Diana Rhoten, PhD

Diana partners with individuals, families, and foundations to accelerate high-impact climate solutions. She helps philanthropists translate ambition into strategy by clarifying priorities, identifying catalytic investments, and deploying capital that drives meaningful systems change. 

With more than two decades of experience at the intersection of climate policy and innovation, Diana’s work includes early research on the human dimensions of global climate change. She has also designed and launched initiatives that mobilize public, private, and philanthropic capital to advance clean energy deployment, climate resilience, and community-based climate finance. 

Prior to Climate Lead, Diana was a partner at Purpose Venture Group, advising mission-driven ventures of all stages on strategies for scaling climate impact. Earlier, she held leadership roles at IDEO, where she helped launch the Organizational Design for Change practice and led the New York studio. Diana began her career at Stanford, working on social innovation and impact with global institutions such as the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. She holds a master’s degree in international education from Harvard University and a doctoral degree in sociology of education from Stanford University.