Growing up in Balochistan, one of the least developed provinces of Pakistan, Mansoor Baloch wondered why the public sector was unable to provide basic resources like clean water to its people. While earning a PhD in environmental engineering, he learned about the technical aspects of natural resources and realized that business could play a key role in providing incentives to spread the technologies to people who needed them the most. “I think that businesses can create value for consumers and shareholders while incorporating the principles of sustainability and social responsibility,” he says. “There’s value for everyone in pursuing the triple bottom line [profit, people, and planet].”
''I think that businesses can create value for consumers and shareholders while incorporating the principles of sustainability and social responsibility''. Since starting his MBA at Scheller, Mansoor has been involved with the Center for Business Strategies for Sustainability, and has served as president of the College’s Net Impact chapter, which brings sustainability leaders to campus for lectures, enters teams into national sustainability case competitions and promotes social responsibility by helping organize the Pro Bono Consulting course, which supports nonprofit organizations.
When Hrishikesh Joshi traveled to Puerto Rico to celebrate his first wedding anniversary, he was shocked that an upscale, leading-brand hotel did not recycle. Did he admit defeat and toss his trash? "No," he says with delight, "I carried it all back to Atlanta in my luggage!" He jokes that while his wife wasn't too happy about the souvenir, "It felt good to be doing the right thing."
Hrishikesh, one of three inaugural Scheller Sustainability Fellows, says that when it comes to the environment, "I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty." In fact, he championed environmental protection for many years, even before he knew "sustainability" was a word, let alone a movement. From middle school through undergraduate engineering college in India, he was involved in tree planting drives, and he used community events to educate the public on proper trash disposal and the preservation of water resources. In the US since 1993, he has been an active "Adopt-a-Road" volunteer.
Hrishikesh never imagined that his passion for the environment would be linked to his career. After a graduate degree in computer science and two decades working in Information Technology (IT) Product and Project Management, Hrishikesh enrolled in Scheller's MBA program.
By attending various events at Scheller's Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, Hrishikesh began to see how companies could pursue socially, economically, and environmentally responsible business strategies while ensuring long-term profitability and competitive advantage. As a Fellow, he says, "I have developed a deeper understanding of strategic topics such as impact investing, innovation for sustainability, circular supply chains, and social entrepreneurship." Eventually, Hrishikesh would like to help companies organize themselves to be more sustainable. “Going forward, sustainability will be as ubiquitous for companies as IT has been in recent times,” he says with emphatic certainty.
Leave it to a Georgia Tech alumna to call Industrial Design “more a hobby than a career.” Marietta-native Elizabeth Schultz worked for a furniture design company for several years after receiving her BS from Tech in 2012. While she enjoyed the creativity of the job, she also faced several frustrations. She says, “It bothered me that the things I designed would eventually end up in a landfill.” She also wanted to be more involved in the company’s decision-making process.
These frustrations, along with her belief in lifelong learning, prompted her to apply for the Full-time MBA at Scheller. Elizabeth says she returned to Tech because she was confident she would receive an excellent education, be challenged, and have the support of faculty and staff who care about their students' futures.
She finds the Center for Sustainable Business a perfect fit for Georgia Tech. She says the Institute, known for innovation, is where
''brilliant minds come together to solve big problems''
As one of three inaugural Scheller Sustainability Fellows, she values the company of like-minded people and the opportunity to learn from her faculty mentor.
In her first year back at Tech, Elizabeth has grown to better understand sustainability from a business point of view and hopes to leverage that knowledge in her future career. In particular, she hopes to focus on how companies can influence consumers to make sustainable decisions.
Elizabeth understands that to provide the goods and services people need and want, both production and consumption are required. However, she believes that businesses that do so while minimizing the impact on the environment can thrive. And increasingly in the future, those that do will win out over their competitors that don’t. She practices what she preaches, too. A DIY enthusiast, she recently completed a bookshelf made out of upcycled wood pallets. She says,
Sustainability Fellows and Undergraduate Sustainability Ambassadors deepen their engagement in environmental and social issues for business by working on projects.
