Formal Bio
Kady Cowan is Founder of the Sustainability Studio. She invites organizations and institutions to collaborate in the Studio where they have time to learn and practice combining sustainability, environmental protection, climate safety and a wholistic ecosystem perspective into both strategic and everyday activities at work. Kady facilitates the adoption of positive environmental behaviours while integrating ecological decision making in complex work settings. This tailored experience helps create conditions for effective staff and executive engagement so that transformative solutions emerge and persist for the long term. Kady’s focus on learning, simple prototyping, appropriate scaling and evaluation of dynamic low-carbon projects and programs leads to the protection of environmental and human health, climate resilience, financial savings, and conservation of natural and energy resources. Kady has been proud to serve as a climate, environment and sustainability leader for local, national and international organizations including the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in Ontario, Atrium Health in North Carolina, and University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto.
Kady has worked at the intersection of health systems, sustainability and culture change for over 20 years in North America and Globally. Kady’s EcoSystem based practice amplifies impact with creative and inclusive strategies and tactics for individuals and groups to embrace new ways of knowing. Kady has a deep understanding of stubborn and reluctant audiences where clear articulation of how change works is essential. She helps others act in alignment with their values by creating the conditions for organizational learning, regeneration and multi-solving to emerge.
Kady has worked at the intersection of health systems, sustainability and culture change for over 20 years in North America and Globally. Kady’s EcoSystem based practice amplifies impact with creative and inclusive strategies and tactics for individuals and groups to embrace new ways of knowing. Kady has a deep understanding of stubborn and reluctant audiences where clear articulation of how change works is essential. She helps others act in alignment with their values by creating the conditions for organizational learning, regeneration and multi-solving to emerge.
Select Accomplishments
Comprehensive program, policy and governance changes introduced across multi-campus hospitals in Canada and U.S.A. with full engagement of executive and frontline staff
: Award-winning energy and sustainability programs
: Comprehensive behavioural science and organizational learning theory and practice
: Substantive improvements in environmental, financial, risk mitigation and human wellbeing objective
Created and implemented sustainability business tools to manage risk, influence social norms, increase feedback loops, improve knowledge mobilization and encourage follow-through
: Increase commitment to sustainability decisions and actions
: Simultaneously protect infrastructure, assets, and human wellbeing
: Meet the diverse needs, interests and scope of stakeholders within sectors and across communities
: Preserve natural and economic resources to complement business objectives.
Designed and delivered an internationally recognized multi-modal energy efficiency and conservation program achieving utility savings of $2M
: Founder of Energy Connect, an energy performance program embracing the complexity of human behaviour and social decision-making to reduce carbon and save money
: Mitigate business risk to protect infrastructure, assets, and wellbeing
: Reshape specific sustainability practices to improve knowledge mobilization and encourage follow-through
: Award-winning energy and sustainability programs
: Comprehensive behavioural science and organizational learning theory and practice
: Substantive improvements in environmental, financial, risk mitigation and human wellbeing objective
Created and implemented sustainability business tools to manage risk, influence social norms, increase feedback loops, improve knowledge mobilization and encourage follow-through
: Increase commitment to sustainability decisions and actions
: Simultaneously protect infrastructure, assets, and human wellbeing
: Meet the diverse needs, interests and scope of stakeholders within sectors and across communities
: Preserve natural and economic resources to complement business objectives.
Designed and delivered an internationally recognized multi-modal energy efficiency and conservation program achieving utility savings of $2M
: Founder of Energy Connect, an energy performance program embracing the complexity of human behaviour and social decision-making to reduce carbon and save money
: Mitigate business risk to protect infrastructure, assets, and wellbeing
: Reshape specific sustainability practices to improve knowledge mobilization and encourage follow-through