Hi, I’m Sophie and I’m passionate about understanding and protecting the world around me. Before HBA1 I studied International Relations which gave me an understanding of the fragility of our planet’s social, economic and environmental systems. Outside of school I’m an avid traveller.  I have visited 24 countries across four continents and I’m completing the Salkantay Trek in the Peruvian Andes this summer. After spending a few years working in strategy consulting post-grad, I’m hoping to launch a nonprofit related to supporting sustainable start-ups. I’m working to further my understanding of leadership and entrepreneurship as Executive Director of Ivey’s LEADER Project.

What is your personal definition of sustainability? 

To me, sustainability involves conscious decision-making to support personal, collective and environmental longevity. I believe sustainability needs to happen at the individual, corporate and government levels, with the shared goals of reducing waste and living intentionally to focus on the future. Individually, I try to be conscious of my everyday routine, such as setting an example for my roommates to recycle and use the compost. From my background in IR, I understand  measures to combat climate change often get stalled in political debate. Therefore it’s crucial that corporations commit to sustainability even when the government fails to set an example.

What role do you see sustainability playing in your professional career?

I hope to begin my career in strategy consulting, understanding how businesses are adapting their strategic priorities to include sustainability while continuing to generate profit. I hope to gain a deep understanding of Canada’s key industries including mining and energy, and learn how some of the most harmful and highest emitting processes can be altered to ensure sustainability for all stakeholders. I plan to use my years in consulting to learn as much as possible about the components of ESG, and how action can be taken through policy, organizational change and tweaks to individual behaviour to ensure sustainability targets are met.  

After a few years in consulting, I hope to pivot, starting with a combined MBA/MPP degree. Through this experience, I will learn about the intersection of the public and private sectors and how policy can be designed to optimize stakeholder value, while also improving sustainability in business operations. After graduating, I hope to leverage my background in strategy and sustainability and launch a venture that supports incorporating sustainability into start-ups. For example, ensuring products are sustainably sourced and carbon offsets are in place, and aligning business strategy with government climate change policy.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

In the summer before first year, I interned for MicroCapital, a Boston-based microfinance publication writing daily briefs on updates in the microfinance industry and tracking trends in impact investing. Within my role I was given flexibility on topics to write about and chose to focus on loans related to sustainable initiatives such as green energy. The articles were distributed for free to microfinance institutions in developing nations to ensure consumers were aware of initiatives they could take to improve their business sustainability.  

In the Business 2257 feasibility study, I led my group in prioritizing sustainability in our product design. After significant brainstorming and ideating, my team developed a business plan in response to Canada’s Single-Use Plastics Ban to create compostable drinking straws out of corn husk, an inedible byproduct of corn. Despite being sustainable, the straws replicate the drinking experience of a plastic straw. My team developed a go-to market plan for this sustainable innovation and placed first out of more than 150 teams. We hope to continue developing this idea and potentially launch it as a startup in the coming years.

Please list any sustainability-related interests you want to explore during the certificate. 

• Microfinance/microlending to support sustainability in developing regions
• Impact investing