Ranjani Prabhakar is the Legislative Director for Healthy Communities in the Policy & Legislation (PAL) department at Earthjustice, where she leads a team of advocates dedicated to defending and improving federal safeguards for clean air, clean water, and against toxics exposure. Previously, Ranjani served as the Senior Legislative Representative in the PAL department, focused on sustainable food and farming issues, including leading the Earthjustice policy platform on the 2023 Farm Bill and developing legislative and partnership strategies to support a just, equitable, and climate-focused agriculture system.

Prior to joining Earthjustice, Ranjani served on the mayor’s policy team for Mayors Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot for the City of Chicago, where she worked on policy initiatives and programs in the clean energy and mobility spaces. At the Mayor’s Office, Ranjani launched the City’s first community solar initiative, renewable energy challenge program, and micro-mobility pilot program. She was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University, where she taught a practicum on climate problem-solving in the realm of public service.

As a city planner, Ranjani has spent a number of years working in transportation, economic development, and housing justice, and has focused on building data-driven tools to address sustainable solutions in the built environment. She received her Masters in City Planning and Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and her Bachelors in History and Political Science from Emory University. As an artist, Ranjani leads the D.C.-based production company Flame Lily Media, which uplifts the power of artistic and musical expression to narrate stories of our ecological crisis.