From Book Club to City-Wide Sustainability Network
What started as a six-person, virtual book club is now a volunteer-led network of over 600 women across Atlanta who are building a greener future. When challenges are complex, such as with climate change, nurturing a community is a powerful starting point. This perspective is at the heart of the Atlanta Women in Sustainability, who gather, share stories and ideas, and explore solutions to society’s biggest challenges.
“Women in the sustainability and environmental fields are facing unique challenges from balancing priorities at both work and home to uncertainties in these fields more broadly as companies are struggling to invest in this work during times of drastic change,” said Savannah Seydel, the founder of the Atlanta Women in Sustainability community and VP of Sustainability at Better Earth.
Seydel, alongside colleague Blair Michal, was inspired to create this network in 2021 when they realized that in Atlanta, many women in leadership were working in sustainability across business, government, nonprofits, and academia, but there was not yet a connective tissue in the community, beyond existing friendships. “It always comes back to people and their experiences. And how people are empowered to see themselves as the solution they really are,” said Seydel.
The power of community
The book and discussion that inspired Seydel and Michal to create the Atlanta Women in Sustainability is All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, a collection of 60 essays, poetry, and art from women leading on climate, edited by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson. Grounded in the approaches to climate action that are focused on making change (in place of being in charge), healing systemic injustices (in place of deepening them), and heart-centered leadership (in place of just head-centered leadership), the book and the discussion facilitation guides explore eight core themes of collaborative climate work, which are root, advocate, reframe, reshape, persist, feel, nourish, and rise.
Reflecting on the power of this network, Lee Dalton, Executive Director of Root Local, said, “The Atlanta Women in Sustainability group shows just how many strong women there are in this space and that we are not alone. We are working together, in a variety of ways, to make this world a better place for everyone.”
a passport around atlanta’s sustainability scene
The group’s quarterly events provide a “passport around Atlanta’s sustainability scene,” said Seydel, and provide a chance for community members to share their stories and shine in a nurturing environment. “My first ATL Women in Sustainability meetup took place just one week after I moved to Atlanta. At the time, I barely spoke English and didn’t know anyone!” said Anna Zelcer, a Sustainability Manager and Climate Fresk Local Ambassador. “The quarterly meetups are a priority for me; I never want to miss them.”
The community has met and learned about a variety of locations, such as the Chattahoochee Nature Center, the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) in Tech Square, Le Jardin Français Atelier, Rivian’s Atlanta Showroom, the Cox Clean Accelerator, and Cherry Street Energy. Organizations can support Atlanta Women in Sustainability events in a number of ways, from sponsoring the physical event-space, to providing food and beverages, interactive activities, or in the case of Better Earth, ensuring the event is zero waste through donating its compostable packaging and an on-site CompostNow bin to ensure events meet the group’s sustainability standards.
Events have also included collaborating on an interactive art piece using upcycled materials, hosted by No More Liddering, to naturally foster organic friendships, conversations, and connections. “I love these meetups! I am meeting some great women who continue to inspire me and make me think about more ways to collaborate. (Plus, they are FUN!) I am thrilled to be a Woman in Sustainability by trade, but even more so, a member of this particular group!” said Dalton of Root Local, a local nonprofit that has created an Eco-Map of Metro Atlanta (EMMA) to support businesses and organizations that prioritize sustainability, many of which are women-owned or led.
a close-knit community network
Connections made at quarterly events provide a platform for support throughout the year for members to learn about projects, share resources, and support each other’s work. For example, Seydel noted that at Super South in 2025, members cheered one another on during speaking engagements. “It’s like we were on a sports team together,” Seydel said. This camaraderie was evident during BoldImpact ATL’s September 2025 behind-the-scenes tour of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The tour was organized by Marianne Faloni, Founder, CEO, and President of BoldImpact ATL, and was attended by many in the Atlanta Women in Sustainability community who encouraged each other's sustainability accomplishments during the event.
“As a member, I try to connect women with jobs or volunteer opportunities. And beyond these events, we also have some opportunities to connect, which is why I created the All Sustainable Events Newsletter and Calendar featuring all the sustainability events happening across Atlanta!” said Zelcer.
During the quarterly event in February 2025, hosted by the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), the state of Georgia’s technology startup incubator. Jen Singh, who leads ATDC’s Sustainability Tech Catalyst Program, shared that there was an excellent turnout, including a big contingent from the University of Georgia (UGA) that drove to Atlanta specifically for the event. “This group is special because it brings together a wide range of sustainability-related women who don’t normally interact with each other on a regular basis,” said Singh. “The group has been very helpful in expanding my network and reach, widening the group of interested individuals who want to assist startups and support new innovative technologies coming out of ATDC. I believe some of my portfolio company female founders also engage in the group’s events and have found community and fellowship.”
expanding connections and impact
As the group heads into its fifth year, the community continues to grow organically through word of mouth, invitations to join the quarterly meetings, personal connections, and the ability to be yourself. Seydel is working on several special events and announcements, such as the group’s next quarterly event in April 2026 at the Kendeda Building on Georgia Tech’s campus and a Breakfast with Butterflies at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in the summer of 2026.
Between meetings, Atlanta Women in Sustainability members provide one another with abundant support and encouragement. Zelcer said, “The members of ATL Women in Sustainability have been incredibly welcoming and supportive, and this group is a wonderful space to connect with inspiring women. Through this network, I've found clients, mentors, friends, and opportunities to have a greater local impact!”
You can join the transformative community to create a more sustainable Atlanta by exploring upcoming events, joining the Atlanta Women in Sustainability LinkedIn group, following on Instagram (@atl_women_in_sustainability), subscribing to the Atlanta Women in Sustainability Quarterly Newsletter, which has announcements, events, job listings, and project opportunities, or by emailing atlantawomeninsustainability@gmail.com with your questions or ideas.