| | | | | Dear Alumni & Friends, | | We hope this newsletter finds you in good health and spirits! | | As reflected at the COP 27 Climate Change Conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in November and at the COP 15 Biodiversity Conference held in Montreal, Canada in December, we find ourselves in the so-called “Decisive Decade” as the scientific evidence mounts that it is critical to meaningfully address the long-standing social and environmental issues which stand to undermine economic prosperity. In line with that, the S.C. Johnson College of Business is looking to see the expansion of research, teaching and impact which contributes to its mission of building people-centered leaders who are empowered to create sustainable, shared prosperity. We are pleased to be playing a role in making that happen. | | If you visit the newly launched landing page for the College’s Business of Sustainability (BoS) Interdisciplinary Theme, you will see that over 150 faculty have elected to become involved in that effort! As discussed during the theme’s first retreat this fall, we have opportunities to target resources to support the integration of sustainability into more coursework, new academic and applied research related to key issues in business and sustainability, and growth of engagements which link the Cornell community to the private sector. | | As 2022 comes to an end, in addition to the ramping up of the BoS theme, we are pleased to have seen the launch of two eCornell programs related to sustainability, including our newest offering on Sustainable Tourism Destination Management which went live earlier in December; a new collaboration on food insecurity with the Center for Sustainable Business at NYU-Stern; and the successful launch of a new conference focused on ESG research. | | Looking ahead to 2023, we are excited to see that an increasing number of core faculty intend to incorporate sustainability into the curriculum for all residential students; both the Metro and Americas executive MBA programs are taking steps to institutionalize sustainability into their programs; and the Cayuga Fund is making a number of changes to incorporate ESG-investing activity into their approach to improve student investment expertise and marketability. | | We hope you enjoy the holiday season wherever you are and remind you to reach out if you come to campus, have news to share, or an idea for collaboration in the new year! | | Sincerely, | | Mark Milstein | | Faculty Director of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise |
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| | | | Cornell Business Impact Symposium: April 15 at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus |
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| | | Business of Sustainability Interdisciplinary Theme |
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| | Following the adoption of the Business of Sustainability (BoS) Interdisciplinary Theme by the college in the spring, summer and fall saw the start of institutionalizing the theme. First up – developing a better understanding of the faculty engaged in (or hoping to engage in) sustainability-related teaching, research, and engagement. Response to an invitation to opt into theme affiliation resulted in over 150 college faculty across Johnson, Nolan, and Dyson electing to become involved in the theme! That was a tremendous response which far outpaced expectations when the theme was proposed. You can view the full list of faculty at the new theme landing page available here where you will also be able to see announcements of news, research, publications, and events. Going forward, we seek to reflect more of the programmatic activities across the college related to sustainability on the theme page, as well as profiles of alumni active in the sustainability domain. In the fall, the first theme retreat was held in an effort to get a better understanding of the programs and activities across the three schools and begin the process of highlighting key priorities for the coming year. If you are interested in learning more about the BoS theme, you can reach out to any of the faculty co-directors: Mark Milstein, Cathy Kling, or Jawad Addoum. |
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| | | Center faculty director Mark Milstein has agreed to step in as lead at Cornell on a collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) at NYU-Stern. CSB received funding in early 2022 from Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Inc. to support the proposal, “FoodMap NY: Developing Long-Term Solutions to Food Insecurity in New York Through Private-Sector Engagement and Investment”. The collaboration will focus on identifying innovative products and services which have shown potential for the private sector to address food insecurity in the state, as well as the nature of investment which might be required to help those solutions reach scale in the coming years. Funding is expected to support a project manager and student engagement. |
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| | | Those following closely may recall that last year we announced the SGE Immersion – Johnson’s experiential learning program for students interested in gaining knowledge and experience through engaging in consulting-type strategic sustainability projects – was adopting a new title and relaunched as the SGE Intensive with new course content that was being made available to second year residential students for the first time. While the changes in the curriculum and availability to both first and second year MBA students (as well as non-Johnson graduate students from around the university) will remain intact, it was determined that we will revert back to being known as the “SGE Immersion” again! If you have the opportunity to talk with prospective or current students about the program, we hope you won’t hesitate to promote its unique learning opportunities. Similarly, it is the season…if you have ideas for a strategic sustainability project that would be of value to your organization and might fit the SGE Immersion program, Mark Milstein or Monica Touesnard would be happy to discuss it with you. |
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| | Cornell Energy Connection |
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| | Students and energy professionals gathered in-person at the Cornell Tech campus on November 18th for the 13th annual Cornell Energy Connection. This year’s conference, “The Energy Transition from Policy to Practice” was co-hosted by the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, the Cornell Energy Club, and the Cornell Student Chapter of the Society of Economic Geologists. Student organized panels included discussion of the Inflation Reduction Act, energy storage, critical minerals, and hydrogen. Sponsoring companies ConEdison, Emerson, and Distributed Sun hosted lunch tables to engage with student participants about careers at their respective organizations. |
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| | | ESG Investing Research Conference |
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| | The 2022 Cornell ESG Investing Research Conference was hosted at Cornell July 20-22 by the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, the Parker Center for Investment Research and the Investing at Cornell and Business of Sustainability interdisciplinary themes. This inaugural conference brought together investment practitioners and academics to discuss key issues in this emerging subject and featured keynote speaker, Tobias Adrian, financial counsellor and director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the International Monetary Fund. More than 50 academic papers were submitted for review with six selected to present during the conference. The Avantis Best Paper Prize was awarded to co-authors Florian Berg, Kornelia Fabisik, and Zacharias Sautner for “Is History Repeating Itself? The (Un)predictable Past of ESG Ratings” which found an ESG rating popular among researchers and used in over 1500 studies was unstable due to frequent, unannounced changes in data and methodology, thereby undermining the quality of research in the field. You can read more about the conference here. |
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| | | Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program |
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| | The Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program (STAMP) developed and launched a new Sustainable Tourism Destination Management eight-module, self-paced course that is now available through eCornell. The course is designed for business leaders, government employees, destination management organization professionals and others working in hospitality, tourism, and related fields. Participants from target countries where affordability might otherwise be a barrier to enrollment can apply for scholarships through the Travel Foundation here. STAMP is also beginning a series of strategic engagements with countries around the world seeking to modernize and redesign their destination management process using the new destination management course. | | STAMP is launching a series of eCornell keynote webinars focused on Sustainable Tourism on a Changing Planet. The first one, The Challenges of Transformation in a Global Industry, is now available for on-demand viewing. |
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| | Leaders in Sustainable Global Enterprise Colloquium |
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| | We want to recognize and thank all the fall 2022 speakers of the Leaders in Sustainable Global Enterprise Colloquium who shared their experiences and knowledge, including: | - Tara Hemmer (BS '94), Senior VP and Chief Sustainability Officer at Waste Management
- Diyva Kapasi Demato, Founder and CEO at GoodOps
- Ian Kline (AB '91), President and CEO at Cadmus
- Georgia Maloney (BS '07, MBA '16), ESG Reporting and Sustainability Director at Marsh McLennan
- Molly Morse (BS '03), Founder and CEO at Mango Materials
- Debbie Mullin, CEO and Founder at Copper Cow Coffee
- Laura Schaffer Alward (MBA '11), VP of Conservation and Sustainability at Orvis
- Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO at TerraCycle
- Mike Train (MBA ’91), Chief Sustainability Officer at Emerson
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| | | The growth we saw in Big Red Microenterprise (BRM) last year continued this fall as more than 25 students looked to engage in experiential learning by working with local under-served or sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs and small businesses. Students spent the fall getting ready to coach and advise 13 local businesses in the spring semester, which will include: |
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| | | | Center-Advised Student Clubs |
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| | | The Energy Club welcomed alumni and industry professionals from NextEra, Filsinger Energy Partners, Invenergy, ABOVEgrid, Nabor Industries, and GE Renewables to speak on topics including wind, solar, energy storage, and the emerging opportunities in the energy transition. The club hosted tours at the Cornell Power Plant and Conamix, a Lithium-sulfur battery startup founded by Charlotte Hamilton (BS’95, MBA’04). The Energy Club sent multiple teams to compete in energy case competitions including Duke’s Energy in Emerging Markets (Semi-finalists), Tuck’s Renewable Energy Finance (3rd Place), and McCombs’ Energy Finance Challenge (2nd Place). The Energy Club is looking forward to welcoming students back in the spring with their annual Renewable Energy Project Finance Workshop! |
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| | | | Through 2022, the Sustainable Global Enterprise Club was defined by the theme “SGE and …” to better reflect the fact that both environmental sustainability and social impact must be integrated across business functions and not stuck in organizational silos. Throughout the fall semester, the SGE Club explored the intersection between SGE and Consulting, Finance, Banking, Marketing, and Technology; and conducted subject matter deep dives into Food & Agriculture, Circularity, Fashion, and ESG rating methodologies. The club also explored concepts such as materiality, greenwashing, and green labeling to better prepare members professionally. Speakers, such as Blackrock Managing Partner Antonio DeSpirito and Marsh McClennan ESG Reporting Director Georgia Maloney (MBA ’16), and 2nd year student mentors provided insight to 1st year students about internships and full time careers. |
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| | Cornell Sustainable Consulting: (undergraduate) |
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| | Cornell Sustainable Consulting (CSC) Club teams continued working with long-term partners and formed new partnerships this semester. The Sustainable Chambers group began a new partnership with the US Green Chamber of Commerce and the Tompkins Chamber to educate local businesses on sustainable practices. The Sustainable Beverage team began its first partnership with Red Newt Winery by presenting a case study of their operations and suggestions for sustainable packaging changes. The Branding and Engagement team worked with the Cornell Botanic Buzzline to evaluate the retention of its message by visitors. The Ocean Recovery Group worked with a startup by the same name to expand their mission to recover plastics for the global supply chain to new partners. The Carbon Calculators team partnered with Florae to advise them on sustainable packaging systems and other opportunities for energy efficiency. Finally, CSC continued its long-term partnership with the SWEEP Standard by working on living wage research and SDG compliance for the standard. |
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| | | Members of the Cornell Sustainable Consulting (right) and Impact investing at Cornell (left) undergraduate clubs. |
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| | Impact Investing at Cornell: (undergraduate) |
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| | Impact Investing at Cornell (IIC) partnered with Buoyant Partners, a venture capital firm focused on digital climate solutions and investing in early-stage companies and CNote, a women-led impact platform that utilizes technology to unlock diversified investments that support financial inclusivity and economic mobility. Associates and new members researched large corporations' announcements regarding their impact investing commitments as well as what these commitments look like in tandem with their offerings for CNote. IIC is excited to kick off a project with Buoyant next semester involving software-based solutions in waste management in the circular economy. In addition to client work, IIC welcomed 15 new members, who worked hard throughout the 8-week Associate Development Program. The club is looking forward to hosting the 3rd annual Impact Investing Case Competition in Spring 2023. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please email mat59@cornell.edu. |
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| | | | Alberto Lamadrid (Dyson) received a $500,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for his proposal, “Who Pays for Electrification & Resilience?: An Evaluation of the Equity, Justice & Efficiency Impacts of Retail Electric Deregulation 2022.” |
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| | | | Note: The Publications and news articles below reflect the work of the broad Business of Sustainability Interdisciplinary Theme affiliated faculty across the college. Some work is directly related to sustainability in business; other work is indirectly related to the domain. |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Levin, Simon A., John M. Anderies, Neil Adger, Scott Barrett, Elena M. Bennett, Julio C. Cardenas, Stephen R. Carpenter, Anne-Sophie Crépin, Paul Ehrlich, Joern Fischer, Carle Folke, Nils Kautsky, Catherine Kling, Karine Nyborg, Stephen Polasky, Marten Scheffer, Kathleen Segerson, Jason Shogren, Jeroen Van Den Bergh, Brian Walker, Elke U. Weber, James Wilen. 2022. Governance in the Face of Extreme Events: Lessons from Evolutionary Processes for Structuring Interventions, and the Need to Go Beyond. Ecosystems, 25: 697-711. |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Class of ‘09 | | Steve Peck (MBA '09) for starting a new position as President & Chief Revenue Officer at Checkit | | Class of ‘11 | | Peter Scannell (SGE Immersion '10, MBA '11) for starting a new position as Head of Operations of US at BNRG | | Class of ‘12 | | Yasuhiro Karakawa (SGE Immersion '11, MBA '12) for publishing his first book named "The Playful Ants - the way of work and life of boundary-spanning talents who change the society in small and playful ways" based on his practical experience and academic knowledge in accelerating intrapreneurial projects and nurturing creative talents among his corporate clients | | Nikhil Suares (SGE Immersion '11, MBA '12) for starting a new position as Director of Product Management at Verana Networks | | Selina Ang (SGE Immersion '11, MBA '12) and her husband John, on the birth of their son, Zander in November | | Class of ‘13 | | Emily (Busch) Nyrop (SGE Immersion '12, MBA '13) for starting a new position as Vice President Climate Change at Conservation International | | Manik Sharma (SGE Immersion '12, MBA '13) on his marriage to Jackie Klekman in October | | Class of ‘14 | | Benjamin Garcia (SGE Immersion '13, MPA '14) for his promotion to Vice President of People Strategy & Operational Excellence at Bank of America | | Varun Shah (MBA '15, SGE Immersion '14) his marriage to Laura Lim in November, 2022 | | Natalie Wossene (SGE Immersion '13, MBA '14) for starting a new position as Senior Director leading the Azure Platform Marketing team at Microsoft | | Class of ‘15 | | Julie Casabianca (SGE Immersion ’13, MRP ’15) for starting a new position as Policy Manager, global Corporate Strategies at 3Degreees Group |
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| Class of ‘16 | | Robert Brink (SGE Immersion '15, MBA '16) for founding Flatiron Energy, a battery storage development company | | Class of ‘17 | | Fargo Balliett (SGE Immersion '17, MMH '17) for being promoted to Manager of Marketplace Growth at ServiceChannel | | Class of ‘18 | | Kristina Koepke (SGE Immersion '17, MBA '18) for being promoted to Group Manager of Global Supply Management at Apple | | Chelsea Turner (MBA '18) for starting a new position as Director of Strategic Procurement at EDF Renewables North America | | Class of ‘19 | | Taylor Fox (SGE Immersion '18, MBA '19) for starting a new position as Director of Business Alignment at Liberty Mutual Insurance | | Lauren Palazzola (SGE Immersion '18, MBA '19) for starting a new position as Vice President of Capital Markets at BlackRock | | Maya Wolf (SGE Immersion '18, MBA '19) for being promoted to Program Manager of Clean Energy Transportation at Pacific Gas and Electric Company | | Class of ‘20 | | Sheri Hunter (SGE Immersion '19, MBA '20) for starting a new position as Senior Business Systems Analyst at Travel + Leisure Co | | Zach Koser (MBA '20) for starting a new position as Manager of ESG Client Advisory at Sustainalytics | | Christian Pieri (MBA '20) for starting a new position as Trust Fund Investments Senior Analyst at NextEra Energy, Inc | | Class of ‘21 | | Kaixin Lu (SGE Immersion '20, MBA '21) for being promoted to Manager of Vendor Management at Amazon | | Sanchita Mehrotra (MBA '21) for starting a new position as Senior Financial Analyst at Adobe | | | | | | | | |
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