Getting to know Persefoni: Meet Hannah Pelfresne

1. And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?" (Tell us your journey?)

I've always prioritized giving back to my community, trying to use my best skills to better the lives of others. Whether that was baking for local homeless shelters or mentoring girls on financial literacy, I’ve always thought about my life in the context of trying to make the world a better place. After graduating from college and learning about ESG, I knew I wanted to devote my career to sustainability. I worked in a few roles within sustainable investing and absolutely loved it; it’s exciting working with investment firms to integrate sustainability into investment strategies. Through these roles, I've witnessed the profound impact you can have on the private sector. I learned of a graduate program through Loyola University Chicago called the Baumhart Scholars, which is part of the Quinlan MBA but focuses on marrying profit and purpose for business leaders, and I knew it was the right program for me. Luckily, I got in! I spent two years taking standard business courses with a focus on sustainability with management, like impact & ESG investing, values-based leadership, and purpose-led strategy, and recently graduated in May.

2. And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile. (What do you do at Persefoni?)

I work on the product marketing team, which sits at the intersection of product, marketing, sales, and customer success. Our team owns all of the marketing and activities relating to our amazing product. I love how closely I get to work with our product and learn more of the nitty-gritty about carbon accounting, which has so much nuance; it helps me recognize the value of Persefoni by making carbon accounting seem simple! Because this role is so cross-functional, I get to interact with many people across the company, which I enjoy very much.

3. And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?" (What are your hopes for your time at Persefoni?

It’s exciting to be at the forefront of this emerging industry that will revolutionize how businesses think about their impact on climate change. My hope is that our product marketing team can help make Persefoni a leader in ClimateTech software. My role here will help me grow as a stronger leader in climate change and sustainability, and have fun while doing it!

4. And you may say to yourself, "My God! What have I done?" (Why is Persefoni a great home for you?)

There are so many things that set Persefoni apart, but the most important is the amazing people I get to work with! Everyone here has such impressive and diverse backgrounds and it’s such a pleasure to learn from them every day! It’s impactful on my career to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who are passionate about the environment. Our mission is very aligned with my own personal mission of positively impacting the health of our planet; I’m grateful to work for an organization that I align with so closely.  Working at a startup is also much more rewarding than I expected, as I am able to make decisions that can have an immediate impact on our business.

5. And you may find yourself in another part of the world... (Tell us about your life/hobbies away from work?)

I live in Chicago, so summer is our time to shine! I’m looking forward to spending it out on the lake, swimming, biking, and paddleboarding! My family and friends are extremely important in my life and they live all over the country, so I cherish the times we are able to be together!  I love being active and trying new things. My recent favorite activity has been indoor rock climbing! I love traveling and have crossed several National Parks off my list since Covid began, including Mount Rainier, Yosemite, and Joshua Tree. I’m excited to continue crossing places off my travel list!

“Once in a Lifetime" is a series of articles designed to help our customers and partners learn more about Persefoni's truly passionate team. We're not just building award-winning software ... together, we're helping to decarbonize our planet.