Humans of Haas: Berklee Welsh
Written by Vedika Dayal.
What was your happiest moment at Haas?
Last year, two other students and I authored the first-ever sustainability report for Haas. We worked on the report on our own time, and it involved a lot of us reaching out to different people, since the data about Haas’s energy usage wasn’t compiled in one place yet. My happiest moment was when we finally published it out into the world. We got a letter from the Dean in support of it which was super awesome and it was even covered by Poets and Quants. We kind of figured if companies are expected to be transparent and report about what they’re doing, why is a business school any different?
What’s the best relationship you’ve created at Haas?
I would say it’s a group of relationships. I work at the Center for Responsible Business which is in the Institute for Business and Social Impact at Haas and I currently lead marketing for them. They focus on three areas: sustainable food practices, human rights, and sustainable innovation. They do a lot of programming and bring leaders to Haas to talk about implementing social responsibility into business and making it financially viable. Working there has given me so many opportunities. The people that work there are incredible and have really helped me figure out what kind of companies I want to work for and what kind of change I want to see in my life and career. The relationships and mentors I’ve found there have been really integral to getting me to where I am today.
What’s your favorite class at Haas?
My favorite class at Haas is called Sustainable Business Consulting. When I took it, it was taught by Glen Low and Michael Kobori, who is now the Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks. They were really incredible teachers. We were put into groups and we each worked with a company on a sustainability project they were facing. My team worked with Gap Inc. on making the financial case to their suppliers in Asia about why they should be investing in water-efficient technology. It was such an amazing class and I wish I could take it again.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned here?
The most valuable thing I’ve learned is you have to take ownership for the things you’re interested in. You can’t always wait for a class or club to prompt you. If you’re interested in something, it’s up to you to go for it and seek out opportunities.
