Liz John - Stern ‘21
Where are you from? New York, NY.
What was your background before Stern? I worked in education and nonprofit management. Before I started at Stern, I was the Executive Director of PowerMyLearning NYC, part of a national organization focused on achieving educational equity.
Why did you choose to pursue an MBA? Why Stern? After a number of years in the nonprofit sector, I wanted to expand my business skillset and learn more about corporate sustainability. Stern offered me the opportunity to do both, and I learned a lot from being a part of SISA and working with the Center for Sustainable Business, alongside my regular courses.
What did you do to explore careers in your first year? I tried to take advantage of as much as I could, including networking opportunities, club events, and resources offered within and outside Stern. I was fortunate to get one of the CSB Summer Fellowships with Williams-Sonoma Inc., which laid the groundwork for me to start pursuing a career in corporate sustainability. I also took part in the Inspiring Capital (now Purposeful Growth Institute) Fellowship that same summer, which gave me additional support and connected me with like-minded students from business schools across the country.
What do you wish you’d done differently? I was at Stern from Fall 2019 - Spring 2021 so the COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on our time together. Had I known that I would be mostly remote after my first semester, I would’ve spent less time stressing about my schoolwork and internship recruiting, and more time having fun with my classmates. However, being a part of SISA connected me with some great people that I am still in touch with. My advice to current/prospective students would be not to get too caught up in the stress of internship recruiting, especially if you are pursuing a path outside of finance or consulting. Opportunities will come your way but it will take longer and it may not be a straightforward path, so enjoy yourself in the meantime and spend time finding your people.
What was your internship recruiting process like? While I applied for a couple of opportunities in the first semester, most of the things I was interested in became available in the spring. The CSB Fellowship at Williams-Sonoma was my top choice, so I made sure to focus my efforts there, getting to know the folks at the Center and connecting with previous years’ fellows.
Tell us a little bit about where you interned and the work you did over the summer. What skills were most helpful? What did you learn? I spent the summer as a Sustainability Fellow with Williams-Sonoma, Inc (WSI). It was such a great learning experience, working closely with sustainability professionals who had been doing this work for a number of years and had expanded WSI’s sustainability efforts dramatically. I focused on supplier diversity, and conducted qualitative research on best practices and organizations working in that space, while helping to support West Elm’s commitment to the 15% Pledge. I connected with a lot of amazing people within and outside WSI, and I learned how to consolidate everything I learned into a persuasive story and presentation, which I shared with leadership at the end of the summer. I was actually able to continue my work throughout my second year at Stern part-time, which was very rewarding, as it allowed me to start putting into place some of the recommendations I made over the summer.
Tell us about your post-Stern journey. After graduation, I joined Unilever as a Social Impact and Sustainability Manager for Sundial Brands (makers of SheaMoisture). In my role, I really do use what I learned in the nonprofit sector and at Stern through my marketing and sustainable business specializations, along with my CSB Fellowship. I feel very lucky to work for a purpose-driven brand focusing on racial equity within a larger company that puts sustainability front and center.
What have been your favorite classes at Stern? Some of my favorite classes were Marketing with Prof. Alter, Firms and Markets with Prof. Said, and Sustainability for Competitive Advantage with Prof. Whelan. I also served as a Teaching Assistant for Jeffrey Hollender’s undergraduate course, Innovations and Strategies for Building a Progressive Social Enterprise, which was a great learning experience, and very fortuitous that I worked with the founder of Seventh Generation before joining Unilever, as it is now one of their brands.
How has SISA played a role in your Stern experience? Being a part of SISA was a great experience. I met some of my closest friends from Stern through serving on the SISA board, and I learned so much from my fellow students and the professionals who came to speak at our events. It is a really caring, passionate group of people who truly are making positive change in business.
What would you say to a prospective student who is interested in exploring careers in social impact or sustainability? Go for it! Don’t be discouraged by the fact that it is not a linear career path, as the opportunities are often more interesting as a result. Also, hone in on what you are passionate about - there are so many aspects to social impact and sustainability, so find the areas that excite you the most and focus your efforts there. Finally, spend your first semester networking, as the sustainability community is still pretty close-knit and passionate about helping others succeed in that space.
