Liz’s career focus is sustainability strategy and behavior change, with a particular interest in aligning organizations and engaging individuals to reach social and environmental targets. Her internships have been with The Coca-Cola Company, the World Wildlife Fund, and Honest Tea, and her projects at Michigan include analyzing the relationship between organizational culture and sustainability success as well as advising a communications and training firm on its market positioning. Prior to matriculating at Michigan, she worked on federal conservation policy The Nature Conservancy's Worldwide Office in Arlington, Virginia and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Macedonia. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Natural Resources.
Katie is passionate about building sustainable business development strategies for the food industry. She has interned with Chefs Collaborative and C&S Wholesale Grocers, and has advised several food-related businesses on marketing strategy, competitive analysis and business plan development. She has served on the leadership boards of Ross Net Impact and the Wolverine Wine Club and spends much of her free time experimenting in the kitchen. Before Michigan, Katie was a communications specialist for a nonprofit environmental law firm in Oakland, CA. Katie received her B.A. in English and Italian from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Nemanja is interested in corporate strategy, including the environmental one and economics of climate change and development. Prior to Michigan, he did marketing for P&G, learning a lot about consumers’ dishwashing habits, frequency of teeth brushing and shopping preferences. During school, he interned with A.T. Kearney in NY and is working on a Master’s project with The World Bank on climate change adaptation strategies in West Africa/Latin America. Post graduation he plans to pursue a career in consulting. He received his Bachelor of Arts from University Braca Karic in Belgrade, Serbia.
Annie is focused on corporate finance and strategy. Her primary interest is in helping companies proactively and strategically position themselves to take advantage of the changing business environment through enhancing sustainability initiatives and creating frameworks for pricing environmental impacts into project finance. For her Master’s Project, Annie is working with Environmental Defense Fund and KKR to look at the impacts of measuring and managing environmental performance on a Private Equity Fund’s financial portfolio. This past summer, Annie was at Waste Management in their Organic Growth Group, helping to identify and analyze strategic acquisitions to grow WM’s sustainability brand. Prior to coming to Michigan, Annie worked for Fisher Investments, an asset manager in San Francisco, CA. Annie also has experience in micro-finance, having worked as a business analyst for the HealthStore Foundation, which runs a network of micro-franchised health clinics in rural areas of Kenya. Annie graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2003 with a B.A. in Asian Studies.
Russell is focusing his work at Michigan on developing expertise
in project development and marketing for energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects, and has worked on projects with clients
such as Pacific Gas & Electric Company, DTE Energy, Sony Pictures
Entertainment and HR&A Advisors. Before coming to Michigan, Russell
did strategy, planning and communications work for economic
development programs at the City of New York. A two-time recipient
of the Percy Award for Community Service, he serves as Co-President
of the Erb Student Advisory Board and is the Chair of Rosstache, the
Business School's annual mustache-growing competition for charity.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Brown University,
loves to climb rocks, ride bikes and cook food.
Becca is interested in environmental policy and new markets for ecosystem services. Her master’s project for the National Wildlife Federation analyzed the connection between ethanol subsidies, land use change and wildlife habitat on the Great Plains, with a focus on USDA Farm Bill programs. Prior to Michigan, she worked for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in Washington D.C. on a national campaign for new and greater funding for wildlife conservation. She has studied climate change science and policy responses through the National Science Foundation, written a commercial services strategy for the National Park Service, and been a Graduate Student Instructor for three semesters at the University of Michigan. Becca is the founder of SNRE’s EcoValuation Working Group and the VP of Career and Professional Development for Ross Net Impact. In her free time she enjoys hiking, biking, cooking, and travel. Becca holds a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Oberlin College.
Laura is interested in energy sector strategy as this industry prepares for future climate change regulation and the growth of carbon markets. She developed this interest while working at the World Bank carbon funds sourcing emissions credits from renewable energy and other low-carbon projects in the developing world. Laura has also worked at several environmental non-profits on energy, climate, and transportation policy. Most recently she was a consultant for the National Environmental Trust where she analyzed proposed climate legislation and ways of linking with international regulatory systems. Laura graduated from Columbia University in 2002 with a B.A. in anthropology and the history and theory of architecture.
David is focusing his work at Michigan on exploring business development strategies for renewable energy in both the developed and developing world. This past summer, he worked on project origination efforts with Axio Power, a utility-scale solar developer. David’s first internship was with Clipper Windpower in their Commercial Operations Unit. During his time at Michigan, he has also worked on strategic marketing projects in the solar arena with Applied Materials’ thin-film solar group and enXco. Prior to graduate school, David lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan and working in fund development and marketing for an international relief and development non-profit. David graduated from Calvin College with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science. Outside of school, David enjoys running, hiking, tennis, and trying to surf.
Anna's interests center around organizational behavior, strategic planning and dispute resolution. Last summer, Anna interned at Goodwill Industries where she advised senior management on a community engagement strategy. This summer she managed a behavior-change initiative for Assurant Employee Benefits, working with all levels of the organization and across multiple departments. Anna also spent the summer working on her Master's Project, which evaluates company culture as a guide to the design and implementation of corporate sustainability initiatives. Prior to Michigan, Anna consulted for a national insurance carrier where she worked with senior management to design and implement a company-wide, collaborative strategic planning process. As an analyst at Project Performance Corporation, Anna managed the design and execution of a database that currently supports the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency, and developed performance metrics for an office within the National Nuclear Security Administration. Outside the classroom, Anna is a peer coach and enjoys training for triathlons, traveling, making movies and working with disadvantaged youth. Anna holds a BA in Economics from Carleton College.
Evan is interested in the formulation of policy to effect positive environmental and security-related change in the global energy mix and the interaction of government and industry therein. His previous academic work focused on U.S. national security policy and the implications of peak oil theory for U.S. energy policy. Prior to Erb, Evan worked as a researcher for the OpenNet Initiative in the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. There, he focused his research on Internet censorship and filtration in Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Evan graduated from Princeton University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a certificate in Linguistics. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, golfing, running, and playing marginally acceptable guitar. During his Erb experience, Evan has interned at Duke Energy and The Boston Consulting Group.
Siobhan is focused on finance and strategy in the energy industry. She spent this past summer in San Francisco working in Finance at Pacific Gas and Electric Company and spent her first summer at Greenhouse Gas Services a joint venture between GE, AES and Mission Point Capital Partners. Siobhan is Co-President of the Ross Energy Club and a member of the Frankel Commercialization Fund’s Clean Tech team. Prior to Michigan, Siobhan worked for the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a non-profit working to build a robust renewable energy market by increasing demand and supply of renewable resources. Siobhan has also assisted in administering the EPA's Energy Star Program, developing a renewable energy program for Shanghai and supporting Rhode Island businesses to purchase renewable energy. Siobhan graduated from Smith College with a B.S. in Government and a minor in Environmental Science and Policy.
David Fribush is focusing on entrepreneurial approaches to sustainability (though he hates the word “sustainability,” and prefers using a more inspiring word like “thriveability”).
His recent experience includes internships with Vermont Energy Investment Corporation and Johnson Controls exploring strategic opportunities emerging with the Smart Grid. He also consulted on communication strategy, making use of his prior experience as an award-winning filmmaker with over 10 years experience writing, directing, and editing projects ranging from commercials to documentaries to educational series. Prior to graduate school, he was a Fellow with Rocky Mountain Institute in Snowmass, Colorado. Prior to that, he spent a year traveling and volunteering in Central and South America, which followed a long, traffic-filled exile in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry. He received a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University, and completed post-graduate science coursework at Columbia University.
Elizabeth is focusing her studies on the landuse and siting issues associated with renewable energy development. Elizabeth spent the summer of 2008 interning at The Wilderness Society as a Hewlett Fellow. While there, she developed a plan for TWS to engage with renewable energy developers, state and federal regulators, and local stakeholders to facilitate the shift to clean energy while minimizing impacts on wildlife and wilderness. Her master’s project analyzed how increases in corn plantings due to biofuels subsidies are affecting agricultural landuse and habitat availability in the northern Great Plains. Prior to attending the University of Michigan, she worked in the National Audubon Society’s Public Policy office in Washington, DC. She also worked in client services for CreateHope, a technology company that provides branded corporate philanthropy services to some of America’s largest corporations. Elizabeth graduated from Georgetown University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and minors in Biology and Environmental Studies.
Paul is passionate about sustainability across the globe. Currently, he is working as an Associate at Turtlerock Greentech, a green technology commercialization and consulting firm. He has also worked as a business development consultant in China and Mexico, completing industrial and residential water resource projects, and as a management consultant at Kaiser Associates in Washington, D.C. In addition, he spent three years helping manage Strategies for International Development, a non-governmental organization working to eliminate rural poverty and build democratic practice in Latin America. Paul has a BA in International Studies from Middlebury College and is completing an MBA in international business and an MS in sustainable systems at the Erb Institute. As part of this program, Paul is collaborating with Ford Motor Company on an analysis of lithium availability for the electrification of the automobile.
Leonore’s career goal is to work toward sustainability in the hospitality industry. Toward that end, she has focused her studies, master’s project and internship on acquiring experience and skills relevant to a career in sustainable hospitality. Leonore worked with five of her classmates on an eighteen month consulting project to prepare a comprehensive sustainable environmental management plan for a ski resort in northern Michigan. She was specifically responsible for proving the fiscal soundness of the group’s recommendations of sustainable energy sources, waste management, and financing methods. As a summer intern for Holcim, a multinational cement company, Leonore helped to prepare the company’s first Corporate Sustainability Report by interviewing key management of US cement plants. Leonore centered her studies on corporate sustainability, finance, and sustainable systems. Before coming to the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute, Leonore served as an Environmental Action agent for the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa. There she worked with rural famers to create a beekeeping cooperative and taught environmental science to high school students. Leonore holds a B.S. of Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, speaks French, and loves to travel.
Aaron's studies focus on corporate strategy and demand-side energy
solutions for the built environment. As an Erb student, Aaron has
worked with UM administrators to create enterprise-wide sustainability
strategy and campus-wide green building standards. His collaboration
with the university's CFO and multiple presentations to the Board of
Regents have elevated awareness across the institution for the
strategic importance of sustainability. As an intern, Aaron worked
with the executive team at Net Impact's central office to develop the
5-year strategic plan for this international organization. He has
studied design at Harvard and leadership at the Center for Leadership
Design. His professional background includes start-ups in rural
Montana, troubled teenagers in rural Utah, cross-cultural training,
university teaching, and program administration. Aaron received a
Percy Award for his contributions to the Erb community. He holds a
B.S. in Social Science from the University of Michigan.
Arie is focused on entrepreneurship and early / growth stage
clean tech companies. During his first two years, he interned for
E+Co Energy Through Enterprise, an organization that invests
services and capital in high impact small and growing clean energy
businesses in developing countries, and DTE Energy, a public
electric and gas utility in Michigan. Arie is in his second year
with and now leads the Clean Tech team of the $3.5M student run
Wolverine Venture Fund. Arie has a particular interest in the
modernization of the electric grid and is completing an 18 month
research project to develop dynamic electricity pricing pilots w/
smart grid enabling technology for DTE Energy. For his MAP, Arie
analyzed solar PV markets to identify opportunities for new product
applications for a thin film solar company. Prior to graduate
school, Arie spent 4 + years working in the audit practice of
Deloitte’s San Francisco and Boston offices. The year prior to
starting at Michigan, Arie trained Karen refugees along the Thailand
/ Burma border in renewable energy technologies. Arie has lived in
South America and Southeast Asia and speaks Spanish and Thai. He
loves playing and watching soccer and finds solace and regeneration
on remote backpacking trips.
Brian is focused on renewable energy development and entrepreneurship. Over his first two years, he has sought out opportunities in the solar and energy efficiency industries, cleantech venture capital and carbon mitigation. At SunPower Corporation and Axio Power, Brian gained experience in both the rooftop solar market and utility scale PV development. Closely related to his interests in energy generation, his Master's Project is evaluating and recommending pilot pricing structures for DTE to roll-out next summer with its advanced metering infrastructure. In addition, Brian spent two years working with the Frankel Commercialization Fund's Cleantech team evaluating early stage cleantech venture deals and invested in Accio Energy in the spring of 2009. While at United Technologies Corporation, Brian helped UTC to evaluate its carbon accounting for its freight services worldwide. He joined the Erb Institute from San Francisco where he worked for Google for four years and Kaplan for 3 years. During his time at Google he spent a year and a half living in Hyderabad, India setting up their customer service operations and, most recently, worked with Google's Mergers and Acquisitions team in Mountain View. Brian hopes to found a technology start-up or join an early state venture in sustainable energy. Outside the classroom, Brian is a part-time ski patroller at Deer Valley Resort, an avid cyclist and rock climber, and an aspiring surfer. Brian holds a BA from Northwestern University in Environmental Science and Philosophy.
Julia’s interests are focused on reducing the impact of the built environment on the natural environment, while supplementing the social good. For her first summer, she interned with the International Iron and Steel Institute, performing a life-cycle assessment of a new building under construction in Wuhan, China. Her second summer internship was in internal consulting with Johnson Control’s Building Efficiency division, where she primarily worked on the deployment of an energy and emissions management system into the company’s Performance Contracting line of business. In her pre-Erb life, Julia graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelors of Architecture degree. After college, she worked in urban design, municipal master planning, and architecture at Torti Gallas and Partners in Washington, D.C. She then spent one year in high-end residential design and project management in Chicago. She has also worked and volunteered in Dublin, Ireland, San Jose, Costa Rica, and Lima, Peru. She is a member of NCARB, ULI, USGBC, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. She serves as the President of the Michigan Real Estate Club and works in Ross’ Office of Career Development as a Career Counselor.
Tom is interested in studying the renewable energy industry, and is particularly interested in the intersection between government policy and business strategy. Before coming to Michigan, Tom worked at NYSE Regulation, a securities industry regulator responsible for ensuring market integrity and investor protection. At the NYSE, he was an analyst in the Division of Enforcement and an associate in the Risk Assessment Unit. He also worked on Mike Bloomberg’s 2005 mayoral reelection campaign. Tom earned his undergraduate degree in Political Economy at Georgetown University; he loves competitive sports of all kinds, enjoys traveling (most recently to Morocco), and is an Admissions Ambassador for the Ross School of Business. Over the past two summers, Tom has worked at Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation and Waste Management.
Theo is interested in renewable energy and clean technology, with a focus on expanding the availability of renewable energy and clean tech products. Theo spent his first summer internship at Gas South, working on green product offerings, including landfill gas and carbon offset programs. In his second internship, Theo worked in finance and operations for Firetide, a wireless infrastructure company. Prior to attending Michigan, he spent four and a half years coaching water polo, during which time he also tutored, traveled in South America, and worked at a startup online media company in San Francisco. Theo graduated from Harvard University in 2003 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Earth and Planetary Sciences. He has studied Japanese and Spanish and enjoys most things active.
Jennifer is passionate about making positive social and environmental impacts through entrepreneurial enterprise. Currently, she is working to start-up a
solar photovoltaic design firm. Her 2008 summer internship and master’s project work, both of which were in conjunction with Ford Motor Company’s Sustainable Business Strategies division, resulted in the creation of practical tools to help Ford improve the social and environmental conditions experienced by many urban slum dwellers throughout the world. Jennifer graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. Prior to entering the Erb program, she completed her five year active duty military commitment at the Los Angeles Air Force Base Space and Missile Systems Center. She worked as a developmental engineer and project manager on both the Space Radar and Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite systems. She also spent six months working with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA designing optical systems for the Space Interferometry Mission.
Laurel is spending her second summer working for Deloitte Consulting’s Enterprise Sustainability practice. She is interested in competitive environmental strategy for the retail and consumer goods industry. Her goal is to help companies integrate principles of sustainability throughout their supply chains, working with suppliers to bring “greener” products to market. Last summer she interned at Target, where she redesigned the company’s process, tools, and strategy for sourcing imported private label food products. Before coming to Erb, she worked as a Consultant at Deloitte on projects including strategic planning, process redesigns, organizational restructuring, business case development, and project management. Laurel graduated Summa Cum Laude from Middlebury College in Vermont with a B.A. in Economics. She currently serves as Co-President for Ross Net Impact, and is a member of the Operations Management Club and Wolverine Wine Club. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, skiing, and cooking.
While growing up in Santiago, Chile, Pablo saw firsthand the environmental effects of economic growth: increased pollution and waste as well as deterioration of the landscape. As a dual degree student, Pablo is focusing his studies on the application of sustainable systems and renewable energy in order to not only support company growth but also mitigate environmental impact. During the summer of 2009 he was an EDF Climate Corps Fellow at Intuit where he analyzed data centers energy consumption, identified and evaluated projects with potential to save energy and curtail carbon emissions, and recommended an action plan to implement the viable ones. Prior to Ross, he worked at Wells Fargo as a retail banker in Oregon. Pablo’s other activities included working as a tour guide in Patagonia to showcase regional biodiversity and effects of global warming, heading the The Dalles Area Habitat for Humanity, and hiking the 2100-mile long Appalachian Trail.
Mark is interested in corporate environmental strategy, linking strategic environmental choices to the profitability of firms. Prior to coming to Michigan, Mark was working as a mechanical engineer at Varian, Inc. doing research and development for their nuclear magnetic resonance division. Mark graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a BA in Economics. While at Stanford, he was also a diver on the NCAA champion swimming and diving team. In his spare time, Mark enjoys skiing, mountaineering, mountain biking, running and cooking.
Originally from the DC area, Brent graduated from The Colorado College with a B.A. in Political Science. Since then he has pursued a variety of environmentally focused careers from being a wildlife research assistant in the Utah desert to running Outward Bound leadership courses in Costa Rica. Most recently, Brent worked for the U.S. Green Building Council where he coordinated the educational program for its annual Greenbuild conference. Targeting a career in the renewable energy industry, Brent spent his first summer working in wind power project development for E.ON Climate & Renewables and his second part of GE’s Renewable Energy Leadership Program. His hobbies include mountain biking, backpacking, guitar, and chocolate-chip cookie eating.
Gaurav is interested in starting a socially-responsible business in India and wants to learn how corporations can play a bigger role in making a global positive impact. Before attending Michigan, Gaurav worked with an Indian non-profit group Indicorps/Manav Sadhna, for four years. Nearly two of those years were spent in India working with a slum community and making efforts to improve their living conditions. Prior to his non-profit venture, Gaurav worked for six years in the investment management industry, last for Loomis Sayles & Company, managing institutional relationships. During this time, he also served on the board of directors for Children’s Council of San Francisco. Gaurav holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona.
Emily would like to share her understanding of and passion for
systems thinking, conservation behavior change, leadership development and
coaching, and organizational change management with consulting clients who
have a desire to make sustainable thinking a pervasive, value-added part of
their culture. She has enjoyed working with Ford Motor Company and U of M's
Sustainable Mobility Accessibility Research and Transportation (SMART)
project to craft recommendations for implementing sustainable accessibility
solutions in the slums of São Paulo, Brazil. Prior to graduate school,
Emily worked for Deloitte & Touche and Robert Half Management Resources
mostly in auditing capacities. Her focus was on understanding, analyzing,
and testing business processes for the beginning years of required
Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Outside the office she organized enough
sustainability-centric events to warrant the creation of a new 501 (c)(3)
non-profit named Green Columbus. She serves on the Green Columbus board
remotely and continues to encourage networking among people with varying
interest in sustainability as a member with various titles in Ross Net
Impact and as the 2008/ 2009 Co-President of the School of Natural Resources
and Environment’s student government.
Zach is driven by the promise of vibrant, thriving communities that
provide opportunity for economic development, environmental
stewardship, and social equity. Since arriving at the Erb Institute,
Zach has focused his studies on sustainable design and systems
thinking, and is pursuing a graduate certificate in Real Estate. He
has held leadership positions for several organizations including the
Michigan Real Estate Club and Net Impact. This past summer, Zach
worked with an interdisciplinary team to create and present a plan for
a $300 million mixed-use transit-oriented project for the City of Ann
Arbor. Currently, Zach is pursuing Master's research on sustainable
urban development and is working on a 170-acre community redevelopment
project in Detroit. Zach was also recently selected to participate in
a University review of campus building standards. He is a member of
Urban Land Institute, US Green Building Council, and is a LEED
Accredited Professional. In his free time, Zach produces (and
performs in) an annual live music and comedy show that raises money
for youth education programs.
Becky’s interests include environmental policy, corporate strategy, and finance. Her long term goal is to contribute to the transition to a low-carbon future by promoting energy efficiency, well-functioning carbon markets, and a reduction of wasteful consumption. Becky has completed internships with Bain & Company and the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change. Prior to business school, Becky lived in Juneau, Alaska, and worked as a policy analyst, hiking guide, and AmeriCorps trail crew leader. Becky graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Public Policy and Education.
Imogen is interested in renewable and distributed energy (particularly photovoltaics), and energy efficiency technologies and building techniques. Most recently, she worked as an Associate at Turtlerock Greentech, a green technology commercialization and consulting firm. She has also worked as a consultant for UNI-SOLAR, and maintained a green construction blog for a Detroit non-profit focused on energy efficiency, green building, and sustainable development (WARM Training Center). Before enrolling in Erb, Imogen worked in State and City government and politics in New York City for nine years. Since moving to Michigan she has become an avid composter and gardener, and is keenly interested in sustainable food systems. Imogen graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Government.
Beth is interested in the intersection of environmental and economic sustainability. While in the Erb program, she has worked with the Dow Chemical Company's Strategic and Business Planning Department to better understand and model the financial implications of their sustainability initiative, and she has also spent time in Dow's Building and Construction group, sizing and evaluating various green building and energy efficiency sales opportunities related to the government stimulus money. Additionally, she founded and serves as VP of Finance for a start up dedicated to energy efficiency, Husk Insulation, which manufactures high performance insulating panels using agricultural waste products. Prior to beginning the Erb program, Beth worked with the World Wildlife Fund on improving the environmental sustainability of international financial institutions through partnerships and environmental policies. Before this, she spent time in Cameroon, West Africa, as a Peace Corps Volunteer focused on enhancing soil fertility through natural methods in a small farming community.
Ryan's interests include sustainability strategy and organizational development. Prior to graduate school, he founded a consulting company providing strategy, program management, and communications services to Microsoft and other clients in the Seattle area. Ryan's career experience includes communications and training for an energy systems software company, developing programs for an environmental non-profit, managing R&D projects for 3M, and helping to build an environmental dot-com. Most recently he completed a project for reducing energy use 25% at the corporate headquarters for a $5B IT services company. Ryan graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and a certificate in the Business Institutions Program.
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