Arielle is an Investor, and she supports Kiko’s efforts scaling climate tech innovations. She is based in London and is originally from NY.
Working with Oil & Gas, Chemicals, and Mining companies first-hand ignited a passion in me to be a part of the climate solution, not the climate problem.
Right out of college, I joined Barclays as a Natural Resources M&A banker, advising some of the largest Natural Resources companies on their strategic efforts. The energy transition was a recurring theme in every call and meeting, prompting me to delve deeper into the subject. I rapidly understood the urgency of the climate crisis. I was deeply affected, and climate change became a personal challenge that I re-oriented my career towards. I first became a Fellow with Barclays’ Social Innovation Facility and Impact Investing teams. And, later, I helped found Barclays’ Sustainable & Impact Banking team, a first-of-its-kind investment banking coverage team providing support to climate innovation companies.
I want to know more.
In my climate roles at Barclays, I quickly realized how little I actually knew versus what I wanted to know about climate change and climate solutions. I decided to return to school to get up to speed, and so I completed my environmental management masters at Yale.
I enjoy venture capital because it offers constant learning opportunities. I love meeting companies and learning about their businesses, their climate solutions, and their missions. Learning about new climate solutions gives me hope, and I am in awe of the entrepreneurs and scientists who are innovating these solutions. Please be patient with my questions! I just want to know more about what it is that you are doing.
If I had chosen a different path, I would have been an explorer.
Just like how I love exploring new ideas, I have always enjoyed exploring new places. Traveling has been a significant part of my life; I’ve visited 76 countries. Originally from the U.S., I’ve lived abroad in the UK, Belgium, and Switzerland. As a child, medical reasons prevented me from flying for 12 years, so I traveled with my family by train, car, and boat…instead of planes. It took us two weeks to travel from NYC to Moscow! Now, every new place I visit fuels my desire to explore more. Just don’t ask me my favorite country, it’s too hard!