YB Kim is graduating from Harvard Business School in May 2026 with his Master of Business Administration (MBA). During his time at Harvard, YB became involved in campus sustainability initiatives and programs, including the Office for Sustainability’s Student Sustainability Associates (SSA) at HBS. Learn more about YB’s experience at Harvard.
Why did you join the Student Sustainability Associates at HBS?
Coming into HBS, my career had already orbited the energy transition — first as an operator at LG Energy Solutions, a renewable solutions and energy storage company, and then in an advisory role in consulting at BCG, focusing on climate and sustainability topics. However, I wanted to find a way to engage with sustainability outside of the professional world and also inside my community. SSA felt like the right place to do that. It was a chance to translate something I cared about professionally into everyday campus life, and to be part of a group of students actively pushing HBS toward being a more sustainable institution.
What is your best memory working in sustainability at Harvard?
Without question, it was running the monthly sustainability challenges with my section mates and the broader student body. Each month brought a different theme — a recycling challenge, a vegan food challenge, and so on — and turning sustainability into a bit of friendly competition between sections was genuinely fun. It was also one of the most effective tools we had: people who might never attend a sustainability event would still trash-talk their classmates over compost bins or swap vegan lunch recommendations. Those campaigns built awareness, sparked habits, and made sustainability feel like a shared project rather than a lecture.
What other sustainability experiences did you have at Harvard and beyond?
I tried to take advantage of as much as I could. I participated in several Short Intensive Programs (SIPs) focused on climate change, which gave me a strong foundation across policy, science, and finance. Over my Elective Curriculum (EC) year, I interned in climate change adaptation and resilience, and I also completed an Independent Project on the sourcing function for a growth equity firm, which gave me the chance to apply classroom frameworks to real diligence work in climate tech. Gunnar Trumbull, the Phillip Caldwell Professor of Business Administration at HBS, was particularly generous with his time and guidance on that project, and I’m grateful for it.
What were the most inspiring sustainability topics you learned about?
The highlight for me was an energy class taught by Dustin Tingley, the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and Government at HKS, especially the field trip to the Blackstone steam plant that Harvard owns and operates right across the street. Seeing the infrastructure up close — the pipes, the heating loops, the steam and gas systems — and understanding how it all works in tandem to power the campus completely reframed how I think about decarbonization. It’s one thing to talk about energy transition abstractly; it’s another to stand inside the system that heats your classroom and see exactly where the emissions, constraints, and opportunities live.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ll be heading back to consulting, joining BCG’s Climate and Sustainability practice in New York. Longer term, I’m seriously considering a move into investing — specifically in climate and sustainable infrastructure — where I can combine my finance background with the climate work I’ve built around at HBS. Wherever I land, I want to stay close to the capital that’s actually moving the energy transition forward.
What advice would you give to incoming students?
Make sure to be integrated and involved with the many resources and organizations related to sustainability outside of just HBS! There are so many talented individuals and organizations — such as the Salata Institute for Climate & Sustainability, the Business & Environment Initiative (BEI), and the Office for Sustainability — that bring together like-minded people with shared interests in sustainability.
Commencement 2026: Student Sustainability Spotlights
As the academic year comes to a close, the Harvard Office for Sustainability (OFS) is proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our graduating student sustainability leaders. These dedicated students have been instrumental in advancing Harvard’s sustainability goals through their participation in programs including the Council of Student Sustainability Leaders (CSSL), the Student Sustainability Associates (SSAs) at Harvard Business School, and other student programming at Harvard.
