AtKisson Group worked at the forefront of sustainability for 26 years, helping to develop practical tools and organisational strategies for leading companies, governments, cities, universities, and professional training programs.
In 1990, Alan AtKisson co-founded Sustainable Seattle, a volunteer initiative later recognized by the United Nations as a model project in urban sustainability and indicator development. He established a small consultancy in 1992, and Sustainable Seattle became his first pro bono client.
AtKisson’s ultimate aim was to spread sustainability ideas more quickly and accelerate change. His early consulting projects for cities, foundations, and international initiatives around the world led to the creation of tools and methods to support integrated planning; indicators and analysis; transformative organizational development; training for change agents; and other elements of what later became standard practice in sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
AtKisson’s 1999 bestseller Believing Cassandra – How to be an optimist in a pessimist’s world introduced concepts such as “sustainability change agent” and creating sustainability transformation through accelerated innovation. His keynote speeches and seminars, often including musical interludes and interactive exercises, electrified audiences ranging from research scientists to business executives, and from high school students to military officers.
By 2001, the AtKisson Group had established its second office in Stockholm, Sweden (where Alan lives — he is a dual citizen of the US and Sweden). By 2010, there were AtKisson Group Affiliates and partners in France, Germany, Poland, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Mexico and other countries. While the AtKisson Group remained small in business terms, its clients included global icons such as Nike, Levi Strauss, Volvo Cars, WWF, and numerous governments, as well as the United Nations Secretariat.
The AtKisson brand name was always associated with top quality services, using creative methods, based on long experience, delivered with unquestioned integrity, as well as high returns on sustainability investment. Its successor, the Sustainability Accelerator Network (SusAccel), includes members equally dedicated to helping clients achieve genuine success in sustainability — quickly, strategically, and reliably.