Lauren Taymor

University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

“Adventurer, family-oriented, animal-lover, and sustainability-minded problem solver driven by a love of nature.”

Hometown: San Rafael, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: When I was eight, I spent a summer in Amsterdam where I convinced my parents to finally let me start riding horses. I couldn’t understand a word the trainers said in their heavy Dutch accents but I’ve been riding ever since.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Southern California: BS Environmental Studies, Minor in Business Administration; Presidio Graduate School: Certificate in Sustainable Energy Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Sustainability Consultant, DNV GL

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At DNV GL, I led the launch of a benchmarking tool and assessment service, designed to improve buildings’ resilience to climate-related events. I developed a new revenue model, trained energy auditors on resilience assessments, and managed the development of the new service, including the incorporation of a social equity component. Taking a new service from early-stage to market was a great learning opportunity.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Caring. Not only do the classmates I’ve met so far want to make a positive impact through their careers, but they are also incredibly thoughtful and supportive, whether it’s cheering on new friends at story salon during finals or taking time to tutor classmates in a class they waived out of.

Berkeley Haas is founded on four Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. Which pillar resonates most with you and why? Beyond Yourself is the pillar that resonates most with me. I think it’s applicable to so many things in life, including how I approach my career, navigate relationships and family, and cultivating meaning in life. My career path has been largely driven by a desire to help tackle the urgent challenge of climate change. I love that everyone at Haas has a different way that they embody Beyond Yourself in their careers, but there is a common thread that builds community.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Culture fit was a key factor for me. Haas students really do embody Berkeley Haas’ four Defining Leadership Principles. My classmates are incredibly accomplished yet humble, curious, innovative, and supportive. Beyond Yourself is one of the easiest defining principles to see on a day-to-day basis, with classmates always willing to go above and beyond to help each other. Haas has a very purpose-driven culture and I wanted to surround myself with passionate change-makers dedicated to tackling some of the world’s biggest problems.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m really excited to participate in the Patagonia Case Competition organized by the Center for Responsible Business this spring. I’ve always been a huge fan of Patagonia and am inspired by their ability to scale their business while staying true to their values and committed to sustainability. I think case competitions are a really exciting chance to think creatively and pitch innovative solutions to real company challenges.  This year, I’ll have the opportunity to work with a team to propose a solution based on the topic “Waste not, want not: Eliminating Patagonia’s pre and post-consumer textile waste”.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Haas’ notorious six-word story was definitely the most challenging part of the application. In the interview, the most challenging question I was asked was around what I have done to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Though challenging, the question really helped me reflect on what I had done previously and how I can work to become a more active ally in the future.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I want to transition from consulting to the corporate space where I can influence business decisions and have greater impact on sustainability strategy. Coming from an environmental studies/sustainability background, I felt that an MBA would give me the quantitative and leadership skills I need to be an effective change-maker. I think it’s critical for sustainability professionals to have strong business acumen so that sustainability can be integrated into core business decisions.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I wanted to stay in California, ideally in the Bay Area, so in addition to Haas, I applied to Stanford GSB and UCLA Anderson.

How did you determine your fit at various schools?  The key factors in my decision were location, culture fit, and sustainability curriculum. Given that I wanted to stay in the Bay Area, narrowing down my list of schools was fairly easy. I researched quite a bit online, through the school websites as well as sites like Poets & Quants, to get a sense of the values and culture. I visited campus and reached out to talk to current students, which helped truly get a sense of each schools’ culture and whether I could see myself there. During campus visits, I also asked about the program’s sustainability curriculum, how integrated sustainability was within the business school, and about career center resources for less traditional MBA job paths like sustainability.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? It’s hard to pinpoint one defining moment. When it comes to my career, one moment stands out. In my Advanced Environmental Studies course during my senior year of high school, we were asked to design our sustainable dream home, with features that would allow it to achieve a LEED certification. The project was my first exposure to green building and I was excited about blending creative thinking with science. Reflecting back on this project, it was also a great reminder that sustainability can be a constraint, but that constraint often leads to greater creativity and innovation. That course and project are what inspired me to major in Environmental Studies at USC and subsequently led me to my first job in green building.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In ten years, I see myself managing a team seeking innovative solutions to curb greenhouse gas emissions. I also see myself balancing career and family, still riding horses, and hopefully volunteering as a guide dog puppy raiser!