The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont

09/25/2026

🌎 What does it mean to lead with purpose in a world facing complex social and environmental challenges?

In the latest SI-MBA Podcast, hosts Harry Holmes and Rosie Boston sit down with Charmion Kinder of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation to explore leadership, sustainability, global citizenship, and the power of bringing people together around a shared mission.

From the Peace Corps and Global Citizen to Disney, the White House, and Team USA, Charmion shares lessons on using communication to inspire action, build community, and create meaningful change.

Whether you're passionate about sustainability, social impact, or purpose-driven leadership, this conversation offers plenty of inspiration for the next generation of changemakers. 🌱

Listen to the full episode at: https://www.uvm.edu/business/si-mba-podcast

09/16/2026

How does a Vermont agricultural business stay true to its sustainability mission while navigating a constantly changing regulatory landscape?

That’s one of the questions students explored during a recent Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) visit to Sunset Lake C*D in South Hero, Vermont.

Founded in 2019 by Sam Bellavance, recipient of the 2025 Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) Young Changemaker Award, and supported by Cy Kupersmith, SI-MBA ‘19, who leads Sales & Sustainability, Sunset Lake C*D crafts farm-to-table C*D products that are sun-grown, pesticide-free, and harvested on its Vermont farm.

Students toured the farm, manufacturing facility, retail operation, and e-commerce business while learning how the company balances environmental stewardship, employee well-being, and business growth. Along the way, they explored how agricultural practices preserve soil health, how sun-grown cultivation reduces electricity use, and how the company has adapted and thrived in a dynamic market.

💬 “What struck me most about visiting Sunset Lake Farms was how connected they are to the bigger picture of Vermont agriculture. Their success comes not only from adapting to an industry constantly affected by changing policies and regulations, but also from staying true to sustainability as the cornerstone of their mission.”
— Brooke Taylor, SI-MBA Class of 2027

Thank you to Cy Kupersmith, Sam Bellavance, and the entire Sunset Lake C*D team for sharing their story and insights with our students. Thank you to John Kim and Emily Battistoni for supporting this experiential learning opportunity.

09/02/2026

Ranked #1 in the U.S. and #2 in the world for Better World MBAs, the Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) is designed for change-makers ready to lead with purpose.

Learn more at an upcoming virtual information session.

🔗 Registration link in bio

09/02/2026

We're honored to see the Sustainable Innovation MBA featured in a new U.S. News & World Report article exploring an important question: What is a Green MBA and should you consider earning one?

As Srinivas Venugopal, director of the Sustainable Innovation MBA at Grossman School of Business, explains: "A green MBA integrates sustainability into the core of the curriculum."

The Sustainable Innovation MBA, is where University of Vermont students develop the analytical, strategic, and leadership skills expected of top MBA graduates while learning how to leverage business as a force for positive change. Rather than treating sustainability as an elective, our program embeds environmental and social impact, long-term value creation, and systems thinking across every aspect of the MBA experience.

As organizations navigate climate risk, resource constraints, evolving regulations, and shifting stakeholder expectations, the need for leaders who can turn challenges into opportunities has never been greater.

Read the full U.S. News article:

Green MBA programs combine business and sustainability, and can be a good fit for students who want to lead change.

08/27/2026

Cookie dough 🍪 + responsible business = an unforgettable day.

Our Sustainable Innovation MBA cohort recently visited Rhino Foods, where students got a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s production facilities and learned how social sustainability can be embedded into everyday business operations.

President & CEO Rooney Castle shared how Rhino supports employees through innovative people-centered programs and why investing in people is central to the company’s success.

Experiential learning starts on day one in the SI-MBA. Opportunities like this allow students to meet business leaders, explore different career paths, and see how values-driven organizations create positive impact in the real world.

08/27/2026

What does sustainability look like inside one of the world’s most iconic outdoor brands? 🌎🏂

This week, our Sustainable Innovation MBA students visited Burton Snowboards to learn firsthand how sustainability is woven into product design, materials, and business strategy.

Students connected with SI-MBA alumna Taylor Ralph ‘17, Product Sustainability Manager at Burton, who shared her career journey and gave an inside look at the challenges and opportunities of creating more sustainable apparel and equipment.

From the classroom to company headquarters, experiences like this are what make the SI-MBA unique: learning directly from industry leaders, building professional connections, and seeing responsible business in action.

Just a few days into the program, students are already learning from the people and organizations helping shape the future of business!

08/25/2026

What inspires you to make a difference? 🌎
That question helped launch the first official day on campus for the Sustainable Innovation MBA Class of 2027.

After a welcome from Dean Vikas Anand and Program Director Srini Venugopal, students shared artifacts that represent their personal journeys and motivations. The items ranged from business products and hobby-related creations to favorite books and meaningful pieces of history.

Each artifact told a story, highlighting the many paths that lead to a shared commitment: creating a more sustainable future.

Welcome to the SI-MBA community, Cohort 2027. We’re excited to see where your journey takes you.

UVM Graduate College UVM

08/11/2026

The Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) Class of 2026 has officially crossed the stage, marking the completion of an extraordinary year at Grossman School of Business of learning, collaboration, and purpose-driven leadership.

Throughout the ceremony, speakers reflected on a common theme: meaningful change doesn't happen alone. As class speaker Ellen Tierney reminded us, "Our SI-MBA cohort wasn't built of 25 individuals competing to be the tallest, most impressive in the forest. We became an ecosystem, one that celebrated each other and lifted each other up even when things felt impossible."

From intensive coursework and experiential learning to practicum projects with organizations tackling real-world sustainability challenges, this cohort demonstrated the power of community, systems thinking, and collective leadership.

We are proud to see these University of Vermont graduates join a growing network of changemakers using business as a force for positive impact. Congratulations to the SI-MBA Class of 2026. Your passion, resilience, and commitment to building a more sustainable future give us reason for optimism.

🎓 Congratulations graduates: Rosie Bostian Will Broseman, MBA Ashley Caine Brooke Chandler Zach Davis Margaret-Mary Dockray, MBA Cole Drozdek Hailey Garrison, WELL AP Harrison Holmes Claire Houlihan Olivia Kumria Colin Minogue Elise Nam Nicole Nikolova Joanne Peacock Caroline Rooney Claire Saunders, MBA Eli Schulman Daniel Smullen Maxwell Spradlin Jorgen Sweeney Kiana Sweger Ellen Tierney, MBA Molly Trycieckyj, MBA William Wright, MBA

08/06/2026

What does sustainable innovation look like in a rural Vermont community?

In this video, Dean Vikas Anand joins Olivia Kumria and Ellen Tierney of the Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) program, along with Claire Walton, RCT Treasurer and Grossman School of Business Board of Advisors member, and Kate Alfieri, RCT Board Member, to share the story of a partnership focused on community revitalization.

Olivia, whose background is in Environmental Science & Policy, and Ellen, who studied Visual Communication Design, partnered with the Reading Community Trust (RCT) through their SI-MBA Practicum to help advance plans for the restoration of the historic Reading Grange in Felchville, Vermont.

Working with community stakeholders, the team conducted interviews, asset mapping, and business analysis to explore how the Grange could become a sustainable community anchor that supports both social and economic vitality.

As Claire shares in the video, "It's not just [them] developing a business plan. It's developing a community." The project reflects what makes the SI-MBA experience unique: students from diverse backgrounds applying their skills to real-world sustainability challenges and helping organizations create meaningful impact.

🎥 Watch to see how classroom learning became community impact.

Interested in work like this? Connect with Travis and Emily in the University of Vermont Graduate Student Services office and apply for the SI-MBA Class of 2027 by August 10: uvm.edu/simba

📷 🎥 Dylan Wintersteen + Ben Chiappinelli

08/04/2026

We're excited to share that the The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont has been ranked the #2 Best Green MBA in the nation by The Princeton Review.

The recognition highlights a program that Princeton Review says "truly incorporates sustainability into its entire curriculum" and reflects the experiences of the Grossman School of Business students, alumni, faculty, and partners who are working to create a more sustainable future.

"When I entered the SI-MBA program, I was in it for the trees and only the trees. By the time I left, I understood that a sustainable economy, by definition, must be a just economy for all its participants." — Noragh Devlin '24

Read the full story: https://www.uvm.edu/business/news/uvms-sustainable-innovation-mba-ranked-no-2-best-green-mba-nationally-grossman-school