Building a Practical Financial Modeling Course for students focused on sustainability with Michael & Janice

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst speaks with Janice Shade and Michael Tapia about the intersection of sustainability, financial modeling, and education. They share the behind-the-scenes creation of a unique MBA course focused on sustainable finance and modeling at Bard College. The episode dives into horror stories from the modeling trenches, highlights the challenges of teaching complex topics in an accessible way, and explores the future of financial education and tools.

Janice is a systems entrepreneur and finance educator with over 30 years of experience. She has worked with both for-profit and nonprofit ventures, focusing on democratic access to capital and economic justice. Janice is also the author of Moving Mountains and teaches finance at Bard’s MBA in Sustainability program. Michael transitioned from the fitness industry into sustainable finance. With an MBA in Impact Finance from Bard, he co-developed and co-taught a financial modeling course that incorporates ESG data and sustainability into traditional financial analysis. Michael is passionate about inclusive, community-driven investment strategies and financial education.

Expect to Learn

• What makes a financial model “fit for purpose”, and why complexity isn’t always better.
• How financial modeling can support sustainability and social impact.
• Tips for teaching finance to non-finance students and building curriculum from the ground up.
• The importance of scenario and sensitivity analysis in forecasting.
• Practical insights on bridging theory and hands-on financial modeling in academia.

Here are a few quotes from the episode:

• "Finance shouldn't feel mystical or exclusive, our goal is to make it approachable and relevant." - Janice Shade
• "As a former trainer, I saw how performance metrics drove change. Now I see capital can do the same, if used with purpose." - Michael Tapia
• "Forecasting is hard, and no forecast is ever right. We're just trying to make it less wrong." - Janice Shade

Follow Janice:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-shade/
• Website - https://innovatecapital.org/team

Follow Michael:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-tapia-

Follow Paul:

• Website - https://www.thefpandaguy.com  
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thefpandaguy

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In today’s episode:

[02:29] - Introduction of Janice and Michael

[07:20] - Worst Financial Model

[14:04] - Defining a Financial Model

[15:18] - Story Behind the MBA Modeling Course

[22:43] - Janice’s Key Takeaways from First Cohort

[29:34] - Michael’s Course and Podcast Episodes

[42:45] - Favourite Shortcut in Excel

[43:47] - Creative Excel Uses

[47:32] - Rapid Fire Section