Island Sustainability Solutions Co-Founder Laura Kozuszek May Live on an Island. But Isolation is the Farthest Thing from Her Mind

Tall evergreen trees frame Laura Kozuszek as she sits behind her computer. Out of view are Anderson Island’s general store, vibrant wildlife in the surrounding Puget Sound, and Kozuszek’s spread of tomato seedlings—overzealous as harvest time nears. The surplus won’t be a bother, though. Kozuszek and her husband, Greg Suddeth, intend to gather up their freshly grown vegetables and make the rounds to share with their neighbors.

“Everybody leans on everybody,” says Kozuszek of life on Anderson Island, which sits off the coast of Washington. Its roughly seven square miles are quiet, peaceful, and idyllic—making it a fitting home office for Kozuszek and Suddeth, co-founders of Island Sustainability Solutions (ISS).

The pair’s shared experience in disaster management has played a key role in the inception of ISS, an early-stage environmental consultancy. Through ISS, Kozuszek and Suddeth serve as partners to coastal communities that are uniquely susceptible to climate change. They aim to amplify inhabitants’ needs and boost their access to subject-matter experts from near or far.

Too often, say Kozuszek and Suddeth, relief recipients are just that—recipients of, but not advocates in, their own fates.

“The whole premise [of ISS] is to make everyone feel empowered and part of the solution,” says Kozuszek, who earned her master’s degree in global studies and international relations at Northeastern University.

Autonomy is foundational to the ISS model. First, Kozuszek and Suddeth secure human and financial resources. Then, they work alongside specialists and locals as (in Suddeth’s words) “stewards of the Earth”—implementing agreed-upon solutions fit for both the place and the people. In the end, the ISS co-founders entrust their clients to carry the mission forward wherever they call home.

It’s a cycle that continuously builds momentum and pays reverence to community resilience. That’s because sustainability is as much about the workforce and its practices as it is about the environments they maintain, says Suddeth, a disaster response manager at the American Red Cross.

“We all need to own this solution together,” he says.

When she’s not tending her garden or beautifying her island home, Kozuszek spends much of her time behind the computer in search of fellowships, grants, and connections to support ISS as it grows. And she’s got her sights set on an important client. (Hint: She won’t have to go far.)

“If you don’t start where you are, how are you going to get anywhere else?” asks Kozuszek, who says she and Suddeth are already planning projects for their home on Anderson Island.

Suddeth says he knew from the start that Kozuszek was “somebody who wants to make an impact on the world.” Northeastern’s Innovator Award judges would certainly agree. This year, they recognized Kozuszek, a participant in the program’s young graduate alumnae category, as one of 28 entrepreneurs from the university community in pursuit of a better tomorrow. Kozuszek’s cohort, awarded a record-setting $500,000 in funds, was selected from a pool of 110 applicants.

Some might think of it as stiff competition. But Kozuszek considers the Women Who Empower initiative an opportunity to validate her concept, build her confidence, and—this will come as no surprise—lean into community. She describes the benefits that come from the generosity of mentors who pay it forward for newcomers and industry peers alike. In just 15 minutes, she says, founders can take in 15 years’ worth of lessons learned and pitfalls to be avoided. That ability to overcome gaps and expedite processes is something to be embraced by women entrepreneurs, says Kozuszek, who was also recognized among Northeastern’s 2022 Huntington 100.

“Women don’t talk about this enough, but we have to put ourselves in those types of rooms and not feel bad about it.” 

In those rooms and around those tables, says Suddeth, Kozuszek’s leadership style shines through. She’s a “sponge,” absorbing the perspectives and needs of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures present or reflected in her work. But far more than an empathetic listener, he adds, Kozuszek is an action-oriented “convener” of people and ideas for change. He’s not the only one who admires that kinetic energy.

“[Laura is] the type of leader that gets down in the trenches with you,” says Courtney Kilway, who studied biology with Kozuszek while they were undergraduate students at Walsh University. “She’s not afraid to do the ‘dirty work.’” 

In fact, Kozuszek considers “dirty work” to be the most important of all. She, of course, acquires new skills when she mobilizes with her colleagues and clients. But she also becomes keenly aware of the specializations she may lack. It takes humility to acknowledge those empty spaces and ask partners to fill them, says Kozuszek.

To illustrate, she raises her hands and brings them together, palms facing in. Like the smooth locking of zipper teeth, her fingers weave together as one. That movement inspires all Kozuszek does—so much so that she’s got a theory named after it.

While she was global research coordinator at Northeastern’s Global Resilience Institute, or GRI, Kozuszek sought to establish a framework for collaboration between economists and disaster response managers before, during, and after crises. To the detriment of their collective efforts, she explains now, these responders operated in silos. Instead, by coming together early and often, says Kozuszek, preparedness for all people and all potential disasters increases. Her extensive research at GRI culminated in the Zipper Philosophy, a call for, above all, connection.

“That’s just how I see the world,” says Kozuszek. “Everything is connected to everything.”

Though her vocation often brings her face-to-face with calamity and uncertainty, Kozuszek’s outlook is far from negative. Progress is progress, she says, even if “little by little.” It’s a galvanizing stance that inspires people in all of her circles, says Kilway, now among Kozuszek’s dearest friends.

“[Laura] changes minds, changes opinions. It’s been very incredible to watch.”