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Poole College of Management 
Business Sustainability Collaborative

Johnny Nguyen

March 1, 2023

Johnny Nguyen, BSC Associate

Current Degree Program: Undergraduate Poole College of Management – Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Psychology Minor
Hometown: Born and raised in Vietnam before moving to the United States in 2014. Currently in Greensboro, NC
Areas of Interest in Sustainability: Net-zero transition, clean energy, and corporate sustainability.

What does business sustainability mean to you? What do you think sustainability should mean to businesses?

Business sustainability to me means recognizing the long-term financial and social implication of global warming and climate change. If an organization wants to exist and thrive in the next few years, they will be required to incorporate honest and genuine sustainability efforts into their daily operations. To businesses, it means clear, immediate, and joint actions of everyone to participate in the global sustainability movement.

What sustainability challenge would you most like to solve?

Clean energy. I want to be a part of the energy or utility sector to accelerate clean energy adoption.

Who do you admire for championing positive change through business?

An investment firm called Engine No.1. By convincing the majority of shareholders, they forced ExxonMobil to make clear, targeted, and measurable changes to their operations to drastically be more sustainable.

Moving forward, how do you plan to use business as a force for good?

I plan to help businesses recognize and take advantage of opportunities in sustainability. There are many ways for a company to be both sustainable and profitable.

What do you think are some challenges with sustainable businesses or becoming a sustainable business?

It can take a lot of initial resources to begin the process of sustainable business. However, in the long-term, the costs will be repaid through increased efficiency, decreased cost of waste, and improved public perceptions which will translate to increased revenue and profits.

What’s your advice for fellow students who might be interested in sustainability, but don’t know where to start?

There are so many opportunities at NC State to learn and get involved in sustainability. The first step is simply following the Office of Sustainability and take notes of any interesting events or activities they offer