MEMBER FOCUS: Tomeka Carroll
Scholar and thought leader, Tomeka Carroll
is transforming how we live, operate, and interact through her innovative research on sustainability and the circular economy. A third year PhD student in the University of Virginia’s Behavior Science for Sustainable Systems program, Tomeka explains how our current way of doing things is reaching its limits. Earth has a finite amount of natural resources, and we no longer can continue a trajectory of take-make-waste. Such a system has caused a tremendous amount of devastation to both people and the planet. Tomeka aims to change that.
Though our global economy is based on linear foundations (aka, take-make-waste), Tomeka— alongside leaders across private and public sectors— points to ways that we can close the loop and create a circular system, which would design out waste pollution, reuse materials, and regenerate natural systems. “When something dies, it goes back to earth,” Tomeka states. “The circular economy mimics that process, in that you recycle products, instead of throwing them away.” As she notes, it is critical that people are part of this change.
It will take a shift in our collective mindset to overcome the hurdles of changing our antiquated systems of mass production and making them more sustainable. But it is critical that this seismic change occurs soon in order to reduce plastic pollution, carbon emissions, and fossil fuels. While the environmental impacts are undoubtedly positive, some companies worry that switching to circular economic models would inhibit fiscal growth since people would be consuming less. However, as experts would counter, economic sustainability isn’t about a decrease in production; it is about using what we already have and regenerating products out of that.
As a graduate of Spelman College and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Tomeka hopes to integrate her academic and professional backgrounds by helping organizations and businesses become more sustainable. Given her breadth of knowledge and experiences, she could help companies understand how to best manage people and resources, implement new changes into organizational infrastructure, and apply abstract concepts like the circular economy into day-to-day modalities that everyone could benefit from. With her interdisciplinary expertise, the sky's the limit in how she could make an impact.
Tomeka already has been a formidable change-maker in her hometown of Glen Allen, Virginia. Last month, Tomeka hosted her third annual Brunch on Broad event, which benefits those who are experiencing homelessness. In partnership with Common House Richmond, members of the community donated nonperishable snacks, gently used clothing, and unused toiletries. All those donations were then distributed at a family-style brunch made for those who are currently facing food insecurities. This year, it was hosted at Brambly Park, where people enjoyed cuisine from local chefs and restaurants. There was a true atmosphere of love, community, and belonging, which is the spirit Tomeka fully embodies in every aspect of her life.
“We all are more interconnected than we realize…if we try to understand our systems and the ways things are done, then we can better look at an issue, figure out how to move the dial a little bit, and provide that information to others,” she states. One day, she hopes to participate in the World Economic Forum and come together with leaders from hundreds of countries to talk about the biggest issues facing humanity today. As a good steward of people and this planet, that dream will unquestionably become a reality. Tomeka reminds us that we all have a purpose here that isn’t ready-made, but through hard work, education, and an open heart, we truly can be the change we wish to see.