Center for Sustainable Business | EmpowHER: Workshops and Programming

The NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business partnered with Training the Street to offer the EmpowHER cohort pre-MBA training and refresher courses in core finance concepts including: 

• Financial Statement Analysis 
• Corporate Valuations 
• Excel Best Practices for PC: Become an Excel Expert
• Introduction to Financial Modeling 
• LBO Modeling
   

CSB Founding Director and Distinguished Professor of Practice Tensie Whelan lead this virtual session on how to leverage sustainability as a strategic driver, exploring the financially material value drivers for different companies and industries, and how to look at sustainability as an opportunity for value creation and not a compliance exercise. 

This introductory session led by Adjunct Professor, Cristiano Zazzara, explored the pivotal role of finance in advancing sustainable development through the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. Evidence from capital markets was presented, with a particular focus on the growing significance of sustainable bonds and loans. These financial instruments are crucial for channeling capital into sustainable projects, fostering a greener and more inclusive economy.

The session also examined the impact of ESG factors on financial risk, offering insights into how companies' environmental and social performances affect their default risk and overall financial stability. A key case study will investigate the effects of a flat carbon tax on companies, providing a practical perspective on how policy measures can drive corporate sustainability.

Finally, students were introduced to the emerging field of biodiversity finance, discussing the financial implications of biodiversity loss and the investment opportunities it presents.

This lunch brought together the MBA1 and MBA2 EmpowHER cohorts to connect, network and learn more about navigating the recruiting process at Stern in different industries and verticals. MBA2s briefly shared their experiences from their summer internships before breaking out into small group format for more personal discussions. 

A series of workshops to provide impactful changes in the way we communicate. Using engaging, interactive exercises and games grounded in the world of theater, as well as focused individual coaching and feedback, these sessions were created to help identify existing behavioral patterns and undesired habits to expand, deepen and sharpen participants’ communication style.

The sessions addressed a combination of the following:

• Delivering clear, concise, dynamic messages that stick
• Engaging, captivating and connecting with your audience
• Body language, voice and the impact of non-verbal cues
• Rapport-building and empathy
• Improving focus and managing mind-set in high-pressure situations
• Weaving storytelling into communication to heighten engagement and connection.
• Increasing confidence and gravitas to meet the needs of given situations
• Ability to flex personal style and maintain authenticity
• Effective virtual meetings and presentations
• Dealing with difficult behaviors in others
• Providing a structure for courageous conversations
   

In this session, award-winning NYU Stern School of Business professor, tech entrepreneur, and three-time New York Times best-selling author, Suzy Welch lead a discussion on pursuing lives and careers rich with opportunity, meaning and impact by finding your authentic purpose. As our EmpowHER students navigate pursuing a path of purpose, our goal for this session was to give students grounding and skills that they can then bring into their relationships with their mentors and as they navigate the recruitment process and job search ahead. 
 

Suzy’s research into values formation and discovery, in addition to her expertise in teaching “Developing Managerial Skills” and “Becoming You: Crafting the Authentic Life You Want and Need”  has equipped her with a unique perspective and understanding of how leaders must hone their skills and competencies to be effective leaders, team members and collaborators.
 

Dana Horowitz (EmpowHER MBA2) lead an interactive workshop to help students identify values, priorities and goals and then analyze how and if calendars reflect the alignment of those. The ultimate objective was to assist students in crystalizing systems and strategies to stay focused on their long term goals. By building up calendar management skills with a specific focus on current priorities and long term goals we are able to support students in reaching their ultimate goals.

In this workshop, students delved into the ESG strategy at Neuberger Berman, a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. Their strategy is rooted in the belief that material environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors can be an important driver of long-term investment returns from both an opportunity and a risk-mitigation perspective. Students learned about their strategy at the group level before taking a deeper dive into NB Renaissance and the specific strategy and ESG integration in Private Equity. 

Guest Speakers:

• Paloma Lopez Imizcoz, Sustainability & ESG Manager, NB Renaissance
• Monica Warek, Vice President, ESG and Impact Investing, Neuberger Berman

The NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business partnered with Training the Street to offer the EmpowHER cohort pre-MBA training and refresher courses in core finance concepts including: 

• Financial Statement Analysis 
• Corporate Valuations 
• Excel Best Practices for PC: Become an Excel Expert
• Introduction to Financial Modeling 
• LBO Modeling
   

An introduction to key trends and concepts in sustainable finance with CSB founding Director, Tensie Whelan, covering:

• Definition and evolution of ESG Investing
• Overview of sustainable investing frameworks
• Current state of the market
• Case Study Breakdowns
   

This panel discussion and networking event introduced students to professionals working across asset classes in different functions in sustainable finance. Panelists shared their work experience, their  focus in their roles, as well as a bit about their own professional and personal journeys.

Panelists: 

• Carleigh Douglas, Vice President, Sustainable & Transition Solutions (STS), BlackRock
• Lucie Holliday, ESG Associate at The Carlyle Group
• Dara Kagan, First Vice President of Social Impact Banking, Amalgamated Bank
• Paula Luff, Director of ESG Research and Engagement, DSC Meridian Capital 
• Amanda Nunnink, Co-Head & Senior Managing Director, Multifamily Impact Housing, Kayne Anderson Real Estate
   

Behind the scenes recruiting insight from EmpowHER 2024 MB 2s on navigating opportunities and resources at Stern. 

A series of workshops to provide impactful changes in the way we communicate. Using engaging, interactive exercises and games grounded in the world of theater, as well as focused individual coaching and feedback, these sessions were created to help identify existing behavioral patterns and undesired habits to expand, deepen and sharpen participants’ communication style.

The sessions addressed a combination of the following:

• Delivering clear, concise, dynamic messages that stick
• Engaging, captivating and connecting with your audience
• Body language, voice and the impact of non-verbal cues
• Rapport-building and empathy
• Improving focus and managing mind-set in high-pressure situations
• Weaving storytelling into communication to heighten engagement and connection.
• Increasing confidence and gravitas to meet the needs of given situations
• Ability to flex personal style and maintain authenticity
• Effective virtual meetings and presentations
• Dealing with difficult behaviors in others
• Providing a structure for courageous conversations
   

Insight into the ‘how’ of gender lens investing at each stage of the investment lifecycle (investment identification, investment analysis and decision-making, portfolio management, and monitoring and reporting); deepening understanding of gender lens investing and the business and social returns that can be had by applying a rigorous gender-lens approach to all aspects of investment decisions.
Presenters:

• Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President & CEO, Women’s World Banking 
• Karen Miller, Head of Strategy and Special Projects, Women’s World Banking

A look at the landscape of Impact investing from multiple perspectives including foundations, private equity, debt and across emerging markets. Students learned relevant terminology including the distinction between ESG and impact investing and a broad overview of the allocators and deployers. An interactive discussion on stepping stones and pathways to a career in impact investing followed.

Guest Speakers:

• Humaira Faiz, Mission Investment Manager, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• Clara Sanchez, Director Private Credit, Blue Earth Capital
• Suma Swaminathan, Director, Private Equity, Developing World Markets 
   

An overview of the careers and roles in sustainable finance featuring:

• Luke Apicella (MBA ‘12), VP of Investments for Prudential 
• Impact & Responsible Investing, Prudential
• Casey Clark (MBA ‘17), President & Chief Investment Officer, Rockefeller Asset Management
• Sonia Kim (MBA ‘02), Global Head of ESG Product, S&P Global
• Abigail Pohlman, Head of Private Wealth Management, Sustainable Solutions Group, Goldman Sachs 
• Allison Saegh-Fleming (MBA ‘08), Green Economy Banker at JPMorgan Chase
• Mariah Shones, Senior Associate, The Renewable and Sustainable Energy Fund, The Carlyle Group

In this workshop, CSB partnered with members of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) to provide students with insight on ESG materiality; how it is used in strategy and reporting, various ESG reporting frameworks covering terminology, data providers, materiality matrices, and impact measurement tools. 
Guest Speakers:

• Andrew Brenner, Director of Investment Management, Integration, IFRS 
• Maren Meyers, Educational Content Manager,  IFRS
• Catherine Winner, Managing Director, Global Head of Stewardship, Goldman Sachs Asset Management 
   

A deep dive into the landscape of ESG ratings, providers, and research: covering the role of providers in the wider world of sustainable investing, methodology, metrics, data sourcing, and translating data into ratings, along with  the utility and practical applications of ESG ratings to investors, clients, and stakeholders, as well as the limitations of a financially material risk-focused approach.

Guest Speakers:

• Morgan Kinsey Barr, Sustainable Investment Research Analyst, Brown Advisory
• Lily Bowles, Director of ESG, Pacific Asset Management 
• Kate Marshall, Executive Director, Responsible Investment Solutions, Calvert Research and Management 
• Tara McHugh, Associate Director, Client Advisory, Sustainalytics
• Maggie Stafford, Senior Product Manager, ESG Strategy, Sustainalytics
   

A look at debt financing and the current corporate landscape with experts from Morgan Stanley’s Fixed Income division on options for sustainable finance instruments, KPIs, the overall addressable market, and examples of bonds and loans issued across various industries.Students were tasked with structuring a green bond and pitching it to the boardroom, laying out the financing over the short and long-term, as well as identifying the key risks, opportunities, and tradeoffs.

Guest Speakers:

• Maksim Rakhman, Executive Director, Product Lead at ESG Center for Excellence, Global Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley 
• Michelle Wang, Managing Director in Fixed Income Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley 

Pauline Lam, Nomura Professor of Finance, NYU Stern