Stern CSB’s Fifth Annual Practice Forum Embodies the Bright Future of Sustainability
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Saurabh Kumar (Stern '24) attended CSB's Fifth Annual Practice Forum and shares his thoughts about the event below:
As a student at NYU Stern with an existing interest in sustainability, the Practice Forum really opened my eyes to the places a career in sustainability can lead.
It was genuinely inspiring to see so many professionals from across all industries and sectors gathered together to learn more about sustainability. When I first came to Stern, I did not really know what direction I wanted to take my career, and I was disenchanted with some of the more “traditional” roles that I saw students pursuing. Getting to hear from professionals in finance, agriculture, food production, and more illustrated how sustainability really applies to every company, whether through discussions about the environment, ethical supply chains, or employee wellbeing.
The discussions about private equity were particularly interesting to me. Having learned about some of the ways that private equity firms have disregarded sustainability in favor of profits in the past, hearing perspectives about how the same industry can advance sustainability was refreshing and exciting. Hearing firsthand how sustainability plays a role in investing is, to me, an intriguing topic that I don’t think can be found in many classrooms or business school curricula, so gaining insight on sustainable investing and the methodology behind it at the Practice Forum was a great experience.
Seeing a way to combine my passion for creating a tangible impact on society with my business education felt really meaningful, and it was great to see so many other students at the event. Knowing how much our generation cares for people and the planet, it is really promising to see the future leaders taking an interest in corporate sustainability now in order to bring about the change that business and society needs for a better future.
Lastly, camaraderie in sustainability is something that is really important to me. Spending days thinking about difficult issues like climate change and human rights can sometimes feel incredibly challenging, if not insurmountable. An integral part of having the strength to push through toward solutions is knowing that there are other people who are fighting just as hard to create a more equitable and resilient world, and the Practice Forum really fosters that sense of community and momentum.
As a student at NYU Stern with an existing interest in sustainability, the Practice Forum really opened my eyes to the places a career in sustainability can lead.
It was genuinely inspiring to see so many professionals from across all industries and sectors gathered together to learn more about sustainability. When I first came to Stern, I did not really know what direction I wanted to take my career, and I was disenchanted with some of the more “traditional” roles that I saw students pursuing. Getting to hear from professionals in finance, agriculture, food production, and more illustrated how sustainability really applies to every company, whether through discussions about the environment, ethical supply chains, or employee wellbeing.
The discussions about private equity were particularly interesting to me. Having learned about some of the ways that private equity firms have disregarded sustainability in favor of profits in the past, hearing perspectives about how the same industry can advance sustainability was refreshing and exciting. Hearing firsthand how sustainability plays a role in investing is, to me, an intriguing topic that I don’t think can be found in many classrooms or business school curricula, so gaining insight on sustainable investing and the methodology behind it at the Practice Forum was a great experience.
Seeing a way to combine my passion for creating a tangible impact on society with my business education felt really meaningful, and it was great to see so many other students at the event. Knowing how much our generation cares for people and the planet, it is really promising to see the future leaders taking an interest in corporate sustainability now in order to bring about the change that business and society needs for a better future.
Lastly, camaraderie in sustainability is something that is really important to me. Spending days thinking about difficult issues like climate change and human rights can sometimes feel incredibly challenging, if not insurmountable. An integral part of having the strength to push through toward solutions is knowing that there are other people who are fighting just as hard to create a more equitable and resilient world, and the Practice Forum really fosters that sense of community and momentum.