Alexander Firestine (Alex)

About AlexanderFirestine

Alex Firestine is an entrepreneur and ecosystem-builder who’s passionate about leveraging innovation to address the global climate crisis. Born in Germantown, Maryland, he attended the University of Pittsburgh as a Chancellor’s Scholar, where he received BPhil degrees in Finance, Accounting, and Business Information Systems. During his undergraduate studies, Alex published research measuring regional food insecurity with Food21, a nonprofit dedicated to building resilient food systems. When the pandemic hit, Alex worked with Community Food Rescue to personally deliver 14,000 meals to families in need. His thesis focused on how elements of the built environment exacerbate gender-based vulnerability to food insecurity in western Pennsylvania.

After their graduation, Alex worked as a sustainability consultant where he developed, deployed, and scaled regenerative agriculture and sustainable sourcing programs for the world’s largest retailers. In 2023 he moved to Ireland as a George J. Mitchell Scholar, which supported their MSc in Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security at the University of Galway. Alex’s thesis aligned with the EU-funded EcoFoodSystems project focused on operationalizing agroecological innovation to promote healthy diets in Vietnam. Alex also co-founded a startup developing a digital agronomy assistant for low-tech horticulture, currently working with farmers in Ireland, Spain, and Vietnam. Through these experiences, Alex saw firsthand the potential for food systems innovation to promote climate adaptation and mitigation, especially in communities most left behind.

To support global innovation, Alex became the program manager for SOSV’s Ireland Biomanufacturing Fund, a venture capital fund focused on decarbonization and biomanufacturing in the food and energy sectors. In addition to sourcing and evaluating startups for investment, Alex works with multinational retailers, farmers, processors, and his portfolio of startups to design and scale pilot projects that enable adoption of the sustainable technology.

In his free time, Alex enjoys playing pool with his brothers, attending concerts, and hiking.