About the ESG Initiative

Jack Auslander is a Junior Research Fellow associated with the Wharton School’s ESG Initiative. His research seeks to understand the mechanisms and magnitudes of ESG actions on firms’ financial performance. Current research projects include understanding the role ESG leadership has on navigating financial distress situations and how ESG investment can impact return on intangible assets. Jack is currently a PhD student in Strategic Management at IESE Business School in Barcelona and holds a master’s in international business from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s in finance and accounting from Clemson University.

As Team Coordinator, Jeremy Berlinski supports the ESG Initiative team in their operations and student programming. Before joining the ESG Initiative, Jeremy completed his BS in Social Innovation and Business Management at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University. He is vehemently passionate about being a part of, and having a positive influence on, the growing community that prioritizes all things related to social responsibility and environmental sustainability. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys staying active, exploring his creativity through different artistic mediums, and going to restaurants.

Michael Brown is the Head of Research at the ESG Initiative, where he manages research on impact investing, corporate responsibility, and social enterprise. His responsibilities include planning studies on the business of social impact, data collection and analysis, synthesizing and disseminating findings, and consulting on impact assessment. Michael came to Wharton from the University of Chicago, where he completed a PhD in Sociology and served as a consultant to nonprofits on Chicago’s South Side. In his spare time Michael enjoys trying to learn how to be handier around the house, with usually mixed results.

Matteo is currently a visiting doctoral researcher at the ESG Initiative, where he investigates the societal outcomes of firm-level sustainability initiatives and strategies. He is pursuing his PhD in Strategy and Sustainability at Imperial College Business School. His work is mainly concerned with modern enterprises’ strategic decisions and behavioural patterns in multiple-goal/multiple-optima scenarios where CSR and sustainability have systemic consequences, especially under uncertainty, bounded rationality, and imperfect information. In his dissertation, he uses machine learning and Bayesian estimation techniques to uncover the learning and evolution processes that define sustainability strategic behaviour. His broader interests cover Strategy, Sustainability, Behavioural Economics, Organisational Theory, Game Theory, Microeconomics, and Machine Learning. Matteo is also part of the core team of the Leonardo research centre at Imperial College, where he contributes to the joint research effort toward mapping corporate sustainability behaviours and performance dimensions.

Ludovica is a visiting doctoral scholar at the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School, where she conducts research exploring the interplay between political polarization and firm strategy in the context of ESG-oriented mutual funds and ETFs. She is currently pursuing her PhD at IESE Business School, delving into the multifaceted effects of the growing political divide on organizations. Specifically, she examines how organizations navigate an increasingly polarized landscape and how ideological and affective polarization might influence critical corporate outcomes, including innovation. Her research also focuses on how businesses in contested and stigmatized categories can thrive in such environments. An engineer by background, Ludovica has previously worked as an operations area manager and a management consultant. In her leisure time, you’ll often find Ludovica at Femtech startup events, practicing yoga, and, of course, eating pasta.

As the Director of Student Programs for the ESG Initiative, Jillian oversees the strategic development of experiential learning programs for students who wish to learn more about ESG topics and strengthen their skill sets. Previously, she worked at the Career Services and Penn Abroad departments within the University of Pennsylvania. Jillian holds a B.A. in Italian Studies from Ramapo College of New Jersey, an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and is currently a student in the Ed.D. in Higher Education program at Penn GSE, where she is focusing her studies and research on the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence in higher education. Besides working and studying at Penn, Jillian enjoys traveling, doing yoga, and trying new restaurants in Philadelphia.

Kenneth Chung is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the ESG Initiative. His research dives into how shareholder activism influences firms’ actions and adjustments to climate change and how those actions are associated with reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. More broadly, he’s passionate about bringing together environmental data with financial data to derive insights for better environmental stewardship. Kenneth holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. When not in the office, Kenneth can be found listening to podcasts, shooting hoops, and doing yoga.

As Program Coordinator, Jay manages and supports the ESG Initiative’s student programs. He looks forward to helping students find a program within the ESG Initiative that will hopefully strengthen their desire to pursue a career in social impact. In his free time, Jay can be found reading business and technology books, listening to podcasts, going to the gym, and spending a lot of time on the beach.

As the Associate Director of Communications and Engagement, Emma oversees strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven marketing efforts. Previously, she led communications at Earth Hacks, overseeing recruitment and storytelling for global environmental hackathons focused on equitable climate solutions. She also consulted with the IFRS (formerly the Value Reporting Foundation) to help develop a global baseline for climate-related financial disclosures. Emma holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University, where she was part of the inaugural class at the Climate School. Outside of work, she enjoys cozy video games, engaging in climate action, and reading with her library card.

As Program Manager of Impact Investments at Wharton’s ESG Initiative, Eli manages two key experiential learning programs: Wharton Impact Venture Associates (WIVA) and the Fund for Health, where he guides students in sourcing and researching impact investing opportunities. Eli earned his MPA from New York University with a specialization in Social Impact, Innovation, and Investment. His career began in policy and advocacy, working with students at state and local levels. He later transitioned to impact investing where he worked at 17 Asset Management, co-founded a startup focused on impact investment deal flow, and supported startups in an advisory capacity. Outside of work, Eli enjoys outdoor activities with his dogs, staying active, exploring new restaurants, and gaming with friends.

As the Communications and Engagement Coordinator for the ESG Initiative, Juliet Gelfman-Randazzo manages event production and coordination, communications, and content through the initiative’s social channels, website, and newsletter. Prior to joining the ESG Initiative, Juliet completed her MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in creative nonfiction at Rutgers University-Camden and her bachelors degree in English with a film minor from Wesleyan University. In her free time, Juliet enjoys quilting, writing poems, and otherwise documenting everything that is going on.

Vaibhav Gowda is the Impact Program Associate at the ESG Initiative. Passionate about the intersection of business and impact, he joined Wharton to be at the forefront of impact investing and learn more about how it can be harnessed in the most effective way. He leads an experiential learning program, Wharton Impact Venture Associates, and supports the Fund for Health. His role involves assisting students along their path to sourcing, analyzing, and researching impact investing opportunities. Prior to joining the ESG Initiative, Vaibhav worked as a special assistant to a senior partner at Capria Ventures, a fund of funds investing in early stage, emerging market impact investments. He was also a manager at the Wadhwani Foundation, a global nonprofit working to improve the quality of job creation in the developing world. In his free time, Vaibhav can be found playing pickup basketball and answering questions at the local trivia night.

Maithili Kamble is a Research Officer at the ESG Initiative. Maithili is contributing to research projects led by various principal investigators at ESG-I, focusing on econometric analysis and research management. Prior to joining our team, she earned a Master’s in International and Development Economics from Yale University and holds a B.A. (Hons.) in Economics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University. Maithili’s research interests lie at the intersection of applied microeconomics, development, and social policy. In her free time, she likes reading, swimming, and listening to bollywood songs.

Alex is a Research Manager at the ESG initiative focusing on firm-level ESG impacts. In addition to engaging in research, he also manages research grants, a team of graduate and undergraduate research assistants, and the ESG Data Warehouse. Before joining Wharton, Alex earned his Master’s of Finance and Economics from Warwick Business School and holds undergraduate degrees in both Business Administration and Economics from American University. Alex’s research interests include the use of ESG metrics in asset pricing and returns forecasting, E,S, and G risk premia, and the application of machine learning to financial time-series forecasting. In his free time Alex can often curled up with a good book, playing video games, or photosynthesizing by the pool.

Harald is a Senior Research Fellow at the ESG Initiative at the Wharton School and an Assistant Professor of International Management at the University of Innsbruck. He received his PhD in International Business and an MSc in International Management from WU Vienna. Harald’s research interests relate to global strategy and international finance. Within this area, he tries to connect a stakeholder-oriented perspective with a strategy view on corporate structure. Although it seems like an Austrian cliché, Harald already misses the white skiing slopes of Tyrol.

Rajith Sebastian is the Head of Impact Investments at the ESG Initiative of the Wharton School, where he leads the overall strategy related to ESG and Impact Investments. Rajith created and manages teams that oversee several best-in-class experiential investing and consulting programs across the ESG investing / impact investing spectrum. These include the Wharton Impact Venture Associates, the Penn Medicine – Wharton Fund for Health, and the Wharton ESG Integration Program. Prior to joining the ESG Initiative, and during his MBA, Rajith worked on raising an Africa-focused private credit impact vehicle, in collaboration with a large global bank. Rajith has 12 years of investment banking and private equity experience, primarily across Sub Saharan Africa and China, and has worked on over $8bn worth of transactions across these markets. He served in senior investment banking roles at Standard Chartered Bank and Nedbank, was a VP at Chinavest (a Shanghai based PE group), and started off his career in management consulting at the Monitor Group (now Monitor-Deloitte). He has a Bachelor of Business Science degree from the University of Cape Town, an MBA from the Wharton School, and is a CFA Charterholder. He lives in Philly, and enjoys time with his wife and two young boys.

Yuri manages the ESG Initiative’s experiential learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. She previously worked at the Office of University and Community Partnerships at Drexel University, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. In addition to her work at the ESG Initiative, Yuri is currently creating a conceptual writing project as a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. When not working or studying she enjoys experimental records, skincare, and fitness training.