Louisa Zinke

Louisa Zinke (she/her/hers)
Program: MIA
Concentration: Climate, Energy, and Environment
Specialization: International Security and Diplomacy 
Hometown: Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Louisa Zinke is a second-year Master of International Affairs candidate at Columbia SIPA, concentrating in Climate, Energy, and Environment with a specialization in International Security and Diplomacy. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of climate finance, the energy transition, and geopolitical security. Before SIPA, she worked as a Key Account Manager at Procter & Gamble in Germany, where she managed a large eCommerce healthcare portfolio and drove sustainability initiatives. She also served as a Research and Policy Analyst at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, co-authoring global reports on human trafficking, environmental crime, and homicide. In summer 2026, Louisa joined One Equity Partners, a middle-market private equity firm in New York, where she evaluated investment opportunities across the energy, industrials, and aerospace sectors through financial analysis, market research, and M&A diligence. Louisa graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Conservation and Resource Studies. She has lived in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Peru, and the United States, bringing an international perspective to her studies and work. At SIPA, she serves as Head of Founder Outreach for the Entrepreneurship Club and as an Event Lead with the Columbia Energy Association. 

In her free time, Louisa enjoys contemporary dance, visiting art exhibitions, backpacking in the mountains, and supporting ocean conservation efforts. She looks forward to connecting with prospective students and sharing more about her SIPA journey.