Washington, DC – The Clean Energy & Sustainability Accelerator (CESA), a nonprofit finance entity that will operate as the national green bank, announced today that Oswaldo Acosta has been named to the organization’s board of directors. Acosta currently serves as President and CEO of City First Enterprises, a DC-based financial institution delivering capital to underserved segments in the clean energy, affordable housing, small business, and residential mortgages markets.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Oswaldo Acosta to the Board of Directors for the Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator,” said Reed Hundt, Chairman of the Board. “Acosta has a rich background in lending and economic development, leading direct investments in overlooked markets, as well as entrepreneurial experience that will be invaluable as we work to launch the national green bank. With green banks around our country already generating historic investments for local clean energy projects, the green bank model continues to build momentum as a proven model for catalyzing public and private investments. We look forward to benefiting from Oswaldo’s insights and deep experience.”
CESA is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit finance entity that will operate as the national green bank. It will use public funds to mobilize more private investment to accelerate deployment of clean and resilient infrastructure in every community in the U.S. The current members of the CESA Board of Directors include: Reed Hundt, Roger Dower, Dr. Susan Tierney, Richard Kauffman, Bryan Garcia and Oswaldo Acosta.
Background on Oswaldo Acosta
Oswaldo joined City First Enterprises in early 2019, bringing his lending, project finance, and entrepreneurial experience to lead the organization’s efforts in advancing the region’s economic development agenda. Since then, he has led the design and implementation of the strategic expansion of CFE activities to new investment categories, including clean energy, small business, and residential mortgage lending.
Prior to his tenure at CFE, Oswaldo was the head of the Small Business group at Washington’s Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC). He led a significant lending volume growth and the expansion of the group’s footprint across the region. Oswaldo also successfully drove the adoption of fintech and algorithmic features to the group’s lending activities. In his own entrepreneurial ventures, he launched a food distribution company with market reach in Virginia, Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, and New York City. After selling the company in 2012, he joined the Self-Help Ventures Fund’s commercial lending group. He also previously worked as an economics consultant for Stone & Webster in London, before being assigned to lead projects for The World Bank in Washington, DC.
Oswaldo serves on several boards across the region, including Capital Impact Partners and the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC). He recently concluded his term as a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Community Investment Council and the Greater Baybrook Alliance.
Oswaldo holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mexico’s Monterrey Institute of Technology, a master’s in political economy from the United Kingdom’s University of Essex, and a master’s in economics (Regulation) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
ABOUT COALITION FOR GREEN CAPITAL
The Coalition for Green Capital (@CGreenCapital) is a non-profit with a mission to halt climate change by accelerating investment in clean energy technologies and by advocating for, creating and implementing green bank institutions. Green banks are a proven finance model that uses public and philanthropic funds to mobilize private investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other decarbonization technologies. For over a decade, the Coalition for Green Capital has led the Green Bank movement, working at the federal, state and local level in the U.S. and in countries around the world. For more information, visit: https://coalitionforgreencapital.com
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