Andrea Pinabell joined Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) as a Distinguished External Fellow in September 2026.
A sustainability and energy executive with 30 years of global experience, Pinabell will help advance SEI’s strategy, industry engagement, partnerships, and efforts to translate Georgia Tech research into practical, scalable solutions.
Pinabell will work across SEI and the Energy Policy and Innovation Center (EPIcenter) to strengthen connections among academic research, industry priorities, public policy, philanthropy, and community needs. Her work will support partnership development and knowledge exchange in areas including clean energy, emerging technologies, commercialization, critical minerals, and sustainable economic growth.
Pinabell is founder and CEO of AC Impact Advisors, where she advises companies and organizations at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and business strategy. Previous leadership roles include president of Southface Institute; vice president of sustainability and global citizenship for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide; and vice president of growth and innovation at RE Tech Advisors.
Pinabell has a longstanding relationship with Georgia Tech. She currently serves on SEI’s External Advisory Board and previously served as an SEI External Fellow from 2023 to 2024.
Her contributions across the Institute include:
• Service on the advisory board of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business.
• Leading outreach and knowledge-sharing efforts associated with the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.
• Supporting strategy and organizational development across campus including for SEI and the College of Design.
• Collaboration on Drawdown Georgia research and the subsequent launch of the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact.
• Speaking frequently on energy, sustainability, business strategy, and leadership across campus.
As a Distinguished External Fellow, Pinabell joins a group of leaders that includes former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien and former U.S. Department of Energy Chief Information Officer Ann Dunkin, and energy and sustainability entrepreneur Richard Gruber.