Career Support

Opportunities to make a difference in major environmental challenges

If you aspire to make a positive impact on the world, there are many opportunities to do so through a career that integrates a nuanced understanding of environmental issues. You might join an industry in which environmental challenges are front-and-center, such as energy, agriculture, or real estate. Work in finance, incorporating environment, social, and governance (ESG) factors. Engage in entrepreneurial ventures that generate environmental solutions and bring them to market. Or pursue careers with nonprofits focused on corporate engagement, or in the public sector.

HBS MBAs have many options for making a difference at the critical intersection of environmental and business issues. BEI actively assists students in planning their careers and collaborates with HBS Career & Professional Development.

Events

Agribusiness Seminar Networking Session

An opportunity to network with alumni working in agribusiness. Open to members of the Food, Agriculture, & Water Club. (January)

Career Panels (login required)

BEI partners with the HBS Career & Professional Development to host industry-focused programs with alumni and student leaders in energy, food and agriculture, and sustainability. Check the MBA Event Calendar for details. (Fall)

Climate Symposium

Each fall, student clubs host the Climate Symposium, featuring industry executives, investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, and startup companies. The symposium offers conference attendees the opportunity to network with leading professionals representing a diverse group of firms, markets, and geographies. (November)

Coffee Chats

Meet with BEI to discuss anything from business ideas, career aspirations, get advice on classes, etc. (Ongoing)

Career and Professional Development Office

Once matriculated, you will have access to myHBS (login required) which connects you to classmates, course work, and the CPD website (login required). You can access a wealth of information: lists of HBS recruiting partners; salary data; job search tips and resources; and 3 Minute Tips, part of a video library addressing key areas of the career search. Students can also view and apply for job opportunities, research organizations (login required) that recruit on campus, schedule interviews, and sign up for programs and coaching appointments.

12twenty

Internal website to search for career and internship opportunities.

Career Panels

CPD hosts several business & environment panels and information sessions, check the MBA Event Calendar for details. (Fall)

Coaching & Developing Resources

Internal site outlining career coaches, student advisors, and other career resources.

MBA Career Resources Guide on Energy and Environment (login required)

Top industry newsletters, podcasts, and more to help navigate and inform your search

Alumni Connections & Mentorship

As a student at Harvard Business School, you are part of a larger community that includes alumni working in many sectors and industries — often in key leadership positions. BEI maintains relationships with a number of organizations and individuals who can offer career advice and opportunities to current students. There are several ways to connect with alumni:

BEI Student-Alumni Mentor Program

Current MBA students can email us to join our online platform that facilitates ongoing connections between students interested in pursuing careers at the intersection of business and environment and alumni who can provide valuable advice from their own experience in the field.

BEI iLab Expert Resources - Climate Experts

In partnership with BEI, Harvard iLab offers the opportunity to meet with Climate Experts in a variety of industries. Expert Resources include serial entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, creative directors, lawyers, and more. MBA students can schedule 1:1 time with seasoned experts to gain valuable knowledge and support.

Rock Entrepreneur-in-Residence - Climate Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EiRs) have founded, sold, or IPO’d successful ventures in tech, consumer products, healthcare, biotech, media and entertainment, and more. In partnership with BEI and Rock, Shara Ticku (MBA 2017), Co-founder and CEO of c16 Biosciences, will be joining as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

BEI Meetaway Networking Events

Students are invited to join virtual networking sessions throughout the semester for an opportunity to gain insight from alumni working at the intersection of business and environment through a series of short 1:1 conversations using the Meetaway platform.

HBS Alumni Directory

Use the directory to discover and connect with HBS alumni working in climate.

Harvard Alumni for Climate and Environment (HACE)

HACE is a volunteer-led community of alumni who help connect and serve the global Harvard alumni community, cultivate knowledge among the Harvard community, and help deliver individual and collective action to address the climate crisis.

Fellowships & Internships

HBS Summer Fellows

The HBS Summer Fellows Program (login required) enables students to explore career opportunities in roles or regions where compensation is generally lower than the traditional MBA level. The goal of this program is to give students the freedom to realize their unique career visions without being limited by compensation levels, regardless of industry or location. Funding is available for students joining existing organizations, as well as for those founding new ventures and who have not yet raised significant capital.

Funding for students joining existing organizations is based on the employing organization's contribution amount. Students founding their own ventures must provide a thoughtful and detailed plan for the summer (i.e. roadmap for development, experimentation, and accomplishing other key milestones). The maximum weekly contribution provided by HBS for all Fellows is $650 per week. Students select which cohort of Summer Fellows they wish to join in the online application:

Rock Summer Fellows: RC students can work on their venture idea or work at an early-stage startup through a 10-12 week summer fellowship that provides substantial financial support as well as a peer network and community
Social Enterprise Summer Fellows: Enables students to explore career opportunities in roles or regions where compensation is generally lower than the traditional MBA level. Funding is available for students joining existing organizations or founding new ventures.
HBS General Summer Fellows: Funds students joining large and small organizations in for-profit industries.

Harvard Climate Internship Programs

Any Harvard graduate student with a climate-related internship with a public, private, or non-profit organization may receive up to $7,000, mentoring support, and access to programming. Applications due in March & April.

Other Career Resources

Baker Library's Industry Highlights Newsletters

Each newsletter provides summaries of important news items with links to the full text. Articles are selected that provide significant news about major players and HBS recruiters, analysis of trends in the industry and the competitive environment, and news of innovative products and services.

Duke EDGE Career Resources

Career resources including slides, videos, articles, etc. to help navigate your options. Follow:Katie Kross, Managing Director of EDGE

Sustainability Resources

A joint effort of MBA Career and Professional Development, HBS Business and the Environment Initiative, MBA Sustainability Club, and Baker Library, this guide serves as a starting point for sustainability-related research.
Read More

Making a Difference

Gregory Saunders (MBA 1990) is CEO of CleanFund Commercial PACE Capital, a California–based financing firm focused on empowering commercial property owners to reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings.

After studying economics and environmental science at Dartmouth, Giulia Siccardo (MBA 2016) came to HBS to expand her skills with the goal of helping companies reduce their impact on the environment.

“Working with businesses to help them think about the environment and sustainability in terms of how they can help instead of hinder is not just an exciting space to be in, but also one that you can be proud of at the end of the day.”

Drew Sloan (MBA/MPA 2010)
Summer Fellow, Rocky Mountain Institute

MBA Experience