A community of optimists hosted by Melinda French Gates

A believer that business can and should be a force for good, Carrie has always used her leadership roles to advance gender equality, environmental sustainability, and individual betterness. As an entrepreneur and previous intrapreneur, Carrie has championed these issues on a global stage, while also initiating and leading grassroots efforts. She’s pushed the theory of complex collaboration between governments, businesses, and communities throughout her career to effect change.

Carrie is Co-CEO of SecondMuse, a B Corp Certified company, building economies of the future: ones that drive growth, ensure inclusion, and protect the environment. Over the last decade, SecondMuse has built 48 thriving and self-sustaining economic systems accelerated more than 250 businesses and generated $7B in market value. From Brooklyn to Bali, SecondMuse programs span geographies, scales, and sectors. Some of the current work includes catalyzing solutions to end plastic pollution (The Incubation Network), improving youth wellbeing through digital experiences (Headstream) and designing the future of the global food system (Food System Vision Prize).

Prior to joining SecondMuse in 2012, Carrie spent 15 years at Intel in various management positions, her last role as Director of Sustainable Business Innovation. There, she pioneered strategies around a corporate impact investing fund and developed technology market solutions related to address global sustainability challenges. In 2009, Carrie formed the corporate sustainability group and directed corporate-wide efforts working with key stakeholders to ensure industry leadership.

Carrie has had numerous advisory and board positions that span the for-profit, non-profit, public and philanthropic sectors. Carrie calls Albuquerque home where she lives with her husband Brian and young son. In her little free time, she enjoys outside adventures whether those are in the mountains, rivers, trails or at the local park.

Q&A


What inspires you to do the work you do?

The power of altruistic human drive and the belief that creating a harmonious, peaceful, ever-advancing world is possible inspire me. Every single moment there are people in the world working to create this. I see it everywhere, in my colleagues, my local community, the communities we work in.

On Sunday afternoons, you can find me...

Enjoying the last moments of a fun, family-focused, adventurous weekend, while thinking about dinner prep and the week ahead.

What books are on your nightstand?

I love to read all sorts of book, with most of them focused on business/leadership or written by and about women (fiction, non fiction), although the “book” on my nightstand is my kindle app on my phone as mostly read digital books so I always have a selection and that small part of my life is de-carbonized.