Monet Beatty (‘20, MA ‘21)

Sustainability Manager; Green Project Technologies
Choreographer and Director; MBDanceCo

Winston-Salem, NC
WFU Class of 2020
Majors: MA in Sustainability (2021), BA in Biology (2020)
Minors in Environmental Studies and Dance (2020)

DeacLink: Please walk me through your path from graduation day to your current job.

Monet Beatty: I finished undergrad in 2020, and began my fellowship in the B-School while pursuing a Masters in Sustainability. Upon graduating with a masters in 2021, I worked for an environmentally focused non-profit organization part-time, while working in the arts; choreographing and teaching dance for various dance studios, as well as adjudicating dance competitions. After about ten months, I applied for an LLC, to begin accepting contracts. I executed contractual work for a year, and decided to plan and produce “Ubiquitous”, a dance production set to premier in February 2023 to address themes surrounding mental health, social media, and connection. While I was still teaching dance, adjudicating dance competitions, and accepting a few contracts, I took some time to plan for the next five years, and began my job search for a robust opportunity that will allow me to delve into my passion for sustainability. I started the job searching process in September 2023, and after four weeks, I found an opportunity at a start-up tech company as a Sustainability Manager. My role as Sustainability Manager and Director of MBDanceCo, allow me to live in my passions.

DL: How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?

MB: Wake Forest University offered me a playground of academic adventure to gain insight and broaden my knowledge and perspective in so many ways. From participating in a pre-orientation program at the very beginning, to finding myself as a leader of a program a year later. This set the stage for my academic exploration experience. My success is due to the immense intellectual landscape that exists at Wake Forest University. As an active member of the campus community, with a plethora of opportunities to explore passions, I was immersed in a boundless environment that provided me a safe place of professional and personal growth both during undergrad, graduate school, and as a University Fellow in the Business School.

My dual passion for the Arts and Sustainability has driven my career path for as long as I can remember, so majoring in Biology and minoring in Dance, and pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainability, provided me with the optimum plan. I sought out every opportunity to study and gain experience and knowledge in the biological and environmental sciences. I meticulously chose classes that fed my liberal arts interests, as well as my desire to gain knowledge in sustainability. I sought out internships, and chose classes that offered study abroad components, and ultimately went on two short term trips to Australia, and Denmark.

My first year seminar class studied the word, “Love”, and was so insightful and intellectually stimulating that I delved into a self-led project of producing a dance production with themes connecting unity, community, and Love; thus, “Love in Motion”, dance production was created. Nina Lucas, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, and also one of my mentors in the Arts, supported and helped develop my artistic voice, and provided a safe place for me to explore creative boundaries, and enrichment as a Presidential Scholar in dance.

This opportunity was the catalyst in merging my two passions, Sustainability and the Arts, and working with Christina Soriano, another one of my mentors, to delve into grant writing as a way to fund artistic endeavors that I am passionate about. “Breathe” dance production was born, and ultimately was planned to be an interdisciplinary venture that brought together the newly established Engineering department, the Winston Salem dance community, as well as members of the Wake Forest dance community. This magnificent artistic endeavor was ready for the stage, and was planned to be funded by IPLACE (now IAC); however, due to the pandemic, the event was canceled a month before opening day. While the event was not able to happen, I was able to create a short documentary about the purpose and planning of “Breathe.”, and ultimately added grant writing as an acquired skill to add to my personal and professional development tool box.

Every aspect of my experience at Wake Forest University has provided me with the skills and education to pursue the next level of growth and exploration. Graduating in 2021 with a Masters in Sustainability, and all the knowledge and skills gained from an abundance of rich liberal arts enrichment led me to two years later, in February 2023, producing, “Ubiquitous”, at High Point Theatre, exploring themes of mental health, social media, and emotions that connect us all. The experiences and the mentoring relationships that I was exposed to at Wake Forest University, is my why and how “Ubiquitous’ ‘, dance production, was born. My Wake Forest experience has propelled me as a professional in the Arts and Stem. Not only have I recently produced a professional dance production this past year, but I am thrilled to be working as a Sustainability Manager for an organization that offers a carbon accounting platform purpose built for private markets and supply chains. So, to ask how much did studies and my general experience at Wake Forest University influence my career path, I would say, undeniably, immensely, and auspiciously!

DL: How did you find and apply to the various positions you’ve held? Any tips or suggestions for the student audience on networking, interviewing and applying for jobs?

MB: My advice to anyone seeking a position, would be to consider your long term career goals. Be intentional about your learning objectives, and how you can add value to a position, while at the same time seeking an opportunity that will allow you to gain additional skills. Continuing to network after graduation is a resourceful way to , and using Linkedin, company websites, indeed, and word of mouth are great ways to learn about job opportunities to apply for.

DL: What is your favorite part of living and working where you do?

MB: Nature, arts, family, education, urban development, location and community make North Carolina, a wonderful place to live. Being centrally located between mountains and the coast, and offering all four seasons is my favorite part of living in Winston-Salem. The art community is budding, with lots of entertainment opportunities to enjoy from performances at the many performing arts centers, to the Innovation quarter, health initiatives, and so much more. With the NCBlack Theatre taking place every other year, and our growing Fashion week, the new Science Museum “Kaleideum”, and the Sawtooth School for Visual Arts, there is so much to do in this area. There is new construction and plans for the Downtown area as well as talk of the new passenger train line from W-S to Raleigh, which will offer job opportunities for our growing economy. What makes me even more excited is the opportunity to see artistic expression continuing to grow in this community. I would love to be a part of the planning to bring an Art Basel of some sort to this area. The Winston Salem Arts Council provides artists with opportunities to share work, and the NC Dance Festival is always a wonderful artistic time. There is so much to choose from, and it’s all interesting, all of the time.

DL: What is your favorite part about where you work?

MB: I thoroughly enjoy the start-up element of my current work, and the opportunity to learn and grow with a company where I can not only utilize my skills, but develop new skills. While my colleagues all work in different states, it feels like we are a tight knit family of immensely intelligent and outgoing professionals. We work remote, but have power hours where we work together on different projects, and even have time for team building opportunities to discuss what we have going on in our lives, and even play the NYTimes word games a few times a week. I found my niche of people where we all speak the same language, and leverage one another’s strengths. The company’s chief growth officer, the founders, and the sustainability managers and tech professionals are all passionate about sustainability and the work that we do to help businesses understand their carbon footprint.

DL: What and where is next for you?

MB: I am thrilled to be at a place where I hope to be planted for years to come. The work that I do is engaging and challenging, and it feels like what I am doing can change the world. In the meantime, if and when additional contract requests come in, I hope to create a database of sustainability professionals that would like to work on a contractual basis, being the liaison to companies and their professional sustainability solution needs. As far as my artistic goals, I plan to host a dance workshop and adjudication event in the near future.

DL: Any other kernel of advice you’d like to impart to the readers?

MB: A few pieces of advice. I encourage you to build upon your soft skills. Pursue a career or path that feeds your passions. Say thank you often to those that have impacted your life. Enjoy the process, and that your journey will take you on many adventures. Make sure you learn something interesting everyday, and never stop pursuing knowledge.