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Sage Welch
Communications strategist, founder of Sunstone Strategies, believer in a better world
Professional Background
Sage Welch is a prominent figure in the field of communication and public relations, particularly known for her dedication to environmental sustainability and equitable climate policies. With over 15 years of valuable experience in issue communications and climate and energy policy, Sage has made significant strides in the advocacy of systemic changes necessary to confront the climate crisis. In 2018, she founded Sunstone Strategies, a mission-driven communications and public relations firm that aims to advance sustainable solutions to pressing environmental challenges. Under Sage's leadership, Sunstone Strategies has crafted impactful campaigns that focus on advancing equitable climate policies both in California and at the national level, making a sustainable future more attainable for all.
Prior to her role as the Principal at Sunstone Strategies, Sage served as the Vice President at Cater Communications, where she was instrumental in driving the company's policy and communications work across California and nationwide. Her extensive background includes significant positions that highlight her commitment to clarifying the complex interplay of politics, law, and environmental issues. Sage’s diverse experience gives her a unique perspective in the field, enabling her to connect various stakeholders in the discussions around climate justice and policy reforms.
Education and Achievements
Sage Welch's academic achievements are as impressive as her professional endeavors. She graduated summa cum laude with a Master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School, where she developed a strong foundation in legal frameworks surrounding environmental issues. To complement her understanding of environmental policies, Sage also earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and Political Science from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Additionally, she holds a Graduate Diploma in Media Studies from La Trobe University, equipping her with the necessary skills to navigate the media landscape effectively.
Sage’s commitment to climate issues began during her work in Australia, where she developed an ecological justice advocacy program for an order of nuns, a role that fueled her passion for making a difference in environmental equity. This early exposure to advocacy opened the doors for her future work in the United States, providing her with the drive to influence public opinion around climate change and sustainability.
Achievements
Throughout her career, Sage has made notable contributions to several organizations aimed at boosting environmental advocacy. Some of her previous roles include Senior California Director at Cater Communications and positions at the Tennessee Climate Action Campaign, where she worked on the Tennessee Healthy Energy Campaign. She also contributed as a Sustainable TN Policy and Steering Committee Member at the Tennessee Environmental Council, further cementing her reputation as a leader in promoting sustainable practices at the state level.
Sage's early career included her role as the Ecological Justice Program Manager at Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, where she focused on integrating ecological principles into social justice efforts. Additionally, her experience as the Research and Foundation Manager at Aspire Learning Resources provided her with keen insights into educational strategies relevant to promoting climate awareness and sustainable practices.
Her professional journey reflects her commitment not only to addressing climate challenges but also to ensuring that equitable solutions are part of the political and economic discourse. Sage’s vision of a better world, underpinned by effective legal, economic, and energy systems, aligns perfectly with her goal of advancing humanity within the context of climate change.
Sage Welch currently resides in Oakland with her husband and child, where she continues to advocate for a more socially and environmentally responsible approach to public relations and communication. Her journey and work serve as an inspiration to many who are passionate about making a positive impact on the world. By focusing on communication strategies that resonate with a diverse audience, she is helping to pave the way for future generations to address climate issues effectively and compassionately.
Highlights
Not Sunstone being extra cool in Politico Playbook?!
Thrilled to share that powerhouses-for-good Nick Berning and Gina Coplon-Newfield have joined our team as Managing Directors.
Gina and Nick will be integral to Sunstone’s operations and strategy and serve as senior managers of our campaigns. I’m genuinely floored to have such incredible people joining our team, and so excited to have them sharing their expertise with Sunstone staff (me, please start with me!) and all of our partners.
And while I have your attention, we're hiring for associate and program manager roles! These are awesome opportunities for entry-level and mid-career folks to get immersed in our climate-loving chaos. Please feel free to share widely.
https://lnkd.in/g2kWiVGs
Hi LinkedIn,
Sunstone turned five years old this September – and I should have written some cool, celebratory humble brag post about it - but I didn’t, because… we’re so busy! The truth is, I wake up every day amazed at the incredible team that’s somehow assembled amid my policy-obsessed climate communications chaos.
In light of the fact that managing this team and our ever-expanding portfolio of campaigns goes far beyond the capabilities of this particular Den Mother, I'm excited to share that we’re hiring a Managing Director!
We’re looking for a very special senior leader to help oversee our campaigns and a talented, dedicated, and by goddess, adorable team providing the climate movement with the embedded communications strategy and support it deserves.
You can read all about the position specifics here: https://lnkd.in/gfhQGC32
If you’re wondering why you (or whoever you thought of when you saw this post), an accomplished communications campaign maverick, should consider applying for this position, here are five good reasons:
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You get to be a HUGE know-it-all This role is perfect for someone who simply cannot choose a favorite sector to decarbonize. Like, why run just one campaign when you could be running transportation, gas, buildings, power sector, industrial decarbonization and polluter accountability campaigns passing policy in states and nationally ALL AT ONCE, ALL THE TIME! Get in on this madness! Some say we only live once (I don’t buy it) – so why not use that one life to become an expert in as many policy sectors as possible? Let’s be insufferable, together!
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You will be showered in SLAY emojis on slack Our team is deeply supportive. We pile on with the good vibes. You’ll be buried in positive slack emojis before you even log in.
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Every day is bring your whole self to work day at Sunstone. Do you have kids? Pets? Parents? Partners? Cool, us too. We know how to serve our clients, partners and coalitions while also living our lives and being exactly who we are. No fronts. Just good people working hard, being weird, having fun, getting results.
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You’ll get to make the rules The only rule we have at Sunstone is that we show up, give it our all, and do what is needed to win. Honestly, we could probably use more rules. This is a role for a leader who wants to make an impact. Bring your ambition.
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You’ll get to lead and collaborate with the best team in the business I genuinely don’t know how this happened, but somehow, the Sunstone team has grown into a high-functioning pulsating mass of communications glory. This year, we’re averaging 3 earned media placements per day, every day. That’s more than 900 individually-placed stories this year so far. That is just one metric of success, but TL;DR: This is a team you can be proud of! Come over here and let us be proud of YOU TOO!
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.