Our Team

Val Hovland - Founder and Principal

Val has deep experience with analytics and tools to inform decision-making; visualization of data and mapping; monitoring tools and evaluation; strategy development; knowledge management; equity, inclusion, and diversity; and documentary videos. She has worked on domestic and international projects on topics covering land and water conservation, clean transportation, power, environment (fisheries, oceans), global development, and more.

Val started Hovland Consulting in 2016 and loves working on important topics with great clients. Projects have advanced electric vehicles globally (for foundations and non-profits); taken a retrospective look at land and water conservation in the Western US; tracked and expanded equity, inclusion, and diversity within philanthropy; protected birds; explored ways to decarbonize medium- and heavy-duty vehicles; tracked funder collaborations advancing water for people and nature; helped cities navigate the plethora of climate-related solutions; assessed climate impacts of electricity generation and air conditioners globally; explored opportunities for shared, electric, autonomous vehicles; supported metrics for affordable housing; and even told a few people's stories through short video documentary projects. Val is energized by the variety of challenging problems she gets to work on daily.

Prior to Hovland Consulting, Val developed her expertise working for 11 years at the consulting firm Redstone Strategy Group (where she served large foundations and non-profits across a range of topics and geographies), working at a fuel cell startup (where she co-earned a patent on direct methanol fuel cells), and grounding her career at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (focusing on modeling and testing innovative technology in advanced vehicles, battery thermal management, and fuel cell development). She holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was an honors society member.

Val lives in Boulder, Colorado with her two sons - Kaviarasan and Manohar. She has summited Mount Everest, Shishapangma (the 14th highest mountain in the world), Denali (the highest in North America), Kilimanjaro, and many more in Colorado and throughout the world. She volunteers for Room to Read, raised funds to build elementary schools in Nepal in 2010 and Laos in 2017, and continues to work with them to expand global education.

Sam Tynen - Associate

Sam is an Associate at Hovland Consulting, focusing on research, data analysis, visualization, synthesis, and writing. They have worked in research about human rights, specifically on Indigenous political and land rights, since 2011. They have specific expertise in government and public policy. Sam has experience in writing and editing, helping bring people's research stories to life and their projects to organized fruition. Sam speaks Mandarin Chinese and Turkic Uyghur.

Sam received their PhD in Human Geography from the University of Colorado Boulder, where they wrote their dissertation about ethnic minority policy in China. Sam is currently furthering their education by studying Data Science and Geographic Information Systems at the Colorado School of Mines.

In their free time, Sam trains Brazilian jiujitsu and loves to rock climb, mountain bike and ski. They live in Denver with their wife, Brianna, and dog, Bruno.

Daphne van der Molen – Analyst

Daphne is an Analyst at Hovland Consulting, focusing on research and data analysis. She has expertise in climate change, mapping, quantitative methods, and science communication, with interests in sustainable agriculture and climate technology. Daphne also speaks Dutch.

Daphne earned a Masters in Climate and Society from Columbia University and received her BS in Environmental Science from the University of the Sciences at Saint Joseph’s University. She has worked in research on the effects of changes in climate on the functioning of arid and semiarid ecosystems, heavy metal cycling, biological crust formation and growth, and bacteriophage isolation.

In her free time, Daphne loves to rollerblade, play the piano, and do needlecrafts. She lives in New York.

Annie Freyschlag - Communications

Annie is a Communications Consultant for Hovland Consulting, focusing on strategic communications and overall program support. She has worked in program management and communications within the social and environmental impact sectors since 2010. Annie has specific expertise in transportation electrification and intercultural communication. She also speaks Spanish and French.

Beyond communications, Annie helps sustain the work of nonprofits and social enterprises by developing employee wellbeing programs and teaching stress management courses. She is a certified yoga teacher and breath coach.

Annie received her BA Colorado State University in International Development and Cultural Anthropology. She studied at the Graduate Institute of International Development in Geneva, Switzerland, focusing on Global Health and Public-Private Partnerships for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. While in Geneva, Annie worked with UNAIDS, UN Development Program, Impact Hub Geneva, Accelerate2030, and World Wildlife Foundation Switzerland.

After business hours you will either find Annie at home with a good book, enjoying the outdoors with her beloved black malamute, on the yoga mat, or on long-distance bike rides. She lives in Wisconsin.