Austin Gioseffi
An experienced CRE Analyst with a passion for both sustainable energy and identifying affordable solutions for real estate owners across the country. His specialization in C-PACE lending has been leveraged to bridge capital gaps for clients on a wide array of projects while also driving green initiatives across both local and state mandates.
- Senior Associate at Nuveen Green Capital
- East Carolina University ‘16
- Founding Member of Allies Everywhere
My father, grandfather, and brother are all entrepreneurs. I have always had the desire to build something special myself too, and to focus on environmental sustainability. The big question was: what industry?
Around my Junior year of college, I decided to study investing and personal finance. Not only did this allow me to challenge my entrepreneurial spirit, but it also allowed me to apply my affinity for mathematics and complex problem-solving.
In May 2016, I kickstarted my career at TIAA (Pension Fund and Asset Manager) within their accelerated wealth management program. After a year and a half with TIAA, I made a career change to commercial real estate. I moved to Miami and became an Analyst on Newmark Knight Frank’s Critical Transactions Group (CTG) where I learned the industry from one of the firm’s Vice Chairman (Greg Katz). After four great years with the CTG and working in Miami, I decided it was time for me to make another career change.
For those who know me, they know I have a strong connection to the environment, sustainability, and real estate. In my search to find a new role, I found a place that allowed me to apply my personal and professional passions; I was lucky to find Nuveen Green Capital. Now, my sole purpose is to help finance energy-efficient real estate projects.
Over the past year, my team and I have been responsible for financing over $31 million in energy-efficient upgrades. While we are certainly proud of our financial success, the environmental impact we are able to achieve has been a truly fulfilling experience for me.
In the summer of my Junior year of college, I interned with Northwestern Mutual for the first half of my days, and the remainder of the day was spent working at Xerox. Additionally, three days a week I would wake up at 4:00 AM and drive out to my brother’s farm and help him dig rows to plant produce.
Both corporate internships were very rewarding, and I learned the importance of time management skills while juggling both positions. However, the biggest developmental leap I made that summer was on the farm working alongside my brother.
Most kids with similar aspirations to mine spent their time at a bulge bracket bank in Manhattan and then spent their downtime exploring the concrete jungle. Meanwhile, I was digging rows in unexcavated dirt before the sun came up, knowing I could have been in the city alongside my friends.
On a farm, the work is never done. You need to roll with the punches that mother nature throws at you. I’ve taken the grit and resiliency of a farmer, as well as the time-management skills I developed, and brought them with me into the corporate world.
My brother has had an instrumental part of where I am today. He may not know this but… Alec, it’s true. Thank you! We are only 3 years apart in age but he has 30 years of wisdom over me. Alec showed me what it looks like to never say “I can’t” and to press on, even when there is no clear path forward.
I learned two invaluable lessons from him: farm life is NOT for me, and hard work feels different when you work with purpose. These lessons were not something I could have learned in school or in a book. I wouldn’t change a single thing about those early mornings on the farm.
I have the benefit of working at a start-up within a very large firm. We still have the “small shop” mentality where ideas are heard and welcomed. We are still in our extreme growth phase. Bringing ideas forward to help scale our operations is nearly a required component of every role. Encouraging new ideas has been crucial for our early success.
Nuveen Green Capital is the most transparent organization I have ever been a part of.
Our mission, goals, and values are aligned across each sector of the firm. The regional and divisional leaders within the firm are more than willing to sit down and talk, regardless of your role or title. There have been a handful of times where members in our C-Suite have openly asked us “what do you think about that?”. It is such a simple question, but it shows that the opinions of the company are important when it comes to strategic decision-making here. This aspect of Nuveen Green Capital has inspired me to perform my best every day for our clients and for Nuveen.
Talk to everyone, keep your options open, and never burn a bridge. If you can find an industry that you are passionate about, follow those paths and roll with the initial punches… it will be worth it.
Moving to Miami to work at Newmark. I moved to Miami without knowing a single person while also starting a career in an industry I knew very little about. This move was a pivotal moment in my career. It is the reason I am at Nuveen Green Capital, and the reason I became a founding member of Allies Everywhere.
In 2022, the most impactful thing to happen to me was being asked to work on my firm’s California pod. This team manages all C-PACE originations for the state of California and all national deals for California-based developers.
This expansion in coverage gave me internal visibility, exposure to unique deal flow, and allowed me to showcase my work ethic by working West coast hours from the East coast. I cover both New York and California, which allows me to work alongside some of the largest commercial real estate players in the world. Not to mention working under two very experienced Directors, Crystal Smith and Dana White.
A goal of mine is to surround myself with diverse, motivated people. When I found out the mission for the Summit, along with the background of the people participating, I knew Allies Everywhere was something I needed to be a part of.
AE originally had just one representative from every industry, very few people knew each other, and we all had to conduct a presentation at the Summit. It was a new, novel idea, and I wasn’t sure about the long-term trajectory of AE. But because of the people involved, the mutual respect of members, and shared ambitions, I knew I had to join. And I am glad I did.
Several AE members have made positive impacts on my life. Daniel Livermore has become a great friend of mine and my roommate, Ian Lituchy helped me build an app, and I am a regular participant in the AE member chat. I developed close relationships with other young professionals located all over the country that have become my go-to people for advice about an industry or anything else. I can say without hesitation that Allies Everywhere helped me grow professionally and personally, and I am grateful for it.
Additionally, AE keeps me up to date with news, investments, and life updates of other members. If there is anyone on the fence about joining AE, I would highly recommend it.
Allies Everywhere is a private mastermind club for ambitious young professionals. For inquiries, please reach out to our Founder Matt Burke at matt@allies-everywhere.com. Check out our website: https://allies-everywhere.com/