Jacqueline Crespo

After finishing graduate school at Stanford University, she joined London-based startup, New Energy Finance, and soon opened their West Coast office. She headed NEF’s venture capital, private equity, and technology research practice before joining the government relations firm Cassidy & Associates in Washington D.C. There she helped clients advocate for improved energy and climate legislation, win grants and loans from the government, and permit project-scale wind, solar, and transmission projects.

“My experiences have taught me that there are no shortcuts or easy paths to solving the energy and climate problem,” Jackie says. “My view is that the game changing energy technologies and services of tomorrow will be brought to market by a combination of pure start-ups and large multinational energy corporations.”

Recognizing that her passion was the nexus of business, climate and energy, she says HBS was the natural choice, because it offers resources for entrepreneurs, but also respects the existing energy infrastructure.

“There is no other MBA program with the size, scale, and tradition of impacting global industries than that of Harvard Business School”

She also says it was important for her to attend a program where she would be required to grow. “My life experiences have proven to me that you need to be able to identify with more than one focus area,” she says. “I wanted to be challenged daily to break down intense business problems, be stretched intellectually in areas outside my traditional expertise, and be called upon to come up with an answer, not just learn more theories.”

Jackie lists numerous aspects of HBS that proved valuable to her, but says most important of all was the ongoing dialogue with faculty and peers, which exposed her to exciting industries and challenging problems.

Other resources she notes include BEI faculty who are open to discussing their work and sharing insights, events sponsored by BEI and the Energy & Environment Club, and access to the broad array of HBS alumni.

Here’s what she offers incoming students with a similar focus: “After two years at HBS, you’ll be much more prepared to take on any challenge in the climate and energy space, because you will be prepared to view challenges outside of a singular industry perspective and have the fortune to call upon faculty, classmates, and alumni for support and encouragement.”