Dr. Jo Ram – Co-founder and Director
Jo’s doctoral thesis at Oxford Brookes University investigated the potential of community owned food and energy projects in the UK to create social change. Jo’s doctorate enabled her to build an extensive network of contacts within the community energy and food movements, a thorough knowledge of the barriers and opportunities facing the scaling up of a decentralised, democratic energy system, and the role of reinvestment in social change.
Jo continues working part time in academia at UCL and Oxford Brookes University. She is also a commissioning editor and writer for Red Pepper magazine.
Contact:
Twitter:
Media:
– Jo speaks on energy democracy and the Switched on London campaign as part of the Good London podcast series
Jo speaks on energy democracy and reinvestment at the book launch of Secure and Dispossessed at the Free Word Centre in Nov 2015:
– Jo’s article Dirty Money on divestment-reinvestment in the Aug / Sep 2015 print issue of Red Pepper magazine here: Dirty Money pg 1 / Dirty Money pg 2
– Article on reinvestment opportunities featuring Community Reinvest in the Public Leaders Network section of the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2015/oct/12/council-pension-pots-local-future-climate-change
– Five Lessons From the Divestment Movement – No. 4 Plan for Reinvestment. Community Reinvest quoted in the Guardian
– Jo interviewed on Climate Solutions: Divest & Boycott
Joel Benjamin – Co-founder and Director
Joel Benjamin has ten years professional experience in town and transport planning, public policy and environmental consultancy roles. This includes two years research and advocacy experience with Move Your Money UK – studying public sector, local authority and alternative finance.
Joel has experience in public policy, local planning and consultancy, coupled with recent financial campaigning, networking and research skills obtained through developing Local Authority guide on Banking for Social Good. The guide will streamline expansion of local authority finance work into divestment and re-investment options for municipalities to create alternatives that deliver economic and social value benefits for residents whilst expediting a transition to a jobs rich, low-carbon, local economy.
Contact:
Twitter:
Media:
– Russia Today: Episode 722, on LOBO loans
– Joel’s Article for Local Government Executive
Past staff
Andre Sacharow – Researcher
André Sacharow is studying at UCL where he is tailoring his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree towards understanding how people can make cities more sustainable through interventions. Through his degree, Andre has participated in a number of projects such as a community farm and setting up a small scale Anerobic digester to generate energy for the University from food and garden waste. Andre has a background in the Natural Sciences and a one-year full time work experience for an NGO in a small community gave him insights into the complexities and potentials of community energy projects.
This summer, at Community Reinvest, Andre is working on the Local Authority Pension Fund data disclosure project, and researching possible pathways for reinvestment into community owned energy and the low carbon transition.