Demystifying Sustainability for Genuine Progress: Insights from UT Austin’s Impact Chat

Tonight, I had the opportunity to attend “Demystifying Sustainability for Genuine Progress,” a panel hosted by the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute (GSLI) at UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business. The discussion brought together leading voices in corporate sustainability from Samsung, Whole Foods Market, and Dell Technologies, moderated by Nick Nelson, Vice President at Edelman Austin — who, fun coincidence, shares my last name.

The event explored how sustainability professionals cut through complexity and “green noise” to achieve tangible, lasting impact. It was a refreshing and practical look at how real-world businesses are translating sustainability goals into results that matter — for the planet, for customers, and for the bottom line.

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Roots of Change: Launching the Green Workforce Collaborative in Austin

The Roots of Change: Growing the Future event marked the public debut of the Green Workforce Collaborative (GWC) — a brand-new initiative aiming to strengthen sustainability education, workforce readiness, and equitable access to green jobs across Central Texas. Hosted at the Austin Central Library, the evening brought together an incredible mix of professionals, educators, policy advocates, and community members who share a common goal: growing the green workforce and supporting the people behind it.

The atmosphere felt great from the start — a blend of civic pride, optimism, and collaboration. As I arrived, conversations filled the library’s event space, and it was clear that this was more than a networking mixer; it was the start of a movement. The rooftop view overlooking downtown Austin added an extra layer of inspiration (and even offered a glimpse of ACL Fest — plus a surprise police chase below for some unexpected entertainment!).

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3D Printing, EV Retrofits, and Climate Conversations: A Night with Austin’s Green Leaders

I had the chance to attend my very first Austin Sustainability Professionals event, and it was everything I hoped for and more.

What makes this group special is that it isn’t an organization you’ll find on a website or social media. It’s more of a word-of-mouth community — a grassroots, invite-only network of people across industries who are advancing sustainability in Central Texas. From climatetech founders to corporate sustainability leads, from nonprofit advocates to circular economy innovators, this group is full of changemakers doing real, on-the-ground work to build a more sustainable world (here in Austin).

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2025 Mitchell Sustainability Symposium: A Day of Learning, Connection, and Inspiration

The University of Texas at Austin hosted the 2025 Mitchell Sustainability Symposium at the William C. Powers Student Activity Center. This event brought together faculty, students, sustainability experts, and community members to examine the state of sustainability on campus and explore its broader impact on education, research, and community engagement.

With a packed agenda from morning networking to student lightning talks, the symposium showcased the university’s role as both an innovator and facilitator in the sustainability space. Below is an overview of the key sessions and highlights.

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Cracking the FOAK Code: Scaling Climate Tech from Concept to Reality

On September 4th, I had the opportunity to attend Austin Climate Hub’s first event of the fall season: “Challenges and Emerging Solutions to Scaling First-of-a-Kind Energy Technologies.” Held at The Sunset Room in downtown Austin, the event brought together an all-star panel of investors, financiers, and cleantech leaders to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in the climate innovation space—how to get bold new ideas off the ground and into the real world.

The evening was packed with insights, networking, and conversations around the nuances of funding and scaling first-of-a-kind (FOAK) energy technologies. These are the game-changing projects that, while promising, often get stuck between R&D and real-world execution. So what’s holding them back and how do we move them forward?

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Taylor’s Professional Career Track

I’ve had a very interesting roller-coaster of a career track, and wouldn’t want it any other way. I began my marketing career at a boutique automotive firm and then worked my way up to larger communications agencies. While I learned and my skills grew, I felt like there was still something missing. Passion. So I took a step back from a traditional path to find it. Through environmental education and adventures in sustainability, I found a career track I’m passionate about using my seasoned marketing skills.

The list below starts with my most recent job and goes back in sequence below:

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