The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) — developers of LEED, the most widely used green building rating system in the world — and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) announced a new collaboration to advance environmental equity, expand professional development opportunities and strengthen pathways into the green building and sustainability industries.
NOMA and USGBC will work together to connect their members, chapters, students and professional communities with education, credentials, industry networks and opportunities for leadership and engagement.
At the center of the collaboration is a shared recognition that building a more sustainable future requires expanding access to knowledge, relationships and professional opportunities shaping the built environment. By bringing together NOMA’s and USGBC’s professional networks and education offerings, the organizations aim to help professionals from historically underrepresented communities gain greater access not only to sustainability education but also to the relationships, experiences and opportunities that support long-term professional advancement.
“Creating a more sustainable built environment requires us to expand who has access to the knowledge, relationships and opportunities that shape our industry,” said Tiki Ayiku, vice president, education and events, USGBC. “Our collaboration with NOMA creates an opportunity to connect more professionals to the green building movement while also strengthening the relationships and perspectives that make our work more effective. Through convenings and other opportunities we develop together, we can create meaningful pathways for people to learn, connect, contribute and lead.”
During the first year of their partnership, NOMA and USGBC will begin activating the collaboration through education, professional development and engagement opportunities throughout the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, while strengthening connections among their national, regional and local networks. These initial activities will allow the organizations to learn from participants, test approaches and inform the collaboration’s future. Over time, the organizations’ collaboration will support scalable joint programming, broader participation in USGBC’s membership and volunteer networks, and increased representation throughout the green building movement.
The collaboration builds on Shades, a USGBC initiative launched at Greenbuild 2025 to expand access to resources that support participation and advancement in the green building industry.
“USGBC has shown leadership by bringing human impact and environmental justice into the tools that guide sustainable design, and NOMA brings a diverse network of architects and designers whose perspectives, lived experiences and relationships with communities can help put those principles into practice,” said Tiffany Brown, executive director, NOMA. “Climate resilience and equity must advance together. Together, we can help ensure the climate response reaches the people and places most affected—and that those communities have a voice in shaping it.”
