Chéri Smith is founder, president, and CEO of the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, an Indigenous-led nonprofit delivering no-cost support to Tribal Nations pursuing energy sovereignty. In 2015, Chéri – a clean energy expert and Mi'kmaq Nation descendant – witnessed Native families facing energy poverty. Drawing on a 25-year career at Tesla, SolarCity, and the US DOE, she founded the Alliance to change that reality. The Alliance has supported over 150 Tribes, mobilized over $500 million in funding, and established the Indigenous Power and Light Fund for Energy Sovereignty – catalyzing $121 million in project financing with potential to offset 222 million pounds of CO₂ annually. Chéri is a proud Climate Reality Leader, a Forbes 50-Over-50 honoree, and an MIT Fellow.