Cari Harris
Cari A. Harris is a multifaceted leader, dedicated to driving economic, community, and organizational development. As the co-founder of the HBCU Environmental Justice Technical (HEJT) Collaborative, she focuses on sustainability, environmental justice, and economics projects. At the intersection of climate resiliency, racial equity and technology, the HEJT Collaborative iscommitted to empowering environmental justice (EJ) stakeholders by enhancing their research, organizational development, and decision-making capabilities through technical assistance and the use of advanced tools and systems.
In 2021, Cari founded The Butterfly Effect, a consulting firm specializing in organizational development, compliance and riskmanagement, and project controlling. Her professional expertise as a principal consultant has been instrumental in drivingorganizational improvement with a focus on finance and compliance. Her experience includes roles as an analyst for Morgan Stanley, Merrill, and other financial corporations, where she honed her skills in data analysis and reporting, quality control, and business technology systems. Recently, she has consulted with numerous organizations, including local governments, universities,small businesses and nonprofits, designing projects and programs, improving infrastructure, developing compliance and riskmonitoring systems, and delivering data analytics reports and visualizations.
Cari is also the founder of the Claude C. Thornton (CCT) Foundation. The CCT Foundation is a
501C3 nonprofit organization focused on building and empowering our community, socially
and economically, through programming, advocacy, and events. Most notably, the CCT Foundation hosts an annual Blossoms Blooming Brunch to honor community mentors and offers the Clarinet Scholarship to rising sophomores studying STEM or related fields. The Foundation also leads the Greater Baltimore Climate Initiative, a part of which the inaugural Greater Baltimore Climate Summit was held in November 2024! Her role as a community organizer, environmental justice advocate, economist, and project manager has solidified her as a leader in these areas. She is deeply committed to fostering community and supporting educational initiatives through her work with the CCT Foundation.
Cari holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Morgan State University and a Master of Science in Applied Economics witha concentration in environmental policy from Southern New Hampshire University. She is also a pro bono consultant with The Acceleration Project, providing strategic advice to small business owners and creating structured, action-oriented plans to drive both short- and long-term growth.