Co-founder - Chief of Strategy & Ops, Shift7; Former Head of the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS); Local2030 Islands Network Steering Committee Member

Susan Alzner is co-founder of shift7, advancing tech-forward, open, shareable practices to drive direct impact on systemic challenges, particularly through scouting and scaling promising solution-makers and solutions. Susan led public engagement at the United Nations from 2010-2018, serving the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Her leadership included designing and facilitating open, transparent, and participatory processes for civil society and social entrepreneurs to contribute to the highest-level UN events and processes, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals negotiations and Summit, the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, and the UN General Assembly dialogues with candidates for UN Secretary-General.

Susan received a UN Secretary-General Staff Award for Teamwork in 2015, and was recognized as a finalist for a UN Secretary-General Staff Award for Managing Change in 2016. She co-founded the UN Solutions Summit and led extensive civil society consultations for the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panels and Groups on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Sustainable Energy for All, Global Sustainability, and Climate Finance, as well as for civil society to contribute recommendations to the UN Deputy Secretary-General on UN development system reform.

Susan’s prior experience includes Coordinator for the Global Campaign for Climate Action (GCCA), and political project manager for musician and social activist Ani DiFranco. She has also organized bicycle rides across the United States to raise awareness and funds for Native American environmental initiatives. Susan graduated from Yale University.