Return on investment

Investing in inchange

Marisa Sweeney ’14 sees opportunity in clean energy

By Steve Seepersaud

Marisa Sweeney ’14 made Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in energy for 2021. She is a vice president at Generate Capital. Over her 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 factories. She majored in fi nance and politics, philosophy and law.

QWhy Binghamton University? It was one of the most impactful choices I’ve made. I applied to 19 colleges, but after a high school friend, now Dr. Asli Ozcan ’13, let me sit in on her class during an admitted students’ day and told me how much she loved Binghamton, I enrolled that night. I was intent on making the most of my experience by meeting new people, getting involved and taking my studies seriously. I was constantly wondering what I was supposed to be doing with my life.

QHow did your career begin? My friend and mentor, Josh Katz ’13, insisted I apply to the Goldman Sachs summer analyst program as a sophomore. After two summers of interning, I landed a full-time analyst role in the credit risk management and advisory group in New York. The job gave me context for the vast landscape of fi nance, which seemed elusive and daunting early on in my career.

It was a fascinating time to work in the credit department. My colleagues were impressive, highly motivated and engaging, and senior folks invested time to bring analysts up to speed. I’d arrive at 7:30 a.m. to support margin requirements for an interest rate trading desk in London, work on reporting for Goldman management and its many regulators and leave late at night after fi nishing credit analyses on leveraged buyout transactions for industrial companies. The variety of work gave me a strong sense of what areas I enjoyed most.

QWhy change your focus to clean energy? I knew working 70+ hours a week for decades without conviction in my work was a recipe for dissatisfaction. The allure of wealth accumulation and all its associated fancy trappings would not be enough to sustain my motivation if I didn’t have passion for my work.

I began focusing on what sectors made me excited and curious. I covered energy companies during my internship and was fascinated by the nuance in managing commodity prices, assessing the likelihood of project success and making huge capital investment decisions. I wanted to choose an area with a major growth trajectory, so I settled on technology and alternative energy.

While I’ve always been passionate about environmental causes and believe fi ghting climate change should be the highest priority of my generation, it wasn’t clear how this could translate to 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 focusing on renewable energy development and strategic acquisitions, and referred me for an open

analyst position. Though I was new to the space, I did my best to convey my interest, hunger and ability to work relentlessly to master new skills. I landed the job and knew I had found my niche.

QWhat are your current projects? I’m spending more time investing in sustainable technologies and industries like anaerobic digestion, renewable natural gas and advanced recycling robust-growth profi les. Generate Capital PBC launched Upcycle, an integrated circular economy program that aims to provide corporate and municipal customers with waste-to-value solutions. Our platform even includes investments in upstate N.Y. facilities that process food waste that would otherwise be sent to the landfi ll.

In 2021, I launched Women in Climate Investing & Finance with co-founder Meghan Pasricha of Riverstone. The purpose is simple: provide a space for women to authentically connect under the broad tent of climate fi nance and united by their desire to support one another.

QWhat are you proud of? I’m proud of myself for identifying and leaning into my passion early once I recognized it. If my early 20s were characterized by optionality and constantly grappling with the tough question of what to do with my life, the last half was defi ned by going deep to pursue my mission: scaling solutions to climate change and generating above-market returns. I intend to spend decades investing in this space. I’m proud of following my gut instinct and taking the leap to try something new by breaking into renewable energy at Onyx. I’m proud that I moved to San Francisco where I knew very few people to work for a small investment company led by a compelling founding team. Generate Capital PBC has had stunning success, scaling from about $100 million of assets and 16 employees when I joined in 2016, to more than $3 billion of assets and 300+ employees today.

QHow does it feel to be included on the Forbes list? I feel a strong sense of pride to be able to represent Binghamton! I aim to leverage any associated hype from the recognition to encourage people to seriously consider pursuing careers in the climate space. There is abundant opportunity and we’re at an all-hands-on-deck moment when it comes to the eff ort required to scale solutions to climate change.

QWhy have you remained connected to Binghamton? I remain connected because I am so grateful for the excellent education I received. Faculty members such as Dina Layish taught me the fundamentals of fi nance and gave me the room to grow as a leader through the PwC Scholars program. I want to pay it forward for future Bearcats because alumni like Tracy Caliendo ’97, Maddy Deshchenko ’08 and Dennis Wall ’07 helped me when I was starting my career at Goldman. I want to stay connected because 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 while I navigated the early years working in fi nance. Without their assistance, I’m not sure if I would’ve made it through the beginning of my career as smoothly or successfully. These folks helped me to believe in myself.

The late Dean Upinder Dhillon exemplifi ed the servant leadership model. His unique combination of ambition, lightheartedness and dedication was rare. His passing is a great loss for the Binghamton community, and I am grateful for his leadership, guidance and commitment to mentorship.

“I wanted to choose an area with a major growth trajectory, so I settled on technology and alternative energy.”

of Management who have invested in our future. With your help, we are able to provide a top-ranked business education to students who will become the future leaders of business. Your support also allows us to offer opportunities such as our Innovation Lab, a state-of-the-art space for students from across campus to collaborate on cutting-edge projects. We look forward to continuing to build our school’s future together.

$250,000 to $499,999

Mrs. Beth Akel Mr. Ronald Akel BGM Foundation Fidelity Charitable ^ YS Kim Foundation, Inc. Mr. Charles M. Kim ’98 Ms. Jean Su Maeng‑Kim Mrs. Caryn Unger Dr. Howard D. Unger ’82, LHD ’19

$100,000 to $249,999

Estate of Ruth Bass * The Community Foundation of the

Endless Mountains Ms. Gail Fitzgerald Scott, MBA ’84 Mr. Steven G. Glenn ’90 Mrs. Lenore M. Goldstein ’90 Mr. Mitchell S. Goldstein ’89 Morgan Stanley Global Impact

Funding Trust Mrs. Elizabeth Bloomer Nesvold ’90 Mr. H. Peter Nesvold Mr. David J. Penski ’97 Publicis Media, Inc. Mr. James D. Scott SUNY Impact Foundation ^ The Mark Zurack & Kathy Ferguson

Foundation Dr. Mark A. Zurack ’78, LHD ’03

$50,000 - $99,999

Dr. Manoj K. Agarwal + Mrs. Preeti Agarwal The Blackbaud Giving Fund ^ Mr. Vincent Daniel ’94 EY ^ The Barry and Alison Goodman

Foundation Mrs. Alison Goodman Mr. Barry A. Goodman ’79 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ^ Mr. Stephen D. Raich, MS ’78 Mrs. Toby S. Raich Saw Mill Capital Schwab Charitable ^

$25,000 to $49,999

Anonymous (2) Ayco Charitable Foundation Mr. Daniel R. Black ’94 Mrs. Lisa J. Black ’95 Mr. Mark Deutsch ’81 Mr. Marc S. Dieli ’89 Mr. Seth G. Drucker ’06 ^ Ms. Liping Fan, MBA ’93, MS ’93 Mr. Lalit Kumar Gupta, MBA ’94 Mrs. Kimberly E. Kump Mr. Robert D. Kump ’83 Mr. Dean P. Schuckman ’73 Mrs. Ilyse N. Schuckman ’73 Mrs. Ilene S. Weinberg ’93 ^ Mr. Michael B. Weinberg ’92 ^ Mr. Ge Wu

$10,000 - $24,999

Mr. Salo Aizenberg ’91 ^ Mr. Scott A. Bigman Mr. Alan L. Chan ’97 Mrs. Colleen Chan Mr. George W. Curth Jr. ’90 Ms. Jacqueline Cyran Mr. Michael E. Cyran ’87 Mr. Daniel J. Damon ’88 ^ Davidson Fox & Company, LLP Mrs. Sadev K. Dhillon ’92, ’95 Dr. Upinder S. Dhillon + * Ms. Rebecca Guilbert ’90 ^ HSBC Bank USA, N.A. Mr. Todd D. Jacobson ’88 Stuart and Nicole Kovensky Family

Foundation Mr. Stuart R. Kovensky ’89 KPMG Foundation ^ Mrs. Wendy Yeh Lee, MS ’70 ^ Mr. Martin Luskin ’77 Mr. Gary C. Meltzer ’85 Mrs. Rina R. Meltzer ’85 Mr. Anthony J. Nappo ’94 ^ Mrs. Jennifer Nappo ^ The Newman Family Foundation,

Inc. ^ Mr. Mark S. Newman ’71 ^ Mrs. Sharon M. Newman ^ Mr. James W. Orband ’81 Mrs. Theresa A. Orband Ms. Ali Porcelli Mr. Thomas J. Porcelli Jr. ’96 Mrs. Linsy Kochupaul

Puthiyamadam Mr. Thomas J. Puthiyamadam ’97 Mrs. Debra Rappoport‑Bigman ’88 Renaissance Charitable Foundation

Inc. Mrs. Carolyn Schapiro + Mr. Jeffrey Schapiro Mrs. Joan Marie Schildkraut ’94 ^ Mr. Russell I. Schildkraut ’94 ^ Schorr Family Foundation ^ Ms. Jennifer Brink Schorr, MBA ’81 + ^ Dr. Lawrence J. Schorr ’75, MA ’77,

LLD ’09 ^ Mr. Jay A. Schwartz ’85 Mr. Michael L. Sheptin ’91 Mrs. Cristin M. Singer ’96 Mr. Matthew R. Singer ’96 Sitchin Foundation Inc. ^ The Sloan Family Foundation Mrs. Francine Sloan Mr. Fred P. Sloan ’78 Mr. Howard T. Spilko ’89 ^ Mr. Ben Wong Mrs. Joyce Wong Mr. Brian J. Zakrocki ’99 Ms. Donna Zion ’92 ^ Mr. Isaac Zion ’92 ^

$5,000 - $9,999

AllianceBernstein LP ^ BKD CPAs & Advisors ^ Mr. Seth H. Blackman ’95 ^ Ms. Stacey A. Blackman ’98 ^ Mr. Brian S. Chase ’99 Dr. Subimal Chatterjee + ^ Mrs. Sudipta Chatterjee ^ Ms. Randa Barsoum Cholera ’94,

MS ’95 The Community Foundation for

South Central New York Deloitte ^ Mr. Christopher P. D’Emic ’85 ^ Mrs. Sue A. D’Emic ’85 ^ Mr. Eishpal Singh Dhillon Mrs. Simi Dhillon Ms. Elsa Eng ’92 ^ Mr. David A. Farber ’96 Mr. Adeel H. Jivraj ’93 Mrs. Rozina Jivraj Ms. Maggie Chan Jones ’96 Mr. David J. Kaplan ’89 ^ Ms. Gayle Kraden ’90 Mr. Steven B. Kreinik ’97 ^ Dr. Allan R. Lyons ’62, LHD ’07 ^ Ms. Alison N. McNerney ’96 National Philanthropic Trust ^ Mr. Eugene E. Peckham Mrs. Judith C. Peckham Mrs. Marnie Raymond Mr. Stephen Spencer Raymond,

MBA ’78 Mr. Ryan Reiff ^ Mr. Sam E. Schuster ’91 Mr. Marc D. Silverman ’85 Mr. Marc F. Thewes ’88 Vanguard Charitable Ms. Ellen A. Vellensky ’99 Mr. David S. Yass ’83 ^

$2,500 - $4,999

Ms. Lisa M. Abbott, MBA ’93 ^ Mrs. Louise W. Akel ^ American Online Giving Foundation ^ Mr. Jason M. Baker ’99, MS ’00 Mr. Richard Cole ^ Ms. Marion K. Dever ’90 ^ Dr. Peter J. Dionne ’88 Dr. Shelley Denise Dionne, MBA ’94,

PhD ’98 + Mr. Mark C. Donoghue ’93 ^ Ms. Cathleen M. Ellsworth ’86 ^ Mr. Kenneth J. Fasone ’83 Mrs. Lisa Fasone Mr. Geoffrey F. Feidelberg ’76 ^ Mrs. Bonnie Fox Mrs. Lori Goldman ^ Mr. Richard A. Goldman ’79 ^ Mr. Michael S. Greenstein ’87 Mrs. Janet Gruner Mr. Jerry Gruner ’99 Mr. Christopher R. Jacobson ’07 Mr. Jeffrey W. Jaenicke ’89 Mrs. Kathryn A. Jaenicke Ms. Cheryl Kabalkin Mr. Stuart F. Koenig ’73 Ms. Mini P. Krishnan ’90 Mr. Manoj T. Mahtani ’03 Mr. Daniel A. Pipitone ’96 ^ Ms. Anna Rizzo ^ Mr. Evan Roth ’10, MS ’11 ^ Mrs. Laura J. Roth ’10 ^ Mr. Gary M. Stehr ’81, MBA ’83 ^ Mr. Patrick Wong ’07, MBA ’10 ^ Ms. Susan Wu ’93 ^ Mr. Allen S. Zwickler ’79

$1,000 - $2,499

Bank of America ^ Mr. Jonathan C. Berger ’90 ^ Ms. Anindita Biswas, MS ’04,

MBA ’06 ^ Mr. Milton Biswas, MS ’03, MBA ’06 ^ Mr. Allan Blum ^ Ms. Lucy Bonilla‑Berger ^ Mr. Peter E. Breckling ’92 ^ Ms. Stacey Breckling ’94 ^ The Busfield Foundation ^ Charities Aid Foundation of

America ^ Mr. Mario D. Cibelli ’90 ^ Mr. Lawrence Cyrlin Ms. Nicole J. Cyrlin ’00 Mr. Sean G. Doherty ’89 Mr. Stephen P. Feehan, MBA ’90 ^ Mr. Andrew Fink ^ Dr. Marilyn I. Geller ’71, MA ’76,

PhD ’80 ^ Ms. Melanie Whitaker Geller ’83 ^ Mr. Scott Geller ’82 ^ Mr. Christopher L. Giamanco ’13 ^ Mrs. Stephanie Glace ’90 ^ Mr. Alan K. Gorenstein, MBA ’92 Mr. Jeremy Goss ^ Ms. Michelle E. Grossman ’06 ^ Dr. Jodi Guttenberg‑Lipkin ’81 Ms. Corrie Hu ’06 Mr. Eric Hu ’06 Mr. Shane B. Hurley ’04 ^ J.P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund via NPT ^ Mr. David L. Kahan ’04 Mrs. Nancy K. Kelly Dr. Thomas F. Kelly + Ms. Cindy Kester + Mrs. Peggy King, MS ’72 ^ Mr. Adam Kipnes Mrs. Jaime Kipnes ’00 Mr. John C. Koch + Mrs. Rebecca L. Koch Mr. Johnny Kong, MBA ’88 Mr. Elias H. Lambros ’97 ^ Mr. Shlomo Lang ^ Mrs. Elaine Z. Leinung Mr. John M. Leinung Mr. Thomas D. Leyden ’98 ^ Dr. Lishin Lin Mr. Scott H. Lipkin ’81 Ms. Deborah D. Lynch ^ Mr. Thomas P. Majewski ’95 ^ Ms. Carolyn Makuen, MS ’91 ^ Mr. Stephen M. Manning ’97 ^ Mr. Joseph P. Maturando II ’96 Mr. Michael J. McKeon Jr. ’77 ^ Ms. Dana M. Moro ’01 ^ Mr. Darren I. Moss ’00 ^ Mrs. Debra Sacks Moss ’99 ^ Ms. January B. Navarro ’00 ^ Mr. Andrew Nawoichyk ’03, MBA ’04 Mr. Deep R. Parekh ’01 ^ Mrs. Laurel A. Parrilli ’82 Mr. Matthew Parrilli ’82 Mrs. Monica Philippo ’99 Mr. Timothy J. Philippo ’97, MEng ’98 Mr. Robert R. Pim ’17 ^ Mr. Scott M. Porter ’96 Mrs. Beatrice Press ^ Mr. Eric M. Press ’78 ^ Mrs. Bonnie Russolillo ’80 ^ Mr. Raymond G. Russolillo ’80 ^ Mr. David Sakhai ’95 ^ Mrs. Lisa Sakhai ^ Mr. Robert A. Sass ’78 ^ Mr. Daniel E. Schain ’10, MS ’11 Mr. Jeff B. Schwarcz ’99 ^ Mr. David S. Silberman ’05 ^ Mr. Cornell V. Staeger ’01 Mr. Kenneth L. Stephens ^ Mr. Binh‑Co Tran ’98 ^ Ms. Thu‑Ha Tran ^ US Bank ^ Ms. Karen Miller Warshay ’06 ^ Mr. Peter L. Weiner Mrs. Sheila C. Weiner Mr. Adam B. Weinstein ’01 ^ Mrs. Jodi Weinstein ^ Mr. Adam Weisman ’77 ^ Mr. Sean C. White ’93 ^ Mr. Joseph A. Yacura, MBA ’77,

MS ’82 Mrs. Sharon Yacura Mrs. Geralyn Yousuf Dr. M. Bashar Yousuf Ms. Lisa F. Betz Zomback ’90 ^ Mr. Russell C. Zomback ’91 ^

+ Faculty/Staff/Retiree, * Deceased, ^ Binghamton Fund Donor,

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#FastForwardBing | #BingPride “I had the chance at an exceptional education at Binghamton that I continue to use to this day. Great leadership and innovation come from investing in institutions that believe in greatness and have a vision. You can shape the future of business education and leadership by investing in the School of Management, to bring the best students and faculty here who will continue to drive discovery and meaningful change. You can help fulfi ll what the business world demands today and in the future.”

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SOM students team up with professionals from major accounting fi rms to build balloon towers as part of Accounting Color Wars, hosted by Alpha Kappa Psi. The annual event provides unique and fun ways for students to network and collaborate.