I am a master’s student in Sustainability Management, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the SIRI Practicum and work alongside SIPA students on a real-world project. The project has two objectives: mapping the universe of institutional equity capital active in carbon reduction and removal projects, and developing an investment and risk analysis framework that bridges traditional finance and carbon markets. The capital mapping will identify key investor types and build a structured dataset covering AUM, strategies, returns, ticket sizes, and deal activity. The framework will compare project finance, private equity, and infrastructure tools with carbon quality metrics and develop a taxonomy of carbon-specific risks, translating them into financial and underwriting impacts across selected project types such as Afforestation/Reforestation/Revegetation (ARR), Improved Forest Management (IFM), or biochar.
I was fortunate to be appointed as the project manager based on my background in finance and consulting. My professional experience spans wealth management, investment analysis, and advisory work across global markets, where I supported high-net-worth clients, advised SMEs, and led cross-functional initiatives. Working at Morgan Stanley strengthened my expertise in wealth management, portfolio monitoring, client risk considerations, and investment product analysis. This background gives me confidence in leading the team to deliver professional, high-quality outputs while I continue building deeper knowledge of carbon markets and carbon credit risk frameworks.
I want to be honest about the learning curve. While I have strong financial training, my direct exposure to carbon markets is still developing. When we first reviewed the scope and deliverables, I was concerned that, as a team, we might not have sufficient domain depth to execute a project of this breadth and technical complexity. We spent many hours breaking down what each deliverable required and how they connect. To address this, I divided the team into focus areas aligned with key project types, including ARR, IFM, and biochar, so we could each build foundational knowledge and then teach each other through internal meetings. This helped transform uncertainty into a structured learning process and reinforced that leadership is about building systems that allow teams to learn and move forward together.
After our client meeting, attending office hours with our professor and co-instructor was a turning point. They were extremely supportive and offered to connect us with PhD students working in this field and with another professor who has experience working with our client and a strong background in this field. That conversation helped restore my confidence and showed me how collaborative this learning environment is. Looking ahead, I believe I will gain technical knowledge in structuring investment frameworks, analyzing risk and return drivers, and supporting real-world investment decisions, while also gaining experience managing complex projects with real client expectations. I genuinely enjoy working with my team, and I am proud to represent Columbia and deliver this project at a professional, top-tier standard while continuing to grow through this experience.