Jillian Brown, MBA '24

Jillian Brown, MBA ’24, always dreamed of a career where she could make a real difference in the world. For most of her life, she planned to do that through politics. But when she pursued her dream of interning for a U.S. senator during her undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota, she realized that her goals and her governmental path weren’t entirely aligned.

“I knew I wanted to make change, and I thought that the best way to do that would be in government, where I could help set policy and whatnot. But I realized I'm just way too type A, and I was like, I wanna get stuff done right now. And in politics, that's not necessarily up to you alone. So, I decided that I wanted to find something where I could be more of a decision-maker,” Jillian said. 

On a mission to build a better world through business

Jillian felt she could make the most impactful change through business. During her undergraduate studies, she found a passion for sustainability and knew that business would be a crucial avenue for change in that area.

After graduation, Jillian worked in consulting for several years before eventually deciding to pursue her passion by getting an MBA. Since working in sustainability was important to her, she looked exclusively at business schools that had strong environmental dual degree programs.

She researched and toured three programs, but the one she loved most was the Erb Institute at U-M. Erb, a dual-degree collaboration between the Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability, was a perfect fit for what she wanted to achieve. 

The Erb program especially was really unique to me because Erb actually has this community built into it. Not a lot of the other schools or programs have that kind of umbrella, and so that's just another factor that really made me feel like this was a place that I could see myself and give back to and feel supported by. It is a real community that has your back.

The three-year MBA/MS program would provide the tools to lead confidently, navigate change, and address complicated topics like social sustainability, corporate responsibility, and energy politics. In addition to the program’s curricular strengths, Jillian says that the school’s collaborative culture was also a big draw — so she applied and was accepted into the Class of 2024.

“I'm so glad that Michigan worked out for me because I think it was truly just the best fit. It obviously is a top MBA program, plus a renowned environmental school, but more than that, I think what really brought me here was the collaborative nature and the culture,” Jillian explained. “I would not thrive in a cutthroat environment, and I think Michigan Ross just does such a good job in making everything so collaborative and welcoming.”

Exploring different areas of sustainability

As an Erb student, Jillian got the opportunity to expand on her existing business knowledge and build a new foundation in sustainability and environmental science. Coming into the program, she hoped to pivot her career into the food and agriculture industry but decided to utilize her internships to explore as many options as possible.

“One of the huge benefits of doing a dual degree with Erb is that you get two internships, which is truly a blessing; I highly recommend it,” Jillian said. “You get more opportunities to try new things and weed out experiences that might not be for you.”

Through her internships with various companies and her Multidisciplinary Action Project with Brown-Forman Corp., Jillian explored the many different ways she could utilize her new skills in the workplace, hoping to find the path that would be most fulfilling for her.

“I worked for a food and agriculture startup doing cool things with food waste and food production, and then I was able to do greenhouse gas accounting for Meijer Inc.,” Jillian said. “I started to collect these experiences that allowed me to see different points on the value chain, so then, not only do I have all these experiences, but I also know where I get excited to do work.”

Looking to the future

After graduation, Jillian will work at consumer packaged goods company Danone, where she is excited to put her sustainability expertise to use as an associate brand manager. Having the chance to innovate on the sustainability practices of such a large brand is something she says is a dream come true and aligns perfectly with her goals.

“I love that Danone is a B corporation, which really ladders up well with the impact I want to make. I’m excited to be working for a company that's not just focused on profits but also people and the planet,” Jillian said.

To prospective students interested in following a career in business and sustainability through the Erb Institute as she did, Jillian offers this advice:

“I would just really encourage people that if you want to make an impact in the world and you really believe in the mission, do it. I don't think you'll regret it. It's such a unique opportunity to deeply learn sustainability at a time when sustainability is such a part of the conversation. This is not minimizing; sustainability will only grow as a topic and a practice. It will be a part of everyone's job. It has to be. So it's a really unique opportunity to get in as it's burgeoning as an industry or a discipline.”