Brightening Our Corner - August 2026 Newsletter

Quarterly Newsletter of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation

ATLANTA, GA / ACCESS Newswire / August 25, 2026 / The latest newsletter from the Ray C. Anderson Foundation includes 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

Ten Nature-Inspired Startups Selected to Drive the Next Wave of Biomimicry Innovation

The Biomimicry Institute has announced the ten startups selected for the 2026 Ray of Hope Accelerator. The Accelerator continues to be one of the world's leading programs supporting nature-inspired entrepreneurs working at the intersection of biomimicry, climate, and innovation.

Selected from a competitive global applicant pool, the 2026 cohort represents the breadth and depth of what becomes possible when founders look to nature not as a backdrop, but as a guide. Over the course of the program, each startup will receive $15,000 in non-dilutive funding, and access to over $50,000 in resources and expert support. Additionally, each startup will participate in a nature retreat and receive mentorship from leaders across science, deep tech, entrepreneurship, and impact investing. Click here to learn about the teams.

New Case Studies from the Biomimicry Institute Show What Fashion's Circularity Conversation is Missing

The Biomimicry Institute recently released the completed case studies from its Nature of Fashion initiative, a multi-year program that asked a single question: what would it take for the fashion industry to handle its own waste the way nature handles decomposition?

Nature recycles 100 billion tonnes of material a year without trying. Fashion can't manage 110 million. New case studies from three countries show what it would take for fashion to work the way nature already does, including findings from Ghana where microbial communities in a heavily polluted lagoon are responding to the presence of synthetic textile waste. Read the case studies.

Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business

A Decade of Student-Led Climate Solutions: Highlights from the 2026 Carbon Reduction Challenge

This summer marked the tenth anniversary of the Carbon Reduction Challenge for students. Participants research opportunities to reduce emissions within the organizations where they intern. Next, they present the business case for implementing a project that can reduce emissions and save money. Students volunteer for the Challenge on top of their regular internship responsibilities - working with mentors and company sponsors to build proposals that are environmentally meaningful and financially defensible. The result each August is a set of projects that companies can act on. Read the article.

Scheller College's Rwanda Study Abroad

Georgia Tech students gained a deeper understanding of sustainable development through the Rwanda Study Abroad program, which merges classroom concepts with real-world challenges. In past years, the program primarily served undergraduate students. This year, the program expanded with the addition of a concurrent graduate opportunity: the MBA International Practicum at Scheller College, co-taught by Professor of the Practice Michael Oxman and Lecturer Bob Lax. Students leveraged a structured, hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving that added value to their clients' objectives. Read the article.

Profile: Scholarship Recipient Jason Le

During his years as an undergraduate student, Justin Le consistently showed his commitment to bridging communities, helping people, and working towards a more sustainable world. In recognition of these achievements, the Center selected Justin as the 2026 recipient of the Vivian Nora Lukens Memorial Scholarship. In an interview, Justin shares his journey, through which he has learned adaptability, developed a passion for sustainability, and grown the heart of a servant leader. This spring, Justin graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Discover more.

Drawdown Georgia

Georgia's Electricity by The Numbers Report

Drawdown Georgia is introducing a new quarterly online newsletter for Georgians who care about their electrical mix and the costs associated with it.

Some Georgia communities receive a larger share of electricity generated by nuclear or solar facilities. Others rely more heavily on natural gas or coal-fired power plants. Those differences affect the carbon intensity of local electricity and shape the emissions connected to homes, businesses, and industry.

Where does YOUR electricity come from? Drawdown Georgia is bringing this county-by-county data to your fingertips.

Developed in partnership with researchers at Georgia Tech, these updates help governments, businesses, and community organizations measure progress, guide decisions, and determine priorities for reducing emissions. Subscribe today

How Chatham County Built a Resilience Program that Puts People First - Video

In this Georgia Climate Digest interview, host Eriqah Vincent talks with Jackie Jackson, Resilience Program Administrator for Chatham County. Jackie is a Chatham County native and a biologist by training who spent 30 years in environmental and community planning before helping stand up the county's first resilience program in 2022. Click to watch the video above and learn more in the blog.

Drawdown Georgia Business Compact

Georgia Carbon Exchange Overview Video

The Georgia Carbon Exchange team engaged stakeholders by hosting a webinar that shared updates and invited participation in the forest pilot program. Corporations in Georgia will have the opportunity to buy high-integrity carbon credits that support our state's economy and ecosystem - and deliver a boon to the communities in which they operate. Researchers, landowners, and corporate buyers joined the webinar to learn more about working together to build a market that fits the Southeast. Click to watch the video above and read more here.

The Ray

The Ray and the Montana Department of Transportation's Partnership

The Ray has formalized a partnership with the Montana Department of Transportation to develop innovative, technology-driven solutions to enhance safety, mobility, and resource conservation across Montana's vast transportation network.

The alliance establishes a collaborative framework to advance safe, innovative transportation infrastructure while driving economic development and systemic resilience statewide. Backed by a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding, the initial phase of the agreement establishes a multi-year framework for research and the development of geospatial analysis tools, with joint analysis and pilot evaluations slated to continue through 2028. Read the full story.

The Ray's Natural Capital Project with Washington State Department of Transportation

Through The Ray's ongoing collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), they've recently deployed advanced natural capital solutions at the Scatter Creek Rest Area, demonstrating how active transit corridors can perform double duty for local ecosystems and public infrastructure.

Targeted Wildlife Support: The project demonstrates how federally protected species (in this case, the regionally threatened Mazama pocket gopher) can safely coexist with active transportation corridors.

Botanical Design for Ecological Health: Custom-engineered native seed mixes were specifically adapted to the site's unique soil profile. Deep-rooted plants anchor the roadside, optimizing natural stormwater runoff, and providing long-term forage for local pollinators.

Smart Environmental Monitoring: The Ray and WSDOT integrated PheNode® automated sensor systems from Agrela Ecosystems. The on-site units continuously stream microclimate data, allowing the team to track real-time soil and weather conditions as the habitat develops. Read the full story.

Find more stories and multimedia from Ray C. Anderson Foundation at 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Ray C. Anderson Foundation
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/ray-c-anderson-foundation
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Ray C. Anderson Foundation

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