Gautami Palanki

VP, Sustainability at AvalonBay Communities

Speaker

Gautami is an award-winning sustainability strategist. Her high impact work bridges business strategy with environmental and social outcomes, helping corporations, nonprofits, and startups align sustainability with both purpose and performance to create long-term value and healthier communities. Gautami currently leads the enterprise-wide sustainability platform at AvalonBay Communities, the largest publicly traded multifamily real estate investment trust (REIT) and S&P 500 company. The Company specializes in the development, redevelopment, acquisition, and management of multifamily apartment communities in the United States. 

With a background in architecture and systems thinking, she has shaped the next generation of global leadership standards and led enterprise-wide strategies grounded in science-based climate goals. Growing up in India, she learned early the value of resourcefulness and community—principles that continue to guide her approach to building resilient, inclusive systems. A LEED Fellow and frequent speaker at global forums, Gautami champions collaboration and is committed to partnerships that drive meaningful, lasting change.