The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont

The countdown is underway.

In the days ahead, the Sustainable Innovation MBA Learning & Connection Summit will convene alumni, current students, faculty, and a broad network of supporters and innovators in Burlington for a first-of-its-kind gathering.

Now at capacity with an active waitlist, the Summit reflects the strength and continued momentum of the SI-MBA community. Over the course of the weekend, participants will engage in conversations, sessions, and shared experiences that speak to the evolving role of business in addressing complex global challenges.

This gathering is made possible through the leadership and partnership of individuals like Gregory Hunt '79 and Susan Hunt and organizations including Cabot Creamery Cooperative, EastRise Credit Union, Rhino Foods, Inc., Seventh Generation, Vermont Community Foundation, and Vermont First by Sodexo, along with in-kind contributions from Bivo, Darn Tough Vermont®, King Arthur Baking Company, and Vermont Green FC.

We are grateful to the speakers, panelists, and participants who will shape the dialogue and learning throughout the weekend.

We are proud to see this community come together and look forward to sharing highlights from the Summit in the days ahead.

University of Vermont was recently ranked No. 3 among medium-sized schools on the Peace Corps’ Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges list.

What does Peace Corps service look like when it carries forward into business education? At the Grossman School of Business, it looks like leaders who listen to first, center community, and see business as a tool for impact.

John Kim— Graduate Programs Career Advisor and Part-time Lecturer at the Grossman School of Business, and a former Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco—and Brooks Sherman, SI‑MBA ’25, reflect on how their service continues to shape how they lead, learn, and approach systems change.

Their experiences highlight why the The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont and the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program are a natural fit for mission‑driven students—and how Peace Corps values show up in the classroom at the University of Vermont every day.

🔗 Read the full story: https://www.uvm.edu/business/news/service-impact-and-purpose-how-grossman-school-business-prepares-peace-corps-inspired

We’re proud to collaborate across the University of Vermont to expand meaningful, real-world learning opportunities for our students.

The newly launched The Vermont Innovation Accelerator Program (VIA) connects UVM students with Vermont-based businesses, nonprofits, and innovation hubs to tackle real challenges through mentored, paid consulting projects. At the University of Vermont Grossman School of Business, we’re excited to see our The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont students—like Zachary Davis and Nicole Nikolova—apply their leadership, strategy, and consulting skills in ways that support local and rural organizations while strengthening Vermont’s future workforce.

This work reflects the value of partnership across campus, where academic programs, innovation initiatives, and community engagement come together to create hands-on experiences that benefit both students and the state they’re learning in. 📖 Read more about VIA and its impact in The Vermont Cynic: https://vtcynic.com/news/newly-launched-uvm-innovation-program-promotes-real-world-work-experience/

Thank you to UVM Innovations, the UVM Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, and the VIA team for building pathways that connect student talent with Vermont enterprise.

Newly launched UVM innovation program promotes real-world work experience A new opportunity for UVM students will allow them to work on mentored projects with Vermont organizations through the Vermont Innovation Accelerator program, launched in March 2026. VIA was co-founded by UVM senior Vikyat Mulpuri and alum Mollie Davis ‘13. The duo established the program through

We love seeing where our graduates go—and how prepared they are to make a difference.

Allison Dubick ’25, a graduate of The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont (SI-MBA), was a recipient of the Bob Phillips Entrepreneurial Equity Fellowship, which funded her post‑graduate fellowship with the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF)—a powerful example of a pathway we help facilitate for SI-MBA students after graduation.

Through December 2025, Allison worked with VSJF on high‑impact, statewide initiatives, including:
> Supporting the development of the Vermont Wool Inventory & Production Capacity Assessment.
> Helping design inclusive recruitment strategies for DeltaClimeVT Business Accelerator and the Forest Business Accelerator, with a focus on women and underserved entrepreneurs

Supporting VSJF’s Forest Business Accelerator, including facilitating a potential student‑led hackathon partnership between Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, and the Grossman School of Business.

That work was recently highlighted by VermontBiz Magazine in an article on the opportunity to expand Vermont’s wool and fiber economy, which credits Allison’s research and analysis. 👏
🔗 New report highlights opportunity to expand Vermont’s wool and fiber economy: https://vermontbiz.com/.../new-report-highlights...

Allison’s fellowship shows what’s possible when experiential MBA learning at University of Vermont continues beyond graduation—and when we invest intentionally in post‑graduate pathways that connect talent, equity, and real‑world impact.

The New CEO Playbook: Bob Phillips Of Ballou Family Apothecary On Balancing Purpose, Profit, and… Leadership is the daily practice of aligning what you believe, what you build, and how you show up for others … especially when no one is…

On Friday, February 13th, our SI‑MBA cohort had the opportunity to hear from Renee Morin, eBay's first Chief Sustainability Officer. She opened our session with a powerful question:

What skills does a sustainability professional need today?

Our discussion highlighted interpersonal skills, systems thinking, long‑term planning, adaptability, resilience, and strong project‑management capabilities — all qualities that align with Renée’s own dynamic career path.

Renée shared how growing up in a military family and moving frequently shaped her ability to adapt and relate to different communities. After earning a Chemistry degree, she joined the Peace Corps in Gabon, teaching physical science and French in a region deeply connected to forestry and oil. She later entered environmental consulting, working on brownfields, pesticide regulation, and international development before shifting into roles at the intersection of business and the environment.

Today, she leads sustainability at eBay, where recommerce now accounts for roughly 40% of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), making it a major driver of circularity within the company.

One memorable lesson she shared from her early consulting days came from a client who told her:

“Every company is a snowflake — they’re all snowflakes, but they’re all different.”

It’s a helpful reminder that every organization approaches sustainability from a unique starting point.

Renée now leads a small but high‑impact team working across carbon accounting, ESG strategy, shipping emissions, renewables, and regulatory reporting. When Claire Saunders asked what she looks for when hiring, she emphasized:

An analytical mindset
Creativity and comfort with ambiguity
Relationship‑building skills
A collaborative, fun working style
A willingness to fail and learn

We wrapped up the session with a hands‑on case study exploring how eBay might reach net zero, comparing book‑and‑claim models with durable carbon removals. It was a great opportunity to put the tools from our first two and a half modules into practice.

Grateful for Renee Morin insights and for the SI‑MBA program’s commitment to connecting us with leaders shaping the future of sustainable business.