BanglaShield Wins the 2025 Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University today announced that the BanglaShield team was named the winner of the 15 th annual Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge. The global competition inspires graduate students to address critical social and environmental issues through innovative financial vehicles. The winning team was one of 12 finalists selected from a competitive field, which included 158 teams comprised of 545 students from 65 countries.
The graduate students from Oxford University were awarded the top prize of $10,000 for their proposal to provide affordable flood resilience financing for low-income households in Bangladesh by blending concessional loans and parametric insurance. The BanglaShield team consisted of Harry Breidahl, Achyut Gautam, Sachi Jain and Phetogo Mogotsi.
'The Sustainable Investing Challenge showcases the creativity and innovation of the next generation of sustainable finance leaders,' said Jessica Alsford, Morgan Stanley's Chief Sustainability Officer and Chair of the Institute for Sustainable Investing. 'We're inspired by the bold ideas presented this year, which demonstrate the potential of financial solutions to drive real, lasting impact across industries and communities.'
The finalists pitched a wide variety of ideas, addressing social and environmental issues around the world including the sustainable aviation transition in New Zealand, urban heat and high energy costs in Harlem, the stability of Morocco's desert truffle industry, and the reduction of post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
The second- and third-place prizes of $5,000 and $2,500 were awarded to the Sustainable Agri-aqua Investment Fund team from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and the Pharaoh Brick Fund team from York University's Schulich School of Business, respectively.
The Sustainable Agri-aqua Investment Fund team, including Debdeep Bhattacharjee, Karuna Chauhan, Apurva P and Shagun Sharma, presented a plan to address groundwater depletion in Punjab by aligning micro-irrigation financing with pooled carbon credits and government-backed repayments linked to energy savings. The Pharoah Brick Fund proposal aims to repurpose Egypt's waste from demolition and rice straw into low-carbon bricks, thereby reducing pollution and landfill waste while promoting sustainable construction. The team consisted of Sara Amin, Aayush Rathore and Sadanand Shenoy.
'Each year, this competition reaffirms what we already know—the talent, drive and fresh thinking of today's graduate students will be the key to tackling our most challenging global problems,' said Dave Chen, Professor of Finance at Kellogg Management School, CEO of Equilibrium Capital and the founder of the Sustainable Investing Challenge. 'This year's winners and finalists aren't just developing solutions for tomorrow; they're demonstrating what is possible today.'
The three prize-winning teams were selected by a panel of sustainable finance experts and senior practitioners across the industry to advance to the final round, pitching to judges at Morgan Stanley in London on April 25, 2025.
More information on this year's teams and their projects can be found here.
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
About The Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing
The Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing (The Institute) builds scalable finance solutions that seek to deliver competitive financial returns while driving positive environmental and social impact. The Institute creates innovative financial products, thoughtful insights and capacity building programs that help maximize capital to create a more sustainable future. For more information about the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing, visit www.morganstanley.com/sustainableinvesting.
About Kellogg School of Management
The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University develops brave leaders who inspire growth in people, organizations and markets. Based just outside of Chicago, the school is a global leader in management education, renowned for its distinctive thought leadership and pioneering approach to learning. Kellogg offers an innovative portfolio of programs: four Full-Time MBA programs including leading one-year program and joint degree programs with the engineering, law and medical schools; a Part-Time MBA Program; the premier Executive MBA global network; and extensive non-degree Executive Education programs. To learn more about Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, please visit http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu.
Disclosures:
This material was published in April 2025 and has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. This material was not prepared by the Morgan Stanley Research Department and is not a Research Report as defined under FINRA regulations. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (collectively, 'Morgan Stanley'), Members SIPC, recommend that recipients should determine, in consultation with their own investment, legal, tax, regulatory and accounting advisors, the economic risks and merits, as well as the legal, tax, regulatory and accounting characteristics and consequences, of the transaction or strategy referenced in any materials. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley, its affiliates, employees and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors do not provide tax, accounting or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning, and their attorney for matters involving legal matters.
Past performance is not a guarantee or indicative of future performance. Historical data shown represents past performance and does not guarantee comparable future results. Certain statements herein may be 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not historical facts or statements of current conditions, but instead are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences and involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and are often beyond our control. In addition, this report contains statements based on hypothetical scenarios and assumptions, which may not occur or differ significantly from actual events, and these statements should not necessarily be viewed as being representative of current or actual risk or forecasts of expected risk. Actual results and financial conditions may differ materially from those included in these statements due to a variety of factors. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Morgan Stanley speak only as to the date they are made, and Morgan Stanley does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made. Because of their narrow focus, sector investments tend to be more volatile than investments that diversify across many sectors and companies.
Certain portfolios may include investment holdings deemed Environmental, Social and Governance ('ESG') investments. For reference, environmental ('E') factors can include, but are not limited to, climate change, pollution, waste, and how an issuer protects and/ or conserves natural resources. Social ('S') factors can include, but not are not limited to, how an issuer manages its relationships with individuals, such as its employees, shareholders, and customers as well as its community. Governance ('G') factors can include, but are not limited to, how an issuer operates, such as its leadership composition, pay and incentive structures, internal controls, and the rights of equity and debt holders. You should carefully review an investment product's prospectus or other offering documents, disclosures and/or marketing material to learn more about how it incorporates ESG factors into its investment strategy.
ESG investments may also be referred to as sustainable investments, impact aware investments, socially responsible investments or diversity, equity, and inclusion ('DEI') investments. It is important to understand there are inconsistent ESG definitions and criteria within the industry, as well as multiple ESG ratings providers that provide ESG ratings of the same subject companies and/or securities that vary among the providers. This is due to a current lack of consistent global reporting and auditing standards as well as differences in definitions, methodologies, processes, data sources and subjectivity among ESG rating providers when determining a rating. Certain issuers of investments including, but not limited to, separately managed accounts (SMAs), mutual funds and exchange traded-funds (ETFs) may have differing and inconsistent views concerning ESG criteria where the ESG claims made in offering documents or other literature may overstate ESG impact. Further, socially responsible norms vary by region, and an issuer's ESG practices or Morgan Stanley's assessment of an issuer's ESG practices can change over time.
Portfolios that include investment holdings deemed ESG investments or that employ ESG screening criteria as part of an overall strategy may experience performance that is lower or higher than a portfolio not employing such practices. Portfolios with ESG restrictions and strategies as well as ESG investments may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as portfolios where ESG criteria is not applied. There is no assurance that an ESG investing strategy or techniques employed will be successful. Past performance is not a guarantee or a dependable measure of future results. For risks related to a specific fund, please refer to the fund's prospectus or summary prospectus.
Investment managers can have different approaches to ESG and can offer strategies that differ from the strategies offered by other investment managers with respect to the same theme or topic. Additionally, when evaluating investments, an investment manager is dependent upon information and data that may be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable, which could cause the manager to incorrectly assess an investment's ESG characteristics or performance. Such data or information may be obtained through voluntary or third-party reporting. Morgan Stanley does not verify that such information and data is accurate and makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness when evaluating an issuer. This can cause Morgan Stanley to incorrectly assess an issuer's business practices with respect to its ESG practices. As a result, it is difficult to compare ESG investment products.
The appropriateness of a particular ESG investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Principal value and return of an investment will fluctuate with changes in market conditions.
This material may provide the addresses of, or contain hyperlinks to, websites. Except to the extent to which the material refers to website material of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, the firm has not reviewed the linked site. Equally, except to the extent to which the material refers to website material of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, the firm takes no responsibility for, and makes no representations or warranties whatsoever as to, the data and information contained therein. Such address or hyperlink (including addresses or hyperlinks to website material of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management) is provided solely for your convenience and information and the content of the linked site does not in any way form part of this document. Accessing such website or following such link through the material or the website of the firm shall be at your own risk and we shall have no liability arising out of, or in connection with, any such referenced website. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a business of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.
© 2025 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Members SIPC. All rights reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
02-06-2025
- Fast Company
Deanna Strable's journey from intern to CEO of Principal Financial Group is inspiring—but may become increasingly rare
Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I'm Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning. As a new crop of summer interns arrive at your company, it's worth considering: Will one of them rise to CEO? Deanna Strable, who became CEO of Principal Financial Group in January, interned at the company during college. After graduating from Northwestern University, she joined Principal as an actuarial assistant, the start of a 35-year journey that included a stint abroad and senior roles including chief financial officer (CFO) and president and chief operating officer (COO). (Disclosure: Principal is a longtime Inc. advertising and sponsorship partner.) 'People love to ask, 'Why'd you originally come to Principal?' but I think a fundamental question is, 'Why did you stay here for 35 years?'' Strable says of the insurance and benefits company, which last year reported $16.2 billion in revenue, up 18% from 2023. 'It ultimately comes back to the work, the company, and the people.' From entry-level to executive The intern-to-CEO path isn't unheard of, especially at family-led companies. Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, whose father founded the cable company, first interned at its Storecast marketing unit in 1974. J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher and Co., a global insurance brokerage founded by his grandfather, interned at the business in 1972. Some prominent CEOs are 'lifers,' having spent their whole careers at one company. Tricia Griffith, CEO of the insurer Progressive, started as an entry-level claims representative, and Mary Barra, CEO of GM, started at the carmaker as a co-op student. And while research suggests that CEOs hired from within an organization slightly outperformed external hires during the pandemic, and performed on par with one another before the pandemic, more boards are turning to outsiders to run companies. Spencer Stuart's ' 2024 CEO Transitions ' report found that 44% of all new S&P 1500 CEO appointments last year were external hires, up from 32% in 2023 and the highest rate since 2000, when the executive search firm started tracking the data. 'The CEO role has never been harder or more complex, and I do believe that you really need multiple experiences to be an effective leader in today's world,' says Janice Ellig, CEO of executive search firm Ellig Group. 'I don't want to predict that the intern-to-CEO [trend] is going to decrease, but I'm not sure it's going to increase.' Many roles, one vision Ellig says boards and investors want their chief executives to bring a range of relevant experiences to the role. Insiders who get the top job have typically led different departments and excelled in areas that are important to the company. GM's Barra, for example, led manufacturing engineering, global human resources, and global product development—critical divisions at a major automaker with 90,000 employees in the U.S. alone. Principal's Strable helped build and lead the company's benefits and protection business, which encompasses employee benefits, business owner solutions (life insurance and disability insurance), and nonqualified deferred compensation. As CFO, she worked alongside previous CEO Daniel Houston to develop a growth strategy that included discontinuing the sale of consumer life insurance products and focusing on higher-growth businesses such as retirement and global asset management. As a result, Strable says, she was 'able to hit the ground running,' adding: 'You know the people, you know the products, you know the business, you know the strategy.' The insider's double-edge sword Strable, who retains the president title at Principal, counts the familiarity and support of longtime colleagues as a 'plus' of being an internal candidate. But 'where it can be hard is there are times that people just expect that you're comfortable with things the way they are today,' she says. Strable says she encourages the company to 'lean into' its strengths but also evaluate the areas where Principal has not been effective. She strives to find ways to learn from people outside the company. 'I reinforce that with a lot of our leaders, too,' she says. 'You need to have a network of peers outside of the organization, both within and outside the industry.' At a lunch meeting in New York shortly after she became CEO, Strable reflected on the corporate milestones she's observed throughout her three-decades-plus at Principal. Of note: Some of the first 'graduates' of Principal's on-site daycare center at its Des Moines headquarters, which opened 17 years ago, will soon be eligible for internships at the company. Perhaps one of them might even become CEO someday. Are you an 'insider' CEO? Are you a company lifer who has ascended to the CEO role? What unique insights do you possess that outsiders or newcomers don't have? Please send your experiences to me at stephaniemehta@ And while I have your attention, please spread the word that Fast Company's annual Brands That Matter program is extending its deadline to June 6. If your brand excels in making emotional connections, communicating purpose, and maintaining cultural relevance, consider applying via this link.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Yahoo
Britain to attend next Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Britain's national security adviser is expected to attend the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine on Monday. Jonathan Powell will join his European and US counterparts at the talks in Istanbul, according to Gen Keith Kellogg, the US envoy for Russia-Ukraine. Gen Kellogg told ABC News: 'We'll have what we call the E3. That is the national security advisers from Germany, France, and Great Britain…When we were in London, they kind of helped us mould a term sheet for Ukraine.' The E3 used to be known as the EU3 until the UK left the European Union. Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct negotiations in more than three years in the Turkish capital earlier this month. On Friday, the Kremlin said it would only discuss the conditions of a ceasefire at the talks in Istanbul after Kyiv demanded to see a peace memorandum prior to negotiations. Ukraine said it wanted to see a document setting out Russia's peace proposal before committing to sending officials to Istanbul. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, said: 'In order for the next planned meeting to be substantive and meaningful, it is important to receive a document in advance so that the delegation that will attend has the authority to discuss the relevant positions.' Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, announced the second round of talks earlier this week after Donald Trump further criticised Vladimir Putin. The US president had called his Russian counterpart 'crazy' and accused him of 'playing with fire' before appearing to give him a two-week deadline to secure a deal. Credit: US Network Pool / Reuters Gen Kellogg said Mr Trump was ready to prevent Ukraine and other eastern European nations from joining Nato in order to satisfy Putin's peace demands, a position he said was shared by other members of the alliance. He said: 'We've said that, to us, Ukraine coming into Nato is not on the table. 'And we're not the only country that says that. You know, I can probably give you four countries in Nato, and it takes 32 of the 32 to allow you to come into Nato.' In response, the Kremlin said it was 'glad that president Putin's messages are heard in Washington'. Moscow also said it was 'considering' a proposal by Turkey to host Mr Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president. But it said it would only do so if peace talks on Monday yielded 'results'. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov added: 'President Putin has repeatedly stated that he is fundamentally in favour of high-level contacts. 'But first, results must be achieved through direct negotiations between the two countries.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
CBS News
30-05-2025
- CBS News
Northwestern University scientists develop possible replacement for PFAS, common "forever chemicals"
They're in cookware, cosmetic products, clothing, tap water, and even detectable in human bodies – PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals. PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they resist breaking down and can stay in the body for prolonged periods of time. However, a new nontoxic material developed by Northwestern University scientists could replace these harmful chemicals in paper-based food and beverage packaging. Professor of Chemistry SonBinh Nguyen and Professor of Engineering Tim Wei have developed a graphene oxide solution that is water- and oil-resistant, more compostable, and recyclable than the current average paper plate or take-out cup. The patient-pending product is being commercialized by Go-Eco, a subsidiary of Chang Robotics, where Wei is chief scientist, and a resident startup at Northwestern's Querrey InQbation Lab. Twenty years into Nguyen's research on graphene oxide, Wei came to Northwestern to give a talk about the engineering of food manufacturing before he had worked there. They remained in touch and formed a partnership over the last decade. The team has successfully tested the material on cardboard boxes, plastic produce bags, plates, cups, and straws. What are PFAS? PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals resist grease, oil, water, and heat. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, PFAS do not degrade easily in the environment because their molecules have one of the strongest bonds. Because of this, PFAS break down slowly, if at all. If you grabbed a cup of coffee at your local convenience store not so terribly long ago, that cup would have contained PFAS. "Even 10 years ago, if you remember a paper cup, the outside of the cup was paper, but the inside had this sort of plasticky coating to it, and so that literally would be like a plastic, or it could be a PFAS, and that was essential to make sure your cup of coffee didn't disintegrate in your hand while you're still trying to drink it," explained Wei. A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans. There are over 15,000 types of PFAS, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Although not all of them are in use, many are hard to detect. The EPA says it will require public water systems to monitor the level of 6 PFAS by 2027. PFAS arealso detected in food, soil and air, in addition to the consumer Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says that PFAS can last thousands of years. How the graphene oxide material works Graphite — a naturally occurring crystalline form of carbon — is a common everyday substance best known as pencil "lead" (actual lead was never used in pencils despite the name). Graphene is a single, two-dimensional layer of graphite — simply a sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice structure. Nguyen called it "hexagonal chicken wire." Graphene oxide is synthesized when graphene is exposed to oxygen. This process causes the substance to form functional groups — that is, structures that are responsible for reactions. Importantly, graphene oxide with its functional groups is water soluble, while pure graphene is a solid and is not soluble in anything. "So it becomes a solution that we can use to spray, to coat, to integrate it with paper making," explained Nguyen. Specifically, an oxygen function group in the graphene oxide binds onto the fiber of the paper and changes its properties — making it hydrophobic, or resistant to water. Graphene oxide also makes paper more resistant to oil, and reduces the amount of water vapor and gases that make contact with the paper, Wei explained. In other words, graphene creates a barrier when applied to paper. Studies also showed that graphene increases the strength of the substance to which it is applied. In Nguyen's early research, adding graphene oxide to a synthetic polymer, or plastic, dramatically increases its Young's modulus — a measurement of how strong a material is under compression or tension. Graphene oxide also increases the polymer's tensile strength — essentially, the force required to pull it apart. When graphene oxide is used on paper, such as a to-go cup, data likewise document a 30% to 40% increase in strength, Wei said. Better for the environment and health Graphene oxide is safer than PFAS because it is derived from carbon, according to Nguyen. "It resembles a carbohydrate," he said. "Graphene oxide will degrade in the environment the same way wood does biologically." Because graphene oxide is also water soluble, the theory is that it would not stick or stay inside the body the same way microplastics and PFAS do. The team said they are not yet at the step of getting FDA approval and will test this and verify their theories. "This material would be a lot safer for the environment, and a consumer could know that their disposable cup of coffee can safely go in the dumpster or to the compost without spreading harmful chemicals," Nguyen said. Graphene oxide has been shown to be able to filter out heavy metals from tap water, according to research done at MIT in 2021. Northwestern estimates that the U.S. produces approximately 14 million metric tons of paper-based food packaging and corrugated cardboard every year, many of which are coated with PFAS. Next steps "The problem is PFAS work really well and are really inexpensive, but as we learn as a society, that those are really problematic materials, they have to be removed," Wei said. Nguyen said the scientists are trying to "solve a little bit at a time," while pushing ahead in search of an even better alternative. Their long-term goal is to create a paper-based material that replaces plastic for food packaging for produce and meat, paper bags and tableware. The team received funding from a major national tableware manufacturer and is in talks with several companies to try pilot testing. "We work on this to make an impact on our future, our children, grandchildren, and for the whole earth," Nguyen said.
