The Global Sustainability Leadership Institute (GSLI) is UT Austin’s hub for innovation in social and environmental impact. We empower students to lead the way to a sustainable future by equipping them with the skills to address critical challenges and shape a regenerative global economy and society. In partnership with the McCombs School of Business and the Moody College of Communication, we focus our work on corporate sustainability, sustainable finance, impact innovation and infrastructure, and sustainability communications. Together, we’re building a world where profits and purpose meet to drive positive change.
Get Involved With GSLI
If you want to work at the intersection of business and sustainability, the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute has the resources, programs, and connections to help you address critical sustainability challenges and shape a regenerative global economy and society. Visit our Linktree to explore how you can get involved.
What We Do
Academic programs
Our academic programs prepare students across UT Austin to launch a meaningful career with global impact.
Global Sustainability Leadership Minor:The GSLI minor equips undergraduate students with the tools to lead in areas such as sustainable finance, corporate responsibility, impact infrastructure, and strategic sustainability communication. Undergraduate students can also take GSLI course offeringsoutside the minor.
MBA concentrations and coursework:MBA students can enhance their degree by adding a concentration in CleanTech, Social Enterprise, Corporate Social Responsibility, Energy Finance, and more.
Executive Education:The Sustainability Leadership Program prepares business leaders to strategize for sustainability, develop an action plan for sustainability initiatives, and measure their impact. Interested companies can reach out for more information about our subject matter expert talks and bespoke 18-hour Sustainability Leadership Program.
Experiential Learning
GSLI offers opportunities for students to take part in sustainable entrepreneurship and consulting with community and industry partners.
Longhorn Impact Fellowship at Texas (LIFT):LIFT student fellows consult with corporations and non-profits to solve the world’s sustainability challenges.
Sustainability Education and Enterprise Development (SEED) Challenge:Annual student startup competition for business concepts with a sustainable impact.
MBA Impact Investing Network and Training (MIINT): Annual competition for MBA students to research and present impact investing opportunities to real investor boards.
Student organizations:GSLI sponsors two student-led organizations focused on sustainable entrepreneurship and investing.
Community partnership
Our work connects stakeholders from across the UT campus, the Austin community, and the business community at large.
Become a client:Corporations, social enterprises, and non-profits seeking support for their social and environmental impact problems can apply for qualified student consultant teams through LIFT.
Join the GSLI Corporate Advisory Council:The GSLI advisory council brings together business leaders to help guide our programs and strengthen our impact. Interested companies can contact GSLI@mccombs.utexas.eduto start the conversation.
Faculty and Research
GSLI-affiliated faculty members are driving change through world-renowned research and academic leadership.
Faculty research:Our faculty’s research on sustainable business and communications has appeared in leading publications.
Affiliated faculty:Interdisciplinary faculty and staff support GSLI initiatives through advising, mentorship, teaching, and more.
Areas of focus
Throughout the Institute’s experiential learning, classes, events, career support, and research programs, we focus on four key areas where students, faculty, and industry partners can make a positive impact.
Corporate Sustainability
Sustainable corporations see beyond short-term gains and work toward a “triple-bottom line” — increasing profits, benefitting the environment, and having positive relationships with community stakeholders. They protect value by identifying external risks, assessing options to maintain competitiveness, and seeking opportunities for innovation.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Sustainable entrepreneurship creates new ventures that seek positive, sustainable impact in addition to financial returns. This category also includes innovative ideas that build the infrastructure needed for sustainable change.
Sustainable Finance
Investors screen investment opportunities for environmental and social criteria to maintain and create value through the full financial spectrum from angel and seed funding to public stock listings.
Sustainable Communication
Companies communicate their environmental and social impact via disclosures for public reporting. They can work with raters and rankers to accurately portray their work to public audiences. Management must also communicate their sustainability plans effectively to create buy-in with interested stakeholders.
GSLI News and Events
Join an upcoming event
Whether to connect, share, or learn, we invite you to join us at upcoming Global Sustainability Leadership Institute events. Follow our calendarand newsletterfor more information.
Our Impact
The Global Sustainability Leadership Institute translates sustainability ambition into action by giving students the skills, mentorship, and platforms to build solutions that matter. Through our flagship experiential learning programs, such as the Sustainability Education and Enterprise Development (SEED) Challenge and the Longhorn Impact Fellowship at Texas (LIFT), students move from classroom concepts to real-world impact—consulting for corporations, nonprofits, and social enterprises, or launching their own ventures from idea to pitch to funding. Our institute also serves as a nexus for sustainability at UT Austin, bringing together faculty members and researchers, business leaders, non-profit organizations, and students. Together, our programs have shaped the future of sustainable business by paving career paths for hundreds of aspiring student entrepreneurs and business leaders.
$1,574,508
Value produced by LIFT student sustainability consultants for community clients.
96
Sustainable student consulting projects completed through the Longhorn Impact Fellowship in 2020.
100%
GSL minor graduates who would recommend the minor.
122
Student startups competing in the SEED challenge since 2020.
$80,000
Grants awarded to sustainable student startups.
475
Graduates from GSLI programs in first nine years.
Support the Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders
The Global Sustainability Leadership Institute embodies McCombs’ mission: transforming lives for the benefit of society. Your financial support empowers our students to bring their sustainable business ideas to life and create a brighter future for all.
Connect with the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute
Visit our office in CBA 3.302, next to the McCombs Atrium and CBA Events Room, or send us an email at GSLI@mccombs.utexas.edu.