Trent Richardson is the founder of Hard Knox Life Advisory, an environmental resilience and sustainability consultancy, and a systems-oriented executive with a career grounded in public service and intergovernmental coordination. He brings experience leading complex, national-scale portfolios at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he oversaw programs in natural hazards, offshore energy, and risk science.
In senior leadership roles, Trent worked across federal agencies, Congress, state governments, academic institutions, and communities to align science, infrastructure, and policy during both crisis response and long-term strategic planning. His responsibilities required governance oversight, fiscal accountability, stakeholder alignment, and disciplined decision-making in high-risk environments.
Trent now focuses on energy systems strategy, ESG standards and climate resilience, and supply chain performance. Across these domains, he applies a systems lens to institutional resilience, operational clarity, and cross-sector partnership development.
Trent offers advisory boards a perspective shaped by large-scale public stewardship, risk management, and the practical realities of translating policy into implementation. He is committed to advancing collaboration between government, industry, and universities to strengthen regional innovation and workforce alignment across Tennessee and the Appalachian Highlands. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy and a Master of Science in Geographic and Cartographic Sciences from George Mason University.