Shea McManigal is a finance and sustainability professional whose career bridges international audit, developmental innovation, and regenerative agriculture. He began his professional journey with over a decade at KPMG, leading teams across the US, UK, and Hong Kong. His work with multinational clients and complex regulatory environments built the foundation for his later transition into global development and sustainability.
In 2019, Shea co-founded Karakoram, a developmental innovation consultancy that builds pragmatic, technical solutions to humanitarian and environmental challenges. At Karakoram, he led projects in partnership with international organizations – including the United Nations – that addressed systemic issues such as smallholder resilience, environmental monitoring, and equitable data access. Karakoram’s work prioritized cross-sector collaboration and locally grounded design to ensure scalable impact.
Building on that work, in 2020 Shea co-founded Pastoral, a United Nations-endorsed regenerative agriculture technology company that developed an IoT and software-based platform to support sustainable livestock producers. The platform helped ranchers measure, verify, and improve soil health, water systems, and biodiversity while accessing new markets for regenerative and climate-friendly products. Pastoral was designed in partnership with ranching communities, focusing on underserved producers, and has since supported data sovereignty, carbon market access, and regenerative land stewardship across Latin America and the U.S.
Shea’s work reflects a commitment to data-driven approaches that empower local communities and promote environmental resilience. As a Community Fellow with CDLS he has spoken to CDLS members about regenerative agriculture and the importance of empowering land stewards with usable, actionable data. He also facilitated a partnership between CDLS and a nonprofit conservation organization to enhance collaboration on land health data and sustainable livestock research.
Today, Shea is focused on roles that allow him to integrate his background in finance and governance with his passion for building resilient land-based systems. He believes true sustainability is both a scientific and cultural endeavor – one that requires centering the voices and knowledge of those who are often left out of traditional decision-making spaces. Through his work, he strives to co-create a future where environmental accountability, economic viability, and social equity are inseparable.