NYCLab

Clif Bar produces energy bars and food that feeds and inspires the adventure in all of us. Clif Bar is working to run a different kind of company: "The kind of place we’d want to work, that makes the kind of food we’d like to eat, and that strives for a healthier, more sustainable world – the kind of world we’d like to pass on to our children." Clif is committed to making food with sustainable, organic ingredients; baked with clean, renewable energy; packed in environmentally friendly packaging; and delivered by transportation that doesn't pollute.

Brooklyn Boulders designs, builds and operates community spaces and hybrid rock climbing facilities anchored by the premise that physical movement stimulates innovation and creativity with facilities located in New York City, Boston, and Chicago.

Bard MBA NYCLab students worked with Clif Bar and Brooklyn Boulders to pilot programs to integrate environmental stewardship into its field marketing partnership to build a template that Clif Bar can replicate with other partners.

"NYCLab is producing planet-saving ideas that have the potential to re-shape
how major brands give back to their communities and the environment." 
—Will Yandell, Regional Marketing Manager, Clif Bar

Medgar Evers College (MEC) is grateful for the assistance and consultation of Bard MBA students to craft two comprehensive business models: (1) a proposed MEC Center for Entrepreneurship Opportunity, and (2) a venture partnership/retail space share agreement for student-run day-by-day and pop up shop business.

"The Bard student team worked together as a high performance team. Like all great teams, they moved together in lockstep and their cohesiveness was such that there were no "I's" on that team. Their communication management was super stellar. They were unrelenting in accessing the right information to provide a meaningful product that would help us." —Micah E. S. Crump, Ph.D., Professor of Entrepreneurship in the School of Business at Medgar Evers College

Etsy operates marketplaces where millions of people around the world connect, both online and offline, to make, sell and buy unique goods. Etsy also offers a wide range of seller services and tools that help creative entrepreneurs start, grow and manage their businesses. The company's mission is to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world. 

Alongside the Etsy Sustainability Commission, Bard MBA students assessed advanced energy efficiency strategies for the company’s new, global headquarters based in Brooklyn. Students analyzed the impact of new energy efficiency measures as well as developed a strategy that leverages Etsy's unique internal culture to drive behavior change around energy use.

THINX is on a mission to create the most innovative period solutions that empower every body and sustain our planet while breaking taboos about menstruation and reproductive health everywhere. Bard MBA NYCLab students worked with THINX to create the most sustainable and comprehensive end-of-life plan for a pair of THINX period-proof underwear. Analyzing how the components can be recycled, repurposed, or disposed of and transported with the lowest environmental impact, the team also considered how THINX can facilitate a process that will be convenient and realistic for their global consumer base.

Moody’s believes that knowledge fuels opportunity. The core of our business is to provide transparent research, tools and analysis that help participants in the global financial markets better understand risks and move forward with critical insight. Moody's approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is rooted in that same belief—seeking to empower people with the knowledge, resources and confidence they need to create a better future — for themselves, their communities and the environment. At the core of Moody's global CSR focus is Reshape Tomorrow™, a financial empowerment initiative to help people succeed in growing a small business. In addition to empowering people with financial knowledge through Reshape Tomorrow™, Moody’s global CSR approach has two other focal points: Activating an environmentally sustainable future and Helping young people reach their potential. These three focus areas are supported by the company's employees who share their passion and purpose with the world through volunteer and giving programs. Learn more about how Moody's is opening the door to a better future at moodys.com/csr.
 
Moody's asked the Bard MBA NYCLab team to recommend programs, initiatives and grants to help ensure success implementing the company’s new approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

"The Bard program is a unique opportunity to gain a different perspective from smart young minds entering the sustainability field, while also offering our employees an avenue to mentor the next generation of business leaders." -Jennifer Rivera, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility

The supply chain feed optimization project took an intensive look at opportunities to lower COGS (cost of goods sold), increase efficiency, scalability, and options to become more environmentally friendly. 

Elevate Energy designs and implements programs that reduce costs, protect people and the environment, and ensure the benefits of clean and efficient energy use reach those who need them most. Elevate Energy worked with Bard MBA NYCLab to develop a community solar model that provides opportunities for access to a large population of underserved communities including the elderly, veterans, differently-abled and children in single-family homes around the Midwest.

JetBlue is "New York's Hometown Airline™" which carries more than 35 million customers a year to 96 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. JetBlue's mission is to inspire humanity – both in the air and on the ground. The company is committed to giving back in meaningful ways in the communities it serves and to inspire others to do the same.

Bard MBA students helped JetBlue further develop findings from EcoEarnings: A Shore Thing, a study linking revenue to the health of Caribbean ecosystems, through data analysis and communications recommendations. 

"Bard NYCLab had a clear process for students to engage with companies. Students minimized the time spent on logistics and maximized the time spent on consulting." - Jet Blue

Unilever produces consumer goods for more than 400 brands including Ben & Jerry’s, Lipton, Dove, and St. Ives. As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, the company asked the Bard MBA team to identify cost-effective and regional renewable energy storage solutions. Tasks included research and recommendations for sustainable energy technologies as part of the product mix, cost analysis, and the development of business and supply chain models.

The Kingston Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that protects environmentally and socially significant land for the common good. In addition to traditional land conservation, we work collaboratively to address inequities by making land accessible to the community through urban agriculture, commuter trails, recreation, heritage sites, and affordable homes. Our innovative and inclusive programming encourages our diverse community to live in a sustainable and healthy relationship to the land and other living beings. Land for all, all for land!

"Working with the Bard MBA team in Sustainability was one of the best consultant experiences our organization has ever had. The process wasn't rushed or complicated; they made it fun and comprehensive. Recognizing the journey, I'm so proud to see how clear, concise and professional the final product turned out. Overall, I think our team is a representation of the leadership in this department at Bard, and I would recommend their work to anyone!"                                            - Shaniqua Bowden

"The Bard MBA team expertly navigated the complexity of the context and vision for our goals. Their work will make a lasting impact on our organization and we have concrete plans to incorporate their deliverable into our upcoming workplan."                                                                                                                                                                                                           - Emma Jenkins

"We are grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with a Bard MBA student team. They added capacity to an initiative that we were seeking to develop, and served as thought partners on how to create the most useful resource for our community. We couldn't have asked for a more professional, cohesive or conscientious team. They were an absolute pleasure to work with and we would happily work with or recommend any one of them as a consultant on future projects."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               - Julia Farr

The National Wildlife Federation, America's oldest and largest conservation organization, works across the country to unite Americans from all walks of life in giving wildlife a voice. We've been on the front lines for wildlife since 1936, fighting for the conservation values that are woven into the fabric of our nation's collective heritage.

The Bard MBA NYCLab team worked with the National Wildlife Federation to develop a game plan to ensure that wildlife conservation is a part of every municipal sustainability plan by 2027.

Take Two is more than our name. It’s our purpose: to create second chances for our health and the planet. We give a second life to spent grain because people deserve delicious, nourishing food, and because the planet deserves better, too. Our mission is to help catalyze the shift to a sustainable, plant-rich food system and to create a better future.

New York City’s first M/WBE B Corp, Kinetic Communities, implements strategic energy equity solutions for diverse New York communities. We work with utility & government agencies to develop energy efficiency solutions that provide financial, environmental, housing, and health benefits to New Yorkers who need it the most. We use data to create strategic engagement strategies and tools to catalyze positive relationships with energy. KC³ works on projects throughout the State of New York. We work in the intersection of finance, engineering, planning, and organizing, a sweet spot that helps us understand how to systemically drive change for a just clean energy transition.

"The Bard team provided us with invaluable insight and high-quality deliverables that will ensure our program is a success - we're so grateful for their work with us!"                                                                                                                                                                                - Nikki Joseph, NYC Mayor's Office of Climate & Sustainability (Kinetic Project)

"The BardMBA program is great, they students were very well engaged, provided excellent consulting advice. They were so great, we hired one!"                                                                                                                                                                                                   - Daphany Rose Sanchez

Optoro is a reverse logistics technology company that helps brands and retailers eliminate supply chain waste by optimizing product returns processing. The Bard students conducted a materiality assessment of Optoro's business, reviewed applicable supply chain sustainability goals in the retail space, and used findings to propose an updated sustainability marketing strategy.

“The Bard MBA team delivered high caliber research and recommendations that we look forward to using in a number of projects.” -Optoro

Follett has been a trusted partner to Pre-K and K-12 schools, districts, and college campuses for more than 145 years. The Bard MBA Team helped Follett strategically align it's business and purpose, which is to improve the world by inspiring learning and shaping education.

Just Salad is a chain of 34 fast-casual restaurants focused on making healthy meals accessible to everyone. The brand's reusable bowl program--the largest restaurant reusable program in the world--saves over 75,000 pounds of plastic every year. Just Salad customers can buy a signature blue bowl for $1 and receive free salad toppings with every use.

As Just Salad looks to expand its sustainability efforts even further, they dedicated their Bard NYCLab Project to discovering new sustainability opportunities across all aspects of the business.

Siemens Wind Power is a wind turbine manufacturer based in Hamburg, Germany. The company has manufactured nearly 13,000 wind turbines around the globe with a total capacity of 21 GW help to provide the world with clean, renewable energy.

Bard MBA NYCLab students developed internal and external communications recommendations and strategies for the results and implications of recently completed product life cycle assessments (LCAs). 

"Working with the Bard MBA students in the NYCLab course was a great experience. The students were deeply engaged and provided a useful 1-year implementation plan with KPIs for clear project follow-up. We would highly recommend this and consider it a second time around!"—Siemens Wind Power

Two Days Off is a carbon neutral clothing and lifestyle brand on a mission to promote ethical and easy living in every aspect of your life.

"Working with Bard NYCLab has been invaluable to Two Days Off reinforcing our sustainability practices and reaching circularity. The student team was professional, creative, and provided a broad range of ideas and options to the table we would have otherwise overlooked. It was a great privilege and pleasure working with them."                                                         - Gina Stovall

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $18.0 billion in 2019, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of nearly 93,000 as of June 30, 2020. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. 

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis promotes the global transition to a diverse, sustainable and profitable energy economy. IEEFA’s project with Bard MBA NYCLab helped establish clear and verifiable data about the local economic impacts of wind and solar energy installations in the U.S., including jobs created, taxes paid, and community economic benefits conferred and assessed the methodologies of various overview studies which have been conducted by other researchers. 

HSBC, one of the largest financial institutions in the world, has a global commitment to renewable energy. The project team was asked to evaluate renewable energy options for critical US HSBC markets based on availability, cost effectiveness, reliability and climate impact. The team’s work laid the foundation to develop the bank’s US-based State Specific Renewable Energy Strategy.

 “What I liked about the Bard MBA NYCLab team is their passion for sustainability and making a difference which you can see in their behavior and hear in their voices. My team’s drive to lead sustainable change and make a difference was matched by the students in the Bard MBA in Sustainability program and that is the kind of school we want to work with.” 
—Bill Thomas, Global Head HTS Sustainability, HSBC Bank

New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets (NYSDAM) is the department of the New York state government that enforces laws relating to agriculture; horticulture; farm, fruit and dairy products; aquaculture; the production, processing, transportation, storage, marketing and distributing of food; and weights and measures.

Bard MBA students helped NYSDAM develop a strategy and metrics framework for business facilitation activities for growers and food processors through operational assessments and stakeholder engagement. 

TransitCenter is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting the use of public transportation and other sustainable transportation alternatives in an effort to reduce traffic congestion, preserve the environment, and promote more livable communities. The Bard MBA team researched the sustainable transportation landscape and proposed strategies for TransitCenter to maximize its outreach efforts.

Queens Community House is a multi-site, multi-service settlement house that serves the diverse neighborhoods of Queens, New York. It serves residents of all ages, races, faiths, and ethnicities while supporting the viability of the borough as a whole. Each year, its programs help thousands of its neighbors to thrive in school, make healthy life choices, succeed in educating themselves, become engaged citizens, stabilize their housing situations, and make the most of their senior years.

Queens Community House worked with Bard MBA NYCLab to identify green building and community development opportunities and strategies for low-income housing organizations.

"Queens Community House, Inc. provides individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities. We envision the borough as an empowered community that values diversity, respect, and mutual responsibility where all people are actively engaged, feel supported, have a voice, and experience equal access to opportunities. In part, our programs are designed to assist individuals in achieving not only better success in the classroom but also in the workforce. We promote scholarly research as well as informed and creative teaching. In pursuit of these goals, QCH values intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry, equality, compassion, and excellence in all endeavors. Taken together, pairing with the Bard MBA program, one that mirrors these core goals has been a highly rewarding experience.
QCH asked the Bard Scholars to address an evolving project as this Agency has the opportunity to purchase and renovate its historic home, a building that has been owned and operated by the City of New York for the last 44 years and is in no way energy efficient or sustainable. Given our propensity for social services, the Scholars were able to focus on areas outside of our normal business purview and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts." -Kurt Fakira, Chief Operating Officer

UBS is a global firm providing financial services to private, corporate, and institutional clients, operating in more than 50 countries. The Bard MBA team (1) assessed investment banking (IB) engagement strategies among financial institutions, (2) explored rationales for an environmental and social risk engagement strategy in an IB context, and (3) developed criteria and success factors for effective client engagement.

“From a project manager perspective of the NCYLab at UBS I can only recommend embarking on a joint sustainability project. The project is an extremely interesting two-way learning experience: the students learn to understand the company's sustainability efforts and the company can learn new perspectives on their programs. The students UBS worked with were highly motivated, curious and well-prepared individuals who asked the right questions! The outcome of their research and interview project is considered very helpful.”
—Nina Roth, Environmental and Social Risk Manager, UBS

Fisher Found is EILEEN FISHER’s clothing take back program.  EILEEN FISHER is committed to becoming 100% sustainable, and part of that commitment is taking our clothes back when customers are through with them.  Fisher Found receives all customer donations and sorts them as ‘sellable’ and ‘unsellable’.  The sellable items are resold through our Green Eileen boutiques and EILEEN FISHER Company Stores.  The unsellable items are remade into new textiles for garments and home goods.
 
Bard MBA students created a triple bottom-line business model for EILEEN FISHER's Fisher Found program with a focus on developing profitability for remaking unsellable goods into new products.

Lockheed Martin is a research, design, development, manufacturing, and integration of advance technology systems company in the aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology sectors. The Bard MBA team analyzed the challenges and opportunities in the Socially Responsible Investing space, including insights into stakeholders as well as the criteria for, and impacts of, including or excluding important companies from the sustainability conversation. By focusing on Lockheed Martin’s sustainability assets, products, and services, the team helped to define the sustainability value proposition for stakeholders.

Pharmavite is a global leader and manufacturer of dietary supplements. Pharmavite produces and distributes more than 120 dietary supplement products in the U.S. and more than 100 internationally throughout Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, S. Korea and Iran. Pharmavite is pleased to offer quality products that deliver on their promises. The Bard NYCLab team delivered decision-making tools in order to build a more sustainable supply chain.
 

Hudson Solar is a New York–based business that designs and installs solar energy systems for residential, commercial, agriculture, and municipal nonprofit organizations. The Bard MBA team conducted market research to identify and analyze potential market segments for new photovoltaic technology solutions. Students identified key customer motivators as well as the needs and requirements for each segment, compared the economics, benefits, and capabilities of innovative new technologies, and made recommendations for marketing strategy.

FoodScraps360 is a minority, female-owned residential and commercial compost collection company providing food scrap recycling services for homes or businesses in New York's Capital Region.

Through the NYCLab client engagement, Bard MBA students developed a 3-5 year growth plan for FoodScraps360 with a goal of improving the business model to ensure the company’s sustainability while meeting growth targets.

"Our Bard MBA team was filled with intelligent, capable, and strong leaders. They helped us define our company to the public, as well as introduced new ideas that we incorporated to improve our business process. We are grateful to have participated in the program!" -Sonia Sandoval, Co-Founder

Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA) brings business and civic groups together to help transform New York and New Jersey’s waterways into accessible spaces for the public to enjoy, transportation, commerce, and environmental protection. The Bard MBA team worked with MWA to develop sustainable policy platforms, waterfront sustainability benchmarking reports, and sustainability financing strategies for the organization.

New York City operates the largest municipal fleet in the United States, over 29,000 vehicles including NYPD, FDNY and Sanitation. Led by the City's first Chief Fleet Officer, NYC Fleet directs efforts to improve fleet management citywide in areas of safety, sustainability, preparedness, and shared services.

In December 2015, Mayor de Blasio announced NYC Clean Fleet, a commitment to cut emissions from the City fleet in half by 2025 including establishing over 2,000 electric vehicles and transitioning away from the use of traditional diesel fuel.  The student project supported the achievement of this commitment.
 

COOKFOX Architects and Terrapin Bright Green are architectural and environmental consulting firms, respectively, based in New York City. The Bard MBA team helped the companies evaluate their own sustainability. Activities included cost-benefit analysis, developing a timeline and strategy for improving sustainability, and creating a system to track and report internal progress.

Inward Point is a startup leveraging social and environmental sustainability to revolutionize the event industry. The project team developed a business plan to enable Inward Point to grow and scale their business. The team learned about entrepreneurship and small business development, while supporting a new business model focused on smart, sustainable outcomes.

"The Bard team started as a small group of bright students but became an integral part of how we grew our startup quickly and successfully. We're big fans of the Bard MBA program."
—Brendan Doherty, Founder, Inward Point

The NYC Climate Action Alliance seeks to accelerate NYC's equitable transition to a zero-carbon future. By building a cross-sector network of New York’s businesses, institutions, NGOs, and individuals who are committed to achieving New York City’s ambitious climate goals, we aim to spur climate action and tackle seemingly intractable climate challenges.

Bard MBA students will conduct market research to support decarbonization efforts in the multifamily sector and position condos and coops to comply with the recently enacted Local Law 97.

With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America – great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Since 1979, LISC has invested $24 billion to build or rehab more than 436,320 affordable homes and apartments and develop 74.4 million square feet of retail, community and educational space.

LISC asked the Bard MBA NYCLab to assist in measuring, reducing and offsetting our organization's operational GHG footprint as a first step in achieving carbon neutrality.

“UPM is a Finland-based frontrunner in the forest industry, providing renewable solutions for various end uses all the way from wood products, pulp and paper to renewable biodiesel and advanced biochemicals. The company’s mission is to invest in sustainable growth and innovate for a future beyond fossils. UPM Timber produces responsibly produced, high quality lumber. In their project, the Bard MBA students will conduct research to assist UPM Timber in refining their value proposition in order to better stand out from other companies particularly in sustainability.”

"Vibrant Seeds' is an urban agricultural brand with a mission to provide year-round access to healthy, nutritious, and affordable food in underserved communities starting with the Bronx. Vibrnt Seeds envisions a solution to food deserts and poor nutrition in urban cities with an enriched community farm kitchen center to demonstrate the value at healthy choices. Vibrnt Seeds asked Bard MBA Lab Students to develop a concrete business and production plan along with financial forecasts to startup the company's community farm kitchen."

IDEXX’s mission is to enhance the health and well-being of pets, people, and livestock. To accomplish this mission, IDEXX develops diagnostic products and services that are vital for ensuring animal health and safe drinking water.

The Bard MBA student consulting team helped IDEXX to develop a strategy to manage and monitor their supplier ESG performance.

Oxfam is a global organization that fights inequality in order to end poverty and injustice. The organization offers support during times of crisis, and advocates for economic justice, gender equality and climate action.

The Bard MBA student consulting team analyzed Oxfam's business inequality framework for data availability and robustness. 

The mission of Greater Newark Conservancy is to foster collaboration in our community at the intersection of environmental, food, and racial justice to promote the health and wellbeing of all Newark residents.  At this juncture in the evolution of the Greater Newark Conservancy, and as one of Newark’s leading organizations promoting sustainability, it is primed to adopt and advocate the core business concepts of sustainability into its everyday practices. As such, we seek the support of the Bard MBA consulting team to develop a sustainability strategy that addresses the Conservancy’s physical footprint, internal policies and practices, and our role in the community. 

For over 70 years, TAL Apparel has been the pioneer in manufacturing garments; creating processes and supply chain solutions, tailored to the exact needs of our customers. Today, we are the world leader in producing technologically advanced garments that combine superior styles, comfort, and functionality.
 
Our project with the Bard MBA students is to review the circular economy landscape and help TAL identify a strategic business opportunity within the circular economy.

"Our team of Bard Sustainability MBA advisors were a thoughtful and passionate group. They provided a clear project plan, stuck to the timeline and deliverables, and were curious about our company's dynamics and industry. The final strategic recommendations made a lot of sense for our business, and we plan build action plans to execute the strategic recommendations that will set TAL apart as we transition to a future circular economy. Based on this experience, we would welcome working with another group of Bard Sustainability MBA advisors to continue the work which was started." - Matthew Guenther, Director Environmental Sustainability at TAL Apparel Ltd.

Danone North America is a purpose-driven company with a portfolio of dairy and plant-based foods. As a Certified B Corporation®, Danone North America is committed to the creation of both economic and social value, while nurturing natural ecosystems through sustainable agriculture.
With more than 6,000 employees and 13 production locations across the U.S., our mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
 
Project Summary: Danone North America is thrilled to engage the Bard MBA in Sustainability NYCLab team to support the development of a detailed decarbonization roadmap focused on key procurement categories. The team will identify emissions hotspots, develop recommendations for reduction, and create strategic communications for the Danone sustainability team to improve communication around the expectations to decarbonize with both the procurement team and suppliers.

Converge is a Black woman-owned, mission-driven and values-centered national social justice consulting firm. 

NYClab is helping Converge develop a strategic communications plan.

Pirelli Tire LLC is the US subsidiary of the Italian multinational tire manufacturer, with a factory in Rome, Georgia and offices in Atlanta, New York and Detroit. Pirelli makes tires in the high end of the market including the growing electric vehicle market, and is the exclusive supplier to Formula One.

Pirelli’s US subsidiary aims to position itself as a flagship for sustainability, and asked the Bard team to do a gap analysis against a gold standard: B Corp certification. Whether or not Pirelli officially applies for the certification, the gap analysis is a way to identify actions to help the company refine its strategy.

Every day, over 1,200 members of the DDOT team work tirelessly to ensure that the District’s roads are safe, reliable , and easy to navigate for the millions of residents, commuters, and visitors who use the transportation network each year.  The District Department of Transportation’s mission is to equitably deliver a safe, sustainable, and reliable multimodal transportation network for all residents and visitors of the District of Columbia.  The District Department of Transportation will continue to be a national leader in creating safety and mobility solutions for the existing and emerging transportation challenges within our community. We will prioritize building safer infrastructure across all 8 wards, utilize innovative technologies and strategies to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and expand our transit systems to connect residents to economic opportunities. 

"The Bard NYClab program provided the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) a clear plan that we will implement over the next two budget cycles. DDOT needed a path forward with our electric vehicle program and now we have it." - John Thomas, Chief Performance Officer for District Department of Transportation

Royce Investment Partners, Inc. has over five decades of experience in small-cap equity investing. We seek to integrate material ESG factors into our risk aware discipline and asset class expertise. Royce is collaborating with Bard MBA program to identify the most relevant ESG metrics for small-cap companies and enable our investment teams to target actionable insights as a supplement to their fundamental, intensive company research.

Oatly’s mission is to make it easy for people to eat better and live healthier lives without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources. Oatly and Bard NYCLab are partnering to assemble a landscape analysis of sustainability strategy.

"Oatly is proud to support Bard's leading Sustainability Master's program. Our partnership has provided inspiring insights for how Oatly can learn from other sustainability leaders and improve towards our sustainability ambitions." - Chris Edmonds, Sustainability Project Manager, North America, Oatly

The objective of this project is to create a scalable solution to promote inclusive community preparedness and increase opportunities for informed decision making at the local, regional, and state level when considering resiliency adaptation strategies for high-risk waterfront communities. This solution will be user-friendly, cross-disciplinary, and consider a range of risk  and community characteristics while aligning with the 7 principles for climate resilience published by the NY Department of State Office of Planning Development and Community Infrastructure (OPDCI).

Enterprise Community Development the top nonprofit owner and developer of affordable homes in the Mid-Atlantic, owning and operating more than 23,000 affordable homes. ECD’s parent company, Enterprise Community Partners in a 40 year old national not profit that – solutions, capital and community development – under one roof. The Bard MBA team will be working closely with ECD to develop a business plan to identify how to finance ECD’s climate plan aimed at protecting current, and future housing units, from Climate Risk through utilization of decarbonization efforts like energy efficiency, electrification and renewable energy generation.

"The Bard team of students was gung-ho from the beginning. They took time to  identify the problem we were facing and helped us to define it specifically. They then dig into researching answers and came up with some solutions and questions we had not pondered. This helped us gain a more thorough perspective on how we could address decarbonizing our real estate portfolio along with financing options. It was a great project for all involved." - John Fox, Solar Development Manager for Enterprise Community Development

Target aspires to co-create an equitable and regenerative future together with their guests, partners and communities.

Target asked the Bard MBA team to identify potential end of life textile reclamation & recycling processes, technologies, and resources needed to create a cost-effective, low-emission, scalable, and socially impactful system that aligns with the company’s Forward goals and maximizes the value of the garments.

The National Rail Passenger Corporation, Amtrak, is a corporation striving to deliver a high quality, safe, on-time rail passenger service that exceeds customer expectations. As a low-carbon option for short- and long-range travel, Amtrak embraces sustainability as a way to operate our passenger rail business and is always evaluating ways to improve operations in the face of changing climate conditions across the national network. In pursuit of this goal, the Bard MBA students will work to help Amtrak understand the financial costs and benefits of these decisions in order to allow Amtrak employees and leadership to compare, assess, and make decisions about projects that build up Amtrak's sustainability and resiliency to the impacts of climate change.

"The Bard Team was well organized, smart, effective, and delivered a very helpful final product. Their biggest impact though was in how they reframed the discussion through insightful questions and creative ideas and helped us think about our climate resiliency program in a new light." -- Miles Owen, Senior Climate Resilience Specialist

McDonald’s is the global leading foodservice retailer, with more than 40,000 locations in over 100 countries helping feed millions of customers every day. Our System works as one to feed and foster the communities we serve. Whether we are helping deliver more sustainable food systems or building an inclusive workplace, we believe there has never been a more important moment to work together to advance collective impact.

Lakota Women Business, LLC (LWB) is a Native American Woman owned company providing sustainable earthen block homes in Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Their mission is to offer cost-effective, reliable, and customized solutions that meet the diverse needs of commercial and Native American businesses. 

The Bard MBA consulting team worked with LWB to provide suggestions for tailored communications, as well as talent and financial growth that align with the LWB mission. 

Roots has become a global brand from a little cabin in Algonquin Park, Canada. Established in 1973, Roots is a premium outdoor-lifestyle brand offering a broad range of products designed for life's everyday adventures, including women's and men's apparel, leather goods, footwear, accessories, and kids, toddlers, and baby apparel. Roots operates more than 100 retail stores across Canada, two in the United States, and ships to more than 60 countries worldwide. Collaborating with Roots' Sustainability team, Bard MBA students are addressing the evolving regulatory landscape, where climate-related disclosures are becoming mandatory. In preparation for mandatory disclosure mandates, the Bard MBA students will embark on a scenario analysis guided by the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) framework. The primary objective of this analysis is to provide valuable insights into the potential effects of climate-related risks on our organization while equipping us for TCFD reporting.

Science Based Targets  (SBTi) supports companies in reducing their emissions to meet Paris Agreement standards with the ultimate goals of mitigating climate change impacts and promoting business growth.

SBTi asked the Bard MBA students to research the regulatory and economic landscape impacting US electric utilities' ability to decarbonize. Utilizing this research and stakeholder engagement, the Bard MBA student team generated recommendations and next steps to inform the SBTi’s engagement strategy with US electric utilities. 

Independence Point Advisors (IPA) strives to bring a new voice to Wall Street to prepare today's companies for tomorrow's challenges. IPA's team of diverse talent within investment banking, ESG, strategy and human capital provides companies with collaborative and innovative solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. 

The Bard MBA student team was asked to research the last three years of investments in the climate space to understand the specific challenges and opportunities the climate tech market faces. The goal of their project was to equip IPA with the necessary information to expand their climate tech advisory services.

With a legacy of over 145 years, Henkel produces innovative and sustainable brands and technologies including those within hair care, laundry detergent, fabric softeners, adhesives, and more. Henkel is committed to improving the lives of current and future generations through their three dimensional goals titled "Regenerative Planet," "Thriving Communities," and "Trusted Partner."

The Bard MBA student team worked with Henkel to address the remediation of a selection of waste streams through circular solutions, not including incineration or waste to energy. 

Africa E-Mobility Alliance (AfEMA) is a pioneering think tank at the forefront of advancing sustainable e-mobility across Africa. Committed to fostering collaboration and driving innovation, we unite diverse stakeholders in the electric mobility industry, including development partners, civil society, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, utilities, and academia.

Blue Dot is a branded merchandise company that offers products that are vetted for social and environmental impact, empowering our customers to align their values with their purchasing dollars. Blue Dot also has tools to share the impact their customers are making, creating a deeper and more memorable brand connection with their audiences.

Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a global alternative investment manager founded on the complementary relationship between Private Equity, Private Credit and Real Estate investing through the full investment cycle.  The Bard MBA student consulting team will be engaged to help address one or more of the near-term initiatives on our sustainable value creation roadmap for our firm and/or our portfolio companies.

CLIP’s mission is to democratize access to e-bike technology in order to fight climate change. The Brooklyn-based startup launched the world’s first plug&play device to upgrade any bike into an e-bike, aiming to motorize the 2 billion bikes already in circulation and eliminate up to 5% of CO2 emissions globally.

They came to the Bard MBA for support with their business model, specifically their go-to-market strategy for corporate, hospitality, and academic campuses.

Deetken Impact is a Canadian impact asset manager that manages diversified portfolios of investments that generate long-term returns while driving sustainable growth and prosperity throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). We offer flexible financing instruments tailored to the needs of outstanding impact enterprises who create profitable and scalable business models to address pressing social and environmental challenges. Bard students will be supporting Deetken Impact to develop a robust methodology and system to assess climate deals and successfully allocate capital to projects aligned with both the financial and impact return expectations.

Dun & Bradstreet is a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk, and transform their businesses. 

Project Overview:

Dun & Bradstreet is committed to improving our company’s emissions and energy disclosures to increase transparency into our environmental impact for stakeholders and investors and further alignment with legislative requirements. This year, we are especially focused on tracking, calculating, and reporting material scope 3 emissions, including across our supply chain. As a critical supplier to many businesses, we see first-hand the importance of establishing a program to manage and improve environmental, social and economic performance in collaboration with our vendors, as well as conserve resources, optimize processes, uncover innovation opportunities, and increase productivity. We engaged Bard’s MBA NYCLab to set expectations for Dun & Bradstreet vendors and advance sustainability throughout our supply chain by developing a sustainable procurement program.

Food Rescue US is a nonprofit leader in the fight against food waste and food insecurity through food recovery. We are excited to learn how to better serve the needs of states and municipalities in advancing their goals to reduce food waste in their communities.

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Houlihan Lokey serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific region.