Experience Stern | Stern Stories

Ten years ago, the NYU Stern School of Business embraced the discipline of sustainability as more than an ethical imperative, but an emerging driver of innovation, resilience, and long-term business value. In 2016, Stern formalized that conviction with the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) – founded on the vision of a better world through better business.

Over the past decade, CSB has helped define how organizations translate sustainability into measurable business performance, and is now focused on equipping leaders to navigate what comes next.

As companies are forced to reimagine legacy systems to stabilize operations amid rising volatility — from supply chain disruption and resource constraints to geopolitical risk and climate impacts — CSB advances sustainability as a lever for resilience and durable value creation.

“CSB has become globally recognized for its rigorous research, thought leadership, practitioner tools, and training in how sustainability drives effective management strategy and financial performance across industries, enabling corporate leaders to improve their impact and performance,” said Tensie Whelan, founder of NYU Stern CSB and Distinguished Professor of Practice Emerita at NYU Stern.

EDUCATION

From the beginning, CSB reenvisioned how sustainability is embedded into the Stern student experience. What began with a single undergraduate course offered in its founding year has blossomed into a comprehensive ecosystem of learning and practice.

• 1,500+ students have taken Sustainability for Competitive Advantage, now spanning undergraduate, MBA, and Executive MBA cohorts.
• 300 students specialized in Sustainable Business & Innovation, now a top 10 MBA specialization at Stern.
• Summer fellowships, pitch competitions, mentorships, and skills-based bootcamps provide students with the practice and access needed to leverage their skills for real business solutions.
• 1,600+ Executive Education Certificates awarded.

“Having access to CSB transformed my MBA experience. Transitioning from the nonprofit sector, the Summer Fellowship in Sustainability at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. gave me the opportunity to work on a corporate sustainability team and learn from experts in the field. The connections I forged through CSB have remained invaluable to my career, bringing me into a passionate and supportive network of sustainability professionals,” explains Elizabeth John (MBA ’21), Senior Global Brand Manager, Vaseline Purpose and Sustainability.

RESEARCH

CSB’s influence is grounded in its applied research revolutionizing how companies measure, manage, and monetize the financial value of sustainability initiatives. Beyond the firm-level analysis, research initiatives evaluate the broader sustainable business landscape and identify areas of ongoing opportunity. 

• The Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI™) methodology has become synonymous with unlocking sustainability value creation, publishing three industry frameworks, dozens of corporate engagements, and tools designed for companies and private market investors.
• The annual Sustainable Market Share Index™ (SMSI) is a benchmark for consumer brands, tracking the market share growth, price premiums, and demographic trends of purchasing behaviors for products marketed as sustainable compared to conventionally marketed counterparts.
• The Invest NYC SDG Initiative explored how public-private partnerships and pilot programs can mobilize capital and advance sustainable development. 

“Individually, these outputs inform better executive decision-making. Collectively, they provide a comprehensive playbook for businesses to embed sustainability and capture financial value,” said John Ghingo, Chair of the CSB Advisory Board and President of Hormel Foods.

INFLUENCE & ENGAGEMENT

CSB research and thought leadership appears in both academic and business journals, and the hallmark Practice Forum event brings together corporate leaders, investors, and practitioners to share insights, innovations, and novel solutions. 

In October 2025, CSB marked its 10-year anniversary with a celebration reflecting on its impact and defining its future direction. The event honored Whelan’s remarkable contributions, and announced the transition of leadership to Clinical Professor Amy Skoczlas Cole who joined CSB in January 2026 to carry forward its extraordinary legacy and guide its next phase of growth.

CSB: THE NEXT ERA

A decade of proving the business case for sustainability has made it clear that financial returns are necessary, but not sufficient, to drive widespread adoption. Organizations also need enabling processes, integrated platforms, and leaders equipped with the right tools and capabilities.

CSB enters its next era amid a changing business paradigm with a focus on:

• Designing and delivering solutions that address the gaps in processes, platforms, and people
• Positioning sustainability as a strategic advantage in navigating volatility and systemic risk

“When we provide irrefutable proof of the benefit of sustainability, the tools for firms to integrate it themselves, and the know-how to overcome the barriers to integration – we unlock the transformative potential of the private sector to align operations with sustainability,” said Amy Skoczlas Cole, Director of NYU Stern CSB. “As the global landscape rapidly shifts, CSB will demonstrate how sustainability helps organizations identify emerging risks and opportunities early enough to shape strategic action. Along the way, we are preparing future business leaders with the skills to navigate an increasingly dynamic operating environment.”

Chisara Ehiemere, Senior ROSI Lead at NYU Stern CSB (left), moderates a panel of ROSI partners at the 8th annual Practice Forum in 2025.

Tensie Whelan (right) and CSB Director Amy Skoczlas Cole (left) at the Alumni in Sustainability Holiday Celebration.

Amy Skoczlas Cole is introduced as CSB’s new Director at the 10-Year Anniversary Celebration.

Tensie Whelan (center), Stern alumni, and CSB partners celebrate a decade of leadership at the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business 10-Year Anniversary Gala.