By Selina Lin '26 Members of CBE during our semesterly Sustainability Day, where we collaborated with the Charles River Conservancy this semester! CBE’s sustainability pillar  has served as the foundation of numerous company partnerships, research projects, and community-based initiatives. Our commitment to improving sustainability — locally, nationally, and internationally — has been a defining factor of our organizations’ progression and development throughout the years.  Of course, such an ambitious commitment can sometimes feel overwhelming, perhaps even impossible to accomplish. Sustainability and climate change are topics that people have previously found difficult to connect with on a personal level, especially since most people’s engagement with such comes through social media, research publications, or news articles. Occasionally, their interest may only stem from after environment changes or weather conditions that directly impact their individual location. Even when people do connect on a personal level, they have often struggled to believe that their individual sustainable actions can truly make a difference. This, unfortunately, has sometimes led to people opting to take no actions at all.  With daunting challenges, however, come opportunities for growth and change. At CBE, we recognize that the journey to sustainability is both an individual and collective effort — it requires promise of consistent commitment from every individual, regardless of their background or discipline, working toward a shared vision of changing for the better. As a result, our organization attracts a diverse range of prospective members who aren’t just drawn to business, life sciences, consulting, or simply looking to explore new opportunities. We have warmly welcomed and supported those who are deeply invested in putting sustainability into practice, both in their work for CBE and within their personal lives. Our organization has become a place where members can merge their passion for sustainable practices with their professional goals. Whether it's optimizing eco-friendly business strategies and examining environmental certifications, or partaking in sustainable volunteer work and directly funding green initiatives, our members are actively shaping a more sustainable future. In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to a few of our members who have not only found a way to integrate sustainability into their university pursuits but also built sustainability into their everyday lives: Can you introduce yourself? Joie Liu '27 (Director of Finance): My name is Joie Liu. I'm a current sophomore in Harvard studying Economics and Environmental Science and Public Policy, and I am interested in the intersection between finance and environmental science. I am also CBE’s Director of Finance this semester. Oliver Song '27 (Managing Director): I'm Oliver. I am a Managing Director with CBE. This is my fourth semester, and most of the cases I've been on have been sustainability related, so it's been pretty exciting so far. At the College, I study Environmental Science and Public Policy with a double concentration in Economics. Sean Kim '28 (Associate): My name is Sean, and I’m a current freshman at Harvard planning to study Applied Math in Economics, and Government. This is my second semester with CBE, and I am currently involved as a team lead for the sustainability industry report. How would you define sustainability, in your own words? Joie:  I think sustainability is the action of being more conscious of how your actions impact the world. Coming from a finance perspective, I see it as something that should be maintained in the long term. It doesn’t necessarily need to be about just the environment, but that’s often where the focus is. And it makes sense — personally, I think I would also prefer to live on a planet that exists in good health and for a long period of time. Sean:  I've had the chance to learn about sustainability more from a business context — so while [environmental and business sustainability] are different, the core concept is quite similar in that sustainability relates to looking at long term change and seeing how events in the short term can affect that long term change… In our context, sustainability is often about conserving the environment and making sure practices that we promote now don't cause severe harm later down the line — so just kind of looking at the future and then seeing how we can account for that, or discount for that, in the present. When did you first become interested in sustainability and/or climate change? Was there a specific moment or experience that made you think more about it? Joie:  In fifth grade, my teacher really liked birds, so she made this bird sustainability club, which I joined. I ended up writing about it for my high school applications, continued it in high school, and it later found its way into my college applications. I’m still doing it in college, too. It was really focused on birds and their conservation — we talked a lot about migration patterns, watched documentaries… It was a fun fifth grade. Oliver:  I think it mainly stems from my interest in the environment in general.I grew up seeing a lot of the nature around me, and I think that nature is present in all forms, regardless of if you're in a city, a suburb, or, kind of in a rural environment. I just happened to pay a lot of attention to my surroundings — like the plants around me, for example, or types of animals, bugs, insects, all sorts of those fun things. My interest in climate change really just stems from the fact that I do care about these local environments, and part of that feeds into sustainability. Sean:  If I had to pick anything out, I think my summer leading up to my first year at Harvard was really big for me, because I had the chance to get involved with the [Harvard Institute of Politics] CIVICS program as a curriculum developer, and a part of the curriculum was about environmental justice — that's kind of when I first learned about that subject entirely. And then there was also a project for a different organization, about identifying different trends and energy usage throughout the world… I got to piece out different case studies on [other countries in] the Indo-Pacific region. I learned about how the US and how other countries really differ in terms of what they prioritize, and how sustainability — to me and the environment that I'm constantly in, with college students — seems to always be a high priority topic… but I realized that in other countries, that might not necessarily be the case, and so it was interesting to see how the US played a larger role in that. What are some surprisingly wasteful habits that most people don’t realize contribute to environmental harm? How do you think people could change some of these habits? Oliver:  It's hard for people to always think about sustainability constantly in their decisions. I think that the general population does not have these things on their mind when they make everyday choices. I wouldn't say that there's anything inherently wasteful that people around me do that they don't realize contribute to environmental harm — I think that any kind of action or choice can be traced back to its environmental consequences, whether that's from, you know, the rare metals that are in the iPhones that so many of us have, or just simply, the carbon footprint that comes from Uber into the airport, for example, flying. These are all things that have environmental impacts that we don't necessarily think about when we make those choices, but you also can't really just tell people not to fly — people might need to engage in various activities for a variety of reasons. Sean:  One thing that really stuck with me and that I hadn’t thought about much before coming to Harvard… Well, everyone knows long showers are wasteful, but it always felt abstract. Then, in my dorm — I live in [Wigglesworth Hall] — There's a sticker within my shower that says, “if every undergrad showered for one less minute, we would save 18.2 million gallons of water a year,” and they have some kind of comparison, like, “That's enough to fill x amount of pools or something like that.” I think that's something that shocked me a lot… And then also, additionally, there’s the water usage within those showers, but also, there’s the energy needed to heat the water. Everyone loves hot showers. And then, also, there’s the filtering of that water to be used again — these are all costs to taking long showers that people might not really think about. That's a wasteful habit that could be relevant to the students here, I would say. What do you find most challenging about living sustainably as a student? Joie:  I actually think that as a student, you're probably living some of the most sustainable years of your life. Other than large travel expenses, which do happen, you’re likely not driving much here at college, and that’s usually your biggest emitter. There’s also easy access to food, which lets you make good choices easier; for example, I try not to eat beef, which is made easy when there are many alternatives. Where it does get unsustainable at times though is the culture of consumerism — new notebooks, clothes, bags — it always feels like you need more. And while some choices can be good, there’s still a lot of waste, and even though Harvard claims to manage it well, it’s quite hard to see what happens behind the scenes. Oliver:  I think the hardest thing about living sustainably as a student is really just thinking about the environment with every choice — and also, not everyone is going to have the same standards for [evaluating] their environmental choices. For example, for me, because we live in a country that doesn't necessarily prioritize other forms of transportation, getting around to places is really inaccessible without using something that has high environmental impact — like using cars or planes. Compared to other countries around the world, they’re both far less expensive and also underutilized. Do you think your school/university is doing enough to promote sustainability? Or, what are some sustainable initiatives/programs/events on campus that you appreciate? Joie:  Well, Harvard created the Salata Institute a couple of years ago. I think they launched it in 2021 or 2022, and Yale already had a similar one for some time. I think Harvard was a bit behind, but I’m glad they’ve caught up and finally created a climate institute. For reference, the Salata Institute of Climate Sustainability is Harvard's main hub for sustainable research and advocacy. They bring together people from across the entire university — so, imagine, professors from the Kennedy School, the Business School, the Law School, and the College — and host talks, conduct research, fund projects, and offer grants. I interned there last summer, and it's pretty cool. Oliver:  There are choices that Harvard has made inside of itself, but ones that they are making outside, which we may not necessarily know about. For example, this could mean choices dealing with how endowment money is used. As for kind of how internally Harvard is doing — I mean, it looks like Harvard might be doing pretty well. Most of the dining halls use compostable materials, most of the restrooms have water saving handles, and various buildings have been evaluated or perhaps redesigned to be more environmentally friendly. Winthrop house, which I live in, is also LEED certified gold, which means that it abides by a certain environmental kind of standards. I think that Harvard certainly has been keeping sustainability in mind. Sean:  I think Harvard actually does a lot to promote sustainability awareness and provides a pretty strong foundation for students to engage with it. At club rush, I saw many [student organizations] focused on sustainability — CBE, [Harvard Clean Energy Group], PBHA’s Environmental Action Committee, and more. Even clubs not directly related to the environment often have an environmental arm or focus area. For example, in the [Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative], I worked on a clean energy project, and the [Institute of Politics] Policy Program also covers environmental topics. Sustainability is really everywhere — very much like how AI’s become a discussion across all fields. I think, overall, the university especially does a solid job of giving students opportunities to explore sustainability, whether through research or active involvement. Do you think Harvard is doing enough to promote sustainability? Or, what are some sustainable initiatives/programs/events on campus that you appreciate? Joie:  I definitely think working with CBE has allowed me to interact with real-world sustainability cases. I worked on a case about a tech product and also a battery storage one, examining solutions for renewable power generation — both directly related to environmental issues. CBE has exposed me to different industries and allowed me to interact with companies already making a large-scale impact. Not only have we worked with small startups focusing on more localized areas, but I've also had the opportunity to work with global companies and understand what climate advocacy and solutions look like at an international level. Oliver:  I come from an organizing background and, in high school, did a lot of activism work related to climate policy at the local, state, and national levels — mostly focusing on conservation. College and CBE has helped me see more of the environmental space. One of my cases for CBE, for example, explored emerging renewable technology and whether or not it would be viable in the current markets, for example. I learned a lot about technologies I didn't know existed, which I think is a very important piece of addressing climate change, considering the nebulous unknown of what could happen with technological innovation. And I think that the interactions and case experience I've gained through CBE has helped me see innovate and understand how these things are happening in the background, and even connecting to topics like using AI, which can create environmental waste, but also increase efficiency, facilitate emissions, track and validate missions, and so more — these are all things that I would not have necessarily came across on without CBE. Sean:  CBE has definitely impacted my perception of sustainability, and, more specifically, the practical element of it. Our previous semester’s industry report was focused on green urbanism — but we got to see interventions within green technology and green initiatives in general, barriers they face and so on… A key takeaway from that experience for me was that when designing these things, it's really important to focus not only on the potential impact, but also the feasibility of an initiative. A lot of times there's a lot of factors that you might not consider. For example, there'll be different [transportation-related] interventions in cities like Portland and Boston that have been widely successful, but then there's other cases to consider, for example a negative social perception of using public transport might dissuade usage. There are so many barriers that are quite invisible but also high impact… In addition to that, I think currently, I'm learning a lot more about how sustainability relates to finance and business through Green Fund, which is a lot about impact investing and how investments can be used for positive social good within sustainability. Are there any go-to resources you rely on for staying updated on sustainability initiatives or climate news that you would recommend to other students? Joie:  Highly recommend Utility Dive and ESG Dive. They have a ton of different “dives,” like “MedTech Dive,” which I’m also subscribed to. It's basically a daily newsletter with top headlines in the sector, and it was super helpful for me when I was also recruiting. I definitely recommend it to students. I'm also subscribed to a few other climate-tech newsletters, which in general are always pretty insightful. Sean:  My industry report this semester is about [Environmental, social, and governance], and small medium enterprises, so for me, the Harvard Business School and the review that they post was actually really helpful, because they outline clear arguments to why questions. They’ve covered topics about the growing competitiveness of ESG, within private equity and opportunities for using investment as a very socially-minded tool. And that's also not really a source you would think of immediately for ESG perhaps, but it almost just proves how integrated [sustainability] is becoming. You could probably read about it in any big business review. Lastly, if you could give one piece of advice to other people, or students who want to be more sustainable, what would it be? Joie:  Walk more. Eat less red meat! Oliver:  Be more observant. I only recently learned about the sustainability work behind HUDS (Harvard University Dining Services) after noticing some changes and having a conversation with someone who was very familiar with our dining system, which in general seems to be overlooked and viewed negatively on campus. It could even be as little as noticing how some places on campus don’t drain well when it rains and wondering why. Or, you might catch on to climate news and start asking, "Well, what is Harvard doing for sustainability?" Staying informed through literature, media, or classes also helps — I took a class on the ethics of climate change, and I think everyone should take something like that because morality and decision-making affect all of us, whether we care about climate change or not. Sean:  I think the biggest advice I would give is just to become acquainted with these topics and try to become more knowledgeable about them. This is coming from someone who did not study the environment or sustainability at all in high school… and now it's like a very big interest of mine. I think, if you get the chance, let's say you're in like, a big organization, and there's a sustainability related case, or assignment — just take it. Take that chance and try it out, because it's such a topical issue, and something that's only going to grow even more important as the years move forward. We thank Joie, Oliver, and Sean for their wonderful contributions to this blog post. If you have any questions about CBE's sustainability pillar, please reach out to us at info@hucbe.org .

By CBE Blog Staff CBE focuses its casework on three key industry practice areas, or “pillars”: technology, life sciences, and sustainability. Each pillar is led by a dedicated Pillar Director (Director of Technology, Life Sciences, and Sustainability) who oversees industry-specific initiatives. As we shared in a previous blog post , CBE’s Director of Life Sciences (LS) spearheads LS think tanks as part of their semesterly initiatives. Our previous semester's Director of Life Sciences, Alex Chou ‘26 , revamped the LS Think Tank series in fall 2024, aiming to produce case study deliverables for potential clients in the Life Sciences industry to view. During his time as a pillar director, Alex guided the think tank teams to produce impactful deliverables on two areas of research, covering each of our industry pillars: pharmaceutical talent acquisition and the rise of generative AI in healthcare. The two think tank teams worked diligently to produce deliverables showcasing findings in these distinct research areas. Each team consisted of four CBE members who voluntarily pursued this research alongside their original casework commitments. “Working on the LS think tank was challenging, but ultimately very rewarding,” said Claire Swadling ‘26 , lead of the team examining generative AI’s role in healthcare. “Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience; exploring the intersection of AI and biology with an enthusiastic team was one of my highlights of the semester!” The two deliverables are published on our website (found under the Life Sciences section of our Industries tab, or at hucbe.org/life-sciences ) and showcase the different problems many companies may face, within both the life sciences industry and beyond. Feel free to take a look, whether you’re a prospective client or a Harvard student hoping to join our organization — we hope these reports are as meaningful for you as the research process was for us! If you have any questions about CBE's commitment to sustainability or any other of our sustainability initiatives, reach out to our Director of Life Sciences, Claire Swadling '26 , at claireswadling @hucbe.org  or email info@hucbe.org  with any general questions.

By CBE Blog Staff, Contributions from Ashley Ding '28 and Simona Letizia '28 At the end of the Fall 2024 semester, then-Director of Sustainability, Erica Choe '25 , launched a new initiative aimed to connect sustainability and professional development for the members of CBE. This initiative, called the ESG Fellowship Grant, would allow CBE members to undertake a short, sustainability-based internship throughout Winter Break, and would provide the fellows with a small grant for their hard work. For the first ever cohort of the ESG Fellowship, freshmen Ashley Ding '28 and Simona Letizia '28 were chosen, both of whom worked with non-profits throughout their Winter Break on projects related to sustainability impact. Read more about their experiences and reflections of the fellowship below! Ashley Ding '28 interned with Central Florida Jobs with Justice, where her work focused on climate justice for underprivileged populations living in Florida. Central Florida Jobs With Justice’s (CFJwJ) mission is to empower working communities resonate with me, especially its focus on climate justice and uplifting, energy-burdened individuals. Growing up in Orlando, I’ve seen the compounded struggles of low-income families facing rising energy costs and inadequate protections during increasingly frequent and intensifying hurricanes. These challenges are exacerbated by policies like the Energy Omnibus Bill, which removes renewable energy goals and limits local regulation of natural gas infrastructure. For the past 3 weeks, I interned with Central Florida Jobs with Justice on 2 top organizing priorities: Climate Justice for Working People and Uplifting Energy Burdened Communities. I contributed to CFJwJ’s PAUSE Act initiative, which aims to protect vulnerable households by implementing safeguards during extreme weather and public health emergencies, including halting utility disconnections for nonpayment when the heat index is forecasted to reach 90°F or higher and during declared states of emergency. I organized research on the Act’s economic, disaster resilience, extreme heat, health disparities, and violence prevention impacts into structured dockets for meetings with elected officials. Additionally, I compiled a report highlighting the economic importance of language justice in Florida, emphasizing how multilingual emergency communications during disasters can reduce economic losses, protect industries like agriculture and housing, and improve disaster preparedness and recovery for the state's diverse population. I included data and sources on funding opportunities and impacts on vulnerable populations like farmworkers and non-English-speaking households while highlighting examples of effective language access programs in other states. With the Department of Labor recently authorized $5 million in funding for recovery-related jobs in Florida, CFJwJ is interested in creating a Disaster Jobs program that can get unemployed individuals into recovery jobs quickly. I researched Texas's clean energy transition, highlighting the use of Disaster Recovery Funds to drive job creation, workforce development, and the economic advantages of renewable energy as a framework for how CFJwJ can structure Florida’s program. Simona Letizia '28 interned with both PeaceJam International and Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana (SEWING) on a project connecting environmentally-friendly start-ups to emerging market economics around the globe. Combining my newly learned skills in research, business strategy, and social impact consulting from my first semester at CBE with my past experiences in education advocacy was incredibly rewarding. Over the 5-week winter break with CBE’s ESG Winter Fellowship, I worked with PeaceJam International and Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana (SEWING) to create a guide for environmentally friendly start-ups in emerging market economies. PeaceJam Foundation is an international non-profit that works with 14 Peace Laureates to support 1.3 million youth in 41 countries, creating long-term community-driven change. SEWING was founded with support from PeaceJam as the first organization to address the exploitation of Kayayei. Ghanaian female head porters, known as Kayayei, are girls as young as eight years old who are forced to leave their homes in Northern Villages, abandon their education, and migrate to the capital, Accra. Earning $4 a day for their 12-16 hour days, Kayayei is vulnerable to health challenges, human rights violations, and sexual assault. As an international organization, SEWING advocates on the global stage to address these gender inequalities and locally supports education scholarships and entrepreneur fellowships for young girls at risk of becoming Kayayei. My goal for the ESG Fellowship was to create a business start-up guide focusing on integrating environmental sustainability—not just as an add-on but as a core principle of entrepreneurship. Initially, I envisioned a straightforward guide tailored to SEWING’s programming. However, as I worked with my mentor, Michelle, and learned from PeaceJam how to make a versatile yet effective program, my vision shifted. When I searched for existing guides, I couldn’t find one that addressed the unique challenges of starting a business sustainably with the availability of resources in mind. This gap inspired me to expand my initial idea into something that would have a broader impact: a 30-page guide designed to be practical, scalable, interactive, and adaptable for entrepreneurs in diverse economic situations around the world. Topics in the curriculum include sustainable supply chains, waste management, renewable energy options, and cost-effective environmental practices. Research I’d done with CBE the previous semester played a role in developing my specific environmentally-conscious solutions. However, when searching for existing guides, it was uncommon to find data-driven solutions that could be tailored to individual local communities and be resource-conscious all in one place. This fellowship enabled me to address a need that was apparent in my former Ghanaian community and a gap in education resources for aspiring entrepreneurs. This eye-opening experience showed me that merging environmental policy, business strategy, and social impact in my future work is more attainable than I once thought. As we enter the second semester, I look forward to applying what I learned over the break to contribute to CBE’s ESG-focused strategies in casework and direct service initiatives. If you have any questions about CBE's commitment to sustainability or any other of our sustainability initiatives, reach out to our Director of Sustainability, Anh-Thu Le '26 , at anhthule@hucbe.org or email info@hucbe.org with any general questions.

By President Stella Gilbert ‘26 If you ever want to know how many semesters someone has been in Harvard Consulting on Business and the Environment (CBE), the trick is to check how many CBE “Welcome” cards they have stored in their dorm room — whether tucked away in their desk drawers, propped up on their bookshelves, or displayed on their dorm room walls.  Every semester at our opening banquet, when training concludes and casework officially kicks off, each of the ~140 CBE members — from new freshman analysts all the way up to returning senior Board members — receives a personalized, hand-written card written by a current Board member welcoming them (back) to our organization for another semester.  This tradition is honestly really impractical; what a logistical nightmare it is to take Board members from teaching analysts about slide-making or facilitating Case Team Lead leadership exercises and make them use their only breaks in the day to write dozens upon dozens of personalized cards in the middle of an already-hectic training weekend. But it has never once crossed our minds to get rid of this tradition in place of an easier, more convenient welcome. Stella (right) and fellow CBE Board members signing welcome cards during training weekend Care in CBE In my past five semesters with CBE, I’ve witnessed the organization undergo tremendous change — from an exponential increase in the quality of our casework, to the amount we invest in community engagement and charitable giving — but one quality has remained consistent: unrelenting care. In a world full of fast fashion, fast food, fast… everything…, efficiency and convenience can often seem like ends in themselves. However, CBE has always instead prioritized care over convenience. We are simultaneously a consultancy, a student club, and a charitable nonprofit. Of course it would be much simpler to focus on one of those identities — we could have a lot more money in our bank account if we stopped donations, or we could spend a lot more time hosting social engagements if we weren’t as busy working on casework. But the most convenient path forward has never been what CBE is about.  A Vision Forward  As the Board and I envision our upcoming Spring 2025 semester, we are doubling down on the unrelenting care and dedication that makes CBE such a special organization for our clients, our community partners, and our members. As a consultancy, we are improving the quality of our casework this semester by bringing in more experienced consultants to expand our training program, investing further resources into our interview sourcing process, and providing professional development resources and workshops to help our case teams continue producing deliverables that exceed client expectations. As a nonprofit, we are thinking more deeply about our impact by developing an inaugural impact report, providing more community service opportunities for our members, expanding our annual Sustainability Grant and Boston Public Schools Scholarship, and furthering our partnership with Greater Boston-area nonprofits through new donation initiatives and pro-bono casework. As a student organization, we are investing in engagement by establishing unprecedented alumni connection opportunities, inclusivity initiatives, and social events that encourage both mentorship and lifelong friendship. CBE’s Fall 2024 Board celebrating the end of the semester at final dinner In Conclusion I still remember receiving my very first welcome card at the Fall 2022 training banquet and being shocked at the specificity with which a senior Board member wrote about me after having met mere days ago. During the overwhelming time that was my freshman orientation week, that card was a lifeline — it told me that I was now a part of a special community of people who demonstrate care for one another and for the world, even when it’s inconvenient. In the busy rhythm of the semester, it’s easy to get lost in deadlines and meetings, but acts of care — whether a handwritten card, a little extra time spent on a slide, or a more in-depth conversation about impactful giving — make all the difference.  Looking ahead to Spring 2025 and beyond, I’m honored to guide CBE in embodying this ethos of care in everything we do. As we continue to grow, I am certain that we’ll maintain the heart of this organization — the unrelenting care that we show for our members, community partners, clients, and the world around us. Stella Gilbert is a junior in Lowell House studying Sociology and Economics. She is in her sixth semester with CBE, now serving as the organization’s President. She can be reached at president@hucbe.org .

By President Andrew Gong ‘25 My first impression of CBE, much like everyone else’s, was analyst training. It was the fall semester of my freshman year, and I remember wandering around a still-unfamiliar Harvard campus trying to find the lecture hall where training was scheduled. When I arrived, I grabbed a slice of pizza, settled into my seat, and struck up conversations with a few neighbors as we waited for training to begin. It’s been almost 3 years since that day, and my freshman self would be shocked to see the CBE of today after several semesters of exponential growth. Trainings have moved from Harvard lecture halls to offsite events in swanky hotel ballrooms. One-off pizza parties have been replaced with recurring study breaks replete with free food for the entire organization. Our organization has ballooned in size, allowing us to work with more clients and admit more students than ever before. We have also become more institutionalized; in these 3 years, we have hired an auditor, revamped our website, and registered as an official 501(c)3 non-profit. We are now among the largest (if not actually the largest) fully student-run non-profits by revenue in the country. I’m now entering my senior year and my seventh semester in CBE. It’s been striking to witness these changes as I’ve grown alongside the organization. But even more than that, it’s remarkable to witness the elements that have remained unchanged at CBE’s core. I wanted to take this blog post to reflect on that change and constancy within CBE — and what it means for the future of the organization. Community Throughout our dizzying growth, one value has always held firm in CBE: a vibrant, friendly community. Many organizations fall into the trap of overly fixating on work, foregoing social connections, and producing a corporate, impersonal culture. While CBE is by no means perfect, I can firmly say that across my 2 years on the board of the club, bolstering our community has always been a north star in leadership conversations. This emphasis on community goes back even longer than these 2 years. In a   CBE blog post  written over 6 years ago, our former CFO Jeff Cott '18 wrote that “the spirit of mentorship and passion for support” defined CBE in his time, and “will never go out of style.” It was a bold prediction, but it still holds true today after weathering a global pandemic. As we’ve grown, we haven’t lost sight of our community; instead, we’ve dedicated more and more resources to launch new initiatives for our members like engagement events, study breaks, and professional development opportunities in finance and consulting. And as a result, we’ve seen our community grow even stronger with each passing semester. Those initiatives have certainly worked out for me; my conversations with neighbors at analyst training have since spiraled into some of my closest friendships today. My college life would look markedly different (and markedly less enjoyable!) if I hadn’t joined CBE, socially as well as professionally. Impact Another core tenet of CBE that has persisted through the years is a commitment to positive social impact. With our growing scale, we’ve been able to put our revenue to create impact in the Boston community and beyond, dedicating hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to initiatives like our Sustainability Grant, Boston Public Schools scholarship, Ventures competition, and need-based financial aid for our members. Our commitment to social impact isn’t just an afterthought, a sink into which we pour our excess revenues. It’s an active element of what it means to be a member of CBE. Two semesters ago, we started our “Community Initiatives” program, which Jordan Chan ’27 covered brilliantly in a   blog post  earlier this summer. These initiatives pair CBE sibfams with service opportunities in the Boston area to give back to the community and embody our organizational values. We also celebrate Sustainability Day, which sends battalions of CBE students to assist a local sustainability non-profit for one day each semester. Recent semesters have seen members don gloves for trash cleanup along the Mystic River watershed or get their hands dirty pulling weeds at Jamaica Pond Park. I’ve loved participating in these activities, not only because they’re fun and strengthen the bonds within our community, but also because they remind me why I love CBE: every day, we work to make the world a better place. Change and Constancy Where do we go from here? I’m sure CBE still has so much to learn, and so far to go. We are a newborn organization compared to most institutions at our centuries-old college. Our revenues, client list, and roster have plenty of room to expand. We will continue launching new initiatives to nurture connections in our community and open up professional opportunities for our members. We will become even more institutionalized, as our Board builds more of the critical infrastructure needed to lead a growing consulting business. But I also hope that future generations of CBE don’t lose sight of where we came from. Student organizations are a fickle thing because every four years, the entire organization graduates, cycles, and begins anew. This makes it profoundly difficult to preserve institutional memory and pass down our values. To that end, I’m writing this blog post as a persistent reminder. It’s very likely that a future CBE President is reading this article right now, and doesn’t even realize it. To them, I would say: hold fast to CBE’s values — never let go of our supportive community and commitment to impact — and once you have done that, take this organization to new heights. Andrew and fellow CBE members enjoying a community engagement event

By Director of Sustainability Erica Choe ‘25 This Fall, Harvard Undergraduate Consulting on Business and the Environment partnered with Tree Boston to organize Sustainability Day! CBE members visited Noyes Playground in Boston to help with park tree maintenance activities, such as mulching, weeding, and filling up water bags.  Sustainability Day is a cherished CBE tradition, and we look forward to seeing CBE members continue to contribute positively to the greater Boston community! Special thanks to Tree Boston and Tree Care Associate Lily for accepting our volunteering contribution.

By Claire Swadling ‘26 Through both casework and internal programming, CBE has always been committed to the life sciences. A substantial portion of our research each semester engages biology-inclined students with relevant sector-based experience. Additionally, we’ve held an annual MCAT book giveaway for students preparing to apply to medical school.  Last semester, we debuted a new board role to specifically support our cases and members inclined towards the pillar. The Life Sciences Director is responsible for managing our company’s life sciences related cases, leading LS training, spearheading LS think tanks, facilitating community service events, and organizing pre-professional opportunities for LS-interested students.  “The position itself has tremendous potential, and I am honored to have played a role in shaping life science experiences and opportunities for CBE’s broad membership,” said Stephanie Wang '26 , who was the inaugural LS Director this past spring. At the beginning of the semester, Stephanie led the organization through our first LS training, a bootcamp for CBE members on LS cases. An MD-MBA candidate guest speaker walked analysts, associates, and case team leaders through the interface of life sciences and business, with topics such as the pharmaceutical approval pipeline.  Stephanie also organized LS think tanks, an opportunity for groups of students to dive into biology industry trends outside of traditional casework. Topics included trends in drug access inequality and how shared-decision making could affect HIV health literacy.  Overall, she enjoyed helping CBE members learn more about the intersection of biology and consulting during her term. “It was an incredible experience to support members in delving deeply into important topics within the life sciences,” said Stephanie, “I got to see the students grow their research, writing, and teamwork skills over the course of a semester that went hand in hand with their casework success.” This Fall Our current LS Director, Alex Chou '26 , seeks to continue the momentum built over Stephanie’s term. Specifically, he’s interested in making LS more institutionalized as a pillar by solidifying the engagement opportunities available for LS-interested students. Accordingly, he’s continuing CBE’s traditions while building new ones. LS think tanks continue with a new focus on generative AI in medicine and sustainability in hospital systems. Alex also led CBE on their first Jimmy Fund Walk in support of the Jimmy Fund this October, a Boston-based nonprofit affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer center that raises money for cancer research and care. Members enjoyed getting their steps in while raising money for an important cause. “ Thus far, serving as Director of Life Sciences has been immensely gratifying, and I am thankful to have been able to contribute to several new and old traditions,” said Alex. “Whether organizing the annual MCAT/LSAT prep book giveaway, participating in the Jimmy Fund Walk alongside peer CBE members, or researching healthcare industry challenges in our think tank teams, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to both share with others my passion for the biosciences and also promote meaningful projects in the Harvard community and greater Boston area.” Looking Forward Through initiatives that improve relevant sector knowledge for members while providing bonding opportunities for members, CBE is committed to making the life sciences an integral part of our casework and beyond. “ My hopes are that these efforts substantiate and institutionalize CBE’s involvement with and investment in the life sciences,” reflects Alex. “Moving forward, I am excited to see future leaders of the organization enhance the expansiveness of our industry casework and community initiatives in the healthcare realm.”

By Jordan Chan ‘27 Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fundamental values that many businesses target at every level of their organization. Though DEI efforts may boost company profitability and productivity, many companies see these efforts as more than a business strategy — they are a social and moral responsibility. This article provides insight into what DEI looks like in the consulting world, why it is so important, and how CBE has implemented practices aligned with these values.  Defining DEI While closely related, diversity, equity, and inclusion are values with independent meanings. Diversity refers to the goal of bringing in representatives from a wide variety of demographic groups (e.g. people of different genders, sexualities, ages, abilities, ethnicities, backgrounds, and perspectives). Equity is about treating people from this diverse pool fairly, allowing everyone to have an equal opportunity to contribute to the company. Equity accounts for and accommodates differences across groups without assuming that each individual’s needs can be satisfied in the exact same way. Inclusion refers to creating an environment where everyone feels like they belong. No matter what background someone comes from, they should feel listened to and valued ( University of Michigan ). Ideally, a company’s hiring practices, treatment of employees, policies, and culture all showcase a commitment to DEI. Benefits of DEI Global management consulting company McKinsey has published multiple studies exploring how diverse workplaces — especially those with diverse executive teams — are more likely to outperform their competitors financially. Their reports found “clear correlations between diversity and business performance” and an overall positive view of diversity from most employees, although negative sentiments around DEI programs are still commonplace. McKinsey focused particularly on how, when it came to profitability, companies with more women and more ethnic and cultural diversity had the edge over comparable companies with less diverse representation.  Over the years, McKinsey’s studies have garnered significant influence and attention from professionals in the business sphere. Some have cast doubts on the company’s research methodologies, wondering whether they could prove a definitively causal link between financial performance specifically and diversity ( WSJ ). However, recent studies from other sources corroborate McKinsey’s findings, often citing how diversity might improve factors like brand equity and legitimacy, thus contributing positively to profitability in the long run ( Sage Journals  and Springer ). This factor tracks with findings from McKinsey, as well as other consulting organizations like Boston Consulting Group, with studies on the performance benefits of DEI that are not explicitly “profitability” but do contribute to a company’s overall success. These include enhanced talent acquisition, better insights and creative innovation, reduced attrition, and higher levels of employee motivation and satisfaction ( McKinsey  and BCG ).  Naturally, researchers will continue to refine their work exploring the role of DEI in the workplace, but it is important to note that most critics of studies on DEI even acknowledge how research flaws do not negate the societal and moral benefits of increasing diversity in the workplace.  From CBE’s perspective, when a consulting organization has members bringing diverse perspectives, they can come up with solutions that suit the diverse needs of their client base. All the while, the organization can uplift groups of people who have historically been underrepresented and undervalued, pushing back against the structural inequities that make success in business more difficult for marginalized demographic groups.  How Consulting Companies Embrace DEI Almost all major consulting companies have publicly committed to values similar to those outlined above in some way, shape, or form. For example, to expand the diversity of their recruitment systems and the industry at large, many major consulting companies host special summits and internships for undergraduate students coming from specific backgrounds. Some well-known programs include McKinsey’s Sophomore Summer Business Analyst internship, Bain’s Building Entrepreneurial Leaders Program, and Boston Consulting Group’s Growing Future Leaders Program, which all seek Black, Hispanic/Latin American, and Indigenous candidates. There are also well-known programs for women, such as PwC’s Women’s Consulting Experience initiative and Bain’s Connecting and Resourcing Empowered Women opportunity.  Companies also make efforts to support employees from different backgrounds after they hire them, forming affinity groups to connect employees from similar backgrounds, fostering rich mentorship opportunities, investing in DEI research and consulting services, and more.   A Long Way to Go It is no secret that despite all of the buzz about DEI in recent years, the business sector still tends to lack diversity, particularly in top leadership positions. One salient example of this is what some refer to as the “women’s leadership gap,” where women are much less likely to hold senior management positions than men. For example, figures show that the top positions in Fortune 500 companies are dominated by men even though the percentages of men and women in lower positions are more equal ( CAP ). Another striking example is the underrepresentation of Black employees in management positions and in high-growth, high-paying industries ( McKinsey ). Furthermore, recent news has shown that major companies are moving back from DEI initiatives, with The Wall Street Journal publishing an article titled “ Banks, Law and Consulting Firms Are Watering Down Their Diversity Recruiting Programs ” this June.  Simply having a diverse set of summer associates is not enough to be a true champion of the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Even if companies have more diverse recruitment systems, employees from specific demographic groups might still face limited opportunities for advancement, high attrition levels, unsupportive work environments, and implicit biases from peers, which contributes to a persistent lack of diverse representation across the industry ( WSJ  and McKinsey ). Thus companies must embody the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level, ensuring that these values permeate every facet of their culture and environment — they are never simply words on a website. DEI in CBE CBE has grown immensely as an organization in the past few years, taking on more cases and more members than ever. With this growth, we want to continue to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and create as much positive impact as possible on our internal and external community. Through affinity groups, a program that we expanded last spring, we try to create supportive sub-communities for people with similar backgrounds to connect with one another. CBE also offers financial aid  to members, recognizing that students from different socioeconomic backgrounds may have financial responsibilities that make it more difficult to commit the time and effort required to complete casework. Furthermore, CBE welcomes any student to apply to join, valuing passion and potential for growth over factors such as past experience in consulting.  This perspective helps us deliver the highest quality of work possible, allows members to work towards the best version of themselves, and is mindful of how the diverse set of students at Harvard have not all had the same access to experiences as one another in the past. We also hold ourselves accountable by getting advice from experts on DEI in the industry and closely reviewing feedback from our community on how we can improve — efforts overseen by a dedicated Director of Internal Engagement & Inclusion on our executive board. We recognize that we, too, have a long way to go. But we take this responsibility seriously and proudly commit to embodying the growth we hope to see in the consulting industry.

By Director of Operations Ever Marinelli ‘25 When I first joined CBE as an analyst, I had little academic or career direction, knew very little about CBE and absolutely nothing about consulting. All I knew was that I wanted to eat free food and spend more time with my roommate Dan Ennis ‘25 , CBE’s former president, who was a Managing Director at the time and shamelessly plugged the org at all hours of the day. I certainly did not expect to be writing “Why CBE” blog articles two years later. But as everyone knows, it’s easy to sell something you actually believe in. So allow me to sell you on CBE as Dan did to me — with perhaps a bit less emphasis on roommate bonding.  At the Early Insights program this year, a participant asked the Board to describe the CBE community with one word. I found this remarkably challenging, and was thankful to have the question addressed by someone else (our President Andrew Gong ‘25 answered “wholesome”), but I spent considerable time thinking about it. I ultimately landed on “supportive.” In the most broad sense, CBE is a supportive environment where everyone genuinely cares about the wellbeing and success of other members. At a case team level, members in each role support each other – from Case Team Leaders seeking advice from their Managing Directors to analysts collaborating on research in the underbelly of Lamont Library. Professional development opportunities serve to support members’ career aspirations by passing down knowledge from upperclassmen and CBE alumni. Everywhere from study breaks to recruitment events, I am continually impressed by the generosity and warmth with which CBE members treat each other. So while I find “supportive” to be a rather bland adjective, it’s an excellent answer to the question.  It's easy to find friends within such a community — even if you have zero interest in consulting post-grad, or you’re a little afraid of the life sciences, or maybe even have pretty un-sustainable practices in your daily life, you’re sure to find a like-minded CBE member making their way through a similar journey. Whether the latest CHEM-17 exam has you questioning if pre-med is really for you or you’re warding off a panic attack before your BCG case interview, someone else in CBE has either been in your shoes or is currently standing in them alongside you. Perhaps you chat about it over (free) coffee at a Board coffee chat, or commiserate over (free) Chipotle at a weekly study break. And, more likely than not, you’ve just started a friendship that will last much longer than your tenure at CBE. I speak from experience — I was always someone who found myself rather nervous making new friends, but CBE offered the ideal platform to bond with so many interesting and warm people, it was almost impossible not to find those who resonated with me. And I can now safely say that CBE members constitute a large proportion of my friends on campus.  You may find yourself thinking that this friend business is all fine and dandy but you already have plenty of friends from FOP or your eight person freshman dorm and you’re more worried about that BCG case interview I mentioned earlier. While I can’t personally offer any casing guidance (I plan on making next to no money grinding out a PhD instead), CBE’s wealth of professional development opportunities certainly can. You name it, CBE offers it: coffee chats with Board members on similar career journeys, case interview workshops, a constant email chain of internship opportunities, life sciences speakers, robust alumni networking, the list goes on. And while all these opportunities and even just having CBE on your resume can certainly help you land that big three summer internship you’re dreaming of, the soft skills that CBE casework helps you develop are, in my opinion, the most valuable and widely applicable prof dev resources the org provides. As an analyst, you’ll learn quickly how to conduct thorough high-quality research and feel confident presenting your findings to a real client. As an associate, you’ll further hone your slide making skills and become an expert at clearly conveying dense information in an accessible way. As a CTL, you’ll learn how to communicate and problem-solve with clients, and how to manage a team. And as a board member, you’ll apply those communication and problem-solving skills to a larger team dynamic. These skills are paramount, and the best part is, they’re not industry specific. When I have to present data or communicate with my lab supervisor, I frequently find myself drawing on the skills I developed as an analyst and CTL. So even if the thought of working as a full time consultant sends shivers down your spine or you’re not quite sure about the life sciences, I can guarantee (yes, 100% guarantee) that CBE has something invaluable to offer you as you begin your career.  At CBE, I genuinely believe there is a place for anyone, with any background experience or future aspiration. Curiosity and passion are the most important things we look for in an applicant — do you want to creatively solve a problem, contribute meaningfully to our community, or drive tangible change in client companies? There’s no specific background or set of prior abilities that can replace an emphatic “Yes!” to those questions, so if you find yourself resonating with any of them, I encourage you to consider CBE. Hopefully you’re sold, or at the very least intrigued. And if you’re not quite there, I’ll remind you as Dan once did, that we also have excellent perks.  In all seriousness, CBE is incredibly excited to welcome Fall 2024 analysts to our community, and I hope to see you among them. I am always more than happy to wax on about the joys of CBE, so don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, or just to chat.  Best, Ever Marinelli ‘25 Director of Operations evermarinelli@college.harvard.edu

By CBE Blog Staff With more and more companies vowing to embrace and incorporate Environmental, Social, and Governance ( ESG) strategies into their business practices, we want to highlight several top companies that have seamlessly demonstrated their commitment to upholding and integrating these standards into their business practices. Contrary to popular belief, ESG goes beyond just green initiatives — it extends into ethical business practices, corporate philanthropy, inclusive impact, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more. ESG standards create stronger partnerships between stakeholders, customers, and other businesses that aim to uphold similar standards. Moreover, ESG serves as a beacon of inclusivity by supporting marginalized identities and communities as a whole.  Climate Change and Sustainability  Nvidia Corporation is a Santa Clara, CA-based company that has made significant strides in the field of AI. As one of the most highly valued and innovative companies in the world, Nvidia’s largest product is its GPU chip which has increased in demand as the AI field continues to grow. Its corporate sustainability standards are no less — by the 2025 fiscal year, Nvidia expects to use 100% renewable energy  for its office and data center use. As an effort to further reduce energy use and maximize efficiency, its GPU chips are estimated to be about 20x as efficient as traditional chips. As more and more industries shift towards AI technology, Nvidia has supported multiple companies across the globe to uplift their communities. In the healthcare technology  industry, for example, Nvidia has offered its services to create AI models for healthcare services including prescription drug creation, screenings, and medical imaging. In partnership with Amazon Web Services, Nvidia’s AI Enterprise has increased its services to a variety of healthcare and life science companies across the industry to promote healthcare innovation. Due to its efficacy and efficiency, this initiative will speed up drug development across industries. A-Alpha Bio, a large biotechnology firm experienced a 10x efficiency in their engineering of protein samples.  Avocados are a tremendously popular food,  known for their numerous health benefits and nutritional value; however, a significant number of avocado pits end up being thrown out which further contributes to global food waste. Bioengineering company, Biofase  has made impressive strides in creating plastics from avocado seeds and reducing food waste. Traditionally, bioplastics are created from corn or potato-based grains. The Mexico-based company was founded by Scott Munguia in 2013 and has developed a technology that uses avocado pits to create 100% compostable and biodegradable utensils called Biocom compostables.  The technology uses the biopolymer from the pits called polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) elements to replace traditional plastic consumption in the form of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Beginning in the production process, the avocado pits are cleaned and then converted to biopolymer plastic. They are then mixed with organic compounds and transformed into a resin that builds their heat tolerance. Their other offering includes a Biocom Hybrid product which is made up of about 60% composted vegetable matter. Since the creation of Biofase, they have been awarded numerous times including the 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 Latin America award, FRISA Award for Entrepreneurial Development, and the 2012 Cleantech Challenge. In an industry where sustainability is just as important, Alleyoop  is a cosmetic and wellness brand that offers products ranging from body care, to makeup brushes, and makeup pens. Founded in 2019, the company has received multiple awards from Elle and Allure magazine due to its cleaner ingredients free of parabens, aluminum, and latex. Their sustainability model  prides itself on its “multifunctional” designed packaging which reduces the need for multiple items because the products and tools needed for a makeup object are already included in the design. Not only is their packaging locally and sustainably sourced, but it also uses far less land, water, and energy sources to create their packaging in the first place. Alleyoop has committed itself to net-zero plastic packaging and has reused about 21,000 lbs of plastic found in the ocean. To top it all off, all of Alleyoop’s products are vegan and cruelty-free to promote its dedication to preserving life and natural resources.   Social Responsibility and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sodexo, a French food and merchandise company founded in 1966 has won numerous awards for its gender-based DEI initiatives in the workplace. Serving over 100 million customers on a daily basis, the company was given a perfect disability equality index score, named Forbes’ 2022 best employer for diversity, Seramount’s best company for multicultural-identifying women, and Employer of the Year by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. The company continues to spearhead the DEI space through representation, inclusivity, and educational training . About 60% of the board of directors, 29% of its executive governing committee members, and over 55% of its total staff are women. Thousands of their company leaders and managers participate in DEI training annually. Swiss-based company, Novartis  is one of the leading global pharmaceutical companies in the world. Novartis strives to include historically underrepresented voices in the world of medicine and has been awarded for its gender equality and LGBTQ+ employment efforts. It was included in Bloomberg’s 2023 Gender Equality Index and awarded Stonewalls’ Top Global Employer in 2022. Novartis employees can join numerous Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to receive support and create bonds with those of similar backgrounds, interests, and perspectives. To impact underserved communities, it announced a 10-year-long partnership with over 25 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country  to mitigate the ongoing impacts of healthcare disparities. As the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbates these impacts, Novartis aims to increase diversity “among trial participants…clinical trial investigators, medical school students, and physicians.” Novartis will support the education of future Black healthcare providers through mentorship in collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and by establishing Digitally Enabled Clinical Trial Centers for Excellence to increase racial diversity in medical trials which can be incorporated into textbooks and future studies. Are you looking to implement sustainable best practices in your operations? CBE's high-impact focus on sustainability, technology, and life sciences allows us to deliver research-driven solutions catered to the needs of our clients. If you would like to learn more about how CBE could work with your organization, contact us at info@harvardcbe.com  or by navigating to the Contact page of our website.

By Isis Rodriguez ‘27 Last spring, a team of CBE members partnered with Brothers Building A Better Nation  (BBABN), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young Black and Latino men in the Newark area meet all of their needs, thrive, and succeed. The CBE team delivered recommendations for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) the nonprofit can use to continue to develop their growing financial and organizational practices to maintain transparency and accountability both internally and to external funding and community partners. In working with Brothers Building a Better Nation, the CBE team was able to gain key insights into the unique challenges and research techniques of nonprofit KPI development, ultimately helping BBABN develop KPIs that uniquely support their financial and organizational development. KPIs for Nonprofit Versus For-Profit Organizations CBE team members underscore that nonprofit and for-profit organizations have very different motivations which greatly impact how KPI research was both researched and presented to the client. Analyst Joseph Price ‘27,  found in his research process that there was a much larger emphasis on qualitative KPI development for BBABN, especially given the vast community-driven programs the nonprofit runs, including mentorship and harm reduction. He stated that nonprofits are “like businesses that [do] charitable things” and that while for-profit organizations focus on KPIs catered towards revenue, nonprofit KPIs have the objective of “maximizing impact” on their designated community. Thus, in Joseph’s research process, he largely focused on putting himself in the place of the young men of color BBABN serves, asking himself what kinds of programs he would look for, and subsequently discovering whether data largely supported his feelings and devising plans and KPI metrics accordingly. Case Team Lead Theresa Huang ‘26  shared a similar sentiment. “There is a difference,” she stated. “Nonprofits are geared more towards the community whereas for-profit organizations tend to be more revenue driven.” However, regardless of motivation, Theresa notes that “analysis largely remains the same” and the main aspect of research and final deliverables that changes is the language used to present, which more accurately reflects the different goals of each type of organization. She gave the example of “competitive analysis” for a for-profit organization, a term that becomes “nonprofit comparison” in the nonprofit context. Research for this case and its deliverables aligned more with qualitative, community-based goals outlined in conversations with the client — a departure from our research for for-profit organizations that often centers around maximizing profitability and ROI for continued operations. The Major Challenge A large challenge of working with nonprofits like BBABN is devising strategies around BBABN’s limited financial resources.  BBABN founder and leader Quadeer Porter  agrees that nonprofits like his are very community focused. His organization and others like it — nonprofits born out of the pandemic and not bringing in steady streams of income — face issues defining boundaries of the limits of the organization's powers within the community. Porter outlines that BBABN helps as many people as possible. However, the nonprofit’s stream of funding, which comes from donations, is no match for the power of the income stream of for-profit organizations with clientele who buy into the organization both literally and figuratively, and with investors that supplement and support major spending ventures. As such, nonprofits face a double burden of heightened responsibility to those they serve without all the necessary financial resources to always comfortably and adequately serve them.  Our Solutions To bridge the gap between financial limitations and maximized community impact, Theresa and Joseph stress, per Theresa’s words, “balancing the quantitative and qualitative metrics.” Although nonprofit KPI metrics are often largely qualitative, the research to create them is not much different from the research involved in developing quantitative KPIs for for-profit organizations. Thus, being intentional about quantitative KPI development in the research process proves to be a powerful way for nonprofit organizations to have a variety of metrics measuring the strength of the relationship between the nonprofit and the communities served against the internal financial organization of the nonprofit. For BBABN, it was important to remain creative in the KPI development process, as the increased financial burden of nonprofits affects the feasibility of any solutions a case team may devise. Joseph reflected that the limited resources of the nonprofit sector forced him to think more “creatively” about affordable programming BBABN could implement for increased public exposure in community and donor sectors. Joseph also got creative with affordable technology for KPI data collection, so that BBABN could have all the necessary financial and programming data continuously. Theresa encourages nonprofits, especially those founded more recently, to build up data before launching the organization into the games of comparison with other nonprofits. As the nonprofit establishes its niche, the KPI sample data taken in the short term may no longer be an accurate data set for the nonprofit’s newfound long-term plans. This conflict necessitates a reframing of the KPIs, as well as a restructuring of data collection and data analysis metrics. Critically, by advising both long-term and short-term flexibility around their KPIs and developing key metrics to gauge success, CBE helped ensure that BBABN can adapt to the ever-changing needs of the community they serve in a sustainable manner going forward. Are you looking for a personalized approach to measuring organizational outcomes through creative KPI development? CBE is committed to delivering thoroughly researched, high-impact solutions catered to the needs of our clients. If you would like to learn more about how CBE could work with your organization, contact us at info@harvardcbe.com or by navigating to the Contact page of our website.

By Jordan Chan ‘27 Although HUCBE is a professional consulting organization providing real-world clients with valuable research and recommendations, our members also participate in community initiatives beyond our casework. One of our fundamental goals is to create a meaningful impact by giving back to the community — through initiatives such as Boston Public School scholarships, our Ventures competition, sustainability grants, pro-bono work, and a series of volunteering events in the Greater Boston area.  Volunteerism can boost productivity and member engagement within organizations, and CBE is no exception. CBE members get to know each other not just as colleagues, but also as friends by contributing to community service projects together. Furthermore, volunteering with people with a variety of experiences and opinions helps our members produce work that keeps the full range and diversity of people it may impact close to mind. This broad perspective is beneficial when we work with larger clients whose high-level operations may have consequences for individuals in ways that may not seem as salient in, for example, a statement of work. In this way, volunteering in our community is about more than just the organizations we benefit — it is about incorporating a deeper purpose into all of the work we do. Here’s a recap of a few of the exciting volunteering events CBE members participated in during the Spring 2024 semester! Harvard University Dining Services Heat-N-Eats Program Seven CBE members did not have to travel far to make a difference this semester, going to Harvard’s very own Annenberg dining hall to package meals for food-insecure individuals in the surrounding Cambridge area through the Heat-N-Eats Program . These microwaveable meals — containing a balanced mix of proteins, rice or grains, and vegetables that did not get consumed during meal service — are donated to local residential hotels and shelters that lack the capacity to prepare healthy food for residents on site. The program rescues food that would have otherwise gone to waste, meaning it has environmental benefits as well as humanitarian ones. Director of Sourcing Audrey Zhang ‘26 , who participated in Heat-N-Eats with CBE this semester, mentioned how she would often see leftover food at the end of meal service and wonder where it all went. “I didn’t think they would just throw it all away,” she explained, “but being able to see behind the scenes…and help out with packaging made me really see how [the Harvard University Dining Services] is doing something tangible.” It also “opened [her] eyes to just how much food is left over.” Audrey recalled that she and her team of volunteers formed an assembly line, scooping items like leftover grains into bags and meal boxes, then packaging them with saran wrap. She is grateful that CBE community initiatives help her get off campus and engage with the community, expressing that community is “a very important value that we want to make sure all of our members, including future members, take to heart.” Friday Night Supper Program CBE members helped provide nutritious three-course meals to individuals in need in the Greater Boston area through the Friday Night Supper Program (FNSP) . According to the FNSP website, they are “one of the longest running supper programs in Boston” and have served dinner to people experiencing homelessness or poverty every Friday evening since 1984. Speaking to why her experiences at FNSP were particularly meaningful, Analyst Jeeya Patel ‘27 emphasized how “being able to work in a soup kitchen has a very direct impact on people who are homeless or who just maybe can’t afford a meal that day.” She “learned a lot…and met a lot of different people” during the several hours that she spent in Arlington Street Church washing and drying dishes, assisting with wrap-up, and maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen and eating areas. Other volunteers helped serve the food and check in on people coming in for a meal.  Jeeya also underscored the importance of community service events in CBE. “People looking at a CBE…will see that we work with multi-billion dollar clients,” she explained. “It’s really good to bring everyone…back to the real world.” Reflecting shared sentiments across the CBE community, she also stressed the importance of humility: “No one gets into Harvard just by their own merits. I think it takes a village to raise someone; it’s really important to give back to the community in whatever way you can.”  Harvard Habitat for Humanity For the next featured volunteering event, Managing Director Joey Liu ‘26 and her fellow members put on their hard hats and tool belts. After a shuttle ride and safety brief from their supervisors with Harvard's chapter of Habitat for Humanity , they stepped onto an active construction site to combat housing insecurity by building a brand-new multi-family house, complete with individual kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms. This all-day event kept everyone busy; some members helped install the house’s insulation, while others assisted with cutting and nailing down planks of wood. Building safe and affordable homes like this one is how Habitat for Humanity, a global nonprofit organization, fulfills their vision of  “a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” Reflecting on her experiences, Joey appreciated how hands-on this community service event was. She and other CBE members directly contributed to a project that would give other kids “the opportunity to be protected, have a better childhood, and [gain] the ability to…make a better life for themselves.” As Harvard students, “we are always exposed to the [homeless] community,” Joey mentioned. Housing insecurity “is something I always wished I could help out with.” She added that, after participating, she gained a newfound respect for the work that employees of Habitat for Humanity and similar organizations commit to in the long term. From the moment Joey joined CBE, she has been particularly proud of the organization’s continued commitment to volunteerism. She admitted that being a student at Harvard can be stressful and hectic, so she is grateful that, through CBE, she and other members can take a step back, reconnect with their fundamental values, and use “resources and human capital to really try and make a difference in the community — in whatever way, shape, or form that we can.” CBE is committed to further bolstering community initiatives to maximize our positive impact on those around us as we move into another semester of hard work. If you would like to read more about what CBE is doing to give back, check out our giving report at hucbe.org/impact  or by navigating to the Impact page of our website.