Where strategy and experience fuel radical optimism.
At New Fundamentals, we ignite transformative policies and campaigns that win today — and build the fundamentals for lasting positive impact. We are a people-powered consultancy with a proven track record in turning policy and market complexity into measurable victories.
Whether your organization is large or small, established or emerging, our innovative strategies help you achieve real, durable impact — even after our contract ends.
We don’t just win campaigns. We build movements.
OUR TEAM
Strategy + Experience + People Power
Our team blends deep campaign expertise, policy knowledge, communications savvy, and organizing know-how. Together, we help partners ignite innovative strategies and deliver impact that lasts.
At New Fundamentals, our team is more than a roster of experts — we’re seasoned strategists, organizers, and advocates who have led some of the most consequential climate, energy, and justice campaigns in the country. We combine policy depth, grassroots power, communications savvy, and cross-sector experience to deliver innovative strategies that ignite change and build power that lasts.
Together, we bring the fundamentals: vision, discipline, and people power — the building blocks of durable movements and lasting impact.
Claire Douglass
Founder and Chief Strategist
Claire brings 20+ years of experience leading climate, clean energy, and environmental campaigns at the local, state, and national level. As former National Campaigns Senior Director at the Audubon Society, she built bipartisan coalitions that secured durable climate and clean energy victories across shifting political landscapes. At Oceana, she led one of the most successful campaigns to stop offshore drilling under both the Obama and Trump administrations, rallying mayors, business alliances, fishers, and coastal communities into a powerful, enduring force.
Now, as founder of New Fundamentals, Claire helps organizations harness people power and proven strategy to achieve wins once thought impossible — and to build movements that outlast the moment.
She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, daughter, and a shared love of music, elephants, and the stars.
Ben Adams
Senior Strategist and Communications Director
Ben Adams is an advocate for clean energy, with a specific emphasis on engagement strategy and communications. Prior to working at New Fundamentals, he was a Transmission Fellow, working with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) and supported by training with RMI. For SACE, he conducted research and wrote articles and docket responses to advance the cause of transmission in the southeast. He also worked with fellow clean energy advocates to develop messaging and campaign strategies to get key policies passed at the local, state, and regional level.
Ben also spent nearly two decades publishing bestselling and award-winning books about a variety of nonfiction subjects, including science, technology, politics, and much more. He worked with high-ranking government officials, journalists, scholars, and public figures to help them refine and articulate the ideas for the audiences they sought to reach. Ben has a B.A. in English from the University of Chicago and lives in southern New Hampshire with his family. He is the proud owner of thirty-six solar panels and enjoys outdoor sports.
Olivia Campbell
Partner, Policy & External Affairs
Sparking possibility across the country, Olivia has more than 20 years of experience advising government officials, companies, and non-profits to advance climate and sustainability solutions. She’s often invited to speak on policy innovations, program implementation, and advocacy and communications strategies. Prior to joining New Fundamentals, Olivia advanced renewable electricity, heating, and EV policies on behalf of ABB, EnergyHub, the National Wildlife Federation, and Renewable Energy Vermont. Focusing on sustainability, energy, and transportation issues at all levels of government, her career also includes senior leadership roles with Congressional Majority Leader Emeritus Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Olivia serves as an elected member of the Washington Electric Coop’s Board of Directors. Olivia earned degrees from Vermont Law School and Gettysburg College. An enthusiastic EV driver (car, truck & lawnmower), Olivia lives at Anderbell Acres, a solar-powered organic berry and flower farm she founded with her husband, daughter, Great Pyr, 2 ducks, and 40 chickens.
Caitlin Sanford
Climate Policy and Advocacy Manager
Caitlin Sanford offers a unique blend of analytical rigor and practical advocacy experience, with a background in product research, data science, and state government. She brings a data-driven perspective to campaign strategy, audience analysis, and performance measurement, crucial for shaping and testing responsive campaign models. She has an MPA in Economics and Public Policy from Princeton University and is also Co-President of Climate Action Rhode Island.
Julie Hansen
Operations and Administrative Manager
Julie Hansen is a seasoned administrative and operations professional with over a decade of experience supporting executives in mission-driven organizations. With a strong background in project coordination, strategic planning, and team management, Julie is known for bringing structure, clarity, and reliability to fast-paced environments. Her career has spanned nonprofit, consulting, and strategic roles, with a consistent focus on enabling others to do their best work through thoughtful support and operational excellence.
Kyle Dunne
Software Engineer
Kyle Dunne is an experienced software engineer helping New Fundamentals develop software tools to aid energy policy stakeholders. Kyle previously worked as a software engineer for iHeartRadio and Stytch. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from The University of California, Berkeley, and is currently pursuing additional education in machine learning and artificial intelligence through programs offered by UC Berkeley and MIT.
Our Story
Our logo — a pine cone holding a spark at its core — embodies the New Fundamentals philosophy.
Like a pine cone, movements are multidimensional. And like certain seeds that only grow after wildfire, campaigns often need a spark to break through. These spark events — whether historic moments like Rosa Parks’ courageous refusal to move, the 2017 Women’s March, the Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality ruling, or environmental crises like Hurricane Katrina — change the terrain, demand strategy shifts, and create new opportunities.
At New Fundamentals, we help our partners recognize, shape, and seize those moments. We go beyond short-term victories to ignite campaigns that endure — building coalitions, shifting power, and driving systemic change.
“Knowing the difference between strategy and tactics has fundamentally improved my approach to campaigns.”
— Tykee James, President of DC Audubon Society and Co-creator of Black Birders Week