Bama Bay Oyster Farm, located on the coast of Alabama, is Alabama’s first and only woman-owned and led sustainable marine farm producing oysters. Jackie Wilson’s career in oyster farming began when she was younger, and it started as a sustenance operation. However, she realized “I could make some money from this”. She developed an understanding of the profit margin that can be made with oysters, and how profitable oysters can become when produced on a large scale.

The UNC Sustainability Awards recognize leadership and best practice for three winners: An established and entrepreneurial North Carolina business that shows innovation, initiative and impact in sustainability, as well as a Kenan-Flagler Distinguished Alumnus in Sustainability. For the business awards, our Business Leadership in Sustainability (BLiS) and Student-Athlete Sustainability Initiative (SASI) Associates research businesses and use the frameworks we teach to propose their top choices, and the Kenan-Flagler MBA Net Impact Chapter uses a rigorous selection process to choose the winners from the pool of nominees. For the alumni award, the winner is selected by an internal committee vote. The event provides an opportunity for innovators to share their stories and be recognized by the Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability at this invitation-only gala.