The latest newsletter from the Ray C. Anderson Foundation features updates and stories from the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, The Ray, the Biomimicry Institute’s Ray of Hope Accelerator, and Drawdown Georgia.
Biomimicry Institute The Biomimicry Institute has revealed the ten startups chosen for the 2026 Ray of Hope Accelerator, a leading global program supporting entrepreneurs who apply nature-inspired approaches to climate challenges and innovation.
The new cohort was selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants from around the world. Together, the startups demonstrate the wide range of solutions that can emerge when entrepreneurs turn to nature for inspiration, treating it as a source of ideas and guidance rather than simply as the environment in which they operate.
As part of the accelerator, each participating startup will receive $15,000 in non-dilutive funding, along with access to more than $50,000 worth of resources and expert assistance. Participants will also take part in a nature-based retreat and receive guidance from experts spanning science, deep technology, entrepreneurship, and impact investment.
Click here to know about the teams.
The Biomimicry Institute has published the completed case studies from its
Nature of Fashion initiative, a multi-year project exploring a fundamental challenge: how could the fashion industry manage and break down its waste in a way that mirrors nature’s own decomposition processes?
While natural ecosystems recycle an estimated 100 billion tonnes of material every year, the fashion industry struggles to manage around 110 million tonnes of waste. The newly released case studies, spanning three countries, examine practical approaches for creating a more nature-aligned fashion system. Among the findings are insights from Ghana, where researchers studied how microbial communities in a severely polluted lagoon are reacting to the presence of synthetic textile waste.
Click
here to read the case studies.
Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business
This summer, the Carbon Reduction Challenge celebrated its 10th year of engaging students in practical emissions-reduction projects. Participants investigate ways to lower carbon emissions within the organizations where they are completing internships, then develop and present a compelling business case for projects that can deliver both environmental and financial benefits. The students take on the Challenge in addition to their normal internship duties, working alongside mentors and corporate sponsors to create proposals that are both meaningful from a sustainability perspective and financially viable. Each August, the program produces a new collection of actionable ideas that participating companies can consider implementing.
The Rwanda Study Abroad program at Georgia Tech gives students an opportunity to explore sustainable development by connecting academic learning with real-world challenges. While the program traditionally focused on undergraduates, this year it expanded to include a graduate-level option: the MBA International Practicum at Scheller College, co-taught by Professor of the Practice Michael Oxman and Lecturer Bob Lax. Using a structured, hypothesis-based problem-solving methodology, students worked to develop solutions that directly supported their clients’ goals.
As an undergraduate at Georgia Tech, Justin Le consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to bringing communities together, supporting others, and advancing sustainability. In recognition of his contributions, the Center named him the 2026 recipient of the Vivian Nora Lukens Memorial Scholarship. In an interview, Justin reflects on his experiences and describes how they helped him become more adaptable, deepen his interest in sustainability, and develop as a servant leader. He graduated from Georgia Tech this spring with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Drawdown Georgia
Drawdown Georgia is launching a new quarterly digital newsletter aimed at Georgians interested in understanding the state’s electricity mix and how it influences energy costs and emissions.
Electricity sources vary considerably across Georgia. Some communities receive more of their power from nuclear and solar generation, while others depend more heavily on natural gas and coal. These differences influence the carbon intensity of electricity in each area and, consequently, the emissions associated with residential, commercial, and industrial energy use.
Where does your electricity come from? Drawdown Georgia is making this county-level information easier for residents and organizations to access.
Created in collaboration with Georgia Tech researchers, the data can help governments, businesses, and community groups assess progress, inform planning, and identify opportunities to prioritize emissions reductions.
In a recent Georgia Climate Digest interview, host Eriqah Vincent speaks with Jackie Jackson, Resilience Program Administrator for Chatham County. A native of Chatham County and a trained biologist, Jackson spent three decades working in environmental and community planning before helping establish the county’s first resilience program in 2022.
Drawdown Georgia Business Compact
The Georgia Carbon Exchange team recently hosted a webinar to update stakeholders and encourage participation in its forest pilot program. The initiative could give Georgia-based corporations access to high-integrity carbon credits that support both the state’s economy and its natural ecosystems while benefiting the communities where projects are located. Researchers, landowners, and corporate purchasers took part in the session to explore how collaboration could help create a carbon market suited to the needs and conditions of the Southeast.
The Ray
The Ray has entered into a formal partnership with the Montana Department of Transportation to explore technology-enabled approaches to improving safety, mobility, and resource efficiency across Montana’s extensive transportation system.
The partnership provides a framework for developing innovative transportation infrastructure while supporting economic growth and strengthening resilience across the state. A newly signed Memorandum of Understanding outlines an initial multi-year program focused on research and the creation of geospatial analysis tools. Collaborative research and pilot projects are expected to continue through 2028.
The Ray’s Natural Capital Project with Washington State Department of Transportation
As part of its continuing partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), The Ray has implemented advanced natural capital strategies at the Scatter Creek Rest Area. The project illustrates how transportation infrastructure can also contribute to ecosystem health and provide benefits to surrounding habitats.
Supporting Vulnerable Wildlife: The initiative demonstrates how active transportation corridors can be designed to accommodate federally protected wildlife, including the regionally threatened Mazama pocket gopher.
Native Planting for Ecosystem Health: Specially formulated native seed mixes were selected to match the site’s distinctive soil conditions. Deep-rooted vegetation helps stabilize roadside areas, improve the management of natural stormwater flows, and provide sustained food sources for pollinators.
Technology-Based Environmental Monitoring: The Ray and WSDOT have installed PheNode automated monitoring systems from Agrela Ecosystems. These sensors continuously collect and transmit microclimate information, enabling the project team to monitor soil and weather conditions in real time as the habitat develops.
