[ad_1]
Marisa Sweeney ’14 made Forbes‘ 30 Under 30 energy list for 2022. He is vice president at Generate Capital. Over the course of his career, Sweeney has invested more than $1 billion into projects and companies ranging from anaerobic digesters to community solar farms to clean water platforms to sustainable fertilizer plants. He majored in finance and politics, philosophy and law.
Q. Why Binghamton University?
A. It was one of the most impactful choices I have ever made. I applied to 19 colleges, but after a high school friend, now Dr. Original Ozcan ’13, let me sit in his class during admitted student day and tell me how much he loves Binghamton, I signed up that night. I intend to make the most of my experience by meeting new people, getting involved and taking my studies seriously. I constantly wonder what I should do with my life.
Q. How did your career start?
A. My friend and mentor, Josh Katz ’13, insisted that I apply to Goldman Sachs’ summer analyst program as a sophomore. After two summers of internship, I landed a full-time analyst role in credit risk management and advisory group in New York. The job gave me context for the vast financial landscape, which seemed elusive and daunting early in my career.
It was an interesting time to work in the credit department. My colleagues are impressive, highly motivated and engaging, and senior people invest time in getting the analysts up to speed. I will arrive at 7:30 am to support margin requirements for the interest rate trading desk in London, work on reporting for Goldman management and many of its regulators, and return late at night after completing a credit analysis on leveraged buying deals for industrial companies. The diversity of work gives me a solid understanding of what field I am most passionate about.
Q. Why change your focus to clean energy?
A. I know working 70+ hours a week for decades with no confidence in my job is a recipe for dissatisfaction. The allure of accumulated wealth and all the lavish embellishments associated with it would not be enough to sustain my motivation if I did not have a passion for my work.
I started to focus on what sectors I was excited and curious about. I covered energy companies during my internship and was fascinated by the nuances of managing commodity prices, assessing the likelihood of project success, and making big capital investment decisions. I wanted to choose an area with a major growth trajectory, so I chose alternative technologies and energy.
While I’ve always been passionate about environmental causes and believe fighting climate change should be the highest priority of my generation, it’s not clear how this translates into a career. Once again, I was inspired by Josh [Katz ’13] after he landed a job at Onyx Renewable Partners, a Blackstone-backed portfolio company focused on renewable energy development and strategic acquisitions, and referred me for an open analyst position. Even though I’m new to space, I do my best to convey my interest, hunger, and ability to work non-stop to master new skills. I got the job and knew I had found my niche.
Q. What is your current project?
A. I’m spending more time investing in sustainable technologies and industries such as anaerobic digestion, renewable natural gas, and the advanced recycling strong growth profile. Generate Capital PBC launches Upcycle, an integrated circular economy program that aims to provide waste-to-value solutions for corporate and municipal customers. Our platform even includes investments in upstate NY facilities that process food waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills.
In 2021, I launched Women in Climate Investing & Finance with co-founder Meghan Pasricha of Riverstone. The goal is simple: to provide a space for women to authentically connect under the broad hood of climate finance and united by their desire to support each other.
Q. What are you proud of?
A. I pride myself on identifying and relying on my passions early as soon as I recognize them. While my early 20s were characterized by optionality and constantly grappled with the difficult question of what to do with my life, the latter half was defined by going deep into my mission: scaling solutions to climate change and generating above-market returns. I intend to spend decades investing in this space. I proudly followed my instincts and took the leap to try something new by breaking into renewable energy on Onyx. I am proud that I moved to San Francisco where I know very few people who work for a small investment firm led by an attractive founding team. Earn Capital PBC has been an astonishing success, growing from about $100 million in assets and 16 employees when I joined in 2016, to over $3 billion in assets and 300+ employees today.
Q. How does it feel to be included in Forbes list?
A. I feel a strong sense of pride to be able to represent Binghamton! I aim to tap into every associated sensation of recognition to encourage people to seriously consider pursuing a career in the climate space. There are many opportunities and we are at the right time in terms of the effort required to scale solutions to climate change.
Q. Why do you stay connected to Binghamton?
A. I stay connected because I am so grateful for the amazing education I have received. Faculty members like Dina Layish taught me the basics of finance and gave me the space to grow as a leader through the PwC Scholarship program. I want to pay him for future Bearcats because alumni like Tracy Caliendo ’97, Maddy Deshchenko ’08 and Dennis Wall ’07 helped me when I started my career at Goldman. I wanted to stay connected because of post-college friends and roommates like Joanna Kenney ’14; Saba Siddiqui ’14; Andrea Cioffi ’14, MBA ’20; Lauren Leong ’14, MS ’15; Tahmina Igamberdiev ’13; Alex Willis ’15; and Erin Roth ’15 supported me through my early years working in finance. Without their help, I’m not sure if I would have made it through the start of my career smoothly or successfully. These people helped me to believe in myself.
The late Dean Upinder Dhillon exemplified the model of servant leadership. His unique combination of ambition, playfulness and dedication is extremely rare. His passing is a huge loss to the Binghamton community, and I am grateful for his leadership, guidance and commitment to mentorship.
[ad_2]
Source link