Laura Wildenborg ’11 has spent her career turning her passion for sustainability into meaningful action. Whether leading students through the outdoors, serving on environmental boards, or creating innovative banking programs that support climate solutions, she has remained committed to building a more sustainable and equitable future.
An Environmental Studies graduate from the College of Saint Benedict, Wildenborg credits many of her passions to her Bennie experience. She was deeply involved in sustainability efforts on campus through the Peer Resource Program and as a resident of Rainbow House, CSB/SJU’s intentional living community centered on sustainability and environmental stewardship.
“Rainbow House created lifelong friendships and mentorship,” Wildenborg said. “We cared deeply about the environment, but we also cared about community and how we lived out our values every day.”
After graduation, Wildenborg spent years in outdoor and environmental education, first serving as a naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center and later spending eight years with the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center. During her college years, Laura served as the summer director at the Lake City ELP, before eventually becoming program director later in her career. There, she introduced young people to the outdoors and environmental stewardship.
“Being an educator taught me how to connect big environmental issues to people’s everyday lives,” she said. “Watching students grow from second graders into high school seniors was incredibly rewarding.”
Her passion for sustainability eventually led her to pursue an MBA at the University of St. Thomas. During graduate school, she accepted an internship with Sunrise Banks, a certified B Corporation and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on creating social and environmental impact alongside financial success.
“At Sunrise, I realized banking could be another avenue for climate action,” Wildenborg said. “I asked early on how the company was thinking about climate change and sustainability, and that conversation opened the door to the work I’m doing now.”
Today, Wildenborg serves as Vice President of Strategic Lending at Sunrise Banks, where she has become a national leader in sustainable finance. She helped launch innovative programs that allow customers’ banking activity to support climate-positive projects, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and community-focused decarbonization efforts.
One of her major initiatives focuses on helping banks better understand and reduce the carbon footprint of their loan portfolios. Through partnerships with community organizations, nonprofits, and energy programs, Wildenborg has helped create pathways for underserved communities to access energy audits, winterization improvements, and clean energy financing.
“People don’t always realize the impact their bank account can have,” she said. “Financial institutions can be powerful tools for environmental and community change.”
In addition to her lending work, Wildenborg chairs Sunrise Banks’ sustainability committee, helping integrate sustainability goals across the organization. Rather than treating sustainability as a side initiative, the bank incorporates it into measurable organizational priorities and accountability structures.
Her work has received significant recognition in recent years. Wildenborg was named to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2025 “40 Under 40,” recognized as one of Finance & Commerce’s “Top Women in Finance,” and honored among the “Outstanding Women in Banking” by BankBeat and BankNews.
Outside of her professional work, Wildenborg continues to stay deeply involved in environmental and outdoor advocacy. She serves on several boards and commissions, including Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Friends of the Bluffs in Red Wing, and the Minnesota State Outdoor Business Alliance. She also remains connected to The Cairn Project, where she previously served as an ambassador raising funds to help young women access outdoor adventure opportunities.
One of her favorite memories through The Cairn Project was participating in a remote canoe expedition in Canada alongside a fellow Bennie.
“Outdoor experiences can be transformational, especially for young women,” Wildenborg said. “There’s something powerful about building confidence and connection through nature.”
Throughout every stage of her career, Wildenborg says one theme has remained constant: aligning her work with her values.
“I’ve always wanted my work to have purpose,” she said. “Whether it was teaching students outdoors or helping create climate-focused financial solutions, it comes back to stewardship and protecting the places and communities we care about.”
For fellow Bennies and future graduates, Wildenborg encourages students to stay grounded in their passions and values.
“You don’t always know exactly where your path will lead,” she said. “But if you continue following the things you care deeply about, you can build a career that creates real impact.”