Gabriela Peralta

I’m a sustainability professional with experience in corporate and public-sector programs that center climate action, business advising, and stakeholder engagement. I recently completed my Master's in Sustainability in the Outdoor Industry, and most recently worked with Boulder County’s Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE), supporting 135 local businesses across sectors like HVAC, food manufacturing, and assisted living.

As a project manager and advisor, I’ve designed pilot programs, developed contractor engagement strategies, and collaborated with cross-functional teams to prioritize sustainability initiatives based on budget, values, and return on investment. I’m committed to challenging the status quo in service of both people and planet and believe in business as a force for good—able to improve communities and enhance the environment. 

I have over 3,000 miles of experience thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada and on the People's Trail! Let's talk about your favorite adventure or something you have in the works.

STOKE Snow — Sustainable Tourism Evaluator                                                         

STOKE is the leading sustainability certification for the ski industry, with 60+ members across 15 countries. Most recently, I certified Alterra Mountain Company’s Arapahoe Basin in Keystone, CO. 

• Lead multi-day on-site evaluations to verify sustainability claims made for certification.
• Collaborate with resort sustainability teams to identify data owners across the company, compiling evidence across 8 STOKE certification categories.
• Synthesize and input evidence into STOKE’s platform for further review.

Boulder County Government — Sustainable Business Fellow                        

Boulder County’s Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) program assists businesses in creating and adopting sustainable practices. Vital to reach the County’s sustainability goals, my impact included supporting 135+ businesses reduce both overhead costs and environmental impacts.

• Managed and designed 2 pilot programs for the food manufacturing and assisted living sectors. Leading two teams of 5 to engage over 20 businesses, we delivered tailored sustainability recommendations to the businesses and presented findings to senior officials to inform scalable, long-term programming. 
• Served as project lead for a 7-person multidisciplinary team focused on outreach to HVAC contractors, building educational partnerships, and advancing building electrification.
• Engaged 75 businesses to enroll in Xcel Energy’s Direct Install lighting program and assisted 15 landscaping companies in electrifying equipment through PACE rebates.

Boulder Jewish Community Center — Sustainability Consultant                       

The Boulder Jewish Community Center (BJCC) sits on 10 acres of land, invites over 49,000 visitors annually and has a main building footprint of 55,000 sq ft. My team benchmarked its energy, waste, water and land use to develop actionable solutions in the first-ever Climate, Resilience and Sustainability Plan (CRSP). My primary role was as project manager for waste and water audits.

• Identified stakeholder priorities through 9 one-on-one senior leadership interviews, 3 staff focus groups and 2 community-wide surveys.
• Pinpointed key staff to acquire necessary data on waste services, water use, natural gas and electricity consumption.
• Performed 3 waste audits of BJCC programs and 1 whole-building audit; data was then extrapolated to estimate key waste categories.
• Utilized the EPA’s WaterSense guidelines to conduct an indoor water audit.
• Supported my teammates in the development of a greenhouse gas inventory that followed GHG protocol, an ASHRAE Level 1 energy audit, and stakeholder engagement. 

CU Boulder — DEI Grad Student Assistant                                                  

• Assisted Masters of the Environment (MENV)’s Director of Diversity Affairs & Student Success in the planning and implementation of JEDI initiatives within the program.
• Coordinated, managed, and hosted annual DEI retreat that brought industry professionals, alumni, current students, and faculty to provide tools, strategies, and open discussion for DEI. 
• Facilitated bi-weekly DEI committee meetings with students, centered around discussion of DEI topics and action items to be executed program-wide.
• Created an 8-post Environmental Justice Instagram series that educated followers on environmental justice and the overlap in environmental sustainability.

M.S. Sustainability in the Outdoor Industry, Corporate Sustainability focus

University of Colorado, Boulder

B.A. Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience/Biology minors

University of Maine, Orono