Teehan McGinness

Pronouns: She/her

Ever since high school, Teehan knew that she wanted to make the pursuit of climate justice a part of her life and career path. But it took time for her to figure out how to make that happen. Since she did not feel drawn to the science and technology fields, she studied business as an undergraduate, eager to find ways to make change from the inside.

“I realized quickly that real, meaningful change doesn’t happen that way,” she recalls. “Corporate social responsibility initiatives are often rooted in the goal of making corporations look good in order to increase profits, not to change the products or operations that do so much harm.”

Teehan served as a grant writer and researcher at Nuestras Raices, a grassroots organization focused on food and agriculture in Holyoke, Massachusetts. She also organized with the Right Care Alliance, which advocated for Covid vaccine equity and accessibility in Massachusetts and volunteered at a kitchen that provided sustainably-sourced meals to the community. Teehan graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in operations and information management and a certificate in community service and natural resources conservation.

As the recruitment organizer, Teehan supports the staff hiring and onboarding processes at Corporate Accountability and coordinates the organization’s internship program. She loves meeting so many skilled organizers and learning how candidates’ interests and experiences connect them to the organization’s mission.

When she’s not working, you can find Teehan with a pile of yarn spread across her lap, as she works away on her latest knitting project. She recently finished her first Fair Isle Scandinavian sweater.