Highlighting Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change initiatives, ideas, alumni, and faculty members featured in the news.
June 2024
Addressing Climate Change: US Academic Hails China’s Green Progress
China Daily, June 19, 2024
“Solar power is widespread and very cheap. Technological innovation in China is incredible. Now there are a lot of investments because there is innovation to invest in," said Professor Bruce Usher in a recent interview. During a recent CBS faculty trip to Hong Kong, Professor Usher discussed China’s progress in the green economy.
Boys and Girls Club of Harlem CEO Sharon Joseph Discussed Her Past Couple Years in the CEO Seat, and How She's Seen Real Change in Hundreds of Students' Lives
Spectrum Local News, June 16, 2024
Sharon Joseph '97, CEO at the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, discussed her goal to provide educational and career developmental support to the children of Harlem and their families, and the change she's seen in hundreds of students' lives in the last few years.
May 2024
Fundación MAPFRE Social Innovation Awards Names US-based "iThrone" Winner at Global Competition
Yahoo! Finance, May 29, 2024
Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio venture change:WATER Labs, founded by Diana Yousef, ’03BUS ’04SIPA, won the top prize at the Fundación MAPFRE's Social Innovation Awards. The award recognizes the startup's innovation of the iThrone, a portable toilet that provides an innovative solution to human waste management in areas without developed water and sanitation infrastructures.
Opportunities and Challenges Inside the Booming Climate Tech Market
Columbia Business School, May 23, 2024
Three central takeaways emerged from the 2024 Climate Business & Investment Conference, which gathered established industry leaders, startups, investors, and researchers to discuss the climate tech market's progress and needed adjustments.
Heating up History: The 90s, A Missed Opportunity for Climate Change
Xennials Podcast, May 20, 2024
During this episode of Xennials, host Charlotte Kan speaks with Professor Gernot Wagner about the "first IPCC report that sparked a global wakeup call about the escalating dangers of greenhouse gas emissions and the critical steps needed to curb global warming."
Don’t Slam the Door on Inexpensive Chinese Electric Vehicles
The New York Times, May 15, 2024
Professors Gernot Wagner and Conor Walsh co-wrote this op-ed on how the Biden administration should tax China for its soaring carbon emissions, not for its electric vehicles and solar panels.
The Humble Radiator Is Getting a Climate-Friendly Upgrade
Bloomberg, May 11, 2024
Kelvin, a Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member founded by Marshall Cox, ’12SEAS PhD, developed the Cozy as a solution to make steam heating in New York buildings more efficient.
2024 Best & Brightest MBA: Jeff S. McClellan, Columbia Business School
Poets & Quants, May 3, 2024
"While advising formerly incarcerated people in Justice Through Code on career development plans, I humbly witnessed their resilience and determination to rebuild their lives. [...In] Startup Works, I consulted justice-impacted entrepreneurs, sharing insights and best practices in business. These experiences reinforced my commitment to social responsibility, contributing to a more equitable world while practicing my belief in the power of education and community support for positive change," says Jeff S. McClellan '24, on how he's most proud of his involvement in our ReEntry Acceleration Program (REAP), particularly in the Justice Through Code (JTC) and Startup Works initiatives during his time at CBS.
Averting Climate Catastrophe Requires Economic Growth
Project Syndicate, May 1, 2024
Professor Gernot Wagner co-wrote this piece on how economic "de-growth" is not the answer to the climate crisis.
April 2024
Climate Change Is the Focus in Shared Curriculum for Business Schools
Marketplace Morning Report, April 30, 2024
Professor Bruce Usher was featured on Marketplace Morning Report discussing the Open Climate Curriculum, a free and shareable resource among business schools that shares teaching materials and expertise to expedite the mission of addressing climate change.
Columbia Business School Launches Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change With Major Donation
ESG News, April 30, 2024
Columbia Business School announced the establishment of the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change, a transformative new campus institute that will address the immediate need for climate research and education in business to accelerate the decarbonization of the global economy.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra: ‘We Believe In an All-Electric Future’
Columbia Business School, April 25, 2024
At the 2024 Climate Business and Investment Conference, General Motors CEO Mary Barra explained how the company is overcoming EV market challenges on the road to net zero.
Resilient Waters Fund Wins the 2024 Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge
Morgan Stanley, April 24, 2024
Congratulations to Ignacio Aguirre '24, Nadim Dabbous '24, Dion Koreman '24, and Diego Rehder '24 on the Renewable Back Security team for winning third place (out of an initial 84 teams!) in the 2024 Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge! The global competition inspires graduate students to address critical social and environmental issues through innovative financial vehicles. The Columbia Business School student team developed a solution to reduce the cost of capital necessary for emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) to scale up renewable energy adoption in southern and central Africa and the United States.
A Hidden Crisis in US Housing
Bloomberg, April 24, 2024
Assistant Professor Parinitha Sastry comments on how her research "shows that lax regulation and monitoring of property insurers makes Florida mortgage markets far more exposed to climate risk than people might think.”
Columbia Business School’s Leadership on Climate Change Expands Through Generous Donation to Create Groundbreaking Institute
Columbia Business School, April 23, 2024
Thanks to the vision and generosity of Sandra and Tony Tamer, the center will expand its work in business and climate as the Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change at Columbia Business School. Becoming an institute will build on our high-impact work in social enterprise and grow our Business and Climate Change Initiative.
ICYMI: Business Roundtable Co-Hosts Event at The Wharton School to Advance Second Chance Employment
Business Roundtable, April 18, 2024
Sandra Navalli OAM '03, adjunct associate professor and managing director of the Tamer Institute, and Aedan Macdonald, executive director and founder of Justice Through Code, spoke at this year's "Business Case for Second Chance Employment Conference" on creating pathways to sustainable employment for individuals who are formerly incarcerated.
The Right Response to China’s Electric-Vehicle Subsidies
Columbia Business School, April 11, 2024
While the availability of cheap electric vehicles is good news for the planet and for consumers everywhere, it is bad news for shareholders and employees of Western car companies, and both the United States and Europe are considering imposing import tariffs on Chinese EVs. But tariffs are the wrong approach, write Professors Gernot Wagner and Shang-Jin Wei.
Netflix Founder, Ex-Alphabet CEO Back African Solar Irrigation Startup
Bloomberg, April 10, 2024
SunCulture, where Jon Saunders '14 is COO, closed its $27.5 million Series B funding round, marking a significant milestone in the company's mission to revolutionize sustainable farming practices across the globe. The company uses off-grid solar technology to provide smallholder farmers with reliable access to water, irrigation, lighting, and mobile charging.
Jason Friesen: Transforming Emergency Dispatch in the Digital Age
Columbia Daily Spectator, April 6, 2024
Jason Friesen, ’12PH, founder of Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member Trek Medics, is profiled on what led him to start the NGO, which works to improve access to emergency response networks.
Notable Leaders in Sustainability 2024
Crain's New York, April 2024
Donnel Baird '13, founder and CEO of BlocPower, and Marshall Cox, ’12SEAS PhD, founder of Kelvin (a Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member), were named two of Crain's New York's notable leaders in sustainability in 2024.
150 Most influential Bostonians
Boston Magazine, April 2024
Diana Hwang '17, founder and executive director of Asian-American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI), was included in this list of 150 most influential Bostonians for her work ensuring that AAPI women have a voice in American democracy.
February 2024
Lessons From Bridging the American Divides
Columbia Business School, February 29, 2024
Students, staff, and faculty gathered to discuss how business leaders can better understand and address rising polarization at "Dialogue Across Difference: Lessons from Bridging the American Divides." The discussion was led by Professors Todd Jick and Bruce Usher, who for seven years have co-taught a course of the same name that is designed to give future business leaders a better understanding of the causes and consequences of the many American divides.
The Implications of AI on the Future of Education & Work: An MBA Perspective
Poets & Quants, February 26, 2024
In this piece by Jane Bernhard '23, on the influence of AI across education, work, business, and society, Professor Dan Wang shares his technology strategy expertise on the impact of AI in the classroom.
What’s at Stake in These Polarized Times
Columbia News, February 21, 2024
Professor Bruce Usher participated in a discussion for students, faculty, and staff across Columbia's campus to "explore how the often binary conversations around current events inform our understanding of democracy, the elements that prevent us from coming together for civil discourse, and where we go from here."
Building Stronger Partnerships: Banks and CDFIs in the Evolving Landscape of Community Development
Yahoo! Finance, February 13, 2024
Daniel Nissenbaum ’88, current president and CEO at Low Income Investment Fund, co-wrote this piece on how "the alliance between banks and CDFIs must continue to grow, innovate, and adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the current economic environment."
Kenya’s Ilara Health Gets $4.2M Backing to Expand Clinic-support Services
Tech Crunch, February 12, 2024
Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member Ilara Health (founded by Emilian Popa ’10) is an AI and health tech company that brings accurate and affordable diagnostics to rural Africans. The venture recently secured $4.2 million in a pre-Series A round to scale operations and deepen health care access in Kenya.
January 2024
The Triple Bottom Line: Where Social and Environmental Impact Meets Investment
Columbia Business School, January 15, 2024
In the fall, we brought together some of today’s prominent social and environmental impact thinkers for our 22nd annual "Social Enterprise Conference, Capital for Good." Guided by CBS professors, an illustrious roster of entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers explored some of the biggest questions facing businesses today.
Business Schools Pushed to Provide a More Responsible Education
Financial Times, January 14, 2024
MBA students want a greater emphasis on sustainability in business school curricula. At COP28, Professor Bruce Usher demonstrated the new Open Climate Curriculum initiative, an open resource among business schools that shares materials and expertise to expedite the mission of addressing climate change. In this article, learn about how the Financial Times's Responsible Business Education awards "identify, highlight, and incentivize examples of best practices" around responsible business education.
Climate Change and the New American Economy
Columbia Bizcast January 12, 2024
In this episode of Columbia Bizcast, our event with Brian Deese, MIT innovation fellow and former director of the National Economic Action Council at the White House, is featured. Deese joined Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, global energy and climate innovation editor at The Economist, to discuss the future of climate and clean energy policy in the wake of the IRA.