Going Green at UNC

This Kenan-Flagler student zeroed in on exactly the "sustainable enterprise" program he wanted—and finds it plenty challenging

by Danvers Fleury

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Danvers Fleury
UNC - Chapel Hill
MBA Class of 2008

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Have you ever gotten new health insurance and signed up for a doctor or dentist based on the fact that they are located near your apartment? As a dot-commer in Boston, I made that mistake three times in a row. When you walk into their office, a cold chill runs down your spine, and you feel like you are about to be the star in a scene from Hostel.

The practitioner is alternately ancient, harsh, and vulnerable (Daisy of Driving Miss Daisy), young, beautiful and void of thought (Daisy Duke), or middle-aged and sweet, yet strangely difficult to understand (Daisy Duck). The only thing they share in common is their unsteady hands and lack of medical acumen.

It was this experience that I aimed to avoid in my business school search. I meticulously researched programs and focused heavily on the culture that I would be immersed in for two years. My goal was to find a consensus top-20 school that was highly ranked for sustainable enterprise, located in a warm climate on the East Coast, team-oriented, and not particularly cutthroat.

By the time I visited Duke, Emory, and UNC I was simply looking to confirm my earlier analysis. The "triangle" (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) was nicer than Atlanta, and UNC had a better sustainable enterprise program than Duke. I applied early decision to UNC and never looked back.

Zen And The Art Of Grad School Applications

My GMAT preparation consisted of getting a recent copy of Kaplan's book and software. I studied consistently for six weeks and took the test, leading to a 700+. It was an invaluable and affordable study aid that I highly recommend.

The next most useful aid was How to Get Into Top MBA Programs by Richard Montauk. This was extremely helpful for transforming essay writing and interviewing into a strategic exercise.

The final most useful tool for me was beyondgreypinstripes.org, a Web site dedicated to ranking B-schools in sustainable enterprise, the field of triple-bottom-line business. The goal of sustainable enterprise is to learn how to run economically successful companies that are socially responsible and committed to environmental stewardship.

Going Green

How did I get turned on to sustainable enterprise after spending my entire career doing whatever it took to make money? Mainly, I credit meeting my wife. Wendy has spent most of her career in inner-city youth organizations, constantly combating racism, under-funded school systems, and drug-driven gang violence. Seeing these problems from the inside vastly expanded my view of the world.

Reading Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Succeed or Fail, I found a credible and scientifically driven case study proving that societies that over-consume and under-preserve tend to fall apart. Watching the documentary The Corporation was equally informative—if we build companies only to generate shareholder wealth, then we should not be surprised when they ignore societal needs in the pursuit of this goal.

And despite the fact that the only thing I'm really good at is marketing, I realized that I felt disgusted with it. Saturday morning cookie commercials and soda-sponsored high schools seem crass in light of a childhood obesity epidemic. Gorgeous young people wear sharp clothes without knowing they were sewn by child slave labor. Disposable razors are designed to wear out quickly, filling landfills, so that we buy more.

That being said, ever since my first lemonade stand, all I've wanted to do is sell. That's why I'm getting my MBA at UNC, to run a business that leverages the strengths of honorable commerce while endeavoring to make a positive difference to my local and global community.

Summer School

Kenan-Flagler offers an Analytical Skills Workshop during the summer before your first year, and while attendance isn't mandatory, it is an incredible opportunity. You get to meet many of your classmates in advance during a time when there are no major projects due.