Mandate for the Future: A Climate Resilient Rebuild

October 13, 2025

In this compelling session from the After the Fire 2025 Wildfire Leadership Summit, moderator Lisa Micheli leads a powerful discussion on building long-term climate resilience with Abby Ross, Founder, The Resiliency Company, and Jonathan Parfrey, Executive Director, Climate Resolve.

Abby shares her journey from leading Network for Good to founding The Resiliency Company — and how disaster philanthropy inspired her to reimagine durable recovery and resilient rebuilding. She introduces the Resiliency Delta Fund, a new model that helps homeowners rebuild to fire-resistant, insurable standards.

Jonathan discusses his experience helping shape California’s ICARP resilience framework, his work on the L.A. County Blue Ribbon Commission on Wildfire Recovery, and his push for local resilience authorities and sustainable funding models. He also offers candid insights on the challenges of resilience hubs, local leadership, and political will in wildfire recovery.

 

 

MODERATOR:

Woman smiling in blue blazer next to text about a climate resilience wildfire summit and her role as board member.Lisa Micheli
Lisa is a passionate and dedicated environmental scientist with over 15 years of specialized experience in climate mitigation and adaptation, water resources, and biodiversity conservation. She has worked in government, with agriculture and industry leaders, and leading non-governmental organizations to advance the charge towards net-zero emissions and to enhance the resilience of those most vulnerable to climate and wildfire threats. She is an expert at facilitating science-based convenings focused on resilience solutions that often bring together unlikely partners and elevate leaders of historically marginalized communities.

 

PANELIST:

Portrait of Jonathan Parfrey with summit title and text: Mandate for the Future: A Climate Resilient Rebuild.Jonathan Parfrey
Jonathan Parfrey is founding director and CEO of Climate Resolve. From 2008-2013, he served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Parfrey is a member of the LA28 Olympics and Paralympic Games Sustainability Working Group. He also served as a member of the Los Angeles County Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire-Safe Recovery. Parfrey is a founder and board member of CicLAvia, the popular street event, as well as a founder of the statewide Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation. Since 2016, Jonathan has served as a member of the State of California Climate Adaptation Technical Advisory Council, and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of Water Education for Latino Leader.

 

Smiling woman with blonde hair, text about a wildfire summit and Abby Ross, Founder of The Resiliency Company.Abby Ross
Abby Ross is a serial entrepreneur who loves to tackle seemingly impossible problems. Abby founded The Resiliency Company to help humanity adapt to the challenges of climate risk. Abby developed the thesis for The Resiliency Company while serving as the CEO of For Good, the Donor Advised Fund that has sent over $5B to nonprofits, where she recognized the opportunities to rethink how communities recover from disasters. Previously, spent over a decade as an edtech entrepreneur, working towards scalable educational outcomes

Posted in 2025