As a young Barnard graduate, Anisa Costa set her sights on a career at the United Nations “I’ve always been inspired by a global mindset and interested in how different sectors come together to affect positive change,” she says. But a decision to enroll in graduate school at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)  soon set her on another path.

While earning a master’s degree in international affairs and international economic policy, Anisa became intrigued by the ways in which government, nonprofits, philanthropies, and businesses can collaborate for the greater good. Eager to put her theories into practice, Anisa initially explored opportunities to link positive social change with business performance and shareholder value in the banking sector, then moved on to roles at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. “The Fund is committed to making a positive impact on society in a variety of areas, which I found inspiring,” she says. “And on a personal note, I also treasured the connection between Emma Willard and the Rockefeller Fund that Bill Dietel represented.” (Dietel was a former principal at Emma and the president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund from 1975 to 1987.)

While at the RBF, Anisa met then Tiffany & Co. Chairman and CEO Michael Kowalski, whom she would join at the company in 2003. She began working at the Tiffany & Co. Foundation and Tiffany & Co., ultimately serving as Chairman and President of the Foundation and as the company's first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer. “I was initially brought into Tiffany & Co. to develop the foundation, but during my nearly two decades with the company, I also had the privilege of building out the organization’s sustainability and ESG effort,” she explains. “It was a tremendous opportunity to work in a burgeoning field.”

In April 2022, Anisa shifted gears when she was recruited to join electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive as chief sustainability officer and trustee and president of the Rivian Foundation. She is now applying her formidable talents and experiences to crafting the company’s global sustainability and philanthropic agenda.

And it was her days at Emma Willard, says Anisa, that in part equipped her to meet this moment. “To be successful in the sustainability space, you need a global mindset and the ability to find areas of synergy, and these are all key elements of an Emma education,” she observes. “The school is a global community—from the student body to the faculty—and there is a prevailing emphasis on identifying ideas that lend themselves to synergy and collaboration.”

This emphasis on collaboration is mirrored in sustainably sensitive corporations, Anisa continues. “The ability to work in partnership, both within a company and outside it—with NGOs investors, stakeholders, customers—is critical to one’s long-term success.”

This is especially true in the luxury space, she says. “Luxury goods are focused on permanence and durability and demand a synergistic relationship between producer and consumer. At Tiffany & Co., for example, we were committed to engaging with clients, demonstrating the power of transparency, and ensuring that our multiple stakeholders had a voice and a place at the table. We were committed to extracting the highest quality materials through responsible mining practices to create pieces that would be passed from generation to generation. At Rivian, we’re committed to a collaborative culture and sustainability strategy that will help us to achieve our long-term goal of transforming the transportation and energy sectors. Be it luxury jewelry or a luxury vehicle, these are significant purchases in one’s life, and people are thinking about them more than ever before. Companies must be equally thoughtful in encouraging a creative core that facilitates meaningful impact for business and the world.

“There was a similar emphasis on quality, durability and collaboration at Emma,” Anisa continues. “I was keenly aware of the history within the space as well as the values being passed down from generation to generation.

“In any successful enterprise—be it Emma Willard, Tiffany & Co., or Rivian—there is a caring that is brought to bear in the system,” Anisa concludes. “It’s a belief in stewardship and community that is unmistakable.”

 

This piece originally appeared in the Spring/Summer 2024 issue of Signature Magazine as one of three alum features.