for Unilever North America, where she shaped enterprise-wide transformation work at the intersection of business, sustainability, and inclusive growth. In 2019 she received a United Nations Leadership Award in recognition of her work. Viviana also serves as a senior board member at the Center for Responsible Business at UC Berkeley and advises several ventures focused on sustainability and economic impact. As cDots CEO, she leads strategy, partnerships, and execution to help communities translate ambition into action.
Shelley Martin focuses on aligning cDots’ program strategy & organizational development. She brings expertise in inclusive economic development, public-private partnerships, and Indigenous climate finance, from the grassroots to boardrooms. Her 15 years’ experience spans sectors and countries, including as a former USAID contractor guiding solar investments and advising sustainable supply chain initiatives with an equity lens.
Geneva Hamilton leads cDots’ community and tribal engagement, leveraging her public relations background supporting Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities through strategic communications, creative direction, and public engagement. She has proven success leading communications for federal initiatives, such as extensive site work to five EPA regions, including Alaska Native communities, and serving as Communications Director for tribal programs, governments, and community services for the Pawnee and Osage Nations. She is also a tribal member of the Osage Nation.
cDots is working with Public Sector Consultants (PSC) which has launched four nonprofit greenbanks, including the nation’s first greenbank–Michigan Saves–and provides advisory services to peer organizations in 14 states. Kevin Bain is PSC’s chief financial officer who also serves as CFO to cDots. With experience from Wall Street, the World Bank, and municipal solar, property tax reform, and affordable housing policy, he combines sophisticated financial expertise with big-picture thinking to drive strategy on infrastructure and project finance, green banks, large capital investments, and related public policy.
Micah White is a strategic leader in distributed generation, broadband, and utility infrastructure, advising Tribal energy pipelines and implementation. As a Strategic Advisor to energy partnerships with cDots, he leverages significant sector experience as CEO of VeriWatt and former CEO of the Tribal Utility Authority (TUA) of Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He is also a tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Charlie Beevor brings almost 30 years’ experience as a senior Unilever executive and more recently, in climate tech startups. His strategic & operational experience across 25+ countries ranges from high growth through to mature markets. Charlie has served as Non-Executive Director for two Transition Economy businesses and Chair to an international coalition delivering sanitation services to underserved communities in developing markets through innovative for-profit models.
Emily Rigazzi, MBA, serves as cDots’ finance and accounting lead through the JGC team. She has 14 years of accounting and business administration experience helping organizations navigate financial setup, processes and maintaining accurate financial statements. She is passionate about streamlining processes and making financial data accessible for clients. Emily is also a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation.
Board
Former CEO of Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever Executive, Matthew McCarthy is an industry pioneer who has stewarded iconic businesses and brands over the past 30 years. Matthew led Ben & Jerry’s to its greatest period of sustained financial and social mission impact in the company’s history. He previously served as Vice President of Unilever’s Foods division in North America and was the recipient of Columbia University’s Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics and Ethical Practice.
Adair Morse serves as the Solomon P. Lee Chair in Business Ethics and a Professor of Finance at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. Adair is the Founding Faculty Director of the Sustainable and Impact Finance Initiative. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Capital Access of the U.S. Department of the Treasury from 2021-2023.
