Capital for change: Creating sustainable solutions

Starting business school is a whirlwind of new faces, fresh ideas and endless possibilities, and for Ellie Bentley ’27 Two-Year MBA, the first couple of months have been nothing short of transformative. From diving into Social Impact and Sustainability Days (SISDays) to joining clubs that align with her passion for climate and food systems, Bentley is making the most of the experiences and opportunities that Kellogg offers to deepen her expertise.

Here, she shares more about her participation in this year’s SISDays, what drives her interest in sustainable investing and how she plans to share her MBA experience around social impact and innovation. 

Congrats on starting at Kellogg! What three words or phrase would capture your capture experience thus far? 

Ellie: Three words I would use to capture my experience thus far:

• Exhilarating: There are countless opportunities at Kellogg to continue to learn and explore. It has been energizing to share these experiences with such driven and motivating classmates.
• Collaborative: Even before classes formally began, there were so many opportunities for collaboration. It is clear that everyone values teamwork and goes out of their way to support one another.
• Community: When applying to Kellogg, I heard about the welcoming, diverse and inspiring community. This has held true since the moment I walked on campus, and it has been so fun to be able to contribute to this community through the clubs, events and traditions that make Kellogg so special.  

Can you share a bit about your background in social impact and sustainability? What drew you to this space originally?

Ellie: Prior to Kellogg, I worked at Cambridge Associates on the Sustainable and Impact Investing team, where I underwrote and allocated capital to leading impact investment funds across asset classes and themes, including climate solutions, food and agriculture, ocean health, affordable housing and healthcare.

I was drawn to the space after recognizing the power of capital to solve the world’s largest challenges and using investment decisions as a lever to scale sustainable solutions and drive change.

You were able to kick off your MBA journey a little earlier than your peers through SISDays, a pre-program experience. What moments or sessions stood out most to you, and why? 

Ellie: I couldn’t think of a better way to have kicked off my Kellogg experience than with the SISDays. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage with future classmates who share my passion for social impact and sustainability, while learning from inspiring professors and speakers.  

The two days were packed with educational programming from industry experts across several impact themes, including healthcare access and affordability, climate solutions, education equity and corporate innovation for impact, as well as an incredible alumni keynote speech.  

My favorite part of the two days was the pitch competition, where we had the chance to work in small teams to apply our learnings and develop a solution to a pressing social impact or sustainability challenge. I loved hearing everyone’s ideas, and I left feeling incredibly motivated to make a difference during my time at Kellogg and beyond.  

Did SISD help you identify new areas of interest or clarify your goals for your time at Kellogg? 

Ellie: I am passionate about the food and agriculture industry! Through my personal and professional experiences, I’ve learned about the challenges in the global food system and its link to climate change. After graduating from Kellogg, I hope to pivot my career to be more directly involved in this space. Through SISDays, I was able to expand my thinking and broaden my perspectives on the ways I could contribute to solutions, whether through investing, operating or innovating within food companies. 

What skills or knowledge areas are you most eager to build during your MBA to support your impact goals? 

Ellie: While I am eager to gain management exposure across disciplines through the school’s curriculum, I am excited by the flexibility to tailor my coursework to deepen my financial analysis and corporate strategy skills, as well as explore current thinking and frameworks at the intersection of climate solutions and food systems.  

Are there particular clubs, courses or initiatives you’re excited to get involved with? 

Ellie: Kellogg offers an incredible breadth of clubs, courses and initiatives — some of which were previewed during the SISDays. I am currently a first-year director of the Kellogg Food and Agribusiness Club, as well as the Kellogg Energy and Sustainability Club.  

Through my involvement, I am looking forward to organizing speaker panels and other events to facilitate knowledge sharing in the food and climate spaces. I’m also excited to engage in other innovative sustainability offerings, such as the Food and Agriculture VC Investment Case competition and Kellogg’s Climate Conference, as well as experiential learning opportunities like VC Lab.  

Read next: Leading for impact and shaping the future of climate action

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Kellogg School of Management or Northwestern University.