University at Buffalo School of Management

For Cam Hotto, co-founding the School of Management's only student organization focused on sustainability is the culmination of many life experiences. Growing up outside of Rochester, Hotto, BS '22, observed how suburban sprawl eliminated many open spaces within his rural community. Today, near his family's Lake Ontario cottage, fish are harder to find, and plastics and other debris oen litter the beach. "I saw how my actions could directly affect the surrounding ecol- ogy," Hotto says. "Now, I want to be part of the solution. Everything I've done here at UB has been focused on either renewable energy or sustainability— and that's really where I want to align my career path." Last year, alongside fellow School of Management undergrad Max Schynoll, Hotto created the UB Sustainable Business Association (SBA), a student club that aims to educate members of the UB commu- nity about the importance of sustainability in the business world. "Many companies today are taking climate change and sustainability seriously," Hotto says. "And, as the issue has exploded over the past few years, we noticed many students were interested in it as well." While other UB student clubs address sustainabil- ity, none look at the issue through the business world— where market shis, consumer demand and the growing climate crisis have transformed sustainability from a "nice to-do" into a key pillar of strategy and operations for many organizations. "Companies absolutely realize these trends are happen- ing, and if they're not adjusting to them, they're not going to last," says Robert Siegel, a senior studying business admin- istration, who serves as vice president of SBA. "One of the biggest things I picked up from a lot of our speakers is that individuals in the market are really pushing this trend—not government bodies." As organizations recognize the imperative of sustain- ability, that shi is creating career opportunities for like- minded students. Last spring, for example, Hotto completed a business development internship at thinkPARALLAX, a strategy and communications agency that specializes in envi- ronmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Meanwhile, Siegel served as an impact investing intern at FLIT Invest, a fintech startup that helps users make a positive environmen- tal and social impact with their investments. "Sustainability can really be implemented into all differ- ent areas of business," Hotto says. "Having professionals speak to our club and break down where you can take your sustainability career has been really helpful." So far, SBA has hosted an array of speakers, both in person and virtually, including Ryan McPherson, chief 14 Buffalo Business Autumn 2022 Seeing green A NEW SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT STUDENT CLUB HIGHLIGHTS THE BUSINESS VALUE OF SUSTAINABILITY BY M AT T H E W B I D D L E

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