Tim Whitley
Founder & CEO
Tim launched COTAP because he believes that the market-based tool of carbon credits holds the potential for changing the lives of millions of smallholder farmers. A graduate of UNC’s Kenan-Flagler MBA program and UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce, Tim initially developed skills in transparency, monitoring, compliance, and being a steward of others’ money first at the Sierra Club. He then gained experience enforcing subsidy compliance for a portfolio of 40 affordable housing properties at CAHI, a performance-based, public-private partnership between CGI Inc., the Oakland Housing Authority, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). At UNC, Tim was involved in Net Impact, was a Carolina Entrepreneurial Fellow for solar and “LOHAS” sector clients, and undertook team projects benefiting clients ranging from Durham bikesharing programs to Kenyan NGO’s. When not Cotapping, Tim is on a camping trip or planning one, or enjoying the Bay Area with his son Graham, daughter Sadie and wife Val.
Chris Stephenson
Technical Advisor, Carbon & Forestry
Chris brings in-depth technical knowledge pertaining to global carbon project development, policy, and markets. Chris has extensive expertise regarding the wide range of forest carbon project types, technical specifications, carbon accounting methodologies, risk management measures, and credit issuance protocols. Chris is also a seasoned practitioner, having consulted on carbon reduction projects in Malawi and across Latin America, and currently serves as Director of the Edinburgh-based Plan Vivo Foundation, the Scottish charity overseeing the world’s longest-standing forestry carbon standard, by which COTAP’s initial portfolio is certified. Chris holds Master’s degrees in Carbon Management and Chemistry from Edinburgh University Business School and Nottingham University respectively.
Steve Wolf
Marketing & Partnerships Advisor
Steve serves as a marketing advisor to COTAP, helping COTAP improve its partnership strategy, internet marketing strategy, and messaging. A seasoned marketing strategist and market researcher, Steve founded WolfWorks Consulting following a dozen years practicing marketing consulting for Fortune-500 clients at two boutique firms. Steve has a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler Business School). Steve’s passion for sustainability and poverty alleviation stems from growing up progessive in Los Angeles, and from a round-the-world trip in 2003-4 in which Steve and his now-wife volunteered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a capacity-building organization, Pact. In his free time, Steve enjoys biking, tennis, photography, travel, and horsing around with his two young children.
Philip Curry
Chief Financial Officer
Philip volunteers his time with COTAP setting up a financial, accounting, and reporting platform that can manage the scale and complexity of transactions as word spreads about the uncommon power of COTAP’s dual mission. Philip served for a decade as North Americas CFO for ICAP, one of the world’s leading interdealer brokers which handles over $1 trillion in daily transactions. Philip currently serves as CFO for Workforce Opportunity Services, a New York-based nonprofit which catalyzes professional opportunity for underserved populations throughout the U.S. Philip has held senior financial positions in New York and London over the last 25 years, is a Chartered Accountant, and has a BS in Mathematics & Business from Warwick University.
Linda Yin
Community Outreach & Project Management
Linda serves as both a community outreach and project manager on the COTAP team, helping to establish new audiences, partners, and initiatives. Linda has a Bachelor of Science from Boston University and has taken courses at Harvard University in Sustainability and Environmental Management. She has nearly a decade of experience in marketing, communications, and project management. Linda lives in Chicago with her husband and puppy.
Based in San Francisco, CA, Exygy is a leading custom software and design firm serving as Cotap’s lead technology partner. Exygy designed and built almost the entire COTAP website. Exygy has deep experience in web design and implementation, and has served a range of innovative, mission-based clients such as The Skoll Foundation, Moveon.org, The Social Capital Markets Conference (SOCAP), Samasource, and Eureka Fund.
Headquartered in New York, Debevoise & Plimpton is a leading international law firm founded in 1931 which serves COTAP on a pro-bono basis on matters ranging from state and federal entity formation to partnerships agreements. Debevoise & Plimpton’s many awards include being in the top 7 of The American Lawyer’s “A-List” in each of the nine years of the survey, as well as the Pro Bono Publico Award from the American Bar Association for its commitment to providing legal services to those who cannot afford representation.
