Get to know me
Karla Brollier
I design and build economic systems that stabilize the climate and reshape how capital influences the future. My work lives at the intersection of climate economics, global finance, and investment architecture—where new financial models are created, tested, and scaled to meet the planet’s most urgent challenges.
I’m an operator-turned-investor with deep experience building funds, investment platforms, and governance structures that move capital at the speed climate realities demand. Over the past two decades, I’ve architected and led multiple venture funds, philanthropic investment vehicles, and blended-finance platforms that channel capital into the technologies, communities, and systems that will define the next economy.
As Principal at Velveteen Ventures, the first Indigenous woman–led venture fund, I invest in high-impact, high-growth companies shaping climate resilience, sustainability, and the essential systems of the future. I partner with founders building what comes next—transforming bold ideas into scalable, investable companies capable of delivering both measurable climate impact and strong financial performance.
My investment and systems design work spans global finance, climate policy, and corporate strategy. I directed Patagonia’s Home Planet Fund, helping build a blended investment and philanthropic platform designed around long-term ecological integrity. Earlier in my career, I served as an executive for former Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, advancing initiatives that bring capital and policy together to accelerate climate solutions. In collaboration with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, I’ve helped shape international conversations on climate finance, Indigenous rights, and the economic frameworks needed to stabilize a rapidly changing planet.
Across all of my work, I focus on one core objective: designing financial systems that don’t just respond to climate disruption but actively shape a more resilient world. Whether developing a new venture fund, structuring a catalytic finance platform, or building community-led investment models, my goal is to align capital with the real-world conditions—and opportunities—of the future.
I am Ahtna Athabascan from Alaska’s Arctic region, where witnessing the accelerating collapse of local ecosystems grounded my lifelong commitment to climate, community, and economic sovereignty.
The climate is changing. The economy must change with it. My work sits at that inflection point—designing the systems, funds, and institutions capable of carrying us into a future defined not by crisis, but by resilience.
Today, I’m based in Seattle, where I continue building next-generation climate investment platforms while exploring the mountains and discovering the hidden corners of the Pacific Northwest. A lover of books, yoga, and adventure, I am endlessly curious—always seeking new ideas, places, and experiences that expand my understanding of this wildly beautiful world.
I spend much of my time with my French Bulldog, my steadfast co-adventurer and constant source of joy. Whether I’m diving into a new book, practicing mindfulness, or chasing the next great exploration, I remain in pursuit of what is meaningful, inspiring, and just a little bit magical.