Anna George ’26

After college, I moved to Washington, D.C., to work at Oceana, an ocean conservation nonprofit. I began as a grassroots organizer on a campaign to stop the expansion of offshore drilling and later joined the CEO’s office, supporting everything from fundraising to board governance. Over time, I realized I wanted to be a leader in the social sector, and an MBA felt like the right way to build my leadership skills and gain a more holistic understanding of the landscape.

Service and community impact have always been important to me. We spend so much of our lives at work, and I want to make sure I’m doing something meaningful with this time. I was especially drawn to Yale SOM because of its focus on business and society.

Ocean conservation nonprofit work is a very niche area within the social sector. Coursework, clubs, and my peers at SOM have broadened my understanding of the space. I’m active in the Business and the Environment Club and the Yale Center for Business and the Environment; through Golub Capital Consulting Fellows, I’ve had the opportunity to learn how nonprofits of different sizes operate.

I’ve also explored different sectors, like workforce development and economic mobility, through classes and my summer internship with Redefine Alliance (formerly REDF), a venture philanthropy organization that supports social enterprises helping people overcome barriers to employment. It was an amazing learning experience, and I’ve continued consulting with them.

One of the best parts of SOM has been the community. My favorite tradition is the student-run musical, a spoof production that pokes fun at the school and MBAs in general. It’s written and performed entirely by students. We rehearse for only three weeks, but somehow, it all miraculously comes together. It’s really cool to see classmates in such a different setting—and I’ve been impressed by how talented people are!

My time at SOM has opened my eyes to different avenues to impact. Before the MBA program, I was siloed in the nonprofit space and had a fairly narrow view of what impact could look like. Exposure to social enterprises and mission-driven for-profits has shown me how organizations with different structures can help strengthen communities. After graduation, I’m joining a small social impact consulting firm, where I’ll continue working in the climate and environment space—and potentially on projects related to economic mobility, workforce development, gender equity, and more. I’m really excited to keep doing the work that’s important to me while building on the interests I’ve developed here at SOM.