Elle Hempen serves as Vice President of Programs, overseeing the implementation of the duPont Fund’s overarching strategy, including developing relationships with national funders, grants monitoring and evaluation, and special initiatives.

Elle brings to her role more than two decades of experience in innovation, urban resilience, and social impact. Previously, she founded, scaled, and sold The Atlas, growing the case study database and community platform for local governments from its inception into a multimillion-dollar business. Following its acquisition by Government Executive Media Group, she oversaw strategy for the GovExec state and local portfolio.

Elle’s career began as a political appointee in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There, she spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives, including launching a $2 million grant program to foster climate entrepreneurship at Tribal Colleges and Universities and leading bilateral programs with Brazil and Israel focused on environmental technology investment and deployment. Upon leaving the EPA, she worked with governments, nonprofits, and private-sector entities to build impactful programs, including developing and managing the $3 million RE:invest Initiative, which informed the Rockefeller Foundation’s eventual $100 million investment in urban resilience. She also collaborated with SwissRe, Goldman Sachs, and leaders from sovereign wealth funds to design and pitch the foundational structure of a “resilience bond,” now supporting large-scale investment in coastal flood management worldwide.

A passionate advocate for innovation in state and local government, Elle has shared her expertise at global platforms such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Smart Cities Expo. She holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and a BA in Public Policy from the University of Michigan.