Graduate Student Internship - Carbon Removal

Organization: Riseline Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Location: New Haven, CT or Remote

Duration: Summer 2026 (10–12 weeks, flexible)

About Riseline Foundation

Founded in 2025 by carbon removal leaders Lizzy Vanderkloot (Executive Director) and Noah Planavsky (Scientific Lead and Professor of Geochemistry in Yale’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences), Riseline Foundation is an early-stage nonprofit building a biochar cooperative to accelerate high-quality carbon removal and community resilience projects in the Mountain West.

Biochar represents one of the most immediately deployable and community-aligned carbon removal pathways, but project developers often face fragmented markets, financing barriers, and limited access to committed buyers.

Riseline is building a cooperative platform designed to address these challenges — our carbon removal cooperative connects local projects to carbon market financing, implementing biochar into wildfire mitigation work to reduce smoke, store carbon, and unlock carbon financing so local crews can fund long-term forest restoration.

The organization is currently in startup mode: building its operating model, onboarding its first cooperative members, and raising catalytic funding to launch initial projects. Riseline has already established early interest from prospective cooperative members and biochar project partners. In 2026, the priority is to move from concept to execution — launching initial projects, validating pricing and revenue models, securing carbon credit buyers, and establishing steady operating funding.

Interns will work directly on foundational initiatives that help build Riseline’s growth at the moment it transitions from concept to implementation.

Role Overview

Riseline Foundation is seeking a graduate-level summer intern to support strategic initiatives. We have several areas that can use support, and will work with selected candidates to further define and set projects. We are interested in interns who could help with carbon removal finance, cooperative membership growth, and/or nonprofit fundraising. This role is ideal for an MBA student or a master’s candidate in environmental policy, sustainability, public administration, or a related field who is excited about building new climate solutions organizations from the ground up.

The intern will collaborate closely with leadership on high-priority projects that shape Riseline’s revenue strategy, support early fundraising, or help recruit and engage cooperative members and biochar project partners.

Key Responsibilities

Riseline is looking for interns who can support our growth across a number of strategic initiatives. We will work with selected candidates to further define projects. Projects may include (but are not limited to) the below areas.

Carbon Removal Financial Modeling & Revenue Strategy

• Build and refine financial models related to biochar project economics, cooperative pricing structures, and carbon credit revenue pathways
• Support scenario analysis on project scale-up, credit sales timing, and organizational sustainability
• Conduct benchmarking research on carbon removal markets, cooperative funding models, and blended finance approaches
• Translate analytical findings into clear strategic recommendations

Fundraising & Climate Finance Support

• Research prospective funders including climate foundations, public funding sources, and mission-aligned capital providers
• Develop strategy to connect with invite-only funders
• Contribute to grant proposals, pitch materials, and donor communications
• Help track fundraising pipeline progress and maintain development materials
• Support preparation for meetings with funders, buyers, and strategic partners

Cooperative Membership Messaging & Outreach

• Help develop messaging that clearly communicates the value of cooperative participation in scaling carbon removal
• Conduct stakeholder mapping to identify prospective members and partners
• Support creation of outreach materials (briefs, decks, digital content)
• Assist in early engagement with biochar project developers and cooperative members

Qualifications

Required

• Currently enrolled in an MBA or graduate program in environmental studies, sustainability, public policy, nonprofit management, or a related field
• Prior exposure to nonprofits, social enterprises, climate startups, or cooperative organizations
• Excellent written communication and ability to synthesize complex climate or financial topics clearly
• Highly self-directed and comfortable working in an early-stage, entrepreneurial environment

Preferred

• Experience with financial modeling, carbon markets, or climate project development
• Familiarity with biochar, nature-based carbon removal, or cooperative governance models
• Exposure to fundraising, grants, or partnership development
• Strong interest in climate mitigation and systems-level impact

What You’ll Gain

• Direct experience helping launch a new carbon removal organization at a pivotal stage
• Opportunity to influence real strategy related to project economics, pricing, and fundraising
• Close collaboration with experienced leaders in carbon removal science and markets
• Exposure to biochar project development, cooperative models, and climate finance
• A network within the carbon removal ecosystem
• Potential pathway to continued involvement as the organization grows