Meet the Founder
Alex Depompolo
Alex Depompolo is a sustainability strategist and global connector with a passion for building climate-smart, people-centered transportation systems. She launched Big Ideas in Action to spotlight scalable, community-driven solutions—and to create space for cross-regional learning between the Global South and Global North.
Core Expertise
Why Work With Alex?
-
A Proven Builder: Alex has launched national-scale infrastructure projects, led $20M+ programs, and built coalitions across continents.
-
Rooted in Community: Every project she leads is grounded in relationships—with local leaders, community partners, and on-the-ground experts.
-
Focused on Scale & Equity: From influencing U.S. policy to convening international delegations, Alex connects scalable innovation with deep social impact.
-
Ready to Deliver: With a launch-ready platform, active partners in Colombia and Africa, and years of experience securing and managing philanthropic grants, she’s prepared to lead and grow this work with the right funders.
​
What Sets Her Apart?
-
Operational Excellence & Vision: Whether building EV infrastructure at Amazon or crafting federal policy platforms, Alex brings both long-term strategy and in-the-weeds know-how.
-
Trusted Leader Across Sectors: She has worked across federal agencies, Fortune 100 companies, and nonprofits—earning leadership roles and managing $20M+ in budgets and cross-functional teams.
-
Deep Foundation & Grant Expertise: Her programs have been backed by the Kresge Foundation, CDC, Barr Foundation, APHA, and FHWA. She understands how to translate grantmaking goals into measurable, community-aligned impact.
-
Global Perspective, Local Credibility: Proficient in Spanish and rooted in Bogotá, Alex has cultivated trusted relationships across Latin America while maintaining a strong track record of delivery in the U.S.
Projects & Accomplishments
Electrifying the Last Mile at Amazon
As Senior Business Analyst on the CBRE/Amazon account, Alex played a pivotal role in scaling Amazon’s EV infrastructure from zero to 24,000+ live chargers across 150+ delivery stations in under three years. She coordinated across utility companies, legal teams, engineers of record, landlords, and construction managers—building a multi-phase strategy that supported Amazon’s long-term goal of 100,000 electric delivery vehicles. Her work reduced contract review times from months to days through process redesign and trust-building— earning rare authorization as an external consultant to independently route utility contracts for legal signature.
​
Policy Advocacy at the Federal Level
At Transportation for America, Alex supported a nationwide advocacy campaign that successfully added a greenhouse gas emissions performance measure to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s congestion rule. Her work mobilized 5,000+ individuals and 150 organizations to support the initiative, and she partnered with FHWA to deliver in-person workshops helping local leaders integrate climate goals into infrastructure planning.
​
Regional Blueprint Development
As principal consultant of Depompolo Solutions LLC, she co-authored the Capital Region Blueprint for Regional Mobility for the Greater Washington Partnership, laying out a strategic path for the D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond region to transition to technology-enabled, sustainable transportation systems.
​
Speaking & Public Engagement
Alex is a trusted public speaker and facilitator who brings energy and clarity to technical conversations around transportation, infrastructure, and climate. She is passionate about making solutions accessible and helping audiences understand the role of equity, storytelling, and global collaboration in shaping the future. She has also facilitated high-impact strategy workshops with FHWA, DOTs, and local government leaders to build capacity for climate-aligned, performance-driven planning.
​
Selected Speaking Engagements
-
Reaching out of the Silo: Engagement and Perception Change for Magnified Outcomes, ACT International Conference -- Featured Speaker
-
Establishing an Effective Commute Trip Reduction Policy in Massachusetts, ACT International Conference -- Featured Speaker
-
New England Transportation Conference -- Speaker
