Class of 2014

MBA/MS Program 2014

Wes is interested in how sustainable business practices and innovations in technology can be used to solve the world’s energy challenges. He is particularly interested in developing solutions that will allow emerging markets to leapfrog old, fossil fuel based energy technologies and instead use sustainable forms of energy as they build up their energy infrastructure. Before joining the Erb program, Wes worked as a consultant at Deloitte, developing business strategies and technology solutions to improve efficiency and provide access to meaningful data in client organizations. Most recently, Wes spent three years living in China, where he developed communication and data management systems for a wind turbine developer. Wes studied at Northwestern University and received a BS in Computer Engineering. In his free time, Wes enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, studying Chinese, and watching basketball.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Olga believes that organizational and cultural change are critical to a sustainable tomorrow. In hopes of making a difference, Olga plans to focus her studies on marketing and sustainable operations within the consumer goods and consumer services industries to truly understand what drives each business and how to ensure that systemic sustainability programs are properly implemented and ingrained into corporate DNA. Olga holds a B.S. in Biology from the City University of New York at Brooklyn College and has worked in both hospitality and pharmaceutical sales. Olga is fluent in Russian and in her free time, she enjoys mentoring high school students, cooking, reading, dancing, and traveling.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Adam is passionate about building business to solve energy problems. Prior to coming to Michigan, he worked as a Government Relations Representative at the Pacific Gas & Electric Company where, among other things, he smoothed the way for the installation of 15,000 SmartMeters a day. Most recently, Adam served as a Program Manager at Renewable Funding, a clean tech energy finance start-up, where he helped establish the largest PACE program in the nation. Adam earned degrees in American Studies and Political Science at Cal State Fullerton and is an avid photographer, racquetball player, and backpacker.

MBA/MS Program 2014

MBA/MS Program 2014

Annie is passionate about food. She believes that healthy, sustainable, and ethical food is a basic human right and hopes to make it more affordable and accessible to all levels of society. Through the resources of Erb, University of Michigan and Ann Arbor, Annie plans to gain exposure to small-scale sustainable food enterprises to discover how to successfully grow these movements to a larger scale. Previously, Annie served as a federal sector consultant in Washington, DC for IBM's Army Account team specializing in business operations management. Annie holds a BA in Religion from Bowdoin College and hails from Laguna Beach, California.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Steve is interested in cleantech entrepreneurship, corporate sustainability strategy, and the opportunities for mutual reinforcement between these areas. He believes that commercial environmental impact can be minimized through broad awareness and bold leadership that integrates technological, managerial, and cultural innovations. As an associate on the student-led Social Venture Fund, he evaluates investments in innovative socially- and environmentally-responsible companies. Prior to Erb, he worked at the nonprofit Times Square Alliance, where he managed the implementation and launch of Times Square’s free public Wi-Fi network. He began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he developed custom software and helped the firm’s Tax Department to plan its transition to a paperless, more sustainable workplace. Steve graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a dual degree in Computer Science and Philosophy. His hobbies include running, backpacking, traveling, and watching the Red Wings make the playoffs.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Catherine is interested in sustainability as it relates to the urban environment, with a particular focus on waste management. She believes the strategic waste management plans of cities are critical to solving environmental problems related to material consumption. Prior to enrolling in the Erb Institute’s MBA/MS dual-degree program, she worked for the City of New York for 3 ½ years in business development and operations at the Department of Small Business Services and the Mayor’s Office of Operations. This experience included serving as the Strategic Operations Manager for a Mayoral initiative to enable businesses to manage their accounts with City government online. She received a B.A. in History from Columbia University. Her hobbies include travelling, hiking, writing and watching college basketball.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Nancy is interested in impact investing and finding market-based solutions to deforestation in developing countries. Prior to joining the Erb Institute, she worked throughout Southeast Asia on an IKEA/European Union/World Wildlife Fund project aimed at creating a more sustainable supply chain for rattan furniture. She led the Chain of Custody project team and, while there, achieved the first ever Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for sustainable rattan products. She has a BA in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Williams College and enjoys traveling, skiing, rowing, and delicious food.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Daniel is interested in how finance and renewable energy can be used as tools for sustainable development. Prior to joining the Erb Institute he spent over four years as a consultant for Deloitte, helping Fortune 500 companies use systems to enable their financial strategies. As a LEED AP, he also helped grow Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate Change practice by incorporating “green” issues into standard project methodologies and driving the launch of Deloitte’s green business blog. In his free time, Daniel enjoys dancing, cycling, snowboarding, and traveling.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Daniel is interested in corporate sustainability strategy, and how the private sector can meet people's wants and needs with minimized use of natural resources or negative environmental effects. He believes that quality life can only be achieved when both economic and environmental interests are protected. Prior to Michigan, Daniel worked for a strategy consulting firm in Washington, DC, focusing on public sector water infrastructure financing. He helped US EPA's State Revolving Funds distribute $6 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to communities across the country, and led a team which trained thousands of municipal leaders, environmental engineers, and construction contractors to comply with Federal environmental, prevailing wage, and manufactured good sourcing requirements. Daniel earned an AB in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Lawrence is interested in corporate environmental strategy, particularly in energy and resource issues. Prior to Erb, Lawrence worked as a consultant for Accenture, based out of Chicago, where he served the company's public service clients. Lawrence grew up in Vancouver, Canada and did his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Hongda is pursuing a career in alternative energy, with a functional emphasis on operations and supply chain management. He believes that the global transition toward more sustainable energy generation and consumption systems cannot permanently rely on public policy initiatives, and that best business practices must be utilized to increase the market competitiveness of renewable energy solutions. Prior to Erb, Hongda conducted marketing and business development for a renewable energy firm in Portland, OR, and for a consulting firm in Moscow, Russia. He also served in the US Army for 4 years as a logistics specialist, helping to manage auto and patriot missile repair parts inventories valued in excess of $10 million. Hongda speaks Russian and Chinese. He enjoys swimming, Weiqi, and Dungeons & Dragons during his spare time.

MBA/MS Program 2014

After graduating from Yale University in 2008, Berry Kennedy moved to Mexico to work with the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature, Latin America’s largest national environmental fund. She worked in the Watersheds Department overseeing projects utilizing market mechanisms for ecosystem protection for nine months before moving to the executive office to initiate the organization’s Development Office. Berry designed and implemented new fundraising and communications strategies and managed special projects for the Executive Director, including developing an innovative new financial model for the conservation of privately held land in Mexico. Her interests include impact investing, market-based mechanisms that promote conservation and sustainable agricultural systems.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Makely is interested in corporate strategy, including thinking holistically about product life cycle and supply chain sustainability. Before coming to UM, Makely worked in energy efficiency program management, and supported lobbying and grassroots organizing efforts in the fight to improve Federal renewable energy policies. Most recently, Makely worked as a greenhouse gas emissions inventory analyst, where she conducted emissions inventories for clients ranging from small utilities to the US Department of Defense. She has also developed GHG emission reduction master plans and authored methodologies for carbon offset project accounting. Makely holds a BA in Economics and Environmental Policy from Middlebury College and, in her free time, she runs half marathons, learns Spanish, and enjoys adventure travel.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Daphne comes to the University of Michigan and the Erb Institute after four years working at Environmental Defense Fund. Her time at EDF, working on green business practices in the Corporate Partnerships Program and on catch shares fishery management in the Oceans Program, informed her decision to pursue a career in market-based sustainability initiatives. She is particularly interested in finding the ways that social entrepreneurship, clean development mechanisms, and impact investing can incentivize and be leveraged toward sustainable development and a greener global economy. Hailing from Boston, she attended Boston University, graduating with BA in Political Science. In her spare time she enjoys traveling the world, reading a good book, cooking a delicious meal and hoping that someday she will be coordinated enough to learn to surf.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Joelene is pursuing a career in energy with an emphasis in business development and general management. Prior to Erb, she spent seven years at SPG Solar with her most recent role as Director of Sales Operations. Throughout her time in the solar industry, Joelene's work focused mainly on project development, policy, and contract negotiations with large scale clients including Fortune 500 and utilities. Joelene received a BS in Management from San Diego State University.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Madhavi's experiences in commercial real estate and the nonprofit sector opened her eyes to the powerful connections between business and the environment and fueled her belief that energy efficiency and waste management can be key contributors to cutting costs and conserving capital. With a love bordering on obsession for designing and reworking processes, Madhavi is committed to an energy efficiency focused career refining manufacturing systems and incorporating sustainable thinking into new product development. Madhavi attended Middlebury College, where her studies in Italian, English and American Literatures and Spanish allowed her to make the most of her passions for travel, the arts, and most of all, food.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Lizzie’s interests lie at the intersection of sustainability, corporate strategy, and innovation. She believes that a company’s organizational structure can drive innovation, efficiency, and lead to strategic advantage and social impact. Her passion for creating sustainable processes, evaluating alternative energy investments in developing countries, and addressing social issues led her to the MBA/MS dual degree program. Prior to graduate school, Lizzie worked at blueEnergy Group, an international NGO based out of San Francisco that provides renewable energy and sustainable development services to off-grid communities in Nicaragua. There she gained valuable experience as the organization’s first Development Director, establishing a diversified funding portfolio to increase the organization’s financial stability, developing partnerships with universities to increase national awareness, and assisting in the organization’s wind turbine building workshop as the electromagnetic induction specialist. Prior to blueEnergy, Lizzie worked as a financial service auditor at KPMG. She holds a B.A. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and is an avid soccer player, rock climber, and traveler.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Javier is currently pursuing a career in the renewable energy field. He is particularly interested in the commercialization of renewable energy products and in utility-scale renewable energy project development. Javier truly believes that businesses have the ability to develop innovative renewable energy products that will one day meet our energy needs. In his prior life, Javier worked in R&D in the biotechnology field. His previous work include devising strategies for the formulation of new drug products, increasing the analytical capabilities for a new department, supporting the R&D efforts for the commercialization of a new drug product and leading various efforts to increase the efficiency in data collection and sharing cross-functionally. Prior to moving to Michigan Javier lived in the California Bay Area where he became interested in renewable energy. This prompted him to volunteer on the board of a non-profit that provided weatherization and energy assistance services to low-income residents. It was while on the board that Javier became aware of the potential that renewable energy had to provide clean and sustainable energy. This experience was extremely sobering for Javier and it motivated him to join Erb. In his spare time Javier enjoys snowboarding, kick boxing, dancing and cooking.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Charlie is pursuing a career in environmental strategy, focusing on transportation technology and management. Prior to joining the Erb Institute Charlie earned a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and served for both the U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force as a F-14 and F-18 pilot, accumulating more than 1800 flight hours and over 300 carrier landings. During his service Charlie managed the training and safety programs for two squadrons with annual budgets in excess of $500M while flying around the globe. Charlie was involved heavily in the strategic vision and planning, personnel management, and development of training programs for both his American and Australian fighter aircraft squadrons. Charlie's desire is to make both the planes we fly and the way we fly them more sustainable within his lifetime. In his free time Charlie enjoys recreational flying, rooting for any UM team, water sports, camping, and spending time with family.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Jason is interested in the role incentives play in sustainability. He is pursuing a career in strategy and entrepreneurship, particularly as they relate to the CleanTech industry. Although originally from Kentucky, Jason studied IT Management and Finance at Georgia Tech and found his niche as a "translator" between business and technical individuals. Before joining Erb, he worked in the healthcare IT field at McKesson Corporation in Atlanta, GA - first as a Support Analyst then as a Financial/Business Analyst. In his spare time, Jason enjoys skiing, traveling, gaming, and late night conversations about answers to life, the universe, and everything.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Emilia is interested in developing market solutions to reduce global consumption of fossil fuels and encourage sustainable economies. Prior to joining the Erb Institute, Emilia worked as a project manager for Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. (PECI) where she developed in-field research and toolkits to advance energy efficiency in commercial real estate. At PECI, she also managed PG&E's commercial efficiency program, delivering $1 million in cost savings from 33 buildings. Earlier in her career, Emilia co-founded an LLC to develop and build an experimental low-energy home, which sold for a profit at the peak of the 2008 housing market crisis, and worked as a socially responsible investment analyst for KLD Research & Analytics where she evaluated energy and utility companies. Emilia received a B.A. in International Politics from Middlebury College. She particularly loves backcountry skiing, longboard surfing and Japanese food.

MBA/MS Program 2014

José is passionate about his hometown, Houston. After graduating from Cornell Architecture in 1998, he returned to Texas to positively impact his city. After a brief stint at a small architecture firm, he spent over 11 years at the large international architecture, design, and planning firm, Gensler. While there, he designed building and interiors projects for clients as diverse as Deloitte, Hilton, USAA, Chevron, and the Blaffer Museum at the University of Houston. In addition to designing buildings that increasingly incorporated sustainable systems and strategies, he also volunteered extensively for community arts and design organizations that worked to shape the city into a more livable urban center. From guest editing a design journal to helping reorganize the public arts agency to helping found an organization that will build an interdisciplinary arts center, he spent nearly as much time in his volunteer career as his professional one. In his free time, José enjoys designing, cooking, traveling throughout Italy, and doing nothing at either his parents' ranch or in Marfa, TX. Upon graduation, he plans on returning home to merge the two halves of his career and continue to shape Houston into a more sustainable city where people enjoy living.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Sam Stevenson is a first year dual degree student enrolled at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business as part of the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. Sam is passionate about finding innovative business solutions that transition us towards sustainable development on a global scale. Prior to Ann Arbor, Sam was immersed in the seeds of this market transition through his work in carbon finance. As a Consultant at DNV, Sam developed and implemented a new business segment in forest carbon (REDD), which led to projects in British Columbia, Kenya, and Guyana. As an Analyst at EcoSecurities (J.P. Morgan), Sam devised positioning strategies for large industry and utility clients by assessing the climate risks and financial exposures of capital investments. Sam loves alpine climbing, surfing, and jamming out on the keys. Sam earned a B.A. in Political Science from Middlebury College in Vermont.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Sabrina is interested in social enterprise, particularly, social intrapreneurship, elevating corporate social responsibility (CSR) to another level. She sees immense potential within established organizations to utilize an entrepreneurial mindset to uncover practical solutions to social or environmental challenges where progress is stalled by market failures. This drove Sabrina to join the Erb Institute, and develop her expertise in science and business to drive innovation and sustainability business strategy to fulfill unmet needs of developed and developing markets. Prior to joining Erb, Sabrina worked as a strategy consultant with Deloitte Consulting in both Canada and the United States in various sectors from energy to consumer business. From this, Sabrina brings significant experience in process design, organizational change, business casing, strategic planning, and growth / profitability programs to leverage in her education and future career. Sabrina graduated with distinction from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary with a major in Marketing. She enjoys any activity that centers on new experiences and ideas – from places, to food, to volunteering with cool programs like TED.

MBA/MS Program 2014

MBA/MS Program 2014

Jimmy is interested in making the built environment more sustainable through design and management. He is passionate about creating places that contribute to the health of people and the environment. Jimmy is concentrating his studies at the University of Michigan to energy and green building to supplement his quantitative background. He has lead a team in the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Case Competition investigating the opportunities the city of Houston has to encourage energy efficiency actions through policy, education, and financing mechanisms. Jimmy is currently a leader in the University of Michigan’s USGBC Chapter, a member of the USGBC Detroit Chapter, and is pursuing his LEED Green Associate accreditation. Previously he was a Finance Associate with LaSalle Bank and Bank of America as part of their Capital Markets and Finance Rotational Program. He then joined a non-profit social science research organization, NORC at the University of Chicago, and helped the organization grow over 50%. As a Senior Financial Analyst in the Public Health Department, he was able to work with financial and statistical data to help make informed internal and external decisions. Additionally at NORC, Jimmy was able to help drive project costs down by $3M in three years (30%). Jimmy graduated cum laude from Augustana College with a BA in Business Administration concentrating in Management, Finance, and Management Information Systems with a minor in Computer Science. He is an active traveler, outdoor enthusiast, foodie, and soccer player.

MBA/MS Program 2014

Leah was born and raised in West Michigan. After an adventure-filled conservation career in Siberia and the Russian Far East, Leah realized that she wanted to spend her efforts closer to home to protect the region's rich natural resources and to grow vibrant local communities. After graduate school, Leah intends to stay in nonprofit management, embracing NGOs' important role in stimulating business and government to make wise and timely decisions for the environment and local communities. She also believes that nonprofit organizations must carefully study and implement for-profit business strategies and practices to be more effective. Before coming back to Michigan, Leah served as Russia Program Director and Interim Executive Director for San Francisco-based Pacific Environment and worked as an independent consultant for Portland-based Wild Salmon Center. Leah received a BA in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University and studied Russian Language and International Relations as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar at Far Eastern State University in Vladivostok, Russia. In her spare time, Leah enjoys playing and coaching soccer, experimenting in the kitchen, backpacking, and riding her bike on quiet country roads.