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Honoring Over a Decade of Impact, Exploring the Future of Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech

Published: April 21, 2026

In this episode of The Intersection Podcast, Anuj Mehrotra, dean of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, moderates a special conversation with Beril Toktay, founding faculty director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business (Center), and Andre Calmon, the Center’s current faculty director. Together, they reflect on more than a decade of impact and explore what lies ahead for sustainable business education at Georgia Tech.

The conversation begins with a look back at the Center’s founding and the vision that shaped its early work. Toktay shares insights into building the Center from the ground up, the importance of embedding sustainability into core business education, and how the Center has helped position Scheller as a leader in applied, impact-driven sustainability.

She also reflects on milestones that have defined the Center’s first decade, including experiential student programming, which is at the heart of Scheller’s mission. Student opportunities – such as the Carbon Reduction Challenge, the Sustainability Fellows and Ambassadors program, and the Sustainable Business Consulting Practicum. These opportunities have connected students with real-world challenges, shaped career pathways, and strengthened industry partnerships. Toktay also highlights the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact as a powerful example of the Center’s convening role, bringing together companies across the state to accelerate practical climate solutions while strengthening Georgia Tech’s connection to the business community.

Calmon brings a unique perspective, having worked with the Center for nearly six years as affiliated faculty before stepping into the faculty director role. He reflects on the Center’s influence across campus and throughout Georgia’s business ecosystem, noting how its collaborative, applied approach has helped translate sustainability from theory into practice, while remaining deeply grounded in local impact.

The conversation then turns to the present and future. Toktay discusses her transition to executive director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems and the opportunities for continued collaboration across Georgia Tech’s sustainability ecosystem.