Envision Resilience began with a belief: To create a better future, communities must first be able to imagine one. That belief first took shape on Nantucket in 2021, where rising seas and more frequent coastal flooding challenged residents to rethink what resilience could look like. Rather than beginning with constraints, Remain brought together universities, students, designers and community partners to imagine new possibilities through design.
What began on one island has become a model for communities throughout the Northeast. Today, Envision Resilience brings that same place-based approach to communities facing their own climate challenges, adapting its programs to local needs while remaining rooted in the same principles of design, education and partnership.
Founder
Wendy Schmidt is the Founder of Envision Resilience. A philanthropist and investor, Wendy has spent nearly two decades creating innovative non-profit organizations to work with communities around the world for clean, renewable energy, resilient food systems, healthy oceans and the protection of human rights.
executive Director
Claire Martin is the Executive Director at Envision Resilience. From project manager of the inaugural program in 2020 to the organization’s first executive director in 2025, Claire has led the team and the work through its steady and strategic evolution.
Research Associate
Sandra Akufo is a Research Associate at Envision Resilience, bringing professional experience in research, design, sustainability, and communications.
Communications Manager
Nina Berg is the Communications Manager at Envision Resilience. An award-winning creative director with a background in anthropology and communication design, she leads our storytelling and brand.
Operations Manager
Kate Deans is the Operations Manager at Envision Resilience. She joined the team as we were expanding in early 2025, and provides all types of administrative, operational and financial support to keep our programs running smoothly.
Design Studio Manager
Wendell T. Joseph is the Design Studio Manager at Envision Resilience. He is an urban strategist and design practitioner with a decade of experience in local government, the private and non-profit sectors, and higher education.
Community Engagement Manager
Charlotte is the Community Engagement Manager at Envision Resilience. Previously, she supported the Challenge and its parent organization, Remain’s, communications and social media.
Director, Florida Climate Institute
Carolyn Cox is an Advisor to Envision Resilience, where she has helped guide academic partnerships, research strategies and program design since its beginnings in 2020. She brings more than three decades of leadership in climate research and higher education.
Director, Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design
Anjelica S. Gallegos (Jicarilla Apache Nation | Pueblo of Santa Ana) is an Advisor to Envision Resilience, an architectural designer at Stantec and co-founder and director of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning, and Design (ISAPD).
President, Architecture Sarasota
Morris (Marty) Hylton III is President of Architecture Sarasota and an Advisor to Envision Resilience, contributing expertise in architecture and the built environment, historic preservation, and climate adaptation and resilience.
Executive Director, Remain
Cecil is the Executive Director of Remain and an Advisor to Envision Resilience. The signature program of the eventual organization Envision Resilience, the Envision Resilience Challenge, was born under her leadership in 2020.
Founding Principal Emeritus, designLAB architects
Bob Miklos, FAIA, is an Advisor to Envision Resilience, where he has led university recruitment and supported programming since its beginnings in 2020. He is the founder of designLAB architects and has taught design for over 40 years.
Envision Resilience works to advance innovative planning and design in the face of climate change through student and community partnerships. By connecting current and future professionals working across disciplines, the organization creates opportunities for communities to reimagine climate challenges and inspire resilient solutions. Envision Resilience is part of the philanthropic organizations and initiatives created and funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to work toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all.
