Ben Rushakoff leads American Forests’ reforestation partnerships and innovation initiatives under the Resilient Forests program. This includes programs that creatively leverage public and private finance to restore healthy forests on public, private and Tribal lands to yield robust climate, water, biodiversity, social, and cultural benefits. Before joining American Forests, Rushakoff worked with family forest owners in the Pacific Northwest, researched forest conservation policy, and led urban forest community science projects. Originally from San Francisco, Rushakoff holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry from UC Berkeley, as well as a master’s degree in forest policy and economics from Oregon State University.