Employee Spotlight: David Song, Solutions Consultant
This week, we sat down with David Song, a solutions consultant at Banyan Infrastructure, to learn more about how he found his way to Banyan Infrastructure, what he gets up to on his days off, and what motivates him to work on climate. From the Peace Corps and mini-grid deployment in Lesotho to graduate studies in international relations and a decade of experience in solar development, David’s path to Banyan Infrastructure has been full of adventure.
Please share your background and what led you to Banyan Infrastructure.
First and foremost, I’ve always been motivated by making an impact. After college, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, where I lived in a small village and taught English in a local high school; I worked on HIV/AIDS prevention and education. Initially, I was interested in becoming a Foreign Service Officer, but I first wanted to see things on the ground, which led me to the Peace Corps. Being in Lesotho made me realize that I was more interested in making an impact at the community level and in economic development and poverty alleviation.
I attended graduate school at Johns Hopkins University and received my master’s degree in international relations. I had a bit of a pivot where I realized I was really interested in solar energy—it lined up with my values, and I could see the industry had a lot of promise. I joined First Solar’s project development team, focusing on building utility-scale solar nationwide. Then, when I moved over to Sunrun, I transitioned to focus on residential solar and helped finetune internal strategy and operations.
After that, I was lucky enough to head back to Lesotho for two years, where I was the head of operations for OnePower, a mini-grid company that helps deploy renewable energy and provide electricity access in rural areas around the country. We operated as a small electric utility. My family and I moved back to the Bay Area in 2023; when I was thinking about my next career move, I came across Banyan Infrastructure, and I was intrigued by Banyan’s innovative solutions. I’ve been here since March 2024.
Why did you choose to work at Banyan Infrastructure?
The renewable energy industry is still relatively nascent, especially in comparison with the fossil fuel industry. To scale this industry successfully, it still needs many tools to be able to add more gigawatts to the grid.
When I was still working in renewable energy as a project developer and asset manager, I felt the day-to-day pain of not having digital tools, and it slowed us down. We used a lot of spreadsheets to keep track of projects and tried various software platforms, but none of them were quite right. I knew that a better, more efficient way of doing things was needed to scale and operate more efficiently, but I couldn’t find it.
That was what attracted me to Banyan Infrastructure—they have the tools that I would have benefitted from when I was managing projects, and they have the innovative capacity required to keep evolving with the industry. What that means in practice is that we’re getting more projects in the ground by helping capital flow to where it’s needed the most. That’s a really significant impact.
What do you hope to accomplish at Banyan Infrastructure?
What I have loved the most about being at Banyan Infrastructure so far is that I get to learn something new every day. I’m always developing new skills, learning about different parts of the industry, and working with other like-minded organizations that are also trying to make an impact. I want to use that learning environment to grow my skills in anticipating where the market is heading, engaging with companies in the industry to understand their needs, and figuring out how we can tailor our solutions to meet those needs.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Despite living in the Bay Area, I try to surf as much as possible—regardless of the water temperature.
I’ve been surfing for the last 12 years, and it’s one of my favorite ways to spend a day. I love being out on the water; being away from everything for a little while and immersed in the ocean’s ever-changing landscape is refreshing. It also reminds me of all the work we must do to keep this world beautiful. It’s our responsibility to try and preserve our natural surroundings as best and for as long as we can.
Mostly though, I just love being out on the water! Surfing and being active are two of my biggest hobbies.
Want to learn more about some of our other employees? Check out our spotlights on Growth and Strategy Lead Alyssa Spagnolo, Melissa Sheehan, a senior software engineer, and Banyan Infrastructure’s Head of Product, Katie Gardner.