About

Dr. Nikoosh Carlo is founder and chief strategist at CNC North Consulting. She has extensive experience working to advance community-driven solutions to climate change. She helps clients develop a vision for their climate and Arctic priorities, navigate building momentum to achieve change, and foster partnerships to drive forward movement. Dr. Carlo has a special interest in advancing initiatives that support climate equity and the health and well-being of Arctic residents and Indigenous peoples.

Dr. Carlo was the senior advisor for climate and Arctic policy to the Governor of Alaska (2017-18), a senior advisor at the U.S. State Department for the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2015-17), and the executive director of the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission (2013-15). Dr. Carlo’s recent work focuses on driving transformative change in the finance sector to support Indigenous-led climate solutions in the Arctic and beyond. President Biden appointed Dr. Carlo in 2022 to serve as an academic member on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. As one of seven Commissioners, she advises the president and Congress on domestic and international Arctic research. Dr. Carlo is also a board trustee for The Nature Conservancy in Alaska. 

Dr. Carlo is Koyukon Athabascan and has deep roots in the Interior Alaska communities of Fairbanks and Tanana, where she was raised. Dr. Carlo received a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California San Diego and a B.S. in psychology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.