Energy · Finance · Electrification

Sophia Li

Graduate student in public policy & finance at the University of Chicago — working at the intersection of electrification, energy markets, and the capital driving the energy transition.

EV & Charging Energy Markets Strategy & PE ESG
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Portrait of Sophia Li
MPP Finance & Energy
Electrification EV & Charging Infrastructure Energy Policy Private Equity Corporate Strategy Renewable Energy Financial Modeling ESG Electrification EV & Charging Infrastructure Energy Policy Private Equity Corporate Strategy Renewable Energy Financial Modeling ESG
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A profile

I translate energy systems into the language of markets and capital — from charging infrastructure and power markets to the investment cases that move them forward.

Originally a historian by training at Fudan University, I moved toward finance and energy because the most consequential stories of the next decade are being written in the electrification of transport, the grid, and industry.

I've since built incentive-tracking systems and demand forecasts at S&P Global, run diligence and sourcing in private equity, and shaped go-to-market strategy across strategy and consulting at TikTok and BCG — pairing rigorous modeling with clear, decision-ready narratives.

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Roles across PE, strategy & research
100k+
Records in incentive-tracking systems
$2M
Investment supported via diligence
1.5k+
Readers of energy research I authored
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Selected experience

Jun – Sep 2025
Greater Detroit, MI

S&P Global

Electrification Research — Summer Analyst
  • Built a 100k+ record, three-dimension incentive-tracking system for EV charging and synthesized 50+ pages of state-level policy interpretation — lifting sales-team productivity ~20%.
  • Authored 60+ pages of BESS due-diligence, convened a 3-expert panel, and delivered briefings with 1.5k+ client & internal downloads.
  • Forecast global charging-infrastructure growth and 15-year component demand for bi-directional (V2X) vehicles using Python, Excel & Power BI.
EV ChargingV2XBESSForecasting
May – Jul 2024
Shanghai, China

Cathay Capital

Private Equity — Investment Intern
  • Compiled 70+ pages of due diligence for a nutrition-supplement startup, supporting a $2M raise for R&D and growth.
  • Sourced and qualified key aesthetic-medicine targets through cold outreach and executive conferences.
DiligenceDeal SourcingValuation
May – Aug 2023
Shanghai, China

TikTok · ByteDance

Corporate Strategy — Analyst Intern
  • Mapped China's e-automotive export market through supplier investigation, factory visits and financial modeling — informing a quarterly plan tied to ~$1M monthly revenue growth.
  • Benchmarked global e-commerce platforms across billions of records in R & Excel, contributing to a 20% lift in enrolled merchants.
  • Assessed an ESG-focused ad format across 1M+ engagement signals and modeled conversion.
Market StrategyModelingBenchmarking
Jun 2022 – Feb 2023
Shanghai, China

Boston Consulting Group

Consulting Intern
  • Devised a 100+ page revenue-growth strategy for an auto-exporter via competitor and funnel analysis — driving ~5% quarterly sales growth.
  • Built market-entry roadmaps for an e-aircraft firm spanning policy, supply chain and competitive analysis.
  • Led sourcing of 50+ NGOs and an ESG-needs assessment, improving service delivery ~30%.
Growth StrategyMarket EntryESG
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Education

University of Chicago
Master of Public Policy — Finance & Energy Track
Sep 2024 – Jun 2026 · Chicago, IL
Coursework in corporate finance, financial accounting, managerial decision modeling, cost-benefit & environmental economics, US power markets, and energy-policy evaluation — with graduate business study alongside the policy degree.
Fudan University
B.A. History · Minor, International Economics
Sep 2020 – Jun 2024 · Shanghai · QS World #39
Xiyuan Scholar (top 5% researchers), twice-awarded Outstanding Scholarship, Excellent Student Award. GRE Quant 168/170.
UC Irvine
Exchange Student
Sep – Dec 2022 · Irvine, CA
A semester abroad deepening quantitative and economics coursework within the UC system.
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Capabilities & toolkit

Focus areas

Electrification & EVCharging infrastructure, V2X, demand forecasting
Energy Markets & PolicyUS power markets, incentives, policy evaluation
Finance & InvestmentDiligence, valuation, project-level modeling
Strategy & ResearchMarket entry, benchmarking, growth strategy
ESG & SustainabilityAssessment, sustainability case work

Languages

EnglishFull Professional
ChineseNative / Bilingual

Tools & technical

Python R SQL Power BI Bloomberg GIS Think-cell Excel · Solver @Risk Financial Modeling

Professional

Financial Analysis Strategic Analysis Market Research Policy Analysis Due Diligence Forecasting
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Leadership & community

May 2025 – Present
Harris Consulting Club

Vice President of Development — leading a team of 15 to reposition the club, building its brand and running policy-tailored career panels, summer engagement, and weekly training to lift retention.

Apr 2025 · Top 10 Team
Phoenix Climate & Sustainability Case

Built project-level financial models for an agrivoltaic expansion strategy — forecasting lifetime costs and revenues with industry, policy and geospatial analysis.

2023 – 2024 · Co-Founder
Energy & Material Talk

Founded and wrote for an energy-research platform reaching 1.5k+ subscribers and 50k+ views across renewable energy, EV, electricity markets and hydrogen.

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Beyond the desk

Golf Hiking · 5,500m Latin Dance · 18 yrs Swimming Public Forum Debate

“Eighteen years of Latin dance and a 5,500-metre summit taught me the same thing finance does — discipline, timing, and the nerve to commit.”