Writing for Impact
Masterclass
Cohort Delta Penguin
Fall 2025
Become the impactful writer you’ve always wanted to be.
Good writing is a critical sustainability communication skill for translating sustainability strategy into effective stories that inform, engage, and inspire stakeholders into action. Without it, businesses miss out on the value of sustainability.
The most powerful writing is wholly human. It’s the product of curiosity, vulnerability, and grit. Yet the temptation to have artificial intelligence (AI) “get us there quicker” is causing many sustainability and communication professionals to sacrifice their writing skills on the altar of haste.
But in a world increasingly full of boring AI content, inspired human-generated writing stands out. That means it’s time to do the work to become the best writer for impact you can be.
The Writing for Impact Masterclass is a four-week virtual course that helps sustainability and communication professionals improve their writing skills in a sustainable business context through a mix of lectures, exercises, and hands-on workshopping. Taught personally by sustainability communication expert, Mike Hower, students will learn the fundamentals of effective sustainability writing, how to develop compelling, credible, and compliant content, and leveraging AI without losing the human touch.
The course’s capstone is producing an original piece of sustainability thought leadership. As we advance through the writing process, students will learn sustainability communication skills they can apply directly to their organization.
See below for more details and how to register.
What is the Writing for Impact Masterclass?
Meet Your Teacher
Mike Hower is a sustainability communication expert with 16 years of experience on both sides of the podium—as a journalist for leading publications like GreenBiz, and a sustainability communication strategist for leading global companies.
Mike’s writing for impact experience spans from editorials to newsletters and sustainability reports to web copy for sustainability websites—and more. He is the author of the upcoming book, Sustainability Storytelling: Translating strategy into effective stories, and the host of The Sustainability Communicator podcast, which examines the intersection of corporate sustainability and storytelling.
What you’ll get
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8 hours of virtual instruction, featuring a mix of lectures and workshopping.
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The opportunity to have your work critiqued by fellow sustainability professionals in a safe, fun and supportive environment.
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A certificate of completion and the right to display this achievement on your LinkedIn profile.
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Actionable lessons for improving your writing abilities for corporate sustainability.
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Feedback on your work from a sustainability communication expert and former GreenBiz journalist.
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A signed copy of Mike Hower’s upcoming book, Sustainability Storytelling, delivered in May 2026.
Details
Course Investment: $950*
Class Schedule
Lesson 1: Introduction to Sustainability Storytelling (October 29)
Lesson 2: The Fundamentals of Effective Sustainability Writing (November 5)
Lesson 3: The Challenges of Sustainability Persuasion (November 12)
Lesson 4: Becoming a Writer for Impact (November 19)
Timing: 10 am-noon PST / 1-3 pm EST.
All classes will be recorded and posted on the course website, so no worries if you have to miss one.
*This is a great use of a professional development stipend.
Welcome to Cohort Delta Penguin
Each Writing for Impact Masterclass cohort is named after an animal threatened by climate change, paired with a letter of the Greek alphabet. This being the fourth cohort, makes Fall 2025 the mighty Cohort Delta Penguin!
Who this class is for
Sustainability professionals looking to improve how they translate sustainability technical details into compelling narratives, while developing their writing skills as thought leaders.
Communications professionals wanting to develop their craft writing about sustainability topics with more credibility and confidence.
Companies that have participated in the Writing for Impact Masterclass:
Testimonials
“The Writing for Impact Masterclass provided worthwhile and practical tools and habits for writing. These tools, along with instructor and peer feedback, helped elevate not only my writing ability, but my confidence and voice as well.”
— Dave Alden, Program Manager, Environmental Engagement, The Walt Disney Company
“Hower Impact’s Writing for Impact Masterclass codified a lot of best practices I had learned on the job into a much clearer framework for writing and gathering feedback. When you work in the comms field for a while it can be easy to get sloppy and adopt bad habits, taking this course forced me to examine my own writing process and develop a piece with more intentionality and thoughtfulness than I had in years.”
— Kati Kallins, Global Lead for Sustainability, Adobe
“The Writing for Impact Masterclass was exactly the course I had been searching for. In the small but ever-evolving field of sustainability communications, staying up to date on best practices and evolving legal regulations can feel overwhelming. Mike’s expertise and thoughtful, encouraging feedback made all the difference. This course was more than developing skills—it was about building community. It was truly refreshing and energizing to connect with peers who understand the opportunities and unique challenges in the sustainability communications space. If you’re looking for a course to sharpen your sustainability writing while fostering meaningful connections, this is the one!”