Features & Essays

Nest’s Climate Academy Hopes to Mitigate Climate Disruptions to Craft Business

In this Craft Coalition column, the founder of Nest explains the advocacy organization’s new learning resources.

By Rebecca van Bergen
May 15, 2026

Digital Only

Craft industry

Free To Read

Photo courtesy of Nest

A mockup of a preparedness guide from Nest's Climate Academy.

The realities of climate change are no longer far off for many craft artists. Rather, they are presently and increasingly a part of day-to-day business, from losing electricity at a critical moment, waiting on materials that are delayed indefinitely, cancelling a long-planned market due to poor air quality, or watching weather patterns shift in ways that threaten spaces that once felt secure.

Artisans play a vital role in their local economies, yet as climate-related disruptions become more frequent and unpredictable, many small creative businesses are left without the tools or strategies to adapt. Building resilience is no longer optional; it’s essential for sustaining both their work and their communities.

Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, a furniture designer and the founder of Asheville, North Carolina–based Crafted Glory, witnessed Hurricane Helene firsthand. “We looked out to discover that all these trees had fallen all around us. We were blocked in our neighborhood and couldn’t get out, and there were trees falling all the way down to the main road for miles. So, the next few days were spent cutting our way out with the help of neighbors,” says Som-Pimpong.

“I knew that we lived in a fire zone. I hadn’t considered how much climate change could cause such an immediate emergency,” says Los Angeles–based painter and ceramicist Danielle Hutchens. “I hadn’t quite imagined that the fires would come so close, and that everything would happen so quickly,” she said in relation to the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, which caused her to evacuate her home and studio for over a month and destroyed much of the surrounding area.

Photo courtesy of Kwadwo Som-Pimpong

Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, an Asheville woodworker, was trapped by felled trees when Hurricane Helene roared through North Carolina in September 2024.

These ongoing and persistent circumstances are what led Nest, a nonprofit that supports global artisans, to develop the Climate Academy. The Academy is a free, self-paced learning curriculum designed specifically for US-based makers and creative entrepreneurs, established in partnership with Etsy and with support from Adyen, a global commerce payments platform.

“Small and microbusinesses—especially creative entrepreneurs—are on the front lines of climate disruption, yet they’re often the least equipped to absorb the shock. From supply chain instability to extreme weather events, the threats are real and growing. Investing in practical preparedness tools and resources isn’t just good business sense; it’s essential to protecting the livelihoods, communities, and cultural traditions these makers sustain,” says Chelsea Mozen, Senior Director of Impact and Sustainability at Etsy.

The Climate Academy offers practical tools, including disaster preparedness guides, recovery-planning resources, risk-assessment frameworks, and strategies for operational resilience. It assists makers as they prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of severe weather, natural disasters, and climate change on their small craft businesses.

“I would really have loved this sort of program prior to the fires last year,” said Hutchens. “Having a community to talk to and find ideas to implement in an emergency is helpful.”

Photo by Molly Haas

Painter and ceramist Danielle Hutchens lives and works in Los Angeles, which was ravaged by fires in January 2025. She was forced to evacuate her home and studio for over a month.

“These businesses are essential: they carry forward cultural traditions, create local jobs, and bring life and character to communities across the country.”

— Rebecca van Bergen

Som-Pimpong relates to the need of being familiar with your community and local resources. “The main action that I’m taking moving forward is building relationships, getting to know people,” he says. “Volunteering my time and my energy and my know-how, and watching as that comes back to me in forms of opportunity … really, the more I give, the more is given to me. I wish I had taken this approach long ago. It’s been so rewarding, so enriching, and beneficial. That is really the main way that I’m recovering, moving forward.”

Climate preparedness doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul of how a business operates. In reality, it can start with small, thoughtful steps, such as taking stock of inventory, exploring new material sources, expanding sales channels, and carving out time for intentional planning.

The craft sector is especially exposed to these challenges. Many makers are running their businesses solo or with very small teams, often from home studios and with limited financial cushion. And yet these businesses are essential: they carry forward cultural traditions, create local jobs, and bring life and character to communities across the country.

The Climate Academy was built with this reality in mind. It meets makers where they are, offering flexible, free resources that fit into busy schedules rather than adding to them. The goal is simple: to make preparedness feel possible, practical, and empowering.

As climate challenges continue to persist, adaptability is necessary for small creative businesses. For makers, preparation helps protect what matters most, while sustaining and assembling for what lies ahead.

Photo courtesy of Kwadwo Som-Pimpong

Som-Pimpong carves up a tree for a woodworking project.

Rebecca van Bergen is Nest’s founder and executive director. She leads a nonprofit committed to advancing gender equity and economic inclusion in the artisan and maker economy. Rebecca’s leadership has garnered international recognition, reshaping perceptions around handmade goods and empowering communities globally.

Learn more about Nest's Climate Academy online.

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