Learning the Ropes of a Purpose-Driven Career

Having the opportunity to contribute to something meaningful has always been my driving passion, but I’ve rarely had the opportunity or ability to make good on that ambition. Having worked in finance, tech, and media, I’ve cultivated a broad skillset yet lacked a meaningful cause to dedicate it to. I came to SIPA to find a mission to devote myself to, and being a part of the Sustainable Investing Consulting class has helped me see exactly the sort of because I want to be my clarion call.

From the start, being a part of this program has challenged me and my conception of what being a consultant and an actor within the sustainability space meant. I have been enmeshed in the move-fast-and-break-things mentality of the technology space, the rigor protocol and strict regulation of the financial sector, and the do-what-you-can-with-what-you-have spunk of the media ecosystem. These roles gave me expertise in critical technologies and skillsets. Still, they never truly taught me how to break a problem down into its most fundamental components, devise an action plan to deliver meaningful results, and engage all stakeholders to make this vision a reality. Before this class, I had learned what I was trying to achieve (funding, returns, clicks), but never had I been taught how to think about problems in a granular and systematic way.

This education in process-building and mindset-shifting began as early as the all-day consulting session at CBS. Getting to learn and hear from peers who are so different from myself showed me that my narrow experience (even in its breadth) did not come close to the collective knowledge of the class and program. Working with my peers to diagnose, solve, and advise on key problems taught me how I could see problems through different eyes and resolve even the most passionate of disagreements.

When I was matched with my partner company, I was ecstatic. The values of my organization aligned closely with the sort of world-changing innovation I’ve come to realize I want to commit my life to. Along with my team, we’re working to produce deep, ground-breaking research into developing markets that will inform sustainable solutions to both energy poverty and armed conflicts. Immersing myself in this research truly doesn’t feel like work - it feels like the gradual creation of something I am proud to call my own. We’ve been able to form a clear, achievable action plan to meet our objectives and have established a strong rapport with our client. Their excitement at working alongside us has been deeply encouraging, and we’re excited to deliver on their expectations and then some!

My team is comprised of people who come from very different backgrounds than my own. While some may assume this to be a source of conflict, I’ve found this to be the source of a wellspring of creative synergy. We have different styles of collaborating, diagnosing, and solving problems, which has made our ultimate approach more dynamic, global, and flexible to the needs of our client.

Ultimately, I am deeply excited for what is to come and grateful for the opportunity to finally work on something I find so meaningful.