Penn State Net Impact
Through speakers, workshops, field trips, panels, and discussion meetings, PSNI focuses on a collaborative learning environment where all members help educate each other. The role of the Board of Officers is to facilitate this learning and cultivate relationships with professionals and organizations in the business world. We discuss topics related to social entrepreneurship, socially responsible investing, sustainable supply chains, sustainable growth and development, corporate citizenship, social marketing, green building, and community economic development. PSNI is also focused on innovation as a means to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the business world. We are dedicated to empowering students with the spirit of innovation and an interest in new venture creation, as sustainability and entrepreneurship are often complementary.
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Officer Bios
Orlando Acevedo, President
Orlando Acevedo earned his B.S. in Biology and French from Ball State University in 2013. Having worked in community education, public health and corporate social responsibility for four years in Mozambique, Africa, he has experience in both government and private sector international development. Orlando became interested in sustainability throughout his time in Mozambique while helping farmers to sustainably grow their businesses. He plans to continue his career in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture upon graduating from the MBA program.
As President of Net Impact, Orlando plans to collaborate with the rest of the board to continue to grow the sustainability agenda at Smeal and expand upon the existing curriculum. The board intends to widen the pool of sustainability-focused companies that recruit for both internships and full-time at Smeal and increase the number of environmental and social responsibility events geared towards MBA and MOL students throughout the academic year. The organization will also collaborate closely with Erik Foley, Director of Sustainability, to foster the development of the Smeal Center for the Business of Sustainability, set to open in July 2020.
Matt Connolly, VP of Finance
Matt graduated from Washington & Lee University with a B.A. in Politics in 2007. Between 2007 and 2017, he worked in Washington, D.C. in various roles focused on energy policy. His work experience includes over 7 years as a staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives and serving as an appointee in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. Matt’s interest in energy project development and financing led him to pursue an MBA at Smeal.
As VP of Finance for Net Impact, he hopes to provide students interested in careers in the energy industry with networking and professional development opportunities. This summer, Matt will be interning at PPL Electric, an electric utility in Allentown, PA.
Abigail Logan, VP of Communications & Operations
AJ Logan is from Hershey, PA and got her degree in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State. After that, she worked for 5 years in the energy industry as a field engineer and design engineer. She is at Smeal for her MBA because she wants to leverage her engineering background and the business acumen taught at Penn State to start her own company that is focused on making a difference in the fight against climate change.
As VP of Ops & Comms, AJ is setting goals to extract more community involvement in the the Net Impact org through increased campus events, info sessions, and trips; she wants to make this Net Impact chapter the best that it can be. She is also coordinating with the rest of the board to continue growth of the sustainability curriculum at Smeal. All functions of business will be affected by the current trend toward sustainability due to the change in our climate, and it is our role to help Smeal stay on top of this trend and prepare our students for these realities. This is a challenge that the Net Impact board is excited to continue to tackle.