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
The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont
Share
Reinvent business as a force for good with UVM’s one-year, award-winning MBA program.
The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the University of Vermont is the leading program for emerging changemakers who believe business can — and must — become a force for good. Our accelerated, one-year program integrates sustainable business practices across disciplines, focusing on the tools needed to manage business today and lead through change tomorrow. Sustainable Innovation MBA graduates jump ba
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
What if your morning coffee could help reduce waste and support farming communities around the world?
In the newest episode of the SI-MBA Podcast, hosts Elise Nam and Max Spradlin (both SI-MBA Class of 2026) welcome Kevin Hartley, Founder & CEO of Cambio Roasters® and former leader at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
For prospective MBA students, sustainability professionals, and aspiring founders, this episode offers a practical look at how business can drive meaningful environmental and social impact while remaining commercially successful.
Recorded October 2025. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website: https://lnkd.in/eazPnH5E. If conversations like this are why you’re thinking about grad school, SI-MBA is ready for you. Apply for the Class of 2027 by August 10: uvm.edu/simba
07/30/2026
We're proud to celebrate Tor Dworshak, Sustainable Innovation MBA Class of 2019, and the impact he's making through his work at Glavel, Inc., a Vermont-based company transforming recycled glass into high-performance foamed glass aggregate for the construction industry.
As a student in SI-MBA, Tor described the experience as "a fast track to learning how to be a serial industry disruptor." Today, he's putting that mindset into practice as Director of Sales and Marketing at Glavel, helping scale innovative solutions that support a more sustainable, resilient built environment.
This summer marks an exciting milestone for Glavel as the company celebrates the commissioning of its second production line at its Saxon Hill facility in Essex, Vermont. The expansion reflects growing demand for sustainable construction materials and the continued dedication of the team bringing this innovation to market.
Interested in seeing sustainable innovation in action? Join Glavel's Open House on August 13 to tour the facility, watch both production lines at work, learn how recycled glass is transformed into high-performance construction materials, and connect with industry professionals. Anyone curious about Glavel's work and its growing impact on the built environment is encouraged to register and attend.
📍 Glavel | Saxon Hill Open House: 🔗 https://www.glavel.com/open-house-2026/
Tor's journey from SI-MBA student to sustainability leader demonstrates the power of combining business strategy, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership to create meaningful change. Learn more about the SI-MBA program at uvm.edu/simba
How can organizations move beyond sustainability commitments and create measurable impact? In the latest episode of the Grossman School of Business SI-MBA Podcast, hosted by Apryl McCoy, MBA, MERL '25 and Haley Stevens, MBA '25, we welcome Roma McCaig, Board Member for B Lab and Advisory Board Member at Once Upon a Farm.
Drawing on leadership experiences at REI, CLIF Bar, and Campbell Soup Company, Roma discusses:
✅ Embedding sustainability into business strategy and operations
✅ Responsible sourcing and supply chain accountability
✅ Transformational leadership and stakeholder value
✅ The role of purpose-driven organizations in creating lasting impact
✅ Why the next generation of leaders is redefining business success
This conversation offers valuable insights for professionals, prospective MBA students, and anyone interested in using business as a force for good.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website: https://lnkd.in/eazPnH5E
If conversations like this are why you’re thinking about grad school, SI-MBA is ready for you. Apply for the Class of 2027 by July 18: uvm.edu/simba
What happens when a decade of sustainable business leaders come together in one room?
The first-ever SI-MBA Learning & Connection Summit brought together alumni, faculty, students, and business leaders to celebrate the first decade of the Grossman School of Business Sustainable Innovation MBA program, connecting across cohorts to explore the future of sustainable business.
The event at University of Vermont featured inspiring conversations, networking opportunities, career-focused sessions, and thought-provoking keynote presentations from Kyle Clark of BETA TECHNOLOGIES and sustainability pioneer Jeffrey Hollender Co-founder Seventh Generation. SI-MBA alumni Taylor Smith, Heather Kenner, MBA, and Dana Gully reflect on the power of the program, the strength of the alumni network, and the importance of lifelong learning and connection.
✅ Attended the Summit? We'd love your feedback, complete our Attendee Survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_eP9e5ekc1fu5f5s
✅ Are you a SI-MBA Alumni? Help shape future programming, complete our Alumni Survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_3OCdrqjdx2lnBRA
06/29/2026
Shared values are what make collaboration between Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) and the Grossman School of Business so impactful—creating opportunities that connect learning with real-world business challenges.
Across GSB’s Sustainable Innovation MBA, students engage directly with VBSR members through guest speakers, events, and applied learning experiences like their practicum, where students partner with organizations to work on real sustainability and business challenges. These touchpoints bring practical insight into the classroom while creating opportunities for organizations to connect with emerging talent.
Many SI‑MBA graduates go on to work at—or lead—VBSR member organizations, contributing to Vermont’s purpose-driven business ecosystem.
The program has also earned national and global recognition, including:
• #1 MBA in the U.S. and #2 globally – Corporate Knights Better World MBA ranking
• #2 Best Green MBA and #5 Best MBA for Nonprofit and Top 50 Graduate Entrepreneurship Programs – The Princeton Review
Enrollment is currently open through 7/18 for the Class of 2027. The Class of 2026 students are currently in their practicum with organizations across Vermont, including VBSR members in BirdieBlue, OnLogic, and Cabot Hosiery Mills.
🔗 Learn more about the SI‑MBA: https://go.uvm.edu/vbsr26
06/26/2026
From newsletters to in-person connection, the momentum across the Sustainable Innovation MBA alumni community is real. 💚
In May, we celebrated the strength of this network through the Grossman School of Business alumni newsletter. Just weeks later, many gathered in Burlington for the first-ever SI-MBA Learning and Connection Summit, exchanging ideas, building relationships, and reflecting on the impact of the program.
As we look ahead to celebrating the Class of 2026 on August 1, we’re focused on what comes next and how we continue to grow and support the SI-MBA alumni community.
All Alumni voices matter. If you are an Alumni, share how SI-MBA has shaped your career and how you want to stay connected. Take the SI-MBA Alumni Feedback Survey at https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_3OCdrqjdx2lnBRA
We are proud to see you continue to lead, connect, and make an impact.
06/23/2026
What happens when you bring together students, alumni, and leaders across industries who believe business can be a force for good? At the SI-MBA Learning and Connection Summit at the Grossman School of Business, the answer was clear: meaningful conversations, honest reflections, and a shared commitment to building a more sustainable and equitable future.
Across the weekend, participants explored climate tech, sustainable finance, AI, career design, and more—learning directly from people doing this work every day. Leaders like Kyle Clark of BETA TECHNOLOGIES and Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder of Seventh Generation, challenged us to think bigger—about long-term innovation, shared value, and what it really takes to create lasting impact.
We’re grateful to the many individuals and organizations who made this experience possible—from our speakers and student voices to our community partners and sponsors, including BETA Technologies, Seventh Generation, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, EastRise Credit Union, Rhino Foods, Inc., The Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont First by Sodexo, Bivo, Darn Tough Vermont®, King Arthur Baking Company, and Vermont Green FC.
And to our SI-MBA students and alumni—you make this community what it is. 🔗 Read more from the Summit: https://go.uvm.edu/gl91a
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Location
Category
Contact the school
Website
Address
Kalkin Hall, 55 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT
05401