Presidian Blog
MBA Alumnus fascinated by nexus of conservation and finance
Having worked for more than a decade in the parks and conservation industry, Ryan Gerlach is passionate about protecting nature. Now, as he prepares to graduate from Presidio with his MBA, Ryan is excited to see how he can apply his business skills to sustainable land use. Ryan will be able to explore what he …
HIP Investor’s CEO R. Paul Herman shares trends, opportunities
International impact investing expert R. Paul Herman recently taught a Master Class at Presidio Graduate School to help executive-education students better understand how their money can build a better world. We caught up with Mr. Herman, who invented the “HIP” scorecard methodology (HIP = Human Impact + Profit) to learn more about what’s happening in …
HIP Investor CEO R. Paul Herman teaches how to be an impact investor
HIP Investor’s CEO R. Paul Herman has an inspiring message for young people: you don’t have to choose; you can do good and make money. It’s this message Mr. Herman recently underscored when teaching a PresidioPRO Master Class on Impact Investing April 16. Paul is an internationally recognized expert in impact investing. In 2004, he …
MBA Grad inspired to be working on sustainability shift
Sara Kennedy had a very clear goal when she signed up for the Presidio Graduate School MBA program: to work with or consult large corporations on sustainability. With one month left before she graduates, Sara is already acting on her vision working as a consultant at the boutique sustainability consulting firm BrownFlynn. Based in Cleveland, …
Blending Social and Environmental Impact with Financial Return
Last spring, while preparing for a business case challenge, I learned about a new investment approach that blends social and environmental impact with financial return–Impact Investing. I happened to be part of a team that was trying to help scale Habitat for Humanity to help serve 50 million people in 10 years, and we were …
How to Help the GDP Grow Up
Presidio Graduate School hosted a symposium ‘Outgrowing GDP: A New Approach to America’s Accounting System’ at Bloomberg LP yesterday, off Pier 3 near the Ferry Building. The half-day event included a mixed panel of current and former students and professors, each with a unique area of study relating to this country’s preferred financial barometer, GDP. …
Closing the Gender Gap through Summer Camp
Phenomenally underrepresented behind the camera, women make up only about 20% of key roles in the motion picture and television industry. This translates to roughly 4.8 males working behind-the-scenes to every one female. Sadly, in media aimed at children the gender gap is even worse. From 2006 to 2009, not one female character was depicted …
Outgrowing GDP: An Imperfect Measure Misses What Matters
In sports, it’s easy to figure out whether a team is ahead or behind: You just need to look at points, runs or goals scored. If only another score keeping measure—the one used to determine a country’s economic well-being—gave us such clear results. Instead, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) provides a “score” that’s inaccurate or incomplete …
Work Placements Change MBA Candidate’s Thinking
Mara Slade has always been concerned about the environment. She cared about sustainability and even had a couple of Paul Hawken books lying around. But after immersing herself in an MBA program with a deeply embedded systems sustainability focus, Slade considers herself “totally transformed.” “I’ve been exposed to so many great thinkers,” she says. “Really, …