About Kay Aikin
Kay Aikin is a systems architect, artist, writer, and catalyst for regenerative design. Her work is dedicated to reshaping how humans belong to the living world—through innovation that centers community, nature, and lasting resilience.
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With a background spanning energy systems architecture, high-performance building design, and environmental advocacy, Kay blends technical expertise with human-centered vision. She has spent decades leading projects that bridge complex systems with simple, life-affirming principles: connection, regeneration, and thriving futures.
Kay serves as Senior Advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme–Buildings Action Coalition and is founding the Community Design Innovation Network (CDIN), an initiative aimed at reimagining how communities can flourish within ecological boundaries. Her leadership spans research initiatives, grid technology, architecture, and building collaborative networks focused on developing pathways to decarbonization, resilience, and human-centered design.
Through her work, Kay invites others to move beyond "sustainability" as a checklist and toward designing belonging—restoring the living relationships that sustain both people and the planet.
She believes the future will not be built merely by managing crises—it will be shaped by those courageous enough to imagine new ways of being, living, and thriving together.
Mission
To catalyze systemic transformation through regenerative design, community innovation, and visionary leadership — forging pathways where technology, nature, and humanity thrive together.
I exist to help reimagine the systems that shape our world — not as mechanisms to control, but as living relationships to nurture — so we may build a future rooted in equity, belonging, and ecological integrity.
Vision
A world where communities are not just sustainable, but alive —designed for connection, shaped by care, and resilient by nature.
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Where the energy that powers our lives also powers human potential.
Where every innovation begins with empathy,
and every system is an invitation to belong.
Focus
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Systems Thinking for a Regenerative Future
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Energy Transition and Community Design
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High-Performance and Sustainable Architecture
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Transition Engineering and Urban Resilience
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Human-Nature Connection through Design
Leadership
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Director, Community Design Innovation Network (CDIN)
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Senior Advisor, UNEP Buildings Action Coalition
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Board Member, Grid Wise Architecture Council
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Board Member, Microgrid Resources Coalition
Speaking
​Kay’s preferred speaking format is dynamic and conversational — she thrives in interview-style formats, fireside chats, and moderated dialogues that allow for deep exploration and audience connection. She is also available for keynote addresses and panel participation when a more structured presentation is desired.