YPE SF Bay Area Clean Energy Career Expo

Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) SF Bay Area held our inaugural 2-part Clean Energy Career Expo in November of 2021, as a joint effort between the Scholarship Program and the Mentorship Program. The Career Expo is targeted towards college students, early career professionals, and transitioning professionals who are looking to embark or advance in a career in Clean Energy. Read more below and check out last year’s recordings to get a glimpse of what you can expect for 2022!

Interested in speaking at this year’s 2022 Expo (career panels and workshops) or have a nomination for a speaker? Please fill out the brief form here and we will be in touch. YPE SF Bay Area thanks you for your support!

PART 1: CAREER PANELS

Part 1 of the event consisted of 3 Career Panel sessions covering different verticals, including Policy & Regulations, Project & Business Development, and Project & Corporate Finance.

2021 Clean Energy Career Expo - Part 1

Policy and Regulations Career Panel Speakers:

FRANCESCA WAHL, SENIOR CHARGING POLICY MANAGER – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & PUBLIC POLICY, TESLA. As part of the business development and public policy team at Tesla, Francesca Wahl focuses on managing regulatory policy engagement on transportation and building electrification in the Western States region and electric vehicle charging infrastructure issues with key agencies, utilities, and cities across the country. Previously, she was the Senior Associate for Energy and Environmental Policy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy trade association representing more than 390 companies in Silicon Valley. Francesca has also worked on federal energy efficiency policy at the Alliance to Save Energy in DC, analyzed state recycling regulation and legislation, assisted governments and small businesses with implementing sustainability principles in their management plans, and served in the White House Liaison Office at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Francesca has a B.A. in Economics and Foreign Affairs with Distinction from the University of Virginia.

SARA KAMINS, SUPERVISOR OF TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMS, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION. Sara Kamins is a Supervisor in the Energy Division of the CPUC, where she launched a new Transportation Electrification team three years ago. Her team oversees the Investor-owned Utilities’ $1.5 billion in programs to install EV charging infrastructure. And they are also responsible for providing decision-makers with policy and technical analysis, including their strategic Transportation Electrification Framework proposal. Sara had several prior roles at the CPUC, including managing customer-side clean energy programs, such as NEM and SGIP, and was an advisor to Commissioner Ferron, where she shaped the CPUC’s utility-scale renewable energy policy. Sara holds her Masters of Science from the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley.

BERNADETTE DEL CHIARO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA SOLAR AND STORAGE ASSOCIATION. Bernadette Del Chiaro came to the California Solar & Storage Association in July 2013 and has built the organization into the largest clean energy business group in the state. Prior to her work with CALSSA, Ms. Del Chiaro served as the Director of Clean Energy and Global Warming Programs at Environment California as well as the Western States Regional Director for Environment America. Since 2002, Bernadette has been a leading voice on many California clean energy initiatives including the Million Solar Roofs Initiative (SB 1), the Solar Water Heating Initiative (AB 1470), the continued expansion of Net Energy Metering, the establishment of streamlined solar permitting (AB 2188), and the expansion of consumer incentives for energy storage (SB 700). She's authored several clean energy reports and has been quoted widely in the media including MSNBC, NPR, BBC, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and dozens of local and trade outlets. Del Chiaro, a California native, graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1995. She lives in Sacramento with her husband and two children.

Project and Business Development Career Panel Speakers:

STELLA KIM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, ADAPTURE RENEWABLES. Stella Kim is an analytical, results-driven global solar energy professional equipped with a Master of Arts (MA) and 8+ years of progressive experience in the areas of solar energy projects development, contract negotiations, and network management. In her current role as part of the business development team at Adapture Renewables, Stella manages the M&A transaction process of solar and storage project acquisitions (80MW – 200MW). Previously, she was a Project Development Manager at ET CAPITAL, a subsidiary of ET Solar Energy Corporation, where she led site selection, due diligence, schedules, financial models, and risk assessments, including negotiating a power contract with a ~500MW pipeline of solar and storage projects in the USA and Canada. Stella has a Master of Arts (MA) in International Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her research at UCLA focused on the U.S. and Chinese Government Promotion of the Solar Energy Industry, including high-tech Innovation and Geopolitical Energy Strategy.

YAZAN AJLANI, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, NEXTRACKER. Yazan Ajlani is a Director of Business Development at Nextracker. A Syrian national, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Yazan lived in Ottawa from 2010-2014 and moved to California at 22 in 2014. Now with just under 5 years of experience in solar, Yazan has a track record of accelerated growth from Sales Analyst to Analyst Manager to Director of C&I. Yazan's most recent achievement was building a team of over 25 Sales Analysts spanning the globe with standardized processes, active coaching and mentorship, and an emphasis on DEI before now moving onto launching a new business unit focused on the C&I sector.

BRANDON DAWSON, DIRECTOR, SIERRA CLUB. Brandon Dawson joined Sierra Club California in 2018 and directs all aspects of Sierra Club California's operations, lobbying, policy advocacy, organizing, fundraising, and media relations. As a Policy Advocate from 2018 - 2021, he led the organization’s work to protect the San Francisco Bay-Delta, restore and revitalize the Salton Sea and surrounding communities, preserve California’s unique biodiversity and wildlands, and defend against harmful rollbacks to CEQA in the state legislature. Prior to joining Sierra Club California, Brandon worked in the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resource Division. During law school he interned at both Earthjustice and the Environmental Defense Fund. He received his B.A. from Texas A&M University and his J.D. from the Indiana University-Bloomington Maurer School of Law.

Project and Corporate Finance Career Panel Speakers:

SARAH NASH, DIRECTOR, MARATHON CAPITAL. Sarah Nash, Director, is responsible for executing M&A and private placement engagements in the renewable energy, cleantech and sustainable infrastructure sectors. Before joining Marathon Capital, Ms. Nash held various roles in the renewable energy and cleantech industries at Four Elements Capital (a London-based renewables boutique investment bank), CDTi (vehicle emissions reduction manufacturer), and Cleantech Group (market research and strategic consulting for sustainability-related firms). Prior to business school, Ms. Nash was a Senior Analyst with the international private debt placements team at Prudential Capital Group. Ms. Nash holds a BA in Political Science from Vassar College and an MBA from the London Business School. Ms. Nash holds her Series 63 and 79 licenses.

MARISA SWEENEY, DIRECTOR, GENERATE CAPITAL. Marisa Sweeney is an Investment Professional at Generate Capital, a finance company that partners with project developers and technology manufacturers in the renewable energy, technology, and sustainability sectors. Prior to Generate, Marisa worked in New York as a strategy analyst at Onyx Renewable Partners, a Blackstone Portfolio Company and at Goldman Sachs as a Credit analyst. Marisa has a B.A in Politics Philosophy and Law and a B.S. in Management/Finance from Binghamton University (SUNY) and is currently serving as Co-President for the SF Bay Area chapter of Young Professionals in Energy.

REUBEN JOHNSON, DIRECTOR, STRUCTURED FINANCE AT BRIGHTMARK. Reuben Johnson is a Director of Structured Finance at Brightmark in San Francisco, CA. For the past four and half years, Reuben has supported the growth of the Brightmark organization, including the acquisition of its breakthrough plastics renewal technology as well the development and financing efforts of its RNG business. Brightmark owns and operates 29 anaerobic digestion projects across the United States, all of which have been launched in the past three years, making the company an emerging leader in this rapidly growing industry. Prior to Brightmark, Reuben worked for two years on the Project Finance team at First Solar, providing deal execution support in connection with utility scale PV asset sales (cash & tax equity interests), PPA and EPC bids, treasury and capital planning functions, and acquisitions of third party projects. Before First Solar, Reuben worked for three years in investment banking in NYC at J.P. Morgan in the Public Finance group (Energy vertical), as well as at Merit Capital Advisors, a boutique that provides a variety of financial advisory services targeted to the power and utilities sector.

PART 2: SKILL-BUILDING WORKSHOPS

Part 2 of the event consisted of 3 Skill Building workshops covering different verticals, including Policy & Regulations, Project & Business Development, and Project & Corporate Finance.

2021 Clean Energy Career Expo - Part 2

Policy and Regulations Facilitator:

IGOR TREGUB, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, CALIFORNIA SOLAR & STORAGE ASSOCIATION (CALSSA)

Igor comes in with a portfolio of professional and volunteer experience that includes engineering program and project management, policy and legislative advocacy, and regulatory oversight. Prior to CALSSA, Igor spent 12 years at the U.S. Department of Energy serving in roles spanning nuclear safety, nonproliferation, energy, and intergovernmental affairs in California, Nevada, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Central Asia and completed Emergency Safety Function (Energy) and COVID-19 response assignments. His local public service experience includes two recent elected terms on the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, various appointed roles, and service on the Sierra Club’s California Executive Committee and as chair of its Northern Alameda County Group, co-chair of its SF Bay Energy and Climate Committee, and SF Bay Chapter’s immediate past chair. Igor has founded and/or has served as partner at several small businesses specializing in campaign strategies consulting. He holds an M.S. in Engineering Management from Duke, a Certificate in International Security from Stanford, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley, and is a proud Clean Energy Leadership Institute alum.

Project & Corporate Finance Facilitator:

HAYDN PALLISER, PRINCIPAL AT PIVOTAL 180, ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA, LECTURER AT YALE

Haydn teaches financial modeling to a wide range of professionals in organizations from bulge bracket investment banks to small developers and students. He has provided lectures and seminars for students from Wharton, MIT, Harvard, Chicago Booth, Columbia, and University of Michigan among others.

He has worked across the spectrum in renewable energy in advisory and financial modeling roles globally. He has led the financial analysis or review of financial models for a number of large wind / solar projects including Desertec (idea to power all of Europe’s overnight demand from African sun), and Project Gemini (the world’s second largest offshore wind farm) as well as smaller regional biomass projects within the US. He has worked with many of the major investors, lenders, and advisors across the sector.

Haydn is now a Principal at Pivotal180, a firm focused on training and advisory in the renewable energy, infrastructure, and project finance sectors. He was previously the Managing Director for Corality and the co-head of infrastructure and energy for Mazars in the Americas.

Project and Business Development Facilitator: