In addition to the Three Cairns Fellowship, Columbia Business School provides a wide array of programming outside of courses for students to apply their problem-solving and decision-making abilities to the intersection of business and climate change. These opportunities leverage the many connections across the School and University — in New York and beyond — and provide a rich landscape for students to deepen their experiences and exposure to innovative market-based solutions to tackle climate change. These include:
Pro Bono Consulting Projects
Columbia Business School students may participate in pro-bono consulting projects with climate change related organizations through Columbia Pangea Advisors, Columbia Impact Investing Initiative (CI3), and the Small Business Consulting Program. Previous organizations with which students have completed projects include SolarKal, One Degree Solar, MPOWERD, and Volta River Authority.
Social Enterprise Summer Fellowships
The Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change helps students from across campus gain experience with climate-focused organizations through Social Enterprise Summer Fellowships. These fellowships provide financial support to Columbia and Barnard undergraduate and graduate students engaged in summer internships that create social and environmental value. Examples of past organizations with which summer fellows have worked in the climate space include Plentify Ltd., SolarKal, Highland Electric Fleets, EQX Biome, Third Way Partners, and Pivot Bio.
Nonprofit Board Leadership Program
The Nonprofit Board Leadership Program (NBLP) helps support nonprofit organizations, including those working to address climate change, and cultivate the next generation of nonprofit board leaders at Columbia Business School. Each NBLP student is matched with an alumnus who serves on a nonprofit board, and together they agree on a project for the student to complete during the course of the academic year. This project bolsters the nonprofit board’s understanding of an issue important to the organization and provides the student with a meaningful experience that draws on his or her course work at Columbia Business School. Students in the past have completed projects with Environmental Advocates of New York and Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School, among others.
Columbia Business School Student Organizations
The Green Business Club is a professional student organization that provides students with a network of like-minded individuals to share knowledge and facilitate career building. The club provides educational and career development resources and events focused on a wide range of green business industries, and advocates for sustainable practices through campus greening projects.
The Energy Club empowers future leaders of the energy sector with the industry knowledge and networks needed to make a difference. They provide recruiting support for firms in the energy space and facilitate access to professional networks, industry talks, and other MBA energy organizations.
The Social Enterprise Club caters to students at Columbia Business School who want to use business skills to create social, environmental, and economic value within the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Through diverse events and numerous resources, they: 1) connect students interested in social enterprise with each other, faculty, alumni, professionals and organizations, 2) enrich their members' understanding of industries, ideas, and initiatives that create social impact, and 3) inspire students to become leaders who improve the world.