WGBI Member Spotlight Series — Alyssa McQuilling
Our next WGBI Member Spotlight shines on Alyssa McQuilling, Senior Research and Innovation Manager at the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI). With hands-on experience across multiple battery technologies and a deeply collaborative approach, she is helping CBI and its members pursue the opportunities shaping the future of energy storage.
🚀 Career Journey: From Emissions Inventories to Energy Storage
Alyssa’s path into batteries began in environmental engineering. “At my last job, I was working on greenhouse gas emissions inventories and other typical environmental engineering projects.” Then, in 2016, her company was awarded a project focused on understanding the role of battery energy storage in the Southeastern United States. The team “needed an additional researcher, so I was happy to join the team.”
That project became her gateway into the industry. “In this role I was able to get hands-on experience with multiple battery technologies and scales and gain a broad understanding of the opportunities for battery energy storage systems in the region and globally.”
Today, as Senior Research and Innovation Manager at CBI, her role “focuses on identifying opportunities to engage with stakeholder funding,” while also supporting CBI’s member companies as they pursue those efforts. Her broad technical background has proven especially valuable as the organization evolves. “Having worked with lithium ion, flow and other battery technologies in my previous job has prepared me as CBI becomes a multi-technology organization.”
🔋 Industry Insights: Good Ideas Can Come from Anyone
Alyssa’s approach to her work is rooted in teamwork. “I think I bring a particularly collaborative mindset to my work.” That mindset was shaped early in her career. “I was lucky to have been in a really collegial graduate research group, and so I have seen firsthand how good ideas can come from anyone in the room and making a welcoming environment really helps drive progress.”
She has also found an unexpected upside to standing out in a traditionally male-dominated field. “I also find that being one of a few women in the room makes you more memorable.”
🤝 WGBI Involvement: Building a Community Within the Industry
For Alyssa, WGBI has been about connection. “Joining WGBI was a great way to get connected with so many of the other women working in the industry.” She adds, “It has really made me feel like a part of a community within the broader battery industry.”
She has been an active participant across the organization. “I have been able to enjoy and be a part of many of the WGBI programs.” She has attended WGBI receptions at the BCI Convention, Battcon, and ELBC, and has judged poster submissions as part of the STEM Committee. She has also shared her expertise directly with fellow members: “I’ve even given a seminar on Energy Storage to the WGBI members.”
💡 Advice: An Industry Worth Growing In
Alyssa’s own experience is her best argument for the field. “Being a part of the battery industry has been a great opportunity for both personal and professional growth for me.”
For women considering WGBI, at any stage of their career, her recommendation is wholehearted. “Joining WGBI has been a wonderful way to build deeper connections and learn more about the industry and would be something I would highly recommend to anyone in the industry—both new or more seasoned.”
📖 Life Beyond Work
At home, Alyssa’s recharge time is often spent outdoors. “With 3 small kids (boys aged 8, 6, and 3), we spend a lot of time outside playing and that really helps me recharge.”
She has also found a new passion on the court. “I’ve also picked up pickleball and really enjoy both the sport and the community around it.” And when she’s on the road: “I love a good book when I travel—a nice balance of fiction and nonfiction.”
Alyssa McQuilling’s story shows how a collaborative spirit, a broad technical foundation, and a commitment to community can help drive progress across the battery industry, one connection at a time.