The Open Rivers ethos is captured in our people and how we collaborate on efforts. Given the breadth of our work, we utilize a mixture of team members, experts and volunteers (for pro bono projects) to tailor and deliver impactful solutions, both effectively and efficiently. We manage timelines, costs and bandwidth by only adding the support that is needed.
our People
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SHefali Mehta
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL
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Dr. Shefali V. Mehta is an economist and statistician who founded and leads Open Rivers Consulting Associates. Shefali is an Adjunct Professor at University of Minnesota’s School of Statistics and Bard College’s Sustainable MBA program. She is a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Mathematics’ Sustainability Roundtable. She serves or has served as advisor or Board member to a range of nonprofits including Land Core, the NSF Big Data Hubs, One Resilient Earth, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever (also served as Vice Chair of the Board, the first woman to hold this position) amongst others. She has held roles with McKinsey, Syngenta (R&D and Operations for Global Seeds), the National Corn Grower’s Soil Health Partnership and as Deputy Under Secretary of Research, Education and Economics and Acting Chief Scientist of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the Biden-Harris Administration.
Shefali earned her PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics and MS in Statistics from the University of Minnesota, MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University and a BA in Economics from New York University. She earned her integral coaching certification from New Ventures West. Shefali loves being outdoors, arts and music and exploring this incredible world.
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Elena Tsakakis
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
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Elena Tsakakis works as an evaluation and research associate at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Her research focuses largely on understanding how teachers and students engage with informal science resources and experiences, and how community members engage with science. She also contributes to ongoing evaluation of informal learning experiences, formative and summative evaluations of exhibits and museum programming, and tracks key metrics across the museum to measure impact. She is passionate about telling stories with data and finding ways to articulate how people and science are intertwined. She has a M.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of Minnesota, and a B.S. in molecular biology from the University of South Dakota. Outside of work, Elena enjoys reading, playing soccer, and all things outdoors.
Specializations: science communication, research, education
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Lauren Ng
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
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Lauren Ng is passionate about leveraging data to advance measurable, equitable sustainability outcomes. Her experience spans several areas, including assessing climate risk in agricultural supply chains, designing GHG emissions reduction strategies, managing campus sustainability programs, conducting research on solar microgrids, and supporting food and agriculture grants research portfolios. As a Research Associate with Open Rivers, Lauren is eager to support strategy formation, project implementation, and business development. Lauren earned a Masters Degree in Environmental Management from Duke University concentrating in Business and Energy. She loves swing dancing, traveling, and her tortoiseshell cat Mimi.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenng2019/
Specializations: sustainability strategy, energy systems, GHG emissions management, program development
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Arnold Johnson
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
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Arnold Johnsen is a PhD candidate in the School of Statistics at the University of Minnesota, and an Ecological Data Science Intern with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) at the USGS. He has experience in statistical consulting with academic, government, and nonprofit clients through UMN’s Institute for Research in Statistics and its Applications and Open Rivers. He will be starting as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the fall developing statistical methods for cancer screening trials.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/arnold-johnsen
Specializations: statistics, ecology, research
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Anika Agarwal
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
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Anika Agarwal is an undergraduate student at Barnard College, Columbia University, studying Economics and English. She has a particular interest in gender, labor, and environmental economics. Her experience includes research on ESG and sustainable lending practices, developing systems to support healthcare workforce planning, and building tools that improve access to wellness and public spaces. She brings a deep interest in human-centered problem solving, especially where strategy and equity intersect.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anika-agarwal-12327718b/
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Annie Keating
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Annie Keating is a sustainability and waste management consultant with expertise in zero waste strategies, supply chain assessment, and stakeholder engagement. Since 2017, she has worked across the textiles, building products, and real estate sectors, helping businesses enhance sustainability performance through data-driven solutions. She is currently pursuing an MBA in Sustainability to strengthen her ability to support strategic, long-term decision-making that accelerates the transition to a circular economy.
Specializations: circularity, supply chain, sustainability strategy, responsible product manufacturing, zero waste
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Malkie Rothman
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Malkie Rothman is a strategic operator with over a decade of experience leading cross-functional initiatives in early- and growth-stage startups. With a foundation in human-centered design, she builds sustainable systems and processes that prioritize both operational efficiency and the human experience. Currently pursuing an MBA in Sustainability, Malkie is expanding her focus, aiming to apply her generalist skill set to drive meaningful change in how capital is structured and deployed in service of advancing regenerative agriculture.
Specializations: strategy, operations, product, impact finance, regenerative agriculture
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Dominique Mailloux
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Dominique Mailloux has worked in the Organic and regenerative agriculture space for over a decade and brings a deep understanding of global commodity supply chains from farm through end use. She is passionate about uplifting producer voices to build trust and drive change, and is pursuing an MBA in Sustainability to enhance equitable food systems while embedding the business case. Dominique uses her program management skills and curiosity to guide her work.
Specializations: regenerative agriculture, organics, farm technical assistance, third party verification
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Emerson Sarmiento
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Emerson Sarmiento has 25 years of experience in fin-tech, nonprofits, and corporate philanthropy impact measurement, with expertise in B2B consulting, management, and business development. Co-founding Parktivity in 2012, Emerson has led three successful global playground projects while prioritizing local collaboration, sustainability, and circularity to drive impactful community engagement.
Specializations: social impact, sustainability strategy, inclusive community development, impact measurement, circularity
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Angelina Veramendi
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Angelina is a rising senior at Alexandria City High school who is delighted to work with Open Rivers as an intern for the next 5 weeks. She is passionate about photography, writing, and journalism. She hopes to learn everything the Open River’s team has to offer and extend a hand on the team. Besides brainstorming what to capture or write, they spend their time listening to music, reading news articles, playing video games, and baking.