The Packard Environment Fellows Program places MBA students in high-impact summer jobs with conservation organizations seeking creative ways to balance community-building, economic activity and environmental protection. The program is funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. See examples below of Packard Environment Fellow summer jobs from recent years. The MNC's summer jobs also include Farber Internships, public broadcasting positions, and Summer Associate jobs.
Katie Appel (Ross)
Chefs Collaborative
Chefs Collaborative is a national nonprofit working with chefs and the greater food community to foster a more sustainable food supply; its members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies. Katie researched distribution models around the country for most effectively getting local food to restaurants. Learn more about Chefs Collaborative. (Summer 2008)
Ben Chostner (Harvard)
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program works to engage and empower consumers and businesses to purchase seafood that is fished or farmed in ways that minimize impacts on the environment. Ben worked with the Program to identify ways in which education could promote combined business and sustainability gains. His research focused on gathering first-hand information from industry leaders on the market drivers of sustainable seafood. Learn more about the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or view previous placements with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Summer 2011)
Alice Hartley (MIT Sloan)
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy provides a forum for dairies to work together on a variety of issues, including health and sustainability. The first goal of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for fluid milk by 25% by 2020. As part of the Innovation Center’s Dairy Power project, Alice worked on new business models to accelerate the adoption of anaerobic digesters on dairy farms. In addition to sizing the potential market for renewable energy and digester by-products, Alice created a prototype tool to help project developers evaluate financing alternatives and mitigate business risks, while the maximizing the financial and environmental benefits of dairy digesters. Learn more about the Innovation Center. (Summer 2011)
Joss Hill (Presidio)
Environmental Defense Fund/California Fisheries Fund
EDF’s California Fisheries Fund (CFF) is a revolving loan fund that supports fishing businesses in fisheries that achieve environmental conservation, improved profitability for the industry, and stability for port communities. Jos, shown here on a field trip to Bodega Bay (that’s a hagfish she’s holding), helped CFF reach more borrowers by improving the quality and efficiency of the fund’s loan application process. She also developed a monitoring system that can be used to track the financial, social, and environmental performance of CFF’s loan portfolio. Learn more about The California Fisheries Fund, or view previous placements with Environmental Defense Fund. (Summer 2011)
Corinna Kester (Haas)
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a nonprofit national environmental advocacy organization with more than 1.3 million members. In 2009, NRDC helped found the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC) as part of an effort to foster sustainability throughout the produce industry. Corinna worked on a new SISC project, developing the foundation for a system to evaluate the purchasing policies of major food buyers against sustainability criteria. Learn more about the NRDC, or view previous placements with the NRDC. (Summer 2011)
Tanaya Kilara (Wharton)
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy works to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy is exploring development of a new fishing business entity, a Community Fishing Association (CFA), to preserve a community’s fishing heritage while contributing to conservation, community stability, and improved management of fisheries. Tanaya created a business plan for a CFA for California's central coast. Learn more about the Conservancy's work in California. (Summer 2009)
Thomas at the Marine Mammal Center’s fur seal exhibit.
Thomas Kim (MIT Sloan)
New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Advisory Services works with members of the seafood industry to encourage the development of ocean-friendly aquaculture and wild-caught fishery operations. Thomas analyzed the financial impact of sustainable practices for seafood producers and processors. His findings and discounted cash-flow valuation models helped the Aquarium work more effectively with corporate partners, and provided insights to the broader marine conservation community on strategies to influence the seafood industry. Learn more about the New England Aquarium. (Summer 2010)
Jorge Lee (McDonough)
Sustainable Conservation
Sustainable Conservation advances the stewardship of natural resources using strategies that actively engage businesses and private landowners in conservation. Sustainable Conservation’s PlantRight project works to prevent the spread of invasive plants in California through horticultural channels. Jorge Lee, shown here at a California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers convention, developed a business plan for an invasives-free certification program for the nursery industry. Learn more about Sustainable Conservation or view previous placements with the Sustainable Conservation. (Summer 2011)
Mina Mutafchieva (Harvard)
Starling Resources
Starling Resources is an environmental consulting company based in Bali, Indonesia. Starling works with partners to address environmental issues in the Asia Pacific region, focusing on REDD+ and corporate sustainability. Mina worked with Starling’s biggest corporate client, Aqua Danone, to develop a process for assessing carbon reduction ideas and integrating them with Aqua’s broader set of strategic priorities in Indonesia. She developed the business case for constructing a cogeneration power plant at one of Aqua’s plant sites, which is expected to go live in July 2012. Mina is shown here with Aqua project engineer Rizky Rahman. Learn more about the Starling Resources. (Summer 2011)
Rachel Pacheco (Wharton)
Starling Resources
Starling Resources is an environmental consulting company based in Bali, Indonesia. Starling works with partners to address environmental issues in the Asia Pacific region, focusing on REDD+ and corporate sustainability. Rachel helped Starling create a business case for Indonesia's ecosystem restoration concession (ERC), an innovative national initiative that allows private investors to manage and restore the country's forest resources. Her work focused on understanding the costs, potential revenues, and key challenges faced by investors. Rachel is shown here in a peat forest in Central Kalimantan at one of the potential sites for an ERC project. Learn more about the Starling Resources. (Summer 2011)
Christine Schoenzart (MIT Sloan)
EDF Center for Conservation Incentives
The Center for Conservation Incentives helps landowners practice voluntary environmental stewardship as they continue normal business operations on their farmlands, ranchlands and forestlands. One of the Center’s objectives is to see the agriculture sector benefit from climate regulation. A cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that will be implemented in California in 2013 will include an allowance for offsets. Christine created an economic model to help the Center estimate the national and global potential for GHG reductions from rice production. Learn more about Center for Conservation Incentives, or view previous placements at the Center. (Summer 2011)