Chris Castro is a climate and clean energy executive, sustainability professional, and eco-entrepreneur with a unique expertise in the policy, planning, design, and financing of decarbonization solutions for the power, buildings, and transportation sectors. Chris is currently the Founding Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Climate First Bank, the nation’s first FDIC-insured digital community bank specializing in climate finance and values-based impact investing. With a distinguished career in urban sustainability and clean energy, Chris has made significant contributions to environmental and climate initiatives across Florida and the U.S.

Prior to joining Climate First Bank, Chris served as a presidential appointee for the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff for State and Community Energy Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he helped manage a multi-billion portfolio of grants and technical assistance programs to catalyze climate and clean energy projects nationwide. Chris’s career also includes nearly a decade of service at the City of Orlando, Florida, where he held various roles, including Senior Advisor to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Director of Sustainability & Resilience. During this time, Chris developed comprehensive policies and programs that advanced the City’s sustainability and climate action goals through the Green Works Orlando initiative.

In addition to his public service, Chris is known for his eco-entrepreneurial efforts. He co-founded IDEAS For Us, a global UN-accredited nonprofit 501c3 advancing community-led sustainability projects, and started Citizen Energy, a clean-energy consulting firm specializing in clean energy retrofits to commercial and multifamily buildings. Chris also co-created Fleet Farming, an urban farming social enterprise program transforming lawns, schoolyards, and underutilized land into edible landscapes throughout Central Florida.