Who We Are
New Sky is a sustainability consulting practice focused on Product Carbon Footprint and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for consumer goods and AI solutions. We help teams understand where impact occurs across the product lifecycle — from sourcing and manufacturing to packaging and end-of-life — and turn that insight into practical impact reduction opportunities.
Based in the United States and working with a global perspective, New Sky combines hands-on engagement with a flexible network of collaborators across engineering, packaging, sustainability analytics, and regulatory expertise. This model keeps projects personal, rigorous, and right-sized.
Our work is grounded in the GHG Protocol Product Standard and ISO’s PCF / LCA frameworks, with transparent spreadsheet or LCA tool based modeling that balances technical rigor and cost-effectiveness. We utilize industry standard datasets like EPA, IEA, DEFRA, ecoInvent, while prioritizing supplier and primary data whenever possible.
At its core, New Sky exists to enable products for a climate friendly future by helping brands assimilate credible data, thoughtful tradeoffs, and confidence in their sustainability decisions.
Our Mission: Turn Carbon Data Into Better Product Designs
My journey to sustainability wasn’t linear — it grew from curiosity.
I trained as an engineer, earning a doctorate in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and began my career at IBM and StorageTek (now part of Oracle). I was drawn to complex systems, problem-solving, and the excitement of building new technologies. That aptitude eventually led me to entrepreneurship and my own startups, including an AI venture.
While working in AI, I began to think more deeply about the energy behind the technology — the invisible infrastructure and its environmental cost. That reflection led me to sustainability, and ultimately to Product Carbon Footprint and Life Cycle Assessment. I was drawn to those areas because they bear the potential for a new paradigm — seeing products through a different lens and making thoughtful, informed choices about their climate impact.
New Sky grew from this intersection of engineering, entrepreneurship, and personal reflection. It represents a belief that careful measurement, honest questions, and collaborative problem-solving can move us toward better products and a more sustainable world.
-Usha Pillai, Ph.D.
A Note from Our Founder
If you’re exploring product footprint, have questions, or simply want to understand where to begin, we will set up a free consultation for you with our chief consultant.