By Mariam Iftikhar, SeedSD President
Welcome to gorgeous San Diego: home to beautiful beaches, amazing seaside communities, and now our newest chapter of Seed Consulting Group! San Diego is the second most densely populated county in California and at the forefront of the sustainability movement. With the Climate Action Plan enacted in 2015, SD has a growing environmental sustainability focused sector.
“Climate action isn’t just a phrase in San Diego – it’s a way of life.” – Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer
Since SeedCG’s inception in 2014, the pioneer consulting organization has grown to four counties in California. SeedSD is the latest chapter expansion, with current President Mariam Iftikhar hailing from the SeedOC chapter. Mariam moved down to San Diego in the winter of 2019 for a new job as a Scientist at a biotech company and continued working remotely as part of the leadership team for SeedOC.
“I knew that I wanted to build that same Seed, sustainability-focused community that I had in Orange County, but add a San Diego twist to capture the unique culture and personality of the area.”- Mariam Iftikhar, PhD
After months of strategizing with SeedCG leadership, the plan for an inaugural Fall 2020 SeedSD project cycle came to light. With the help of her local chapter leadership team, Tyler Albin (VP of Consulting Operations) and Cody Harrison (VP of External Relations & Partnerships), the search for the first wave of Seeders for the San Diego chapter began during the summer of 2020.
Diligently recruiting and qualifying clients, SeedSD’s first project cycle started with a virtual retreat in mid-September 2020. Two project teams of carefully selected Seeders, each with a project manager and 5 consultants, started the project cycle off with introductions, Seed immersion, training, and team building activities– including a scavenger hunt! Then the 12 new Seeders were given their assigned projects along with the respective SOWs. And the first consulting cycle was officially underway.
The first project cycle of SeedSD commemorated with a virtual kick off retreat in September 2020.
One consulting project focuses on developing a sustainable infrastructure for the William J. Worthen Foundation (WJWF) to implement within its collaborative communities. WJWF is a design, policy, and practice network for people working in the design and construction industries. As a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation, WJWF is committed to communicating the value of sustainability and collaborative design. Through the power and joy of collaboration, WJWF gathers, educates, and inspires practicable action for resilient communities.
The second project team is working with the Center for Community Energy (CCE), a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the development of sustainable local energy production and storage through education, research, advocacy, technical advice and consulting. Seeders are developing a marketing strategy for CCE programs to increase funding opportunities for projects.
Through networking with the Seed community members/alumni, the San Diego chapter has connected many nonprofit sustainability organizations and has been met with much excitement to get started on the consulting projects!
SeedSD is determined to make an impact in the local community to create a beautiful world in which our natural and business environments thrive in harmony.
Seed Consulting Group empowers leaders to shape a sustainable future and functions as an incubator that transforms today’s high achieving outliers into tomorrow’s environmentally conscious leaders. Join us in our consulting efforts for the environmentally sustainable San Diego community!
For further information, check out the rest of our website, follow us on social media, or email seedsd@seedcg.org with any questions.