From Balancing Books to Now Balancing Ecosystems with Veronica Yow
Hello, I’m Veronica! I started my career as a Tax Accountant after earning a Bachelor of Commerce and completing my Chartered Accountancy. Shortly after, I joined an AIESEC internship at PwC Egypt during the Arab Spring to lead their Corporate Responsibility program, Triple Effect, which launched over 150 voluntary blood donation campaigns in Egypt and then to ten countries in the Middle East, Africa, & Asia.
With my team, I also co-developed and implemented PwC’s Green Entrepreneurship Hub: It leveraged PwC’s professional expertise to help startups build sustainable business models in the renewable energy and waste management sector.
Through these experiences, I came to understand that the planet’s finite resources would increasingly hit corporate bottom lines. This realization led me to pursue a Master of Science in Sustainability Management.
During the program, I joined Rare, an environmental nonprofit, as a summer intern and eventually full time, where I spent five years supporting farmers in China to transition towards organic farming. In the process, we also supported global brands to adopt sustainable fiber in their supply chains.
This sparked in me a deep passion for soil regeneration and transforming food systems to build resilient communities.
After my time in China, I joined the Meloy Fund, an impact investment fund launched by Rare, which supports SMEs and startups in Indonesia and the Philippines to strengthen coastal livelihoods and ecosystems.
I was able to work directly and engage deeply with fishers and aquaculture farmers, hearing firsthand their most pressing challenges and co-developing sourcing and certification solutions that aim to meet their needs and realities.
As climate change and extreme weather events intensify and our natural systems reach tipping points, the need to build resilient, regenerative, and equitable food systems will become even more urgent.
We will see greater need for regenerative agriculture practices, community-driven solutions, and localized supply chains capable of withstanding external shocks, as well as large-scale ecosystem restoration - all supported by technology where appropriate. These strategies are vital for food security, economic resilience, and community well-being.
To those eager to take action and enter the sustainability field, take full advantage of the opportunities available to you while you're still in university. Throughout my journey, I often questioned whether I should focus on becoming a generalist or a specialist. Over time, I’ve come to value and appreciate the breadth of experience I’ve gained by working across sectors, geographies, and with people from different walks of life.
Your path doesn’t need to be perfectly mapped out from the start. Follow your curiosity and passion, bring a mix of skills, perspectives, and disciplines to the table—and above all, commit fully to what you take on and give it your best shot!
👉🏼 Discover more stories like Veronica's