Member Spotlight: Dr. Lisa Micheli
This week, I spoke with 9Zero Member Dr. Lisa Micheli, a wildfire expert and longtime leader in conservation and climate resilience. We discussed her journey from theoretical physics to climate science, her work in wildfire and watershed resilience, and how AI and machine learning are transforming climate risk analysis.
9Zero: What’s Your Climate Journey?
Dr. Lisa Micheli: I started my career during the rise of environmental awareness, when people started realizing we had a pollution crisis and that everything in nature is connected. I became interested in bridging different scientific disciplines, as well as understanding how science intersects with policy and society.
After finishing my undergraduate studies, I wanted to work in a field that allowed me to apply natural sciences in a way that had real-world impact. My first job out of school was at the EPA in San Francisco. That was where I learned the limits of regulation—we spent a lot of time in legal battles, and I often questioned whether that effort was actually benefiting natural resources and communities.
That realization led me back to graduate school. I focused on watershed and freshwater ecosystem restoration. I was particularly drawn to taking damaged places and bringing them back to life. That’s really where my climate journey started—I had always been aware of climate change, but I didn’t fully engage with it until I realized that you couldn’t design a successful restoration project without accounting for future climate impacts.
I started working with some of the first-generation high-resolution climate models, translating global climate models into local projections that people like me could use to manage ecosystems - living resources like the Napa River or Sacramento River. I was particularly interested in how water availability would change, how rising temperatures would impact our hydrologic cycles, and what that meant for ecosystems, wildfires, and reservoirs.
That work led me to Sonoma County, where I was invited to lead a climate science center affiliated with the California Academy of Sciences. We ran a 3,200-acre research station that allowed us to do globally relevant science while making that research accessible to our local communities—from school kids on science field trips to college students conducting research to local government agencies trying to make informed decisions.
One of our major focus areas was wildfire risk, and in 2017, just after we had released an assessment on how climate change could increase wildfire hazards, the North Bay wildfires hit. Then came 2019, 2020, 2021—each year bringing new disasters. But because we had a long-term research framework already in place, we were able to capture valuable data before, during, and after the fires. That data is still being used today to improve land and water management strategies.
Now, I’ve stepped into the private sector as a consultant, working with philanthropic organizations, community groups, government agencies, and increasingly, technology companies that are applying AI and machine learning to climate risk assessment.
9Zero: Where Does Your Experience in AI and Machine Learning Come From?
Dr. Lisa Micheli: I’ve worked with analysts and data scientists across research teams and tech companies, ensuring AI-generated results align with real-world science. AI and machine learning take a pattern-based approach rather than traditional physics-based modeling, so while they can reveal important trends, experts still need to interpret and validate the outcomes.
At RiskThinking.AI, I’m helping the team create probabilistic climate models, which help decision-makers understand risk as a range of possible outcomes rather than a single prediction. One of the biggest challenges in climate adaptation is keeping models up to date—climate is shifting rapidly, and AI gives us the ability to process real-time data and adjust forecasts faster. The natural resources sector is generating huge datasets, but many organizations lack the expertise to analyze them—that’s where collaboration with the tech sector is critical.
9Zero: Why Did You Choose to Join 9Zero?
Dr. Lisa Micheli: I first heard about 9Zero through a friend at NASA and having recently moved back to San Francisco, I wanted to be downtown again and be part of revitalizing the city’s climate innovation ecosystem.
For years, I was deeply focused on running an organization, which meant I wasn’t really getting exposed to new sectors and ideas. I knew about climate tech and venture capital, but I didn’t really know the people working in those fields.
It was actually at 9Zero’s Coffee & Climate that I met Michael, and that turned into a podcast recording. Another time, I mentioned a marine carbon capture project, and four different people immediately recommended funding sources. Those kinds of organic connections and knowledge-sharing moments are what make 9Zero so valuable.
I also think 9Zero reflects a bigger shift—climate action is no longer just about policy, there’s now a business case for it. Even in a difficult political landscape, the momentum behind climate innovation is too strong to stop.
9Zero: What Advice Would You Give to Young Professionals in Climate?
Dr. Lisa Micheli: Follow your joy!
People often think they need to find the perfect career path right away, but that’s not how it works. Some of the best opportunities come from unexpected places.
If you follow what excites you, you’ll build momentum, and that passion will fuel your success.
Climate work is serious and urgent, but we also need to find joy, creativity, and connection in it. I love that 9Zero brings together so many different people—some just starting out, some shifting careers, and some building the next big thing.
We’re all part of this bigger movement, and that’s exciting.
💡 Want to connect with Lisa and other climate innovators? Join the conversation at 9Zero.
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