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| [ Climate Week NYC ] |
Next-Gen Sustainability - Skills For Whats Next
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| With Curtis Probst (CEO, NYC Energy Efficiency Corp), James Ossman (VP Customer Ops, Etsy), Steven Cohen (Dir., Columbia Climate School), Zachary Suttile (Dir., E3 Climate Pathways). |
| Columbia Pulitzer Hall, 2950 Broadway |
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Sep 24 (Wed) , 2025 @ 06:00 PM
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FREE |
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/-73.96363068,40.80763245,13,0,0/550x200?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiZ2FyeXNndWlkZSIsImEiOiJjamtobmRiYmgwb3gwM3F1a2o2Mmd0YWw3In0.DinA62CR3-OKtf3axa5O7Q)
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| DETAILS |
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Climate challenges, shifting policies, & economic uncertainty are reshaping the sustainability industry domestically & internationally. Join the Research Program on Sustainability Policy & Management, the M.S. in Sustainability Management program, the M.S. in Sustainability Science program, & the MPA in Environmental Science & Policy program as we bring together leaders from academia, finance, energy, consulting, fashion, tech, & more to discuss the abilities, skills, & knowledge individuals need to enter, thrive, & remain relevant in the sustainability space.
SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS:
Welcome notes:
Steven Cohen is the Director of the Research Program on Sustainability Policy & Management at Columbia's Climate School. He is a Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs at the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA), the Senior Vice Dean at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS), & the Program Director of the M.S. in Sustainability Management program at SPS & the MPA in Environmental Science & Policy program at SIPA. From 2006 to 2018, he was the Executive Director of Columbia University's Earth Institute.
Moderator:
Satyajit Bose is the Associate Director of the Research Program on Sustainability Policy & Management at Columbia's Climate School & Professor of Professional Practice in the M.S. in Sustainability Management program at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS).
Panel:
James Ossman serves as Vice President of Customer Operations at Etsy, where he oversees Customer Support, Trust & Safety, & the International business. James previously held progressive senior leadership roles at Etsy, including overseeing marketplace sustainability initiatives, strategic sourcing, & workplace. Before joining Etsy, James had a distinguished career in international development & operations management, working at The Earth Institute, Columbia University & in several non-profit organizations. An advocate for social & environmental impact, he's an active member of several prestigious boards & institutions, including the Advisory Board for Columbia's MS in Sustainability Management Program, the Aspen Institute's First Mover Fellowship, & the Partnership for NYC's David Rockefeller Fellowship. James holds a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University & a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from The George Washington University.
Curtis Probst is CEO of New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation: a public-private-philanthropic partnership that finances energy efficiency & clean energy projects in the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic regions. Before joining NYCEEC in 2018, he was a Managing Director & the Head of Sustainable Finance for RMI, a global energy think tank. Prior to joining RMI, Curtis was a Managing Director & the Head of Corporate Structured Finance at Goldman Sachs where he worked for over 15 years. Before joining Goldman Sachs, Curtis worked at Salomon Brothers for over 8 years, most recently as a Vice President in their Structured & Project Finance Group. Curtis has served as an adjunct lecturer at Columbia University for ten years, & has also conducted seminars at Dartmouth College since 2022. Curtis received a BComm from University of Calgary, an MPA from Columbia University, an EdD from University of Pennsylvania, & is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Celine Ruben-Salama teaches Corporate Sustainability Reporting & Strategy in the MS Sustainability Management program at Columbia University & is the Founder & Principal of FOR THE LONG-TERM a corporate sustainability consultancy. She is a business strategist with 20+ years of professional experience focused on long-term value creation through innovation, risk reduction, efficiency, & long-term oriented sustainability planning, & implementation. Specializing in corporate sustainability, with a focus on climate change, & carbon accounting, past & current clients include Fortune 100 companies in Financial Services, Real Estate, Retail, Pharmaceutical, Water Utilities, Food Processing & Distribution, Marketing & PR industries, public sector institutions (NYSERDA, U.S. EPA), non-profit organizations/NGOs (SASB & the UN).
Zachary Suttile is a Director in E3's Climate Pathways & Electrification practice, where his work covers all sectors of the energy economy to evaluate the potential & impact of climate solutions. He has nearly 20 years of research, analysis, consulting, & program implementation experience at the intersection of climate policy, environmental risk, & the built environment. He focuses on practical solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions & pollution, deliver bankable energy & operational savings, increase resiliency, & capture the full benefit of established & emerging markets. In recent years, Zak led two major planning efforts with the City of New York: PowerUp NYC, the City's first long-term energy plan, & the Local Law 97 Implementation Action Plan, which set forth a path to LL97 compliance across city government operations.
Zak joined E3 from Willdan, E3's parent company, where he was the Vice President of Corporate Business Development in Willdan's Lower Manhattan office. He began his career in environmental risk management for a boutique consultancy in New Jersey. He holds an MPA in Environmental Science & Policy from Columbia University's School of International & Public Affairs, & a BA with Distinction in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
View the event program here.
If you're unable to attend the event, but would like to watch the recording, please complete this form.
Thinking about a future in sustainability? Join Columbia University's M.S. in Sustainability Management for a special panel workshop series, Workshops in Sustainability Career Paths & Curriculum, where alumni share which courses had the biggest impact on their careers - & why. Click here for more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/columbia-sustainability-graduate-programs-71085911383
RECEPTION
The event will conclude with a reception featuring light refreshments, passed hors d'oeuvres, & opportunities to connect.
This event is free & open to the public. While the event is currently at capacity, if you would like to attend, please join the waitlist; you will receive an email with an official ticket as seats become available. The waitlist will close on Friday, September 19th, 2025.
For more information, please contact Tal Henig-Hadar, thenig-hadar@climate.columbia.edu.
To obtain additional information about program offerings at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies, please contact an Admissions Counselor at inquire@sps.columbia.edu.
If you require closed captioning, sign-language interpretation, or any other disability accommodations, please contact Disability Services, disability@columbia.edu, at least 10 days in advance.
Please visit Columbia University's Hub for Emergency Preparedness (https://preparedness.columbia.edu/) to stay up to date on the latest campus health & safety policies.
This event is open to individuals irrespective of identity & sex.
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