Sarah D.

Sarah Dankens

5.0

(5)

Corporate sustainability coach | Climate, nature & supply chain strategy

Harvard Kennedy School Logo

Studied at Harvard Kennedy School

Harvard Business School Logo

Works at Harvard Business School

Not currently taking new clients

Sarah’s Climate Tech & Sustainability Qualifications

Experience level: Manager

Navigating a sustainability career can be genuinely complex: the field spans procurement, operations, strategy, and stakeholder engagement, and the regulatory landscape is shifting fast. I can help you make sense of where you fit and how to get there. My experience includes procurement and water & biodiversity strategy at Danone, widely regarded as one of the corporate sustainability leaders in the food and beverage industry, advising luxury brands including LVMH and Kering on water and nature risk in their supply chains, and time at the World Bank's 2030 Water Resources Group working on private capital mobilization for water. I'm also well-versed in the regulatory and disclosure landscape (ex: CDP, CSRD) and how these are reshaping priorities across the field. Most recently, I've deepened my focus on climate and economic risk through my MPA at Harvard Kennedy School. Whether you're trying to break into sustainability, pivot from an adjacent role into something more impact-driven, or simply make sense of a fast-moving field, I can help you map the landscape of actors — from corporates to NGOs to multilaterals — identify where you'd thrive, and tell your story compellingly.

Sarah can help with:

Behavioral Interview Prep

Climate Consulting

Climate Policy & Regulations

Corporate Sustainability

Cover Letters

Funding & Grants

LinkedIn Review

Networking Strategy

Resume Review

Salary Negotiation

Sustainable Supply Chain & Operations

Technical Interview Prep

Sarah also coaches for Master’s Programs, Cooking, and AP Exams. View all.

Work Experience

The World Bank Group Logo

Summer Associate

The World Bank Group

May 2025 - August 2025

2030 Water Resources Group, World Bank Water Global Department A multi-donor trust fund hosted by the World Bank, driving water security via public-private partnerships • Led global review of WRG’s private sector engagement strategy; delivered recommendations to mobilize private capital and redesign funding/governance models to align with corporate water risks across 5 countries • Developed private-sector engagement strategy for a first-of-its-kind global water-reuse network

Global Commission on the Economics of Water Logo

Policy Analyst

Global Commission on the Economics of Water

May 2025 - August 2025

Resarched, wrote, and published the following briefs: • Dankens, Buisson. The Economics of Water for Transitioning Food Systems. International Water Management Institute, 2025 • Dankens, Buisson. The Water–Energy–Food Nexus. International Water Management Institute, 2025

Water Wiser Logo

Consultant

Water Wiser

January 2025 - November 2025

Strategy consulting firm specializing in corporate water risk management for CAC 40 companies • Developed a supply-chain water-risk assessment tool to identify priority agricultural raw materials and regions, assessed client water-risk exposure, delivered recommendations to enhance supply-chain resilience and advance nature targets • Key clients: Kering, LVMH, Diptyque, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Logo

Consultant, Strategy & Transformation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

December 2024 - March 2025

For FACT Alliance, part of Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) at MIT Consulted and designed food system strategy.

Harvard Business School Logo

Case Writer & Senior Researcher

Harvard Business School

October 2024 - Present

• Co-authored 2 case studies on the political economy of U.S. agriculture with Sr. Assoc. Dean Forest Reinhardt; conducted stakeholder interviews and secondary research, analyzed financial and operational data, wrote publication materials • Cases featured in HBS’s annual Agribusiness Executive Education Program Published cases: Swanson Family Farms. Harvard Business School, 2026 U.S. and Global Agriculture: The Next Four Years. Harvard Business School, 2025

Danone Logo

Water & Biodiversity Strategy Manager

Danone

January 2023 - July 2024

Interviewer

Team reporting to Chief Strategy Officer • Implemented nature risk and opportunity assessments; facilitated mitigation strategies for at-risk sourcing and operations; delivered external/regulatory reporting materials; launched 2024 water strategy with updated KPIs • Co-developed stewardship & sourcing projects to address risks, secured external partners & bank co-financing (>$200K) • Managed and expanded water-related strategic partnerships (e.g., Ramsar, UN Global Compact, NGOs, and dev. banks) • Led advocacy at global forums, event planning, and C-Suite briefing/speech preparation (e.g., UN Water 2023)

Danone Logo

Associate Procurement Manager

Danone

January 2022 - December 2022

EU Packaging Procurement Manager, Waters Division • Managed end-to-end procurement from marketing brief to product delivery; oversaw 10+ suppliers and 200+ internal clients; led a ~1k-reference/year marketing activations portfolio; analyzed performance to optimize processes and costs

French National Cooking Exam Logo

Pass

French National Cooking Exam

2022 - 2022

Trained for the national French culinary exam. Passed: 15/20 The CAP Cuisine is the French state-recognized professional culinary diploma, equivalent to a vocational degree in classical French cooking. It's the foundational credential of the French culinary system, covering classical technique, kitchen management, food safety, and practical cooking exams evaluated by industry professionals.

AKQA Logo

Project Manager

AKQA

June 2018 - July 2021

Interviewer

Global digital design and innovation Agency - Promoted from Junior Project Manager in September 2019 • Managed 3 cross-functional teams (15+ people) using Agile methodology; oversaw $4MM yearly budget for digital brand strategy projects; developed SOWs and sprint plans; facilitated client communications and contract negotiations • Principal client: Verizon; Key projects: Launch of Prepaid Website and E-Sim app

Education

Harvard Kennedy School Logo

Harvard Kennedy School

Master of Public Administration, economics, finance, policy design, and environmental risk analysis

2024 - 2026

John F. Kennedy Fellow Activities and societies: Food & Ag Club Leadership Policy areas of focus: Food systems, water and nature, economic risk analysis, public-private partnerships

ESSEC Business School Logo

ESSEC Business School

Masters, International Supply Chain & Procurement Management

2021 - 2022

“Food Business Challenges” fellowship. Final thesis: Sustainable Sourcing in Agribusiness (Awarded Jury’s Distinction of Excellence)

Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Logo

Georgetown University School of Foreign Service

Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, International relations & political science

2014 - 2018

Minor: Spanish Grade: Magna Cum Laude Activities and societies: Students of Georgetown Inc (“The Corp”), DC Schools Project

5 Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0


Sarah has helped Leland clients get into Harvard University


Sarah has helped Leland clients get into Flutter Entertainment

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Sarah D.

Sarah D.

5.0

 
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