# Leslie L. Durschinger

> Leslie L. Durschinger is the founder, CEO and CIO of Terra Global Capital, which she established in 2006 after a career in financial services. Her work connects investment, land-use greenhouse-gas accounting and community-based landscape programs. She has participated in carbon-market standards bodies and financing structures for forest conservation, and her family makes small-production olive oil in Mendocino County, California.

- **Role:** Founder, CEO and CIO at Terra Global Capital
- **Organizations:** Terra Global Capital, Terra Global Investment Management, International Emissions Trading Association, Verra VCS Program Advisory Group, ACDI/VOCA, JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Barclays Global Investors, Charles Schwab
- **Known for:** Founded Terra Global Capital in 2006., Led Terra during its 2012 Sustainable Forestry Deal of the Year recognition., Led Terra during its 2014 ACR Innovation award for a 5,000-acre rice-management project.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2006** — Worked in financial services at firms including JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Barclays Global Investors and Charles Schwab; roles spanned derivatives, investment management and risk.
- **2006** — Founded Terra Global Capital to attract private capital to nature-based solutions.
- **2011** — Terra Global Investment Management announced OPIC approval for up to $40 million in financing for the Terra Bella Fund; approval should not be treated as proof of deployment.
- **2012** — Terra Global received Environmental Finance’s Sustainable Forestry Deal of the Year award for work with OPIC on forest conservation finance.
- **2014** — Terra received an ACR Innovation award for a California rice-management carbon project.
- **2015** — Delivered a top-ten list on sustainable landscape finance at the Global Landscapes Forum in London.
- **2016** — Participated in the three-day EneCO2 cycling tour from Rotterdam to Cologne.
- **2019** — Met then-Colombian president Iván Duque in San Francisco in connection with investment opportunities.
- **2020** — Appointed to ACDI/VOCA’s board of directors.
- **2024** — Participated in the FCPF CF27 REDD+ panel and appeared on SmarterMarkets with David Greely.
- **2025** — Submitted comments to a UNFCCC consultation on non-permanence and reversals.
- **2026** — Marked Terra Global’s twentieth year and publicly announced its return to women-owned status.

## Achievements

- Founded Terra Global Capital in 2006.
- Led Terra during its 2012 Sustainable Forestry Deal of the Year recognition.
- Led Terra during its 2014 ACR Innovation award for a 5,000-acre rice-management project.
- Helped develop finance and political risk insurance arrangements for community-based forest carbon activity.
- Co-authored a 2024 practitioner guide on a just transition through nature-based investments.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Listed on Terraformation’s September 22 New York Climate Week agenda for the session “What’s Landing on Funders’ Desks: A Look at What’s Getting Attention and Why”; the listing establishes a scheduled appearance.
- **2026-07** — Terra reported her participation with government representatives and Kulera partners in discussions on operationalizing Malawi’s carbon-market framework.
- **2026-05** — Terra announced her speaking engagements at GenZero Climate Summit and Innovate4Climate in Singapore.
- **2026-03** — In a Women’s History Month post, announced that Terra was women-owned again after an equity ownership change and said women represented 52% of the company.
- **2026-01** — Terra highlighted a Broadpeak interview covering project design, long-term finance and community implementation.

## Links

- Website: https://www.terraglobalcapital.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-durschinger-036b32

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/leslie-durschinger
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27