About Shift-Catalysts

Shift-Catalysts is an innovative nonprofit organization working to create an equitable, regenerative, and democratic energy system grounded in belonging. Founded in 2020 by entrepreneurs Shahed Shafazand & Moah Christensen our team has grown to 7 people. We are an eclectic group with experience in engineering, energy equity, community energy, and Indigenous knowledge. This uniquely combined skill set allows us to bring social justice solutions into the energy system in order to revolutionize the way we produce, use, and manage energy for the well-being of communities, the regeneration of ecosystems, and the ability to live within planetary boundaries.

It is our belief that in order to ensure a just transition that leads to a more equitable and environmentally-friendly energy system we must have a holistic focus. This is why we both work with communities that bear the burden of historical and current injustices, as well as the energy system incumbents, such as utilities, policymakers, and energy producers that have a responsibility to ensure that these injustices are addressed.

Working alongside traditionally excluded and racialized communities, we provide knowledge on how the utility system is governed so that they can play a more active role in local energy decisions. We also partner with local organizations to drive the adoption of energy efficiency measures in these communities. By designing, developing, and delivering training programs we help create future energy champions in the form of registered energy advisors. As they leave the program they can work with their own communities to identify energy conservation opportunities, and reduce energy poverty while improving housing conditions in their communities. 

We also partner with utilities to build roadmaps toward integrating energy equity within their programs and projects. We support utilities on this journey by co-creating equity goals and metrics and by building meaningful relationships with underserved customers so that the programs and projects can maximize their positive impact. For utilities, this means an improved bottom line and the possibility to achieve increasingly stringent legislated environmental and equity goals.