Carley Brandau, Connector
I’m a connector, and I’m a CEC Climate Steward.
“When people make, repair, or alter something, they develop a new respect for that item. Those moments often spark broader conversations about overconsumption, labor, and climate awareness.”
About Carley
Carley Brandau joined the Climate Stewards course to find community, steady her climate anxiety, and build the foundation for a new nonprofit she was dreaming into reality. That nonprofit—Thread Odyssey—now uses textile education to explore the environmental and social impacts of clothing.
Feeling the weight of overconsumption in our culture, Carley decided to attend a local repair fair where fixers were turning broken trinkets into one-of-a-kind treasures. There, she met a CEC Climate Steward alum and realized there was a pathway for people like her to become part of the solution. Not long after, she enrolled in the next cohort.
Carley created a short, all-ages film for her Stewardship Project, tracing the evolution of textiles (from early handmade garments to today’s fast-fashion industry) and highlighting people and practices resisting excess waste. Beyond the film, Carley leads workshops with middle school students, pop-up repair events in parks, and team-building sessions for employee groups. Through these hands-on experiences, she helps people reconnect with the human skill behind every garment, engage with the climate crisis in a tangible way, and practice more intentional living, one stitch at a time.
