We kicked off the Fall 2025 BSC Career Speaker Series with BSC Associate alumni, Elizabeth (Liz) Bowen, director of sustainability at Asana Partners. She shared her unique journey from local impact like piloting our very own B Corp Clinic, to her national impact in sustainability. Learn more about Liz and check out her key takeaways below:

Speaker:
Elizabeth (Liz) Bowen: Elizabeth is a sustainability leader with roots in North Carolina. Liz has built her career at the intersection of energy efficiency, sustainable design, and strategic climate action. Currently, Liz serves as the Director of Sustainability at Asana Partners at the company headquarters Charlotte, where she leads the company’s environmental strategy across a national portfolio of urban, mixed-use real estate. In this role, she is responsible for setting and executing ESG goals, managing performance tracking and reporting, and integrating sustainability into asset management, design, construction, and operations. Under her leadership, Asana has advanced its commitments to energy efficiency and sustainable practices across its properties. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Environmental Geosciences from the College of Charleston and an MBA from North Carolina State University. She is a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), a certified Professional Energy Manager (PEM), and a graduate of Harvard University’s Sustainability Leadership Program.

Liz has also developed and implemented high-impact sustainability initiatives within higher education and local government. She developed the pilot program for the B Corp Clinic at NC State’s Poole College of Management and co-developed the LEED Lab course at the College of Design. She contributed to the City of Raleigh’s Community Greenhouse Gas Action Plan as a technical advisor and previously served as co-chair of the City of Raleigh Environmental Advisory Board.

Prior to joining Asana Partners, Liz worked as a project manager for Willdan, a contractor to Duke Energy, where she led energy efficiency design assistance for commercial and light industrial new construction across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Indiana. She has managed more than two dozen LEED certifications and helped teams achieve millions of kilowatt-hours in energy savings. She also provided clean energy consulting services with the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. Outside of work, Liz is a proud mom, avid hiker and rock climber, who enjoys traveling and loves spending time with family and friends.

Key Career Advice:

• There is demand for graduates who have sustainability subject matter knowledge and experience.
• Being successful in sustainability leadership requires an understanding of multiple verticals since it allows for impact through effective collaboration.
• Having a working knowledge of data analysis and visualization helps accelerate your career in sustainability.