The Packard Environment Fellows Program places MBA students in high-impact summer jobs with conservation organizations seeking creative ways to balance community-building, economic activity and environmental protection. The program is funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. See examples below of Packard Environment Fellow summer jobs from prior years.
Matthew Welch (Ross)
The Center for Sustainable Environments
The Center for Sustainable Environments (CSE) brings together scientists, business leaders, government agencies, non-profits, and community members to seek creative solutions to environmental problems. Matthew helped CSE develop a Fair Trade marketing strategy for sustainably harvested fish and coastal plant products in northwestern Mexico. On a trip to the Gulf of California he helped the Seri Indians with the harvest of diver scallops. (Learn more about CSE.) (Summer 2007)
Megan Baehrens (Yale)
The Sonoran Institute
The Sonoran Institute (SI) is a nonprofit organization that works to inspire and enable community decisions and public policies that respect the land and people of western North America. Megan developed a marketing and financial plan for the Ruta del Rio Hardy, an ecotourism initiative in the Colorado River Delta in Mexico. Megan (standing) met to discuss the project with Mary Rivera and Laura Esquer from the Baja California Tourism Office (far L and second from R respectively) and SI's Dr. Francisco Zamora. (Learn more about the Sonoran Institute.) (Summer 2007)
Jamie Ponce (Harvard)
Environmental Defense/Oceans Program
Environmental Defense's Oceans Program is working to address the gap between the supply of local sustainable seafood and growing marketplace demand in California. Currently, a port community attempting to improve its management of fish resources can only work at a “boutique” level. Jamie wrote a business plan for consolidating sustainable seafood landings from multiple ports, with the goal of protecting marine resources while supporting sustainable local economies. (Learn more about the Oceans Program.) (Summer 2007)
Edwin Ou (Haas)
Marine Aquarium Council
The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is a global conservation enterprise that encourages environmentally and financially sustainable business practices within the aquarium and fisheries industries. Edwin worked in Hawaii and Bali, conducting an evaluation of key measures of organizational performance and developing targeted recommendations for improvement. He is shown here (R) attending a strategic planning session in Bali with MAC executive director Paul Holthus. (Learn more about the Marine Aquarium Council.) (Summer 2006)
Carlos Asalde (MIT Sloan)
The Sonoran Institute
The Sonoran Institute works collaboratively with local people to conserve and restore important natural landscapes in western North America. Carlos developed a marketing and financial plan for ecotours in the Colorado River Delta in Mexico. He is shown here (far R) with colleagues from the Sonoran Institute and a local ecological association, taking a break from spreadsheets to help improve an irrigation system along the Rio Hardy. (Learn more about the Sonoran Institute.) (Summer 2006)
Julie Gavage (Harvard)
Marine Aquarium Council
The mission of the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is to conserve coral reefs and other marine ecosystems. Julie worked in Southeast Asia on a variety of business-related projects under the umbrella of the Marine Aquarium Market Transformation Initiative. (Learn more about MAC.) (Summer 2005)
Doug Wein (Ross)
Redefining Progress
Redefining Progress works with a broad array of partners to shift the economy and public policy towards sustainability. Doug worked on a variety of projects, including development of contract work and determining the “Ecological Footprint” of big-box retail stores. (Learn more about Redefining Progress.) (Summer 2005)
Dan Svoboda (Harvard)
Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center
The Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC) at the University of Hawaii/Hilo provides support for sustainable aquaculture development in Hawaii and the Western Pacific. Dan trained over 100 small business and entrepreneurs, mostly natural product producers, in marketing and sales. He is shown here on a field trip to investigate cinnamon bark tea, one of the products he developed marketing materials for. (Learn more about PACRC.) (Summer 2005)
David Bernardo (Darden)
Rare
Rare is an international conservation organization whose mission is to protect wildlands by enabling local people to benefit from their preservation. David helped Rare launch an ecotourism marketing alliance in the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras. (Learn more about Rare.) (Summer 2005)
Joanne Nelson (Kellogg)
Redefining Progress
Redefining Progress (RP) works with a broad array of partners to shift the economy and public policy towards sustainability. Joanne developed a marketing plan and collateral which RP uses to encourage municipalities and businesses to calculate their "Ecological Footprints." (Read more about this tool that measures an activity's impact on nature.) (Summer 2004)
Simon Poon (MIT Sloan)
Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center
The Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC) at the U. of Hawaii/Hilo provides support for sustainable aquaculture development in Hawaii and the Western Pacific. Simon traveled extensively in Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, consulting with sponge and black pearl farmers on business development. (Learn more about PACRC.) (Summer 2004)
Aaron Smith (Darden)
Rare
Aaron consulted for Rare on the development of Ecoturismo Sian Ka'an. This enterprise provides conservation-focused ecotours run exclusively by community members within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Aaron (right) is shown here with Pastor Caamal Uitzil, a member of a local tourism cooperative. (Learn more about Rare.) (Summer 2004)