At SolarKal, a New York–based solar procurement marketplace, I helped accelerate the adoption of clean energy in the commercial real estate sector. SolarKal’s mission is to help property owners navigate the solar procurement process by connecting them with vetted developers, optimizing proposals, and supporting execution. My projects supported this mission at both strategic and operational levels. I refreshed and expanded the investor pitch deck, built pipeline valuation models, and analyzed hiring and growth levers for an upcoming fundraising round, ensuring the company could secure capital to scale its impact. I also authored a battery energy storage system market entry memo and developed a supporting financial model to evaluate pairing storage with solar at commercial sites. By quantifying revenue streams from arbitrage, demand charge reduction, and resiliency benefits, I assessed whether and how SolarKal might extend its offering to storage. Operationally, I analyzed historical request‑for‑proposal conversion rates and project milestones, revealing bottlenecks and opportunities to accelerate solar deployment. I researched the competitive landscape and prepared client and investor communications such as policy briefs, announcements, and market memos.

Courses in finance and accounting gave me the technical foundation to refine fundraising materials and build financial forecasts. In particular, three‑statement modelling and sensitivity analysis skills helped me evaluate pipeline value, hiring scenarios, and revenue growth levers. Strategy frameworks from my MBA were crucial for assessing SolarKal’s positioning and potential expansion into battery storage; I drew on corporate strategy and competitive dynamics classes to analyze how regulatory uncertainty might influence adoption and investor appetite. Communication and leadership skills honed at Columbia Business School proved vital in a lean startup environment. I regularly prepared materials for policy briefs, board updates, and investor decks. Distilling complex technical and regulatory issues into clear, actionable insights required a combination of analytical rigor and storytelling.

A major challenge was operating in an environment where priorities shifted rapidly. SolarKal is scaling operations, exploring new products, and preparing for fundraising simultaneously, so scopes and deliverables often evolved midstream. Balancing immediate client demands with long‑term strategic projects required flexibility while still delivering structured outputs. Navigating policy and regulatory uncertainty posed another challenge. Changes to the Investment Tax Credit and other policy developments had significant implications for SolarKal’s pipeline and narrative. Finally, researching battery storage, an area that was new to me, demanded quick learning and reasonable assumptions when data were incomplete. Working in a lean organization also meant much of my work was self‑directed, requiring initiative in scoping projects, validating assumptions, and seeking feedback.

This internship deepened my passion for working at the intersection of finance, energy, and impact. I learned firsthand how a small, entrepreneurial team can drive decarbonization by solving bottlenecks in solar adoption. The need to stay adaptable in a fast‑paced environment built resilience and sharpened my ability to deliver structured insights amid uncertainty. I also realized how important clear communication is: the way information is presented can drive decision‑making as much as the underlying data. The experience reinforced my commitment to a career in energy finance or strategic finance within the infrastructure sector, mobilizing capital to accelerate the clean energy transition while generating sustainable value.