Meet the Team: Ilona Rayan, Multilateral Engagement Associate
This month’s “Meet the Team” spotlight features Ilona Rayan, Multilateral Engagement Associate at The New York Climate Exchange. Ilona has a background in climate and international diplomacy, with experience helping cities lead on climate and influencing policies and stakeholders towards undertaking ambitious climate action. At The Exchange, she supports our Oceans programming, as well as our Climate Finance work, including supporting the Wall Street Climate Forum for Young Professionals.
Ilona Rayan
What does your role as Multilateral Engagement Associate at The Exchange entail?
As a Multilateral Engagement Associate, I support The Exchange’s global initiatives by helping to build and maintain relationships with international stakeholders, such as the UN and multilateral financial institutions. I assist in coordinating communication and collaboration between The Exchange and these organizations, ensuring that our goals align with global climate policy and finance initiatives. Additionally, I support the planning and coordination of events and meetings, ensuring smooth logistics and communication for international engagements.
What’s one project you’re especially excited about right now? Why does it matter?
I have helped to build our team’s participation and engagement in the Third UN Oceans Conference, which took place in Nice, France. It was our first big international event that we took part in alongside some of our partners like Duke, Stony Brook University, CUNY, and Waterfront Alliance. Our presence there highlighted the work of our partners and helped us build our future engagement in the ocean and climate space.
What gives you hope about the future of climate action?
Youth climate action is always motivating for me- especially youth from frontline communities- and the bold and innovative leadership and activism of small island states like Barbados, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Vanuatu among others.
Do you have a climate-related book you’d recommend?
I enjoy listening to the Outrage and Optimism podcast. Christiana Figueres is one of the hosts and former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, leading the process that secured the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change. It covers the latest news from science, business, finance politics, and culture, and is for anyone looking to expand their understanding of the climate crisis and get inspired to take action. It represents how I feel about the climate crisis: equally outraged and optimistic. We have to be angry/outraged about how we have arrived at this crisis, yet be optimistic and hopeful for humanity and our communities that will fight and get through this together. Without hope and optimism its very easy to give up.
What’s one thing you do to live more sustainably?
I take public transportation everywhere. That’s one of the things I love about living in the New York and the Tri-State Area. It always amazes me how far we can travel using public transport in New York. We also have a garden at home, compost, and grow our own vegetables, herbs, and greens during the summer.
Which of The Exchange’s partners are you especially excited to work with?
I’m very excited about working with all our local community partners, especially partners like the Billion Oyster Project. I have worked in the international diplomacy and urban/city climate space, and this is the first time I’ve worked with an organization that partners with local community groups.
What’s your favorite thing about Governors Island?
The island is an escape from the hectic environment of the city and I really enjoy the mix of historic buildings and being in close proximity to the water. Outlook hill has amazing views of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty. And Makina Cafe!!
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I enjoy outrigger paddling and have been doing it for 15 years. Outrigger canoes have been traveling the Pacific Ocean for more than 4,000 years. They were originally developed for sea travel, fishing, and general transport. The modern sport of outrigger canoeing or Va’a, was developed in Tahiti and Hawaii and has now spread across most of the Pacific Islands (Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian Islands), but also moved to the mainland US and other parts of the world. Its the official state team sport of Hawai’i. I love being on the water and paddling out in the ocean. My most memorable paddles have been circumnavigations around Manhattan, around the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, and from the island of Mau’i to Moloka’i-26 miles in Hawai’i.
