Office of Sustainability

Wanona Satcher

Makhers Studio, LLC & Rejuve Corporation, Atlanta, GA

Wanona Satcher broke barriers as the first African American graduate in the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at Auburn University. Throughout her career she has used her voice to inspire the voiceless to see their world differently and create the change they seek with the tools they already have, to realize that they have the ability and power to create their own future.  This is her purpose in life: to support the underserved and do so in an innovative and sustainable way.

Wanona established and led the first Innovation Lab in Durham, North Carolina, and nationally, one of the few innovation labs housed within a city government. Wanona’s focus was to equitably and creatively align local government resources with community needs. Through the innovation lab, among many other things, Wanona developed a network for urban farmers to promote access to healthy foods.  The Innovation Lab was a top 20 finalist (out of 300 cities) for Bloomberg Philanthropies National Mayor Innovation Challenge.

Wanona is an entrepreneur, too. She is CEO of both Mākhers Studio, LLC, and ReJuve Corp. Mākhers Studio, LLC is a for-profit social enterprise.  ReJuve is a nonprofit dedicated to social impact investing and community advocacy. Wanona has made environmental, economic and societal sustainability the core of her companies. Through Mākhers Studio, LLC, Wanona repurposes shipping containers into affordable micro-housing, anchor services (like medical clinics) and small business spaces. Wanona’s container conversion processes use recycled materials and also lower the carbon footprint of construction while partnering with a variety of organizations to provide accessible housing to help families succeed.

Wanona is also a professional landscape architect and urban planner. In this role, she develops parks and city plans that encourage inclusion and promote stewardship of natural systems.

For over a decade Wanona has utilized design as a tool for social good. She has dedicated her life to sustainable practices in the corporate world, in nonprofit development and civic work, and as an entrepreneur.