Sustainable Miles Ahead

When Lu Zhang applied to Booth, one of her goals was to build a sustainability community. Within months of arriving, she and a few like-minded classmates cofounded the Booth Corporate Sustainability Club, which has since grown to more than 30 members.

“I firmly believe that future business leaders have both opportunities and responsibilities to make a positive difference in their communities,” she says.

Her passion for sustainability stretches back to her childhood in China, where she remembers both the wonder of scientific discoveries and the visible impact of pollution. “As a child, I dreamed of finding a magic powder to clean rivers or seeds to turn deserts into forests,” she recalls.

That dream eventually became a career direction. Now a business development manager at the global chemical corporation BASF, Zhang works on projects tied to the company’s sustainability strategy, with its long-term goal of advancing a circular economy—one which keeps materials and products in circulation for as long as possible to reduce overconsumption and waste.

At home in suburban Detroit, she and her husband have adopted several habits to live more sustainably. For example, whenever possible, they reuse household items such as old bottles, jars, cardboard boxes, and plastic bags. They buy many items secondhand locally—chess sets, dining sets, furniture, instruments for the school band—and, whenever they need to order from Amazon, batch shipments to reduce packaging.

Nearly every weekend, Zhang drives roughly 300 miles to Chicago for classes. To reduce her carbon footprint, she carpools with fellow Booth students whenever possible and drives a fuel-efficient car to save gas. Once in Chicago, she prefers walking or taking public transit.

“It has been easy to find others at Booth who share my passions,” she says. “My invaluable in-person interactions with professors and fellow students and my vibrant student life at Booth far outweigh the challenges of long-distance travel. We discuss ways to integrate our sustainability values into our business strategies and create a lasting legacy for future generations.”

For Abhibroto “Abhi” Mukherjee, sustainability begins with a mindset he formed growing up in India: Take what you need, not what you want. “I feel we’re here as caretakers of a trust,” he says. “What we pass on to our kids or the next generation depends on the choices we make now.”

That philosophy shows up in his weekly commute to Booth from Austin, Texas, where he now lives. Each Friday begins with a drive to the airport in an electric vehicle, followed by a direct flight to cover the roughly 1,000 miles to Chicago. Once he lands, he defaults to public transit or the free university shuttle that runs from Midway and O’Hare airports to downtown. On occasional rideshare trips, he carpools with classmates. A reusable tumbler, packed snacks, and stays at hotels walkable to Gleacher help minimize both waste and cost. “You can never be perfect,” he says, “but pausing and taking sustainable steps is a worthy goal.”

Beyond his own travel habits, he is consulting with his cousin’s company in northern India that develops biogas plants. There, he applies lessons from Booth and his risk-management background to questions of efficiency: how to move organic waste, streamline production, and scale renewable energy in one of the world’s most energy-hungry economies. 

Additionally, as a product operations lead at Apple, Mukherjee focuses on optimizing computing power for the company’s apps to improve energy efficiency. “I’m proud to work for a tech company that continues to stand firmly by its sustainability goals,” he says. “It often means longer work hours and pushing ourselves to think more innovatively, but it’s an exciting challenge.”

Mukherjee decided to attend business school out of state because he wanted to grow his connections beyond his established network in Austin and at his undergraduate institution in Belagavi, India. He also wanted to experience Booth’s academic rigor and take courses that explore sustainability from an entrepreneurship and new-venture perspective.

“Every trip reminds me why I’m here—the ecosystem, the people, and the conversations that push me to think differently about sustainability and business,” he says. “All these factors made Booth the clear choice for me, regardless of the challenge of commuting a long distance each weekend.”

For Advait Tendulkar, sustainability shapes his daily routines and the commute he makes from Boston to Chicago each week. His interest began while he was pursuing his masters in chemical engineering in Los Angeles, when he saw firsthand how campus and city initiatives could drive more sustainable habits. Later, he worked at a climate-tech startup that developed devices to monitor chemical levels in swimming pools, with applications for larger water systems.

Since starting at Booth, he cofounded Abel, a startup that aims to empower small manufacturers in India with data-driven tools to promote resource efficiency, reduce waste, and drive sustainable, long-term financial growth. It also won third place at Booth’s 2025 John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge.

Tendulkar navigates the complexity of his weekly 850-mile commute to school with sustainability in mind. Friday mornings start early with a flight to Chicago, followed by the Booth shuttle or a carpool with classmates to campus. He carries a reusable water bottle through airports and classrooms, avoiding single-use plastic, and prefers the CTA for getting around.

At home in Boston, Tendulkar and his partner rely on the city’s subway system whenever possible, and choose electric rideshare options. They also reduce their carbon footprint by using reusable bags, composting at work, timing laundry for off-peak hours, and installing motion-sensor lights. “Living in a city makes it easier to take transit and access sustainable practices,” he says. He agrees with his classmate Mukherjee that sustainability isn’t about being perfect. “It’s about building better habits, even if your life includes a weekly flight.”

He chose Booth’s Weekend MBA Program because of “its flexibility, diverse community, and the ability to apply lessons in real time, something local schools didn’t offer at the same scale.” Looking ahead, Tendulkar is excited to enroll in more social impact courses at Booth, including Impact Investing and Housing Social Impact. He also appreciates having lifelong access to Booth’s alumni network and being surrounded by like-minded people, such as those in the Corporate Sustainability Club.

“Students and faculty value practicality and efficiency; they don’t waste resources or throw money at problems,” he notes. “That mindset resonates with me.”