Team Member Spotlight: Cooper Wechkin
We are excited to spotlight the head of our RyeStrategy Team, Cooper Wechkin. He founded RyeStrategy because of his passion for finding the overlaps between positive impact and profitability, as well as typically under-resourced small- and medium-sized businesses. He works across all aspects of the business, including with marketing, partnerships, product development, and fundraising. He plays a major role as the founder, connecting employees and clients to reach their goals. His background in consulting and corporate ESG have laid the foundation for RyeStrategy’s success.
We had the opportunity to learn more about Cooper’s interest in the sustainability space and his role at RyeStrategy. Read on to learn more!
Why are you interested in the sustainability space?
My personal commitment to sustainability began while studying corporate ESG while on exchange at the Rotterdam School of Management, where I learned just how ingrained corporate responsibility could be into everyday business. When I returned to Seattle, I was inspired to dedicate my career towards advancing this cause in a way that could succeed specifically in the broader economic environment of the United States – by finding the overlaps between impact and profit.
I was fortunate enough to be managing a student-run consulting group at the University of Washington at the time, which helped a SaaS startup calculate its first greenhouse gas inventory, implement mitigation strategies, and purchase a portfolio of high-quality carbon offsets. After seeing just how underserved small- and medium-sized businesses were when it came to carbon accounting and decarbonization services, RyeStrategy was born.
What are you currently working on at RyeStrategy?
As the founder, I get to have my hands in a lot of different pies, from marketing and sales, to product development and fundraising! I love the variety of the work that comes with the role – each day, there are new opportunities and challenges for us to explore, and I feel incredibly lucky to get to do so alongside our team. While I enjoy (almost) all aspects of the job (I’m still developing a taste for a few of the more administrative tasks), my favorite work is with our partners and clients. We’re all working towards the same goal, and the level of collaboration, support, and innovation that we get to be a part of as a result is amazing.
Every project that I’ve gotten to be a part of has left an impact; whether it's been a hard lesson learned, or a significant driver of growth for the company. One of my favorite projects, however, has been working with our partners at Salesforce to support their small- and medium-sized business vendors on the journey towards net zero. The relationships that we’ve built and the impact we’ve gotten to collectively drive has been phenomenal – with generous guidance and support from our partners throughout the process, we also developed and launched our newest service offering, the Enterprise Supply Chain Decarbonization Membership. We'll be sharing more alongside Salesforce, Stok, PowerSpeaking, and Visions Management this August, at the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council Summit!What recommendation or piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to make a difference in their company's sustainability journey?
A recent study found that more than 80% of employees want to help their company reach its climate or ESG goals, so you’re absolutely not alone! One of my favorite strategies that we’ve developed with a number of partners is forming an internal Sustainability Committee, dedicated to implementing their most pressing ESG initiatives. These committees are often open to all employees, and staffed by a diverse group of members covering all levels of the organization, providing a great opportunity for involvement and ultimately, truly impactful results. Your company may already have a Sustainability Committee or a similar group in place, or there are a number of other like-minded individuals who are ready to get one started – don’t be afraid to ask around and get involved, or to lead the charge!
I recommend reading Tim Mohin’s weekly newsletter, ESG and Climate News – it’s a fantastic way to keep up with key developments in the industry, as well as broader, impact-oriented news. ESG Today also regularly publishes great articles on the most pressing issues and developments in the space.
What are your hobbies and what’s one fun fact about yourself?
Outside of work, I love spending time with friends and family, as well as unplugging and getting outdoors! Seattle has some really great parks, and I’m lucky enough to be within walking distance of Discovery Park, a personal favorite.
A fun fact about myself: when I had a bit more time to train, I hiked the Pennine Way, a 270 mile national trail in the UK that goes from Manchester to Scotland.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Wherever you are on your sustainability journey as an employee, as an organization, or personally, your work and contributions are so important! Whether formally or informally, I’d love to be a resource however I can be – please don’t hesitate to add me on LinkedIn, or send me a note directly at cooper@ryestrategy.com.
My LinkedIn is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-rye-wechkin/
Be on the lookout for our next spotlight. We appreciate all the efforts of our team members at RyeStrategy! :)
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About RyeStrategy
Based in Seattle, RyeStrategy is a CDP-accredited, mission-oriented company specialized in carbon accounting, mitigation coaching, and climate disclosure solutions for organizations at any point in their sustainability journey. Learn how RyeStrategy helped Salesforce, Ideascale, and Wazoku achieve their sustainability goals.
From exhaustive carbon footprinting and mitigation coaching, to setting science-based targets and reporting climate data to CDP, SBTi or custom reporting platforms, RyeStrategy acts as a hands-on extension of the team, custom-tailoring services to fulfill climate disclosure requirements easily and accurately.
Meet with a sustainability specialist to learn more about RyeStrategy solutions.
