Her Story
About Josie
Josie Ballew is a dual-degree MBA and Master of Environmental Management candidate at Duke University, enrolled in both the Fuqua School of Business and the Nicholas School of the Environment. She specializes in Community Engagement and Environmental Justice, Terrestrial and Freshwater Environments, as well as Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Originally from Black Mountain, North Carolina, she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Geological Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, building an early foundation that blends business strategy with environmental science.
Prior to graduate school, Josie spent six years in the FinTech and startup sector, where she built a career focused on revenue operations, sales enablement, and organizational strategy. She held roles including Director of Revenue Operations, Chief of Staff, Sales Enablement Manager, and Account Executive, where she led initiatives in CRM systems, go-to-market strategy, forecasting, and cross-functional alignment. Her work consistently centered on scaling business operations, improving data infrastructure, and supporting executive leadership in fast-growing organizations.
Currently, Josie is transitioning her expertise into climate and sustainability-focused work. She is completing internships in natural capital and environmental analytics, including work with Aurora Sustainable Lands and Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. In these roles, she supports biodiversity strategy, TNFD reporting, and climate data visualization for large-scale conservation initiatives. Her long-term goal is to work in consulting or climate finance, helping organizations integrate environmental impact, sustainability strategy, and data-driven decision-making to address complex global challenges.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Josie
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is to “do it, even if you’re going to do it scared.” This perspective has been especially meaningful to me, particularly as a woman navigating new opportunities and challenges. It acknowledges that it is natural to feel nervous when trying something unfamiliar or putting yourself out there, while also reinforcing that fear does not have to be a barrier to action. Giving myself permission to feel uncertain while still moving forward has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
For young professionals interested in climate and environmental work, my advice is not to limit yourself to a specific “climate function.” Sustainability is increasingly being integrated across nearly every industry, including CPG, finance, retail, and more, as organizations recognize its importance. Rather than viewing it as a separate career track, I would encourage you to bring your interest in climate and sustainability into whichever field you choose. There is meaningful space to contribute in many different roles, and companies are actively seeking people who can help embed environmental thinking into core business functions.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In FinTech, one of the biggest challenges I’ve observed is that, as a relatively new and highly technical industry, it can unintentionally be exclusionary—particularly toward women and others whose backgrounds are not rooted in STEM fields. Because many roles require either strong technical capabilities or deep financial and analytical expertise, there is often a tendency in hiring to prioritize traditional STEM pathways, which can limit diversity of thought and experience. At the same time, this presents a significant opportunity for the industry to broaden its talent pipelines and recognize the value of transferable skills, interdisciplinary backgrounds, and diverse perspectives, all of which are essential for driving innovation and building more inclusive financial technologies.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I have a couple personal values that I live by. One is humor. I really try to see the humor in things. I also live by generosity. I think there is a lot of generosity in the world if you are willing to be open to it and accept it. And also if you are willing to just put yourself out there and give it. Those are two of my core values.
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