Zaija Pelligree joins the Fowler Center community with seven years of experience in the environmental nonprofit sector, where she led and supported initiatives focused on climate action, sustainability, and community collaboration. Her work at The Cleveland Foundation helped launch regional coalitions and programs that aligned public, private, and philanthropic partners around shared environmental goals.
Through her MBA studies, Zaija hopes to explore how for-profit organizations can advance sustainability in meaningful, scalable ways. She’s particularly interested in ethical innovation, organizational development, and the future of mission-driven leadership. Outside of work and study, you’ll likely find her sailing. An activity she loves for its mix of freedom, focus, and the occasional reminder that you can’t always control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.