OUR STORY

INSPIRED

BY NATURE

Carbon Market Exchange Ltd (Carbon) was established in 2021 from the efforts of a small group of environmentalists and finance executives. We have bases of operations in North Carolina and Michigan, USA as well as in Belize. Our goal is to bring together the financial industry and climate action in a way that makes meeting international climate targets more accessible for companies and more supportive for conservationists.

Our journey began with the origination of carbon offset credits in a vital biodiversity hotspot in Belize, rapidly followed by ongoing projects in Tanzania and Suriname. These initial leaps into the industry have allowed us to reach all of the targets we set for our first year of business, and created a solid foundation from which to continue successful market-based solutions to mitigating climate change.

Our diverse team has decades of combined experience across the financial, legal and conservation industries, as well as partnerships with experts in related fields. We also have extensive experience in environmental sciences, financial/legal structures and derivatives, secondary market trading, and international legal and banking matters. These varied skill sets and knowledge bases allow for unconventional ways of approaching climate action with real-world solutions that empower grassroots, and established, organisations towards their goals in some of the most threatened regions of planet.

Carbon is one of the first and largest firms devoted to the carbon markets. We are passionate about addressing global climate issues and supporting the shared goal of conserving 30% of the planet by 2030, and our expertise and networks in the financial industry mean that we are well positioned to do our part. Meaningful positive action towards such a crucial endeavour must be approached from as many angles as possible and this is where we believe our efforts fit in with the larger international movement. Financing and access to tangible support is often one of the biggest problems for indigenous communities and NGOs working to conserve vital and precious areas; this is our driving force. We are separated from others in the industry by our emphasis on ensuring that local communities also benefit from carbon offset creation, and it is this marriage of capacity, awareness and empathy—a central pillar of our identity— that makes Carbon the dynamic organisation that it is.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Shenna Fortner

Shenna is an environmental solutions expert with over 15 years of experience and a passionate climate and social activist. As a conservation officer in Belize, she served as liaison between co-management entities and the Ministry of Fisheries. In that role, she worked for the protection of the second largest coral reef in the world, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. During this period she conducted research of marine protected areas in Curacao, Belize and Hawaii.

Shenna also petitioned the Public Utilities Commission on behalf of the Rosebud Lakota Tribe to reconsider the route of the Keystone XL pipeline, which was over the largest freshwater aquifer in the United States. Further, she assisted the Apache Tribe preserving Oak Flat and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their stance on the Dakota Access Pipeline. Shenna has a track record of crossing cultural and socio-economic barriers to resolve environmental problems. As an entrepreneur, in 2018 she created a vertically integrated hemp business, Equinox Solutions followed by Terpene Valley in 2020. Shenna is trained as an environmental lawyer and featured speaker on environmental issues. She has a J.D. from Vermont Law (2017), and BS in Biology & Chemistry from Tennessee State (2004). She is proficient in Spanish, Papiamentu, and Belizean Creole.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & GENERAL COUNSEL

RALPH W. CARMICHAEL

Ralph has over 30 years of financial and management experience. He founded BŌNWRx Ltd which makes complex spine surgery implants and built the company to a market value of over $500 million and he holds many patents across numerous industries. In 1992, he started Carmichael & Company LLC a merchant bank that managed over $6 billion in assets and advised on over $100 billion in transactions. He was a member of the investment committee of an international private equity fund that turned $384 million into over $1.8 billion in eight years. Prior to that, he was an executive at Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. and an Associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Ralph is a frequent speaker at financial industry events and is a recognized authority on exit strategies and liquidity alternatives for institutional investors. He also teaches finance courses at Michigan State University. Ralph has a B.A. and M.B.A. from Michigan State University (1985) and a J.D. from New York Law School (1989). He was a Law Review Editor and Clerk for the Hon. John E. Sprizzo, U.S. District Judge (SDNY).

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

rose bizova

Rose began her professional career with Xerox Corporation in 1986. She was promoted to Sales manager, and became a member of the President’s Club, which was limited to the top 10 salespeople at Xerox. While at Xerox, she received an MBA from NYU in International Finance and joined Siemens AG as the Executive Director of Strategic Planning & Internal Audit. She was responsible for coordinating over 11 acquisitions in the US States, Europe and Asia. In 1994, Rose founded ENB International, a technology related Investment Bank in Frankfurt, Germany that advised on the acquisitions of Hutchinson Telecom, and the formation of Orange Ltd. She also advised the Turkish and Bulgarian governments on wireless telecommunication strategies and Bosch GmbH on set up the mobile equipment manufacturing unit. In 1996, Rose joined Deloitte & Touche as a Managing Director of corporate finance where she advised numerous Fortune 500 companies on mergers & acquisitions and strategic planning. She has a BS in engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and BA in economics from the University of Rochester. Ms. Bizova is fluent in German, Turkish, French, and Arabic.