A New Generation of Climate Careers: Leading Change As a Young Professional

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Net Impact and Fordham University's Responsible Business Center at the Gabelli School of Business, in partnership with The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., invite you to join us for A New Generation of Climate Careers: Leading Change as a Young Professional to gain valuable insights from the experiences of emerging leaders working across the climate space during Climate Week NYC. Join us at The Nest Climate Campus at The Javits Center on Thursday, September 26th, from 2-4:00 pm ET to hear from leaders from multiple sectors working every day to advance climate action. We hope you can join us for the session, followed by networking with other emerging and established professionals interested in climate.

Registering for our event will unlock 3-day access to all public events at The Nest Climate Campus!

Can’t Make it in-person? Register for the Virtual Event.

Net Impact is proud to be the next-gen hub at The Nest Climate Campus! Whether you’re an emerging professional who is interested in a career in sustainability, a professional making a career pivot into sustainability, or an enthusiastic supporter of careers in responsible business, we hope you’ll join us for this enlightening event and opportunity to connect with your peers.

Participants will walk away with:

A window of understanding into the mosaic of climate jobs and how they differ across organizational contexts
Personal insights from climate professionals about the challenges they’ve navigated and the successes they’ve won working on climate projects
Examples of how climate action can be applied in any role, even those that don’t explicitly focus on impact or sustainability
Connections with other emerging professionals who are in attendance at Climate Week NYC

Event Agenda

Fireside Chat featuring Net Impact CEO Karen Y. Johns and The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. Vice President of Sustainability Al Iannuzzi
Panel discussion featuring emerging climate professionals
Networking

Who Should Attend?

Students, professionals, and enthusiasts who are interested in a career in climate
Faculty, administrators, and professionals who are interested in supporting the climate career space

Karen Johns

CEO, Net Impact

Karen Johns is the Chief Executive Officer of Net Impact. Karen is a seasoned professional in the educational and nonprofit arena, with expertise in strategic planning, engaging diverse communities in philanthropy, diverse workforce strategy, and fund development to help institutions build more effective organizations. Karen joined Net Impact after a tenure as National Director for A Better Chance and serving as the President of the Johns Group, a consultancy specializing in nonprofit management and social business development in the US and the Caribbean. A graduate of Tufts University, Karen is founder of the Tufts Black Alumni Association and remains an active alumnae. Karen is a native of Jamaica and serves in an advisory capacity with several Caribbean-based organizations

Al Iannuzzi

Vice President Sustainability, Global Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Al Iannuzzi is Vice President, Sustainability, at The Estée Lauder Companies, where he directs enterprise-wide sustainability strategy, goals, and objectives. He oversees climate and energy, building operations, and product sustainability programs and supports brands with their sustainability initiatives. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University, Purdue University, where he teaches Product Improvement and Sustainability. Al has more than 35 years’ experience in the Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability field. Prior to working at The Estée Lauder Companies, he worked for Johnson & Johnson, where he led Design for the Environment and Green Marketing programs and developed sustainability strategies for Consumer Product, Medical Device and Pharmaceutical sectors. He served as the chief architect of the Earthwards® greener product development program. He has also worked as an environmental consultant and as a regulator for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Al has authored four books, including his latest, the third edition of Greener Products: The Making & Marketing of Sustainable Brands (2024), and has written numerous articles on sustainability and product stewardship.

Leigh Anne Statuto

Executive Director,The Responsible Business Center at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business

Leigh Anne Statuto is the Executive Director of the Responsible Business Center at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. With a BA in Urban Studies from Fordham University and an MBA in Sustainability from Bard College, Leigh Anne has cultivated a diverse career spanning non-profit management, landscape architecture, sustainable food systems, and sustainability education. At the Responsible Business Center, Leigh Anne engages corporate partners, leads sustainability-linked initiatives, and drives thought leadership and strategic development. Her work includes guiding research into the intersection of business and sustainability while fostering impactful partnerships that prioritize long-term environmental and social responsibility. A pivotal part of her role at the Responsible Business Center is nurturing the next generation of leaders. She fosters a culture of sustainability-focused learning and innovation among students, guiding them to explore leadership roles in organizations committed to environmental stewardship and social equity.

Michelle Mueller Gamez

Climate Resilience & Sustainability Analyst/ Strategist, Central Park Conservancy

Michelle is a climate resilience and sustainability analyst and strategist with expertise in infrastructure, the built environment, and nature-based solutions. At Central Park Conservancy, she leads research on how the changing climate impacts the landscape and drives action for adaptation and decarbonization. She is committed to fostering thriving environments for people and nature. She holds a Master's in Urban Planning, Environmental Policy, and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Michelle upskilled with Voiz Academy through the Decarbonization Analyst and Design Your Climate Career.

Ashley Wei

Associate, Climate, The Estée Lauder Companies

Ashley Wei is an Associate, Climate at The Estée Lauder Companies, where she sits within the Global Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability team. She helps oversee the company’s annual greenhouse gas inventory, which is a crucial part of reporting externally and internally. Prior to joining The Estée Lauder Companies, Ashley studied at Fordham University where she graduated with a major in Global Business, Digital Media and Technology and a minor in Sustainable Business.

Alexandria Lee

Strategy Manager, Retail Sustainability

Alexandria (Alex) Lee is a New York-based retail sustainability strategist with experience across responsible supply chain, sustainable products, and ESG data management. At Accenture, she leads the North America Retail & Sustainability interlock, where she focuses on fostering a community of practitioners, building business development, delivering sustainability strategy projects for clients across fashion, food, and beauty, and contributing to thought leadership pieces (including the 2024 edition of Scaling Sustainability Solutions in Fashion). Helping all players across the retail value chain – brands, retailers, and suppliers – embed sustainability into their ethos and tap into the power of responsible and profitable business has been her career north star. Prior to Accenture, she worked at retailers like Macy’s, Gap, and PVH. Outside of work, you can find Alex running, getting into her next crafting project, failing miserably (yet persisting) at keeping her plants alive, or reading. She earned her M.Sc. Sustainability Management from Columbia University and her B.Sc. Supply Chain Management & Marketing from Syracuse University – and she’s a proud Net Impact alumna!