Alyssa Spagnolo Employee Spotlight
We recently sat down with Alyssa Spagnolo, who leads Growth and Strategy at Banyan Infrastructure, to learn about her path to climate finance, what motivated her to land here, and what she likes to do when she isn’t on the grind. From her background in economics to her formative post-grad years in venture capital, it makes sense that Alyssa has found a home and a mission here at Banyan Infrastructure.
Please share your background and what led you to Banyan Infrastructure.
I’ve always been drawn to technology and the impact it can have on big, complex problems. My career started as a founder, building a deep-tech hardware company that developed over-ear headphones with brain-sensing technology to help people improve focus. That experience gave me a crash course in product development, pricing strategy, and fundraising—and ultimately led me to venture capital.
I spent the next five years in VC, investing in fast-growing startups across fintech, AI, deep tech, and SaaS. I worked closely with founders on everything from go-to-market strategy to pricing optimization and capital efficiency. I also led macroeconomic research on venture trends, some of which was published in national media. I loved the work, but over time, I found myself increasingly drawn to climate tech. I started spending my free time learning about the space, and the more I dug in, the more I saw the massive financial opportunity in the energy transition.
That realization led me to Banyan Infrastructure. I believe financing is the biggest bottleneck in scaling sustainable infrastructure, and Banyan is tackling that problem head-on. Here, I get to combine my background in economic analysis, financial modeling, and market strategy with my passion for climate. I focus on analyzing policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, tracking market growth trends, and identifying opportunities to make project financing more efficient. It’s an exciting space to be in, and I’m thrilled to be part of a team that’s driving real impact in sustainable finance.
Why did you choose to work at Banyan Infrastructure?
While exploring opportunities in climate tech, I became particularly interested in the scale problem of climate. While we have the technology needed to produce low-carbon or no-carbon energy, such as solar and wind, which have been around for over 50 years and are becoming cheaper, the challenge lies in rapidly scaling these technologies to meet net-zero goals. Banyan Infrastructure addresses this critical issue by enabling investors and bankers to funnel more capital into climate technologies and managing those assets once operational.
Despite the significant increase in climate funding over the years, we still face an annual multi-trillion-dollar investment gap if we are to meet our net-zero targets by 2050. Banyan tackles the complexity, time-consuming nature, and administrative burden of financing and operating distributed renewable energy assets. Without technology, achieving the necessary scale is impossible.
Our platform serves as the digital system of record for renewable energy assets and portfolios, providing much-needed automation and intelligence to streamline processes, reduce overhead costs, and increase profitability. By automating mundane tasks and offering valuable insights, Banyan empowers investors and developers to make better decisions, augment their teams, and manage risks more effectively. This mission is incredibly important and exciting to be part of.
What do you hope to accomplish at Banyan Infrastructure?
At Banyan, I aim to contribute meaningfully to the company’s growth by doing the following:
- Tracking financial practices and economic trends, in order to develop frameworks that inform product development and customer engagement strategies, ensuring Banyan remains at the forefront of sustainable finance.
- Deepen Banyan’s understanding of key business drivers—such as price elasticity, contribution margin, and customer lifetime value—to identify levers that enhance both growth and profitability.
-Analyzing economic tailwinds such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its impact on financial markets, in order to provide insights that help Banyan and its partners navigate evolving policy landscapes and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
-Using financial modeling and ROI analysis, I want to refine Banyan’s pricing strategy to maximize revenue while ensuring the platform remains accessible and valuable to financiers and developers.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I love spending as much time as possible in nature and with friends and family. I also enjoy trying new hobbies and am constantly seeking to learn something new, whether in the arts, new sports or activities, or expanding my knowledge. As a Canadian living in California, I’m always exploring new places and cherish the feeling that every weekend here feels like a vacation.