Sean DeWitt
Director, Global Restoration Initiative

Sean is the Director of the Global Restoration Initiative at World Resources Institute (WRI). He manages the process to inspire, support and mobilize our partners to restore forests and degraded lands. This involves active coordination among governments, civil society, communities and individuals to fulfill international commitments on forests, and most importantly to deliver benefits to local livelihoods, local communities and to nature.
Sean previously worked for 14 years in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. He was a Director at Grameen Foundation for 6.5 years, working to improve the livelihoods of the poor in Africa and Asia through technology innovations. He worked to support small business and small nonprofits at the Fund for the City of New York. He managed projects for the US Department of State in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Sean also worked in the private sector with PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Management Consultant and worked as an Industrial Engineer for Intel and the Walt Disney Company.
Sean holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and an MSc in Development Finance from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Sean enjoys running, banjo, guitar, music festivals, hiking, camping, traveling and most of all spending time with his wife Ranita & daughters Samaya & Simran.
Insights
Research
Projects
Global Restoration Initiative
WRI is partnering with governments, businesses, and communities around the world to restore millions of hectares of deforested and degraded land.
Part of ForestsInitiative 20x20
A country-led effort to change the dynamics of land degradation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationAfrican Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100)
Restoring 100 million hectares of deforested and degraded land in Africa by 2030.
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationThe Land Accelerator
A curated network and accelerator program for entrepreneurs who restore degraded forests and farmland
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationTerraMatch
TerraMatch connects local land restoration champions to capital and technical assistance through a trusted online system that vets their work, supports their growth, and monitors their progress.
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationThe Restoration Policy Accelerator
Inspiring, innovating and streamlining public policies for landscape restoration.
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationAssisted Natural Regeneration Alliance
The Assisted Natural Regeneration Alliance is building a technical assistance facility that collects requests from ANR practitioners and connects them with experienced peers, funders, policymakers, and researchers.
Part of Forest and Landscape Restoration