Costa Mesa, California, United States
Dr. Lily Bui is a strategy leader with over 15 years of experience operating at the intersection of climate resilience, philanthropy, public policy, and capital deployment. She leads systems-level strategy for climate and disaster resilience across Southern California and statewide, influencing the deployment of philanthropic and public capital toward high-impact, scalable solutions. A trusted advisor to executive leadership, she has a strong track record of aligning diverse stakeholders, shaping funding strategies, and advancing initiatives from concept through implementation. Serving as the Director of Climate & Disaster Resilience at SoCal Grantmakers and the Philanthropy CA alliance, she is recognized for her systems thinking, strategic judgment under uncertainty, and her ability to translate complex, multi-sector challenges into clear priorities, investment frameworks, and coordinated action. Her work centers on developing engagement strategies that advance climate justice and equitable disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery funding across the region and state. Prior to her role at SoCal Grantmakers, Dr. Bui held positions spanning higher education, applied research, public policy, media, impact investing, and consulting, with a focus on climate and disaster resilience in coastal communities across the Pacific and Caribbean. She earned her PhD in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master’s in Comparative Media Studies from MIT, and a dual bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish from the University of California, Irvine. She is the first-generation daughter of Vietnamese immigrant refugees.
Southern California Grantmakers (SCG) is a community of philanthropists and grantmakers working to make a difference in our communities and around the world. Our members include family, private, public, independent, community and corporate foundations and corporate giving programs, individuals, and government agencies. Philanthropy California is an alliance of Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, and Catalyst working together to increase our impact in building and sustaining thriving, equitable communities.
Competitively selected to be a part of the 2025 Climate Resilience Leadership Network (CRLN) program, a leadership development program for professionals working within and across the diverse and intersectional issue of climate resiliency in Los Angeles County. CRLN brings together a diverse cross-sector cohort of professionals for an immersive experiential program committed to building the leadership capacity of Los Angeles County’s climate policy, advocacy and community-based change makers. From February until June, I'll be focused on building my leadership skills, systems-based knowledge, and issue-centered networks, exposing myself to cross-sectoral and intersectional perspectives on climate issues and policy, community and issues advocacy, environmental justice, and land conservation and transformation. The curriculum includes a wide range of professional skills-building, such as Adaptive Leadership; Coalition Building and Community Engagement; Effective Communication, Storytelling, and Advocacy; Effective Inquiry and Critical Thinking; Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; Group Dynamics; Living Infrastructure Concepts; Negotiations and Managing Conflict; Place-Sourced Practices; Public Narrative Frameworks; Regenerative Approaches; Self-Awareness and Self-Management Tools; and Stakeholder Analysis and Power Analysis. Learn more about CRLN at corola.org/programs/crln/
Sonen Capital is a dedicated impact investment management firm that believes investment solutions that incorporate current and future environmental and social opportunities and risks will benefit from a competitive advantage and improved long-term financial prospects.
The National Disaster Preparedness Training Center is Congressionally authorized to provide education and training to first responders, emergency managers, and others working in resilience. The center focuses attention on natural hazards affecting island communities and territories.
Pacific Disaster Center (PDC Global) is an applied research center managed by the University of Hawaii that supports the most demanding governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide in helping to create a safer, more disaster resilient world. For more than 25 years, we’ve helped our partners enhance disaster management capacity, save lives, and reduce disaster losses through the application of our advanced, tools and technologies, evidence-based research, and analytical information.