Jack Stephenson is founder and CEO of The Copernicus Project, a technology company that empowers local communities to fight global warming by protecting and restoring nature. Jack spent 22 years at McKinsey & Company, where he advised and served on the boards of some of the world’s leading conservation and environmental organizations. In 2007, Jack co-authored a groundbreaking research report analyzing over 250 different opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. The big “aha” was that up to 40% of emissions reductions scientists called for by 2030 could be achieved at negative cost to society. For the past 15 years, Jack has lived and worked in Silicon Valley with a heavy focus on fintech, payments, and digital commerce. He and his teams have launched technologies and applications used today by hundreds of millions or people, winning numerous awards, including Best Innovation of 2010 from the New York Times.In 2020, Jack led a nature-based climate strategy project for the Wildlife Conservation Society and discovered much of what he knew about fighting climate change was wrong. The data, frameworks, and accounting systems relied on by most policymakers massively understate the benefits of protecting the natural world.Jack serves on the boards of the Pacific Forest Trust and jaris, and sits on the President's Council of the Wildlife Conservation Society. He is a fourth-generation Montanan and part-owner of Stephenson Ranch, which promotes healthy forests and regenerative agriculture.