Your MBA journey at Kellogg stretches beyond the classroom.  Our students are leaders who create communities based on shared social and cultural values as well as interests, industries and locations.

With more than 450 student members, the Kellogg Energy & Sustainability Club (KESC) has become one of the school’s biggest professional clubs. The club's 50-plus leadership roles drive enthusiasm on campus and empower students who wish to further their hands-on experience. The KESC also hosts more than 25 events per year, including the Climate Conference and its annual case competition.

We spoke with a few of the group’s executive board members to learn more about its mission to inspire, empower and connect with the Kellogg community, business leaders and other changemakers at the forefront of sustainability. 

Inspiration and collaboration

Kellogg: What inspired you to take on a leadership role in this club, and how do you see the club’s mission evolving to address current global challenges?

Christiana Lee: When I was choosing between business schools, I didn’t attend Day at Kellogg but rather the school’s inaugural Climate Conference because I wanted to focus my MBA on climate investing. The energy, optimism and passion of the people I met during the conference made me want to come to Kellogg and help build a climate community. The KESC has exponentially grown every year. The amount of interest in the club, and the 470 Slack channel members reflect the fact that climate is one of the most important issues of our time and business students must know how to address it.

Brendan Hastings: I came to Kellogg intending to join the Kellogg Climate Conference, and I really enjoyed my first year as a director on the speakers’ team. Putting on the conference and seeing how much of an impact it had was a fantastic experience, leading me to put my name in the ring to lead the 2025 conference.

Climate change continues to be one of the largest threats to humanity, and its importance in the business world grows daily. As leaders of the conference, it’s our job to stress the importance of the situation, while also demonstrating the enormous business opportunities that are out there. 

Engagement and impact 

Kellogg: What are some ways club members engage with the larger school community? 

Kaitlyn Yakaboski: KESC engages with the Kellogg community in many ways. In addition to planning major events like Climate Conference and the Case Competition, KESC puts on many other events that are open to all students including company and career presentations. These include lunch-and-learn events on energy and sustainability topics and sustainability-driven outings to places like green farmers markets. 

KESC does a fantastic job partnering with professors to integrate climate into the Kellogg curriculum. We also engage with the broader Northwestern community by cross-promoting events with the Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern University (ISEN) and connecting with Northwestern student sustainability clubs and initiatives. 

Lee: If there’s one thing I’d share with the Kellogg community, I would encourage every student to explore how climate change will affect their futures as business leaders. Business school is a great time to explore new areas — no one is a climate expert, and it’s okay to ask any questions without judgment. Courses like Professor Meghan Busse’s What Every MBA Should Know About Climate are made to create spaces where students can explore their questions.  

There are several opportunities for KESC club members to engage with the wider climate community. For example, we had a student start at Kellogg this year who joined KESC with very little climate background. This decision has changed this student’s Kellogg journey, as this student is now one of the most active members of the club and is also taking classes at ISEN.  

Kellogg: The KESC hosts several prominent events throughout the year, including the Kellogg Climate Conference and the KESC Case Competition. How do these events foster meaningful discussions and tangible outcomes for Kellogg students interested in the sector? 

Hastings: The Kellogg Climate Conference is our club's signature event bringing together over 300 Kellogg and Northwestern graduate students, alumni and industry professionals to discuss the impacts and opportunities of the climate transition. The conference is primarily an educational tool — informing students of the myriads of challenges and opportunities that are out there — but it also leads to direct tangible outcomes. For example, my summer internship with Kairos Power was sparked through networking with one of the speakers. 

Inspiring action

Kellogg: Energy and sustainability are dynamic fields requiring unique skill sets. What resources, workshops or opportunities does KESC provide to help its members build expertise and prepare for impactful careers in the industry?

Nate Stone: It sounds cliché, but I think the biggest tool KESC provides is the network. I’ve leaned on fellow club members for support with finding, applying for and securing internships in the energy and sustainability sphere. Because many subsectors within energy and sustainability are relatively nascent, I would have had a difficult time recruiting for these internships using conventional tools alone.

Additionally, there are a few key opportunities that I would have missed without getting the nudge from friends in the club. For example, I probably wouldn’t have attended the 2024 ClimateCAP Conference last year without the encouragement of my peers from Kellogg who joined me on the trip.  

Looking ahead 

Kellogg: What role do you see KESC playing in helping shape the next generation of business leaders to tackle global energy and sustainability challenges over the next five to ten years? 

Hastings: KESC plays an important role in elevating the importance of understanding climate change with the school community. Kellogg as a whole has made great strides to build a curriculum around energy and sustainability challenges — with the club’s advocacy playing a pivotal role. As the business world continues to transition and climate roles become more mainstream, it will be important for KESC to continue growing to help students develop their skills to specialize for these roles while also educating the wider student body.

Yakaboski: As climate has become more top of mind in the business world, there is increasing interest in the space from Kellogg students. That being said, recruiting for roles in the climate space isn’t as set of a process as it is for some industries. In the next few years, I see KESC as helping to bridge that gap and providing students with the resources needed to navigate recruiting across climate finance, startups and corporate sustainability.

Meet some of the Kellogg students driving sustainability

Kellogg students and officers share how their professional ambitions, inspirations and MBA experiences are shaping their careers in climate and sustainability. 

Brendan Hastings ’25 Two-Year MBA Program 
Climate Conference Co-Chair

“After taking courses about Energy Project Development & Finance and The Economics of Energy Markets and the Environment, I used what I had learned during my finance internship at Kairos Power. These courses gave me practical real-world skills, such as project finance modeling, which I used to immediately contribute in a valuable way for the firm.” 

Christiana Lee ’25 Two-Year MBA 
Co-President 

“I started my career in international development focusing on extreme poverty alleviation, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. I saw time and time again how climate change affects the world’s poorest people the most — the people who have done the least to contribute to it.  

“For example, girls in sub-Saharan Africa who already face barriers to attending school, must walk longer distances to fetch water due to climate-induced drought. In this example, climate change is making it harder for girls to go to school. This sense of injustice and desire to protect our people and planet from the devastating effects of climate has driven me to want to dedicate my career to this field.” 

Nate Stone ’25 Two-Year MBA Program 
Vice President, Marketing & Media 

“Before Kellogg, I contemplated what I wanted to accomplish with my career. Of course, the typical metrics of success came to mind, but I found that I also placed significant value on the impact my career would have on broader environmental challenges.  

“As someone who loves outdoor activities like hiking, skiing and other sports, I feel connected to the natural world and driven to preserve it for future generations. I feel fortunate to be a young professional at a time when societies, governments and corporations are placing value on improving their environmental impact. I’m excited about the increasing number of opportunities to build companies that simultaneously create significant economic value and positively impact our environment.” 

Kaitlyn Yakaboski ’25 MBA Two-Year MBA 
Vice president, careers & alumni 

“In my first year at Kellogg, I became involved in KESC as a member of the events and education team since I was passionate about the space and wanted to learn more to help me prepare to recruit for a summer internship at a climate-focused startup. As I went through my recruiting journey, navigating the process and resources were somewhat overwhelming; however, the KESC careers teams’ jobs guide was the resource I found most helpful. 

“Going into my second year, I wanted to have a leadership role on this team because I wanted to spend my time with the club making recruiting into climate roles and at climate-focused companies as accessible and navigable as possible for students interested in the space.” 
 

Read next: How B-school shaped my climate journey