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When four members of the Leeds MBA Alumni Board set out to imagine the future of sustainable business, they didn’t stop at ideas—they created impact. Their collaboration sparked the Women Investing in Sustainability Education (WISE) Fund, a new scholarship for graduate students dedicated to driving sustainability in business.��

Scholarships will support MBA students who demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in business and are actively engaged in student clubs at Leeds, such as Women in Business or the Net Impact Club, said Kristi Ryujin, associate dean for graduate programs.

Leeds connected with WISE founding donors��Nancy Schoemann (MBA’16), Mary Boling (MBA’24), Grace Dennis (MBA’21)��and Hilary Corsi (ChemEngr’11, MBA’18) to learn more.

Why WISE?

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Meet the WISE Founders

Nancy Schoemann (MBA’16)

As an operations leader, Nancy Schoemann champions integrating sustainability into all aspects of business. She has worked at Natural Habitats, an organic palm oil company, and most recently at Optera, a climate-tech startup helping companies measure and reduce GHG emissions.

Mary Boling (MBA’24)

As an associate at the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), Mary Boling specializes in clean energy market analysis and develops resources to help stakeholders better understand and engage with energy markets to advance affordable, reliable, carbon‑free electricity systems worldwide.

Hilary Corsi (ChemEngr’11, MBA’18)

As an applications engineering manager at Water Remediation Technology, Hilary Corsi explores innovative solutions to meet growing water resource needs, particularly through drinking water treatment systems for small and disadvantaged communities.

Grace Dennis (MBA’21)

As impact manager at The Hain Celestial Group, Grace Dennis develops sustainability and social impact strategies for natural and organic food brands. She focuses on responsible sourcing and sustainable packaging.

What inspired the creation of the WISE Scholarship?

Nancy: Leeds’ efforts to create 60 new scholarships for the MBA program’s 60th anniversary initially sparked the idea. As women working in sustainability, we wanted to support students with a similar passion for creating positive change, and we suspected other alumni would also be interested in contributing. None of us were in the position to endow a scholarship individually, but through a collaborative effort we were able to get the fund off the ground. As a scholarship beneficiary during my MBA, I know how impactful financial support can be and I wanted to pay that support forward.

Hilary: Nancy reached out to me about her idea to start a scholarship focusing on women in sustainability. Thinking about how great it would be to be part of an endowed scholarship—I was eager to collaborate.

Was there a moment when you realized this scholarship needed to exist?

Mary: When Nancy first approached me about creating this scholarship, I immediately felt energized by the vision behind it. I have met many alumni who are committed to sustainability and eager to support the next generation, but they are not always sure how to channel that support in a meaningful way. This scholarship provides a clear path—offering both financial relief and a structured way to stay connected to students entering the field. It’s about building lasting relationships between passionate, like-minded students and alumni. To me, that spirit of connection and shared purpose is what Leeds is all about. I am very excited to be a part of this and hope it inspires others to rally around causes they care deeply about.

What WISE supports

What are the qualities you are seeking in scholarship recipients?

Hilary: When making the decision to pursue a graduate degree such as an MBA, it is usually to further one’s career or to make a career pivot. We are particularly interested in MBA students who wish to further pursue or pivot into a sustainability career—either in an alternative energy field or an industry where they are integrating sustainability.

What do you hope this scholarship makes possible for future Leeds students?��

Nancy: I’m hopeful that this scholarship will allow students to pursue careers they are passionate about, rather than feeling forced to take a position to pay off student loans. I also look forward to scholarship recipients connecting with WISE donors to grow their network and explore career opportunities. The vision of WISE is to provide students with both scholarship and mentorship support.��

Grace: I’m hopeful that this scholarship and mentorship opportunities will help students who are passionate about sustainability pursue a field that is not yet as well defined as other common business school pathways. And by supporting students who are underrepresented in the sustainability field, I hope we will empower Leeds students to bring their diverse perspectives to sustainability challenges.

It takes a village

What was it like coming together to launch this scholarship?

Hilary: Nancy did an amazing job leading the charge to get this scholarship off the ground. She put in a lot of time and effort, working with ���� employees, then looped us in on how to proceed. As members of the Leeds MBA Alumni Board, we all look forward to continuing our involvement with Leeds through the WISE scholarship.

Nancy: This wouldn’t be possible without the support of alumni.��We want to extend a huge thank you to those who have already pledged multiyear donations to the scholarship. We also wish to invite anyone interested in joining the WISE giving community to connect with us to learn more.��

How do your different professional backgrounds shape the direction of the fund?

Grace: While we all work on different aspects of sustainability, we all see common challenges. Our diverse perspectives help us understand the current gaps in the industry and how they can be addressed by encouraging more students to enter the field.

Looking ahead

What gaps are you hoping this fund helps address?

Grace: The sustainability field is a very diverse industry with constantly evolving needs. By supporting students, we hope this scholarship will bring more diverse perspectives and innovation into the field to address critical global challenges.

What qualities or mindsets do you believe the next generation of sustainability leaders need most?

Nancy: Integrating sustainability into all aspects of a business is critical. If sustainability exists in a silo at an organization, the ability to influence real change becomes limited. With that in mind, I hope this next generation of MBA students remembers that you don’t need to have “sustainability” in your title to be a sustainability leader. Individuals who are focused on finance, marketing, operations and more can all have a huge impact on sustainability.

Mary: Next-generation sustainability leaders will need both conviction and adaptability. A growth mindset is essential—not only to navigate constant change, but to connect ideas across industries and bring diverse stakeholders together. Because the impact of sustainability efforts is often long-term and not always immediately measurable, leaders must be creative in making the case and patient in building buy-in. At the same time, rapid shifts in policy, markets and technology require agility. Aligning the right people around a shared vision before scaling will be critical to drive lasting, meaningful impact.

What advice would you give to the first WISE scholars?

Grace: The sustainability field is a relatively small and close-knit community full of passionate and inspiring professionals. When beginning a career in sustainability, be sure to prioritize building your network. The relationships I’ve built in the field have been some of the most impactful parts of my career and have shaped who I’ve become as a sustainability professional. Everyone is very collaborative and supportive. When you face challenges in your work, know that you can lean on your peers for support. This work can sometimes feel like a marathon, and it’s important to stick together.

Mary: Relationships will be one of your greatest assets. Seek out conversations and attend events focused on the topics that genuinely interest you. It can feel intimidating to put yourself out there, but that initial discomfort is well worth it. The connections you build and the insights you gain will shape your perspective, open doors, and strengthen your impact over time.