Tara Hammond, founder of Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, has dedicated her career to advancing clean energy, sustainability and environmental justice. Born and raised in Santa Cruz, she moved to San Diego in 2006 to study at SDSU, where her climate advocacy and policy efforts began. From 2011–2020, Tara worked for a leading solar and storage developer, serving as Director of Community Development and led Government Affairs, during which time San Diego was repeatedly named the top solar city in the U.S. In response to utility attacks on solar, she founded the San Diego Solar Coalition, which became the San Diego chapter of what's now the California Solar & Storage Association. She became one of the first women in North America to receive the NABCEP Technical Sales certification. Tara is serving her second term on the San Diego Community Power Community Advisory Committee and Climate Defenders Action Fund. Tara is board chair emeritus of GRID Alternatives San Diego and executive committee emeritus of Surfrider San Diego and the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance. Nearly six years ago Tara founded Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, which has helped support 675+ clean energy projects, managed over $38 million in climate funding and reduced 5.5 megatons of carbon, earning multiple awards for her leadership and impactful efforts that are creating a more just and livable world for all. The Solar Moonshot Program is the foundation's flagship initiative, which has given over $3.8 million in solar grants to 200+ nonprofits in 29 states, Puerto Rico and four recent internal projects. Without philanthropic funding, these projects wouldn't have come to fruition and wuldnlt have been able to save the nonprofit money that's reinvested back into the community while supporting green. jobs, stimulating the economy, reducing climate injustices, lessening the impacts of the climate crisis and offering clean energy education.