Carlos Vicente Pineda

1971 - 2017

1971 - 2017
Carlos Vicente Pineda passed away on March 24th, in the arms of his wife, Sasha, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Carlos was a natural leader; a triathlete; a thoughtful and effective pioneer in clean energy and conservation; and a lot of fun. He put 110% of himself into everything he did, from developing innovative projects in North & South America, to long distance open water swimming, to just plain eating. Carlos had a clarity of purpose and a generosity of spirit that drew people to him. He was a force of nature.

At the time of his death, Carlos served as Senior Director for Conservation Areas Financing for World Wildlife Fund. He previously founded and served as CEO of Foresight Renewable Solutions, and there and with other companies he led the development and financing of over 900 megawatts of operating power projects valued at over US$1.7 billion. His finance background was shaped by work at the World Bank and BNP Paribas, and his commitment to conservation was evident in his time at Conservation International and the Stanford Center for Conservation Biology. He was a fluent speaker of Spanish and Portuguese, and started his career as a bilingual biology teacher with Teach for America in Oakland, CA.

Carlos was born in Los Angeles and raised in Redding, CA, where he was valedictorian and student body president of Enterprise High School. He graduated from Stanford in Human Biology with honors, with a concentration in Latin American Studies. He later earned his MBA with a focus on Finance and Emerging Markets Strategy from the Yale School of Management, where he was a Dean's Scholar, and his master's degree with the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where he focused on environmental finance and public private partnerships. As an alumnus, he co-founded the first Yale Environmental Sustainability Summit in 2015.

Carlos was a triathlete, a force on the Ultimate Frisbee field, and a devotee of mountain biking, yoga and long distance open water swimming at Aquatic Park in San Francisco. He had an appetite that matched his gusto for physical activity, and many of his friends' fondest memories of him revolve around food. His relentless energy and passion inspired his travels around the globe. His kindness and compassion, and infectious sense of humor lifted up countless friends and colleagues. Carlos was animated by a deep commitment to social justice, a dedication to the planet and all living things, and above all Big Love.

The love of his life was his wife Sasha, whom he married on Christmas Day in 2014. Their love was the kind that few are lucky to know, and it made him complete.

In addition to Sasha, he leaves behind his mother, Adele; his father, Charlie; his sister, Adelina; his beloved niece and goddaughter, Chloe, and nephew, Cameron; his aunt Kathy; three other godchildren; many cousins and other family members; and legions of friends around the world, who will celebrate his life on April 22nd in San Francisco.