Gigi Alsaadi Presents CRANE Fellowship at the University of Toronto

On September 8, Gigi Alsaadi presented her work as a CRANE Fellow at Prime Coalition during the final poster presentation of her Master of Environmental Science (MEnvSc) program at the University of Toronto. Her studies focused on environmental policy and legislation, project management, and science communication—skills she has applied directly in her fellowship at Prime.

Since joining Prime in June 2024, Gigi has served as an in-house expert on CRANE, Prime’s open-access tool for assessing the forward-looking GHG impact of emerging climate technologies. In this role, she supports a global community of more than 6,000 investors, philanthropists, and innovators across 90+ countries, who have generated over 125,000 CRANE impact reports since 2020. Her responsibilities range from leading webinars, newsletters, and user demos to supporting software development and strategy.

As part of Prime’s piloted Technical Advising strategy, Gigi has also been contributing to client-facing work with accelerators and early-stage companies. She supports the contracting process, delivers hands-on workshops, and provides custom modeling support using CRANE. One highlight was co-developing a case study with the Biomimicry Institute’s Ray of Hope Accelerator, which illustrated how forward-looking impact assessments can strengthen early-stage startups.

Through her fellowship, Gigi has deepened her expertise in catalytic investing, consulting, and communications, while also gaining valuable exposure to impact-first nonprofit management—an area she feels inspired to continue working in. Reflecting on her experience, she strives to “lead with Prime’s values of tenacity, humility, and care: to hold a clear North Star, stay creative in how I reach it, and treat climate action as a shared responsibility.” With this perspective, Gigi is energized to continue her work at Prime through the end of 2025.

Author: Gigi Alsaadi, CRANE Fellow at Prime Coalition