Tensie Whelan

Tensie Whelan is clinical professor for Business and Society and director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, where she is bringing her 25 years of experience working on local, national and international environmental and sustainability issues to engage businesses in proactive and innovative mainstreaming of sustainability. As president of the Rainforest Alliance, she built the organization from a $4.5 million to $50 million budget, transforming the engagement of business with sustainability.  Her previous work included serving as executive director of the New York League of Conservation Voters, vice president of the National Audubon Society, managing editor of Ambio, a journal of the Swedish Academy of Sciences, and a journalist in Latin America. Tensie has served on numerous nonprofit boards and serves on the advisory boards of ALO Advisors, Buzz on Earth, Giant Ventures, Inherent Group and Nespresso. She was most recently appointed to the board of Emerald SPAC, and is an Advisor to the Future Economy Project for Harvard Business Review. Tensie holds a B.A. from New York University, an M.A. from American University, and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Owner President Management (OPM) Program. She was awarded the Stern Faculty Excellence Award in 2020.