Jayant Kairam is an independent consultant and writer on environmental policy, social justice and urban sustainability. Most recently he was deputy assistant general manager at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, where he oversaw the agency's community-benefits programs. Before joining the SFPUC, he led clean-energy programs for the Environmental Defense Fund in California.
Previously, Karaim served as chief operating officer for the New York City Business Commission, where he led policy reforms to reduce the environmental impact of the commercial-waste sector. He also was as a senior policy adviser to New York City's deputy mayor of operations, and served in the Peace Corps in Cape Verde from 2004 to 2006. He received his master's degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
