Background
Ayaan's experience in the sustainability space ranges across a variety of domains and disciplines. He began in electric vehicle policy research, analyzing global programs and incentives that furthered EV adoption. He then transitioned to the impact investing and climate startup space, conducting due diligence for hydrogen projects and writing investment theses on green buildings startups. He also worked at Third Derivative, where he authored an investment thesis for circular economy startups. His latest research is with the Stanford Long Term Investing Group, focusing on innovative climate finance products to quicken deployment of critical technologies. Most recently, he worked to develop water cleanup and waste monetization solutions with an environmental non-governmental organization (NGO) in Cape Town, navigating the intricacies of co-creating solutions and advocacy with local, vulnerable populations.
Ayaan graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Economics and an M.S. in Sustainability, with research focusing on the climate finance and technology space. During his time at Stanford, he also served as the President and Founder of the Neurodiverse Student Support Initiative, a university effort to build community and accessibility for neurodiverse students. Outside of sustainability, Ayaan cares deeply about mental health advocacy and environmental education. He spends his time curating playlists for his friends, visiting museums, and participating in contentious debates around fantasy sports.