Learning about Sustainable Investing

Over the past few semesters, I have often heard that the Sustainable Investing Research Consulting Project (SIRI) course is both highly rewarding and very demanding. Students who had previously taken the course spoke of it as a unique opportunity to bridge academic learning with real-world practice—particularly in sustainable and impact investing. Now that I have enrolled, I can wholeheartedly affirm that those impressions are accurate. This course truly feels like a microcosm of a corporate consultancy project. It provides the freedom to carve one’s own path and sets a high bar for delivering professional-grade work to an actual client.

One of the most striking aspects of SIRI is the autonomy provided to students to shape their projects. From the outset, Professor Minard made it clear that while she would be available for guidance, it was ultimately up to each consulting team (and the individual members within it) to define how deeply they would engage with the material and the project. In other words, the course gives as much as you are willing to invest in it—an empowering yet challenging principle.

Embracing Challenges and Team Dynamics

One key lesson from this course is learning to adapt quickly to the realities of group work in a professional setting. Unlike some academic projects where we handpick our partners, SIRI simulates the corporate environment in which teams are often formed by organizational needs rather than personal preference. As a result, differences in working styles, expectations, and strategies are inevitable.

I see this challenge as an excellent learning opportunity. It teaches me to mold my approach, communicate more effectively, and find synergy with team members who may think differently. Open communication and setting clear expectations early have been particularly critical. For instance, agreeing on deadlines, defining our deliverables’ scope, and designating responsibilities according to each member’s strengths have helped us stay aligned.

Beyond the technical skills of research and analysis, I am quickly realizing that project management and interpersonal skills are just as important. Simple considerations—like scheduling regular check-ins, sharing progress updates, and being transparent about any roadblocks—make a substantial difference. The more real-time information we share, the easier it is for everyone to remain focused on common goals.

The Fascination with Systems Thinking

During our initial client briefing, we were introduced to a systems map that illustrates how various stakeholders—including investors, philanthropic organizations, government agencies, and local communities—interact in the blended finance ecosystem. Seeing a visual representation of these interconnected relationships made me realize how truly complex impact investing can be. It’s not just about matching capital with a project; it’s about orchestrating a concert of stakeholders that often have divergent missions, timelines, and risk appetites.

This systems perspective reaffirms the importance of understanding context. In purely theoretical scenarios, we might assume that all parties are driven by the same objectives. Each stakeholder has a unique set of goals, whether they are seeking returns, social impact, or strategic partnerships. As a consultant, my role is to reconcile these different objectives into a framework that leads to sustainable, long-term outcomes. This process has expanded my appreciation for the delicate balancing act required in sustainable finance.

Looking Ahead

As the semester unfolds, I expect the project’s complexity to increase, along with my understanding of how challenging yet rewarding it can be to blend financial returns with social and environmental objectives. I look forward to refining our project deliverables and hopefully witnessing, in some small measure, how our contributions might shape future blended finance initiatives.

Though the SIRI Practicum course is only an elective, it has provided me with deep learning experiences and has been notably insightful in many ways. My name is Gabriel Sandosham and I am in my first and final year at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). I am in one of the “boutique” programs at SIPA, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program. This program is geared towards students looking to develop and analyze environmental policies in their careers. However, SIPA’s sustainable finance course offering is so robust that many students in our program explore the world of sustainable finance and impact investing through their (limited) elective course slots and become sufficiently interested in sustainable investing to pursue a career in it. To me, this is a remarkable reflection on the impact of SIRI. 

I joined this course with no background knowledge of sustainable finance. In my previous semester, I enrolled in an Impact Investing course, but ultimately dropped it as it seemed too far removed from my skillset. Still, I enrolled in the SIRI Practicum because I believe the best way to learn a topic is to immerse in it through hands-on experiences. Despite our early point in the semester, I have gained great learning experiences from this course. Professor Minard is inspiring and engaging and pushes us to challenge our thinking and stretch ourselves. The course is a good mix of professional development, sustainable finance, and client relations training. I did not expect a heavy emphasis on professional and consulting skills development when joining the course, but I’m glad it’s structured that way. 

In the first class, we went through each project scope and then completed a survey to rank our top 4 preferences. I was surprised to see the project I ultimately joined on the list, since it is not related to sustainable finance or impact investing, but instead involves sustainability reporting standards for public sector organizations. I selected this topic since it aligned well with my background, and I’ve still been able to learn a great deal about sustainable investing through the guest speakers that Professor Minard invites to the class sessions. Professor Minard is a very well-connected person, and I believe that the close relationships she has forged with professionals in this space is a testament to her influence and character. 

The SIRI Skills Workshop has been another impactful experience, albeit a major commitment. Despite the lengthy schedule, I appreciate that Professor Minard and the SIRI team devoted so much of their time and effort to putting the workshop together. They all have unique perspectives, and I learned something new from each of them. Despite wishing that the workshop devoted more time to sustainable investing (since I am not learning about that topic through my project), I was impressed by the deep emphasis on consulting skills and team cohesion. The various exercises we conducted in our project teams were great opportunities for us to understand our team dynamics and learn how to effectively collaborate, being sensitive to each other's individual perspectives and contributions. Having an excuse to explore the Columbia Business School (CBS) campus was also a perk. 

Overall, I am glad that I joined the SIRI Practicum. Despite not planning to work in the sustainable investing space, I believe there are holistic benefits that this course provides and that I will carry with me as I embark on the next phase of my career. Thankfully, I have also had positive experiences with my team and look forward to overcoming our challenging project scope together. This class, more than most other experiences at Columbia, gives us an opportunity to engage in a simulation that closely resembles the types of projects we will engage in in our professional careers. I welcome the challenges and iterative process that we will undoubtedly embark upon as the semester progresses.