Female Founders in Climate Series
An interview with Elysabeth Alfano, CEO OF VegTech™ Invest
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting awesome female founders working in the climate finance space, starting with VegTech™ Invest. Learn how Elysabeth is bringing plant-based innovation to investors.
By GreenPortfolio Team
March 22, 2023
Elysabeth is CEO of VegTech™ Invest and the advisor to the VegTech Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, EATV. She’s an expert at investing in companies that innovate with plants to produce animal-free products for sustainable consumption.
EATV is a fund investing in the transformation of our food supply system to be more sustainable, efficient, and climate friendly. Elysabeth believes that companies making innovative use of plants and plant-derived products will be a growing sector in the years to come and will be crucial in mitigating climate change.
The Interview
As the CEO of plant-based innovation investor company VegTech Invest, Elysabeth has some wonderful insights to share about investing in the up-and-coming arena of plant-based innovation and about starting a business in this sector.
Can you tell us the story of how your company started? Where did the idea come from? And what specifically inspired you to get into fintech?
As sector experts in food systems transformation who had long worked in finance, my partner and fund manager, Dr. Sasha Goodman, and I wanted to be able to invest in the food systems shift in the public markets that we knew was emerging. With no existing ETF that focuses on the fundamental pillar of food systems shift, Plant-based Innovation, we decided to start EATV, the world’s first Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF.
How is your company leading the fight against climate change?
By investing in the companies that are innovating to render the food system sustainable, cruelty-free and efficient, we significantly reduce emissions and, thus, positively impact Climate Change. The best example of this is that, as determined by Ethos ESG, the global warming temperature potential of the S & P 500 Index is 3.2C. That of EATV is 1.18C. It’s meaningful.
What do you want potential customers to know about your company?
EATV is carbon neutral without buying credits due to emissions avoidance.
That's great to hear!
(As we've mentioned before, emissions reductions should always be maximized before considering carbon offsets).
We also wanted to hear about Elysabeth's experience as an entrepreneur.
What has been your proudest moment in founding your company so far?
Speaking at COP27, the United Nations Summit on Climate Change. I spoke on investing in a global food systems transformation.
What was something unexpected that happened throughout this journey?
2022 imploded and it didn’t deter anyone impact-driven, including us.
Would you have done anything differently looking back at your entrepreneurial journey?
I would have started Q3 2023.
What is something you wish other people knew about being a female entrepreneur?
Get really good at speaking your truth. Being a confident speaker will break down barriers.
Advice for girls and women who are passionate about climate change and want to make a difference?
Don’t let anyone tell you no.
What does it mean to you to be a woman in fintech?
I never think about it. I just focus on the most impact I can make in the shortest amount of time.
Shout-out to an org or group that really supported you along the way?
Climate Lightning Round
Moving on to the Climate Lighting Round, where we rapid-fire climate-related questions at you!
What is your favorite climate tech or topic?
VegTech & Food Systems Transformation
Wind, solar, hydrothermal - which are you most excited about?
VegTech/Food Tech. We won’t address Climate Change significantly enough in the time necessary without it.
What is your favorite book or written resource about climate that you wish everyone knew about?
The Economist (tells it like it is.)
Notable women you admire, whether present day or in history, who have played a role in climate/environmental action?
Jane Goodall
That’s all the questions we’ve got for today. Thanks, Elysabeth!
Please take note - the intention of this post is to feature a female founder, not to review a product. We haven’t done our own research on EATV, but we were excited to learn more about it from Elysabeth!
Want to learn more about VegTech Invest? Check out their social media!
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
If you want to stay updated on what Elysabeth is doing, check out her personal social media.
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