Tara O'Shea is passionate about realigning natural, social and economic systems through strategic design, communications, and stakeholder engagement. As the director of forest programs at Planet, she drives partnership and impact evaluation strategies that help ensure Planet’s timely, global imagery empowers informed, deliberate and meaningful stewardship of our planet.

Trained in the natural sciences, O'Shea began her career in academia, translating natural capital research into business accounting and policy practice at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. In 2012, she helped start a nonprofit focused on advancing Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), a financial mechanism for sustainable land use in tropical forest countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In this role she pioneered new programs for private sector engagement and policy alignment in REDD+, as well as launched StandForTrees.org in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development to spread public awareness and engagement with the mechanism.

O'Shea holds a Masters of environmental management and graduate certificate in international development policy from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in environmental science from Gettysburg College. She lives in San Francisco, California and in her free time enjoys camping, trail running, and good coffee.