How Lab Fellowships have helped shape career paths
Find out how our Lab alumni feel their Fellowships added value to their academic studies and have been beneficial to the next step in their careers.
Laura Ballerini- easyJet holidays Fellow 2022 and UN Tourism coordinator 2023
Laura was part of the inaugural cohort of Fellows and joined the Lab in 2021-2022 to work on a sustainable tourism project for easyJet holidays (read more about the food waste project she worked on.) The following year she took on the role of project coordinator, helping to create the first comprehensive ESG framework for Tourism, in a project led by UN Tourism. Subsequently, Laura joined the Statistics Department in UN Tourism as a Senior Project Specialist:
"The comprehensive training and real-world research experience I acquired as a Fellow and Project Coordinator at the Oxford SDG Impact Lab proved to be an invaluable springboard for my professional advancement, opening the door to an impactful position within United Nations Tourism. In my everyday work, the skills, knowledge, and network I cultivated through the Lab continue to form the essential bedrock of my responsibilities and contributions."
Emmanuel Uzim - BMW Group Plant Oxford Fellow 2023
Emmanuel is now working as a Product Specialist at Mitsubishi Electric and reflected on taking part in the Lab last year:
"Participating in the SDG Impact Lab was a transformative experience that profoundly shaped my approach to fostering clean frontiers at BMW MINI Oxford. The Lab's unique framework, centred on the energy trilemma's valuable intersection of business needs and sustainability goals, provided an invaluable lens to navigate the complexities of the clean energy transition. Beyond acquiring practical tools and frameworks, the Lab fostered a powerful network of like-minded friends and business leaders, creating a collaborative ecosystem that continues to propel my work forward. I encourage anyone seeking to accelerate positive change in the business world to join the SDG Impact Lab - it is an investment in your impact and the future of our planet."
Christine Cavallo - easyJet holidays Fellow 2022
Christine now works as the Engagement Manager for the UN Global Compact Network USA:
"Since participating in the lab, I have gone onto to work for the UN global compact, which is a special initiative of the UN focused on business, and the only formal mechanism for companies in the private sector to commit to the sustainable development goals."
Zoe Woods - easyJet holidays Fellow 2022
Zoe has gone on to found Change Bio, a start up that believes in working with nature to drive sustainable production, using precision fermentation to upcycle waste methane into high value products. Zoe reflects on her time at the Lab:
"One of the things I valued most about the lab was the opportunity to work with others in completely different subjects and departments. That interdisciplinary way of working not only enriched my Oxford experience, but it's at the core of the work I do today, bringing together thinkers from a wide range of disciplines to solve problems in a novel way."
Leona Renard Kouame - Masterclass Series Fellow 2024
Leona is currently studying for a Masters in Social Data Science and joined the Lab Masterclass Programme this year:
"A year ago, I set myself a long-term goal of joining a board to advance my passion for sustainability. In the last month, I was offered roles on both the RSPB and Groundwork UK's Youth Advisory Board. This would have been impossible without the knowledge I gained at the Oxford Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Impact Lab. Every week, we explored challenges and opportunities at the intersection of business, research, and policy for the energy transition, food security, and more. Now, I am eager to apply the framework of Ethics, Evidence, and Engagement across issues ranging from the green economy to biodiversity."
