Stefan works on Verra’s Sustainable Landscapes Team contributing to the development of the Landscape Standard (LS). Specifically, he leads management of inputs from partners and technical experts to build the LS into a robust framework for assessing and demonstrating progress on landscape-scale sustainability using a set of outcome-based indicators (environmental, social, and economic).

Prior to joining Verra, Stefan worked at One Acre Fund promoting agricultural development among East Africa’s smallholders; at Cornell University researching the greenhouse gas benefits of large-scale sustainable land management projects in Ethiopia; at the International Biochar Initiative, an NGO promoting the use of biochar for soil carbon sequestration and agricultural enhancement; and at Blue Moon Fund, a private grantmaking foundation supporting environmental and social sustainability initiatives.

Stefan earned his MS in Environmental Sciences and BS in Biology, both from Cornell University. He conducted his master’s thesis research in Mato Grosso, Brazil, which piqued his interest in the intersection between globalization, rural development and environmental pressures.