The NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) is pleased to announce the members of our inaugural cohort of EmpowHER: Career Development Program for Women in Sustainable Finance, Supported by Visa Foundation. The program was designed to help a diverse group of values-driven professionals build their financial expertise and networks, creating the foundation for gainful career opportunities in sustainable investing.

A career in sustainable finance provides a unique opportunity to drive investment into companies that are solving pressing environmental and social challenges. ESG-related investments currently account for 1 in every $4 invested in the US, totaling more than $17 trillion invested in sustainable assets in 2020 alone. This represents a 42% increase from 2018 and consistent year over year growth for more than a decade. There is a corresponding explosion of demand for sustainability-related financial expertise to manage these assets. However, there is not enough qualified human capital to keep up with the financial capital being funneled into ESG investments. An analysis of LinkedIn job posts by the CFA Institute found 6% of investment professional job posts mentioned sustainability-related skills, yet less than 1% of profiles disclose such experience. 

This group of 17 women who started the NYU Stern MBA program in Fall 2022 is engaging with the sustainable finance community and alumni to refine their expertise, gaining hands-on learning experiences, participating in intensive training and networking sessions, and accessing mentorships with impressive women in the industry.

Congratulations to our inaugural cohort!

	Niharika Agrawal Intended Specializations: Corporate Finance, FinTech, Sustainable Business and Innovation		Jiani Lu Intended Specializations: Finance, FinTech, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Laura de Ávila Degasperi Intended Specializations: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Sustainable Business and Innovation		Sangitha Mohan Intended Specializations: Finance, Strategy, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Bianca Isabel Dy Intended Specializations: Corporate Finance, Finance, Sustainable Business and Innovation		Aindrilla Mukherjee Intended Specializations: Finance, Global Business, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Emily Farley Chang Intended Specializations: Finance, Financial Instruments and Markets, Sustainable Business and Innovation		Claire Olson Intended Specializations: Finance, Strategy, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Danit Fleischman Intended Specializations: Global Business, Leadership and Change Management, Sustainable Business and Innovation		Tina Wang Intended Specialization: Marketing, Strategy, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Deshani Gunathilake Intended Specializations: Sustainable Business and Innovation		Jessica Weiss Intended Specializations: Finance, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Mei Han (Maya) Han Intended Specializations: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Sustainable Business and Innovation		Junyun (Tina) Yang Financial Instruments and Markets, Strategy, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Yifei Hong Intended Specializations: Finance, Real Estate, Sustainable Business and Innovation		Huaimeng Zhang Intended Specializations: Finance, Sustainable Business and Innovation
	Doris Lu Intended Specializations: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Marketing, Sustainable Business and Innovation