I was part of a pro bono team that assisted startup UndauntedK12 with scoping the carbon emissions and costs of retrofitting school facilities and developing business plans and marketing materials to help launch the new business. Formed in 2020, Undaunted supports US public schools to make the transition to zero carbon emissions.
OVERCOMING COMPLEXITY AND SCALE
The US public school system educates over 50 million students, owns over 100,000 buildings, and commands a fleet of over 480,000 buses. Our cross-community team developed a county-level model of the US school system that tracked emissions by school, local demographics, and a range of costs required to bring those schools to a net-zero ready emissions standard. The model helped Undaunted get their arms around complex data sets to plan a route toward achieving their goals.
DRIVING STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Informed by work completed in the scoping phase and further research, our team then developed state-specific materials that addressed primary challenges at a local level. This allowed Undaunted to create a strategic direction for each state, and leverage resources to drive targeted communications and action.
PROVIDING AN EARLY BOOST
With our help, Undaunted—a startup with only three employees—is already making an impact, establishing partnerships, influencing policy decisions, and providing guidance to states and districts on how to appropriate federal relief funding in an equitable and sustainable way.