Opening Remarks: The Journey to Net Zero – with Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown
Dr. Jonathan Foley is a renowned climate & environmental scientist, writer, and speaker. He is also Executive Director of Project Drawdown — the world’s leading resource for climate solutions.
Opening Remarks: The Journey to Net Zero – with Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown
Jimmy Chin is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer and mountain sports athlete known for his ability to capture extraordinary imagery and stories in extremely high-risk environments and expeditions. He’s led dozens of exploratory expeditions and completed first ascents around the globe, working with the best adventure athletes along the way;he’s also part of the Ford Bronco Family, which advocates for people to get out into and explore the wild. It’s this special relationship with the outdoors that has made him an advocate for the environment–asking people to pay attention to it, protect it, and preserve it.
Building for a More Sustainable America - with Jimmy Chin, Representing Ford Motor Company
Bob is Ford Motor Company’s Vice President of Sustainability, Environment, and Safety Engineering. As Ford's top environment and safety officer, Bob is responsible for implementing sustainability practices, leading the global environment, and safety strategy, policy, and performance.
Prior to his current role, Bob was the Director of Sustainability, Homologation, and Compliance. He was responsible for sustainable business plans and policies, environmental negotiations with regulatory bodies globally, reporting on Ford’s environmental and social performance, and engaging with non-government organizations.
Bob also previously served as Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering for Ford of Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
Building for a More Sustainable America - with Bob Holycross, Vice President, Sustainability, Environment, and Safety Engineering, Ford Motor Company
Linda Zhang is electrifying the future of transportation as the Chief Program Engineer of Ford’s all-new, all-electric 2022 F-150 Lightning. Zhang oversees every element of the F-150 Lightning, from conception to manufacturing. She leads a team of more than 1,000 researchers, marketers, engineers, designers, and others to create an electric version of the world’s best-selling pickup. The F-150 Lightning is part of the F-Series product line. Zhang has received multiple degrees from the University of Michigan, including a B.S.E. in electrical engineering, an M.A. in Computer Engineering, and an MBA from Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
Building for a More Sustainable America - with Linda Zhang, Chief Program Engineer, Ford Motor Company
Cynthia is Ford’s Global Director of Sustainability, Homologation, and Compliance. She is responsible for sustainable business plans and policies, environmental negotiations with regulatory bodies globally, reporting on the company’s environmental and social performance, and engaging with non-government organizations.
Cynthia’s prior role was Assistant Director, Global Automotive Safety Office, responsible for leading the safety governance process, making recommendations on potential safety and compliance concerns, and developing and coordinating responses to all government agency investigations. Previously Cynthia served as Sustainability, Environment, and Safety Director of Asia Pacific.
Cynthia serves on the Michigan Governor’s Council on Climate Solutions and various external boards.
Building for a More Sustainable America - with Cynthia Williams, Global Director, Sustainability, Homologation, and Compliance, Ford Motor Company
Josh Boone is the Founding Executive Director of Veloz. Josh has worked in the zero-emissions vehicle field for over 10 years, bringing the public and private sectors together to advance awareness for electric cars. He creatively brings his policy and technical background to grow engagement across a variety of networks to implement Veloz’s Electric For All mission. Previously, Josh was the deputy executive director of the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative upon which Veloz was founded. Josh holds MS and BS degrees from the University of California, Davis, and has authored several scientific publications. Him and his family drive electric.
Building for a More Sustainable America – with Josh Boone, Founding Executive Director, Veloz
Gigi Stone Woods is an award-winning, national TV host, news anchor, correspondent and producer. She has worked as an anchor and producer for ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and Bloomberg TV. She creates, writes and produces her own programming. She has interviewed hundreds of notable CEOs, politicians and celebrities, and has reported live on everything from Presidential elections and the world’s biggest economic stories to the Oscars and NY fashion week.
Gigi Stone Woods currently appears as a TV news anchor for national news programs on MSNBC and NBC News and as a business news expert on various networks
Going Electric 101 - with Gigi Stone Woods, TV News Anchor, Media Coach, MSNBC, NBC News
As Global Sustainability & ESG Director, Mary is responsible for identifying emerging trends in Sustainability & ESG, translating them to company-specific objectives and strategies, and working with functional organizations to drive them into regional/global operations.
Mary oversees publication of Ford Motor Company’s annual Integrated Sustainability & Financial Report as well as Social Sustainability initiatives. Mary is also involved in product plans and strategies related to Carbon Neutrality, Sustainable Materials, Product CO2, Life Cycle Assessment and Sustainable Mobility.
Ms. Wroten received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with a Minor in Biomedical Engineering, from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Automotive Systems Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Going Electric 101 - with Mary Wroten, Director of Global Sustainability & ESG, Ford Motor Company
Josh Boone is the Founding Executive Director of Veloz. Josh has worked in the zero-emissions vehicle field for over 10 years, bringing the public and private sectors together to advance awareness for electric cars. He creatively brings his policy and technical background to grow engagement across a variety of networks to implement Veloz’s Electric For All mission. Previously, Josh was the deputy executive director of the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative upon which Veloz was founded. Josh holds MS and BS degrees from the University of California, Davis, and has authored several scientific publications. Him and his family drive electric.
Climate Class: Going Electric 101 – with Josh Boone, Founding Executive Director, Veloz
Jade Begay, Diné and Tesuque Pueblo, an Indigenous rights and climate organizer and narrative strategist. Jade has partnered with organizations like Resource Media, United Nations Universal Access Project, 350.org, Indigenous Environmental Network, Bioneers, Indigenous Climate Action, the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network, Allied Media Projects, and Tribal Nations from the Arctic to the Amazon to develop strategies and building campaigns to mobilize and create engagement and impact around issues like climate change, Indigenous self determination, and environmental justice. Jade is the Climate Justice Campaign Director at NDN Collective and serves on the board of Amazon Watch and the Native Conservancy.
Patagonia Presents – NEWTOK, What will the water take? – with Jade Begay, Climate Justice Campaign Director, NDN Collective
Andrew Burton (b. 1987, USA) is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, documentary photographer and filmmaker with a focus in news, conflict and environmental issues. He is a former fellow at the University of California, Berkeley's Investigative Reporting Program (2016-2017).
Burton's work has been honored by: Pulitzer Prize (Finalist, 2016);Photographer of the Year International;Sundance Institute (Grantee, 2019);American Photography (32 & 34);PDN Photo Annual (2016 & 2018);Sony World Photo Awards;Jonathan Logan Family Foundation (Grantee, 2017 & 2018);Museum of New York (permanent collection, 2012);Fund for Investigative Journalism (Grantee, 2016);The Hearst Foundation;Society of Professional Journalists;Lumix Photo Festival;China International Press Photo Contest;New York Press Photographer's Association;College Photographer of the Year and Oregon Newspaper Publisher’s Association.
His work has been published in The New York Times;The Wall Street Journal;National Geographic;The New Yorker;TIME and The Guardian, amongst others. Burton has worked both as a staff photojournalist for Getty Images as well as a freelance photographer covering breaking news and long-term stories locally, nationally and internationally. He has been a Carnegie-Knight News21 fellow (2009) and was a student at Eddie Adams XXII. Burton has received first aid training for combat and wilderness wounds through Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues (RISC), Global Journalist Security and Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. He has a degree in journalism with a focus in photography from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Patagonia Presents – NEWTOK, What will the water take? – with Andrew Burton, Co-Director, Co-Producer, Newtok (Documentary), Roan Films
Michael Kirby Smith is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and photographer. He has worked extensively for The New York Times as a photographer and senior video journalist and as a director of photography on feature and episodic films for documentary clients. His photography has been published by The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, TIME Magazine, FADER, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. He has worked as a director and director of photography for The New Yorker, PBS Frontline, National Geographic Explorer, Rolling Stone, Netflix, Vice, and Human Rights Watch. Michael’s film and photography work has been recognized by the Emmy Awards (current nomination, 2021);the Sundance Institute (grantee, 2019);American Photography (2019);the Jonathan Logan Foundation (grantee, 2017 & 2018);the Fund for Investigative Journalism (grantee, 2016);the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting (grantee, 2014);the City of New York (2012);and the World Press Joop Swart Masterclass (nominee, 2012). His work and artist collaborations have been exhibited at the Tate Modern, Greene Naftali, the Museum of the City of New York, the Blanton Museum of Art, and the Arsenal Gallery. Michael graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in studio art, focusing on photography and video art.
Patagonia Presents – NEWTOK, What will the water take? - with Michael Kirby Smith, Co-Director, Co-Producer, Newtok (Documentary), Roan Films
Marie Meade is a Yup’ik scholar at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, author of numerous anthropological texts on the Yup’ik people, member of the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame, producer on the documentary film Newtok and Yup’ik culture bearer and elder. Additionally, she works and travels with the International council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. She has direct familial roots to the village of Newtok and the broader Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. Throughout the production of the documentary film she conducted dozens of hours of interviews with Newtok community members in Yup’ik, advised the editorial decision making of the film, translated all Yup’ik dialogue to english and sat on the editorial advisory board of the film. Meade resides in Anchorage, Alaska, has eleven grandchildren and tries to make it out to her fish camp north of Bethel, Alaska as often as possible.
Patagonia Presents – NEWTOK, What will the water take? – with Marie Meade, Producer, documentary film "Newtok", Patagonia
While Carol’s career includes work in the for-profit, nonprofit and public sectors, her passion is helping mission driven organizations do more and do it better. For thirteen years beginning in 2001, she worked at AmeriCares, the global health and emergency response organization where she held senior leadership positions. In 2015 she joined Military Adaptive Sports Inc., the nonprofit set up to plan and execute the Orlando 2016 Invictus Game, an international competition for wounded active and retired service men and women. Founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the Games raise awareness for the power of sports in recovery. Carol joined Food Rescue US as a Director in 2015. She became CEO in April 2018. She is committed to working alongside all our stakeholders to reduce widespread hunger and food waste in the U.S. She believes fervently in the Food Rescue US “simple and smart solution” to these two serious crises.
Food & Agriculture: A Surprisingly Pressing Environmental Issue – with Carol Shattuck, CEO, Food Rescue US
Dr. Jonathan Foley is a renowned climate & environmental scientist, writer, and speaker. He is also Executive Director of Project Drawdown — the world’s leading resource for climate solutions.
Food & Agriculture: A Surprisingly Pressing Environmental Issue – with Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown
Regenerating the living crust of the Earth has been Elizabeth Whitlow’s mission since she was first exposed in the 1990s to the harmful practices of industrial agriculture and the power of building thriving food systems. Thus, began the long journey of examining the deeper systemic policies of agriculture and advocating for programs that reward holistic farmers. Now, as the Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, Elizabeth is overseeing the launch of a revolutionary certification program, Regenerative Organic Certified™. The term “regenerative” risks becoming the next buzzword as it is adopted by large chemical ag. Elizabeth is leading the charge to ensure that regenerative is intrinsically linked to organic. Regenerative organic agriculture is farming in a way that heals our precious topsoil, draws carbon down, creates thriving ecosystems and equity for those who live and depend on Earth. Above all, her greatest honor is to serve a planet that is in tremendous need of each and every one of us. “In the 37 seconds it may have taken to read this brief bio, the Earth has lost the equivalent of 18 soccer fields of living topsoil. The solutions to our modern-day ecological crises lies right beneath our feet.”
Food & Agriculture: A Surprisingly Pressing Environmental Issue – with Elizabeth Whitlow, Executive Director, Regenerative Organic Alliance
Max leads global carbon policy at Indigo Ag. This includes development and implementation of carbon accounting methodologies, as well as Indigo’s strategic engagement with external partners and initiatives to build reputation and positioning within the carbon market.
Prior to joining Indigo he was Policy Director at the Climate Action Reserve, where he spent 11 years. He is an expert and thought leader on the development and implementation of rigorous offset project protocols, developing many key policy and technical approaches that underpin the voluntary and compliance offset markets in North America.
He has a Masters in corporate environmental management and eco-entrepreneurship from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a BS in Biology from Davidson College.
How Agriculture is Growing into a Nature-Based Climate Solution – with Max DuBuisson, Head of Global Carbon Policy & Compliance, Indigo Ag
How Agriculture is Growing into a Nature-Based Climate Solution – with Julian Lings, Senior Sustainability Manager, VF Corporation
Sami is a seasoned professional with 16 years of experience working in the offsets / climate change / agricultural space. Sami’s previous experience includes work in the CDM offsets market, government and private work in the Australian carbon market and in agricultural policy, and extensive experience in the North American carbon markets. In Sami’s current role as Policy Director at the Climate Action Reserve, Sami co-manages the Reserve’s 11-person Analytical Team, leads development of all new protocols, assists with updates and revisions to the Reserve’s program rules and policies, and Sami also leads the Reserve’s consulting activities, including international and domestic capacity development work.
How Agriculture is Growing into a Nature-Based Climate Solution – with Sami Osman, Policy Director, Climate Action Reserve
Sonya Hoo is a Managing Director & Partner with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) based in Washington, DC. Sonya works at the intersection of the public, private, and social sectors. She advises companies, governments, and foundations on topics including sustainable food systems, international and agricultural development, and supply chain data & analytics. Prior to BCG, Sonya was a Consultant for The Lucas Group and a Researcher at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center where she focused on federal and state and local tax and fiscal policy issues. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Swarthmore College.
How Agriculture is Growing into a Nature-Based Climate Solution - with Sonya Hoo, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Ben owns and manages every aspect of BDFC’s crop production, from applications to planting and harvesting, from marketing to delivery. Ben has been farming as the Blue Diamond Farming Company since 1993. Prior to this, Ben attended Jesup High School and served as Jesup FFA President from 1978-1979. He then went on to Iowa State University, where he graduated in 1984 with a degree in Ag Business. He is a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. Afterward, he earned his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1989. Between school and farming, he worked for Wells Fargo Bank and the United Bank of Switzerland in their Wall Street, Chicago, and Basel, Switzerland offices. In 1994, Ben was chosen for an Eisenhower Fellowship. It was then that he moved to Hungary to use his banking and farm management skills in aiding local officials in adjusting to free trade. In 2001, Ben won the Farm Journal Top Producer of the Year award. Ben continues to run BDFC today using innovative and cutting-edge technology and management practices.
How Agriculture is Growing into a Nature-Based Climate Solution – with Ben Riensche, Owner & Manager, Blue Diamond Farming Company
Taylor is the Co-Founder of Watershed, a software platform that helps businesses get to net zero carbon faster. Companies like Shopify, Square, Airbnb, and DoorDash use Watershed to measure their footprint, cut carbon, and report on progress. Before Watershed, Taylor worked at Stripe, where he founded and led the Stripe Atlas team.
Corporate Climate Action That Actually Matters – with Taylor Francis, Co-Founder, Watershed
Patrick Flynn is the Vice President of Sustainability for Salesforce, the global leader in customer relationship management (CRM), where he defines and leads the execution of Salesforce’s environmental strategy. Patrick has held impact roles in green building design, venture capital and immediately prior to Salesforce led sustainability for a data center colocation company. Flynn holds an MBA from MIT as well as a BS in Engineering from Stanford University.
Business as a Platform for Change – with Patrick Flynn, VP, Sustainability, Salesforce
Business as a Platform for Change – with Kristina Kloberdanz, SVP, Chief Sustainability Officer Mastercard
Jaycie Weathers is a Marketing Strategist with cross-functional experience in sustainability with brands such as Morton Salt and the Environmental Law & Policy Center. She is the community manager for Women in Climate Tech and an Account Executive at Benecomms working with leading companies in the areas of climate risk and climate change.
Taking Climate Risk Reporting to the Next Level with Gender Equity – with Jaycie Weathers, Account Executive, Benecomms
Helen Bertelli is a 20+-year veteran of marketing and public relations. Helen is the President of Benecomms, an award-winning marketing and communications agency focused on climate risk and sustainability. She is also the founder of Women in Climate Tech, a fast-growing organization dedicated to elevating women’s voices in the industry.
Taking Climate Risk Reporting to the Next Level with Gender Equity – with Helen Bertelli, President, Benecomms
Márcia is founding Global Head of Corporate Responsibility and ESG at RELX, which is focused on data that makes a difference, with 33,000+ people and operations in 40 countries. Engaging colleagues throughout the business, she works to ensure RELX’s ESG performance reduces risk and maximised opportunity and builds competitive advantage and stakeholder confidence. She is Chair of the UN Global Compact Network UK;Chair of the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Council of the Conference Board;and a founding member of the Board of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. She is founding director of London museum and educational facility Benjamin Franklin House. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, she holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago, and a PHD in Economic History from the London School of Economics. She is a Member of the British Empire (MBE), an honour awarded by the Queen, and lives in London with her husband and two boys.
Taking Climate Risk Reporting to the Next Level with Gender Equity – with Dr. Marcia Balisciano, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility and ESG, RELX
Emily Wasley is the Corporate Climate Risk, Adaptation, and Resilience Practice Leader at WSP USA. She has over 16 years of climate change, sustainability, adaptation, and resilience experience working with publicly traded Fortune 50 to 500 corporations, Federal and local governments, and water utilities. She works in partnership with clients to advance their alignment with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations and create transformational resilience.
Emily serves as Board President for the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), SteerCo member of Women in Climate Tech (WiCT), and a west coast Future Ready Advisor for WSP USA.
Taking Climate Risk Reporting to the Next Level with Gender Equity - with Emily Wasley, Practice Leader, Corporate Climate Risk, Adaptation, and Resilience, WSP
After a lifetime in international Corporate and Transaction Banking with global financial institutions as her client base, Zlata successfully transitioned to management consulting with IBM Global Business Services, where she focuses on helping banks accelerate digital transformations, ranging from strategy to implementing new skills and capabilities, like sustainable finance and climate risk management. Zlata's wide-ranging banking expertise includes: Corporate and Commercial Banking, Growth Strategy, Global Trade and Payments, Risk Management (Enterprise, Credit, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory, Compliance, Climate), Balance Sheet Optimization, Capital Markets, Talent Management. Zlata is skilled in creating an environment for collaboration and sharing risks and rewards, which foster trust and partnership and break down silos.
Taking Climate Risk Reporting to the Next Level with Gender Equity - with Zlata Huddleston, Partner, Financial Services, Sustainability & Climate, IBM Canada
Nehali Anupriya is from Fiji and the United Kingdom. She has been an adviser to the 73rd, 74th and 75th Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly on climate change, sustainable development, small island developing states, and the ocean. She has also worked with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in establishing a Pacific Resilience Facility, and advises on multiple blue economy and marine conservation projects.
Taking Climate Risk Reporting to the Next Level with Gender Equity - with Nehali Anupriya, Adviser, United Nations
Paula R. Glover started as President of the Alliance to Save Energy in January 2021. A dynamic leader with more than 25 years of experience in the energy industry, Ms. Glover is the seventh president in the Alliance’s 43-year history.
Ms. Glover previously served as President and CEO of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, a non-profit professional association whose focus is to ensure that African Americans and other minorities have input into the discussions and development of energy policy, regulations, and environmental issues. In this role, she was responsible for managing the national office, and providing strategic direction and leadership for the organization.
Prior to this role, Ms. Glover served as AABE’s Vice President of Operations and as the organization’s Director of Communications. Ms. Glover’s other experiences include 15 years in the energy industry for both electric and natural gas distribution companies. During that time, she built a stellar reputation working with state legislators and regulators in her roles as Manager of Government and Regulatory Affairs. Ms. Glover commands a clear understanding of the consumer and community sides of the business as well having held industry positions in Community Outreach and Economic Development.
Ms. Glover is a seasoned non-Profit professional. Prior to her time at AABE, Ms. Glover was the Community Awareness Director for the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut where she was responsible for the organizations’ marketing, communications, community and government relations and public relations functions.
Ms. Glover has served on the National Petroleum Council since 2014. She serves on the board of the Keystone Policy Center and Groundswell, a community solar development organization. She is also a Trustee for Cardigan Mountain School, a junior boarding school in Canaan, NH. She received her B.S. in Marketing Management from the University of Delaware.
Building Back Better Starts With Buildings - with Paula R. Glover, President, Alliance to Save Energy
John leads the Energy Performance Services business for the Americas. Prior to this role, he was head of Distributed Energy Systems (DES) for four years, where he led a team dedicated to helping public entities and private sector companies make smart, sustainable investments in distributed energy systems. In this role, John was responsible for driving growth across the Siemens Distributed Energy Systems portfolio and driving excellence in customer project execution by establishing DES regional operations around the world.
Previously, John served as Global Head of the Siemens Data Centers Center of Competence leading the worldwide organization responsible for sales and operations, strategy and product development. John’s tenure with Siemens has spanned 20 years, progressing through roles in engineering, sales management, channel marketing, project management, market development and leadership.
Building Back Better Starts With Buildings – with John Kovach, VP, Energy & Performance Services, Siemens Americas
Alan Steel is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the New York Convention Center Operating Corporation, which operates the Javits Center on Manhattan’s West Side. Under Mr. Steel 's leadership, the Javits Center has launched an historic expansion project that will add more than 1 million square feet to the convention center, including more exhibition and meeting room space, a rooftop pavilion and a one-acre rooftop farm. Upon his appointment in 2012, Mr. Steel led the completion of a comprehensive renovation and operational overhaul that included significant investments in energy efficiency, security and technology. As a result, the Javits Center has emerged as a nationwide model of sustainability, partnering with research institutions and community groups to study and reinforce the positive impact on the local environment. Prior to the Javits Center, Mr. Steel spent more than 30 years as an event management executive and United Kingdom trade development official. He is the former President of George Little Management (GLM), a major producer of trade shows in the United States and Canada, where he was responsible for the creation of new events, oversight of corporate strategic planning, marketing programs and the direction for various company events including NY NOW (formerly New York International Gift Fair), the National Stationery Show, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and SURTEX. Mr. Steel also was active in developing domestic and international markets for the company. Before joining GLM in 1982, Mr. Steel worked for more than 15 years with the British government in a number of trade-related positions at the Department of Trade and Industry in London, the British Consulate in Chicago and the British Trade Development Office in New York. In these roles, Alan bought and sold exhibit space to participants in trade and consumer shows, conferences, and special events. In 2014, Mr. Steel was awarded with the King’s Glove award by the International Association of Exhibitors and Events (IAEE) for his enriched contributions to the trade show industry in New York and beyond. An avid environmentalist, he currently serves on the Board of Directors for New York City Audubon and New Yorkers for Parks and the Board of Trustees for The Climate Museum.
Building Back Better Starts With Buildings – with Alan Steel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Javits Center
Sarah Orban Salati serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for the New York Power Authority (NYPA). She is responsible for managing the wholesale and retail commercial operations including oversight of $2 billion in annual revenues from NYPA’s power generating assets through wholesale energy trading and contracting. Sarah also leads NYPA’s integrated customer solutions comprised of customer-sited distributed energy resource advisory services, turnkey energy efficiency project implementation, digital building energy management services and electric vehicle charging infrastructure implementation, amongst others. Sarah has also led NYPA’s grid scale business development team focused on bulk transmission and storage projects. Additionally, she is Executive Sponsor of the “Women in Power” Employee Resource Group, the first ERG at NYPA. In all her responsibilities, Sarah seeks to advance NYPA’s vision of “A thriving, resilient New York State powered by clean energy” by driving strong commercial, operational and technologically agile perspectives.
Sarah joined NYPA from the AES Corporation in 2018 where she had worked since 2005. She held a range of strategic, commercial, operational and innovation roles including expatriate positions in London, England and Budapest, Hungary leading teams responsible for commercial contracting and other corporate initiatives across Europe, CIS, Africa, Middle East and Asia.
Building Back Better Starts With Buildings - with Sarah Orban Salati, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, NY Power Authority
Phil Redman serves as the Offering Manager for OneTrust ESG which simplifies the complex task of collecting and reporting on corporate ESG data. In his role, Redman is responsible for the product development and direction of the offering, leading the sales and product engineering team on OneTrust ESG, and day-to-day delivery. He enjoys working with customers and providing features and benefits they now love but didn’t know they needed. Redman brings over 15 years of global, enterprise experience and has led teams on technology product development and strategy at Accenture, Citrix, and was VP and Distinguished Analyst at Gartner.
The Sustainability Leader’s Guide to Climate Commitments and Disclosure - with Phil Redman, Offering Manager, OneTrust
Helen Bertelli is a 20+-year veteran of marketing and public relations. Helen is the President of Benecomms, an award-winning marketing and communications agency focused on climate risk and sustainability. She is also the founder of Women in Climate Tech, a fast-growing organization dedicated to elevating women’s voices in the industry.
Communicate and Catalyze: How Business Leaders Can Tackle Climate Change – with Helen Bertelli, President, Benecomms
Twenty years of experience as a catalyst on sustainability and climate change. Deep experience in ESG integration, financial sector innovation, corporate engagement and pre-competitive coalition building. Currently consulting on Scaling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which includes engagement with the Asset Management/Investment, Insurance, Innovators and Carbon Markets. Previously served at the WBCSD as the Director, North America where he managed the organization’s relationship with the 47 multinationals based in US. Prior roles at EY, Carbon Trust and The Climate Group and as a Managing Director at Swiss Re's Sustainability Business Development.
Climate Risk and the Future of Real Estate Investments - with Moderator, Chris Walker, Principal and Managing Director, Scaling SDGs
Tory Grieves is VP of Analytics for The Climate Service, where she utilizes her technical expertise in both environmental science and business to accelerate climate adaptation and resilience. Her prior work includes structuring green infrastructure credit markets with NatureVest (the investment unit of The Nature Conservancy) and advancing social and environmental outcomes in Nepal through private equity investments while working with Dolma Impact Fund, an impact investment firm based in Kathmandu. Grieves began her career as an environmental scientist working on urban ecology projects in New York City with the consulting firm, Biohabitats.
Climate Risk and the Future of Real Estate Investments - with Tory Grieves, VP of Analytics, The Climate Service
Lazaro Tiant is an Investment Director, with a focus on sustainability in North America. His responsibilities include strategy, product management and ESG integration for the North American market. Lazaro joined Schroders in 2021 and is based in New York. Prior to joining Schroders, Lazaro was an Associate Director at Sustainalytics from 2018-2021, where he was responsible for advising asset managers, pensions, endowments and hedge funds on research-driven ESG integration and sustainable investing efforts, including sector and company materiality analysis, impact measurement, ESG engagement, and climate transition-risk assessments across Equity, Fixed Income, and Thematic strategies.
Lazaro was also an Analyst at MSCI from 2014-2017 within the RiskMetrics and Barra Analytics businesses. Qualifications: BA in Economics from Villanova University
Beyond Profit: Impact Investing - A Force for Good – with Lazaro Tiant, Investment Director – Sustainability, Schroders
As President of Informa Markets Fashion, Kelly Helfman has reimagined the wholesale industry. Landing MAGIC as the top U.S. trade event for two consecutive years in a row, Kelly has successfully boosted globally sought-after brands, MAGIC, COTERIE, PROJECT, and SOURCING at MAGIC into new era through industry advancements with live and digitally focused trade events. With over 18 years of fashion expertise, Kelly’s innovative approach and progressive leadership continually shapes not only fashion B2B events, but the industry as a whole.
Faster Forward – Advancing Sustainability in Events & Fashion – with Kelly Helfman, President, Informa Markets Fashion
Charlotte McCurdy is an interdisciplinary designer and researcher who works at the intersection of emerging technology, futures and existential threats. Her work on carbon-negative materials, After Ancient Sunlight, debuted as part of Nature—The Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial and won the Experimental category in the FastCompany Innovation by Design Awards. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, CNN, Dezeen, Wallpaper and Vogue and has been supported by the MacArthur Foundation, Swarovski, The UN Office for Partnerships and Science Sandbox. She is an Assistant Professor-in-Residence of Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Faster Forward – Advancing Sustainability in Fashion - with Charlotte McCurdy, Assistant Professor; Principal, Rhode Island School of Design; Charlotte McCurdy Research
Dr. Cindy J Lin is the CEO & Cofounder of Hey Social Good, a social impact tech company working to revolutionize social good data for people, planet, and profit. Dr. Lin is an environmental and data scientist, ecologist, and national expert on pollution’s negative impacts on water, habitat and human health. She previously worked at the US EPA, where she designed national standards, conducted cutting edge research, and implemented protection and sustainability policies to meet global and national environmental standards. She was the US Regional Expert on Clean Water, US EPA's Top Science Policy Advisor on US Climate Change National Work Group and US-China Team, and US Embassy Water Advisor. She received her Doctorate in Environmental Science & Engineering, MS in Environmental Chemistry, and BS in Biology, all from UCLA. About Hey Social Good: Hey Social Good is a data analytics platform using machine learning to guide, assess, and rapidly verify the sustainable and socially responsible practices of businesses. The automated social good assessment (SGA) tool comprehensively translates environmental and social data, applies a 500+ points data model to assess a company's impact and its link to UNSDGs, and provides credible data-driven assessments of a company’s socially responsible practices. HSG awards medal rankings to confirmed sustainable and ethical companies. The data-driven information on social good companies help businesses adopt social good practices and consumers shop with purpose. HSG has applied their review and analysis to over 12,000 private and public companies.
Faster Forward – Advancing Sustainability in Fashion - with Dr. Cindy J Lin, Sustainability and Environmental Science Expert, Hey Social Good
Faster Forward – Advancing Sustainability in Fashion - with Saima Chowdhury, Grey State Apparel
Richard Menzies-Gow joined Informa as Head of Investor Relations in September 2012 and broadened his role in 2014 to incorporate responsibility for Corporate Communications, Corporate Brand and the Group’s Sustainability function. He spent the previous fifteen years as a leading sell-side Media equity research analyst, latterly as a Senior Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and prior to this at Dresdner Kleinwort. Across his analyst career, Richard was responsible for covering most areas of the Media Sector, including Publishing, Business Information & Events, Broadcasting, Advertising Agencies and Pay TV, which included active coverage of Informa for over ten years. Richard graduated in Law & Accounting from Newcastle University.
Faster Forward – Advancing Sustainability in Events & Fashion – with Richard Menzies-Gow, Head of IR, Communications & Brand, Informa
Ben Wielgus joined Informa in 2016 to create a competitive advantage from sustainability, building stronger relationships with customers, colleagues and other stakeholders. Over the last 4 years, Informa has been named one of the most improved businesses in sustainability and is currently listed amongst the top 10% most sustainable businesses in the world according to Dow Jones. In 2020, Informa launched its FasterForward sustainability program, setting out an ambitious set of goals to become a zero carbon, zero waste business where sustainability is embedded within each of its products. Before joining Informa, Ben spent nearly 15 years working as part of KPMG’s Sustainability Advisory Group. He was responsible for working with senior audiences in large, global organizations helping them understand how sustainability can be an asset with significant return on investment. Ben specializes in helping organizations understand how the risks and opportunities from sustainability can affect an organization’s overall strategy, and works with them to build suitable governance and embed responses to key challenges.
Faster Forward – Advancing Sustainability in Events & Fashion - with Ben Wielgus, Head of Sustainability , Informa
Curtin has been in the membership, sales and meeting & event industry for 30 years. As a member of the leadership team at NYC & Company, her current role includes oversight of NYC & Company’s membership growth, retention, and programs in addition to the destination services strategy. Additional responsibilities include working with NYC & Company’s Board and various committees of the membership. Curtin became a Certified Meeting Planner in 2002 and serves on several Boards including: the Javits Center Customer Advisory Board, the Broadway Association, Big Apple Greeter, Live Events Coalition and is a Vice Chair of NYSTIA.
NYC & Company Talks: Greening NYC's Tourism Footprint – with Kelly Curtin, EVP, NYC & Company
Miranda Massie directs NYC’s Climate Museum, the first climate-dedicated museum in the US. She left a career in social justice law to lay the groundwork for the Museum. Her prior honors as a civil rights impact litigator include Fletcher Foundation, W.E.B. Dubois Institute, and Harvard Law School Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowships, as well as a Mentorship-in-Residence at Yale Law School. She is a public voices fellow with the OpEd Project and Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and a regular guest speaker who emphasizes the need for a cultural shift toward civic action on the climate emergency.
NYC & Company Talks: Greening NYC's Tourism Footprint – with Miranda Massie, Director, Climate Museum
Danny Guerrero brings 20 years of leadership in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry to MMGY Global. His perspectives on travel and tourism strategies, global experience, and business acumen are derived from his deep experience with a variety of travel verticals in marketing, agency, and in-house roles. Danny is a passionate, and committed travel industry veteran, having led teams in North America offices for three different MMGY Global brands from his post in Los Angeles where he serves as that office’s General Manager. Danny has led integrated campaigns to reach the North American traveler for clients on nearly every continent, has crafted positioning strategies for luxury hotels throughout the Americas, and has developed distribution and travel trade platforms for international destinations, worldwide. At MMGY Global, Danny leverages the depth and breadth of MMGY's Travel Intelligence data to formulate thought leadership platforms and customer strategy to service emerging traveler needs, trends and opportunities for tomorrow's travel brands, including on topics of diversity, sustainability and destination innovation.
NYC & Company Talks: Greening NYC's Tourism Footprint – with Danny Guerrero, Vice President, North America Strategy, MMGY Global
With a background in hospitality and facility operations, Claire joined the hotel industry to further its environmental responsibilities. Initially working at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in Housekeeping and as the property's Sustainability Champion, her passion for sustainability led her to Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Global Citizenship team, where she embedded corporate responsibility programs throughout the organization.
Post the acquisition of Starwood by Marriott International, Claire joined Marriott's sustainability team to provide strategic direction, planning and execution of the company's sustainability platforms globally. Dedicated to the goal of improving sustainability within hotel operations, Claire received her degree in hotel management from Cornell University and is a certified LEED Green Associate. In her free time, Claire raises awareness and funding for Alzheimer's research and enjoys far-flung travel destinations to embrace new cultures and better understand our global challenges.
NYC & Company Talks: Greening NYC's Tourism Footprint – with Claire Cutting, Director, Sustainability, Marriott International
Responsible for the overall vision, leadership, and management of the Capital Planning, Construction and Operations departments. Responsibilities include planning, directing, and monitoring the activities of the division including long range planning, design, construction, historic preservation and sustainability. Developed and responsible for implementing the 2016-2021 $80 Million Strategic Plan for Capital Improvements. Supervise consultants and provide in house technical support and review. Develop capital programming and budgets. Represent and act as the liaison between the Garden and external agencies/organizations. Prepare status reports, updates and briefings for Executive Staff, Trustees, State, City and Federal Agencies. Direct and supervise staff through all phases of project development and execution. Responsible for the development and implementation of NYC Capital Cultural Grant requests working with a variety of city agencies. Responsible for the Garden Capital bid process. Work with public agencies, private foundations and private donors to secure funding and to advance projects. Update the Garden’s Masterplan. Participate as a member of the Executive Policy Group in the development of operational policies, programs and management initiatives. Develop and execute Sustainability and Resiliency initiatives. Coordinate closely with other divisions including Public Relations and represent the Garden to the media, at public meetings and events. Coordinate closely with Legal Counsel, Budget, Development, and Horticulture Divisions. Responsible for all Gardenwide Operations and Facilities.
NYC & Company Talks: Greening NYC's Tourism Footprint – with Ursula Hoskins, Vice President for Capital Planning, Construction and Operations & Chief Sustainability Officer, New York Botanical Garden
Stephanie Lucas is the Deputy Director of Horticulture and Operations at Madison Square Park Conservancy where she has managed 7 acres of dynamic public green space and urban forest since 2010. Located in the heart of midtown NYC, the park receives over 60,000 visitors daily.
During her tenure she elevated Madison Square Park Conservancy as an American Public Garden and a Level 2 Arboretum. Since 2019, Stephanie has worked on the Conservancy's Neighborhood Carbon Challenge- a scalable tool combining resources, programs and strategies for community members, businesses and other land managers to reduce their community's carbon footprint.
NYC & Company Talks: Greening NYC's Tourism Footprint, Stephanie Lucas, Deputy Director of Horticulture and Operations, Madison Square Park Conservancy
Curtin has been in the membership, sales and meeting & event industry for 30 years. As a member of the leadership team at NYC & Company, her current role includes oversight of NYC & Company’s membership growth, retention, and programs in addition to the destination services strategy. Additional responsibilities include working with NYC & Company’s Board and various committees of the membership. Curtin became a Certified Meeting Planner in 2002 and serves on several Boards including: the Javits Center Customer Advisory Board, the Broadway Association, Big Apple Greeter, Live Events Coalition and is a Vice Chair of NYSTIA.
NYC & Company Talks: Taking Action on Urban Resilience – with Kelly Curtin, EVP, NYC & Company
This is Adam's fourth year as head of Climate Week NYC. As well as overseeing all aspects of the week Adam also leads on communications strategy in North America for Climate Group, the international non-profit that hosts Climate Week NYC. He previously served as European Head of Communications for the International Rescue Committee and serves on the board of a UK based refugee NGO and Europe's leading LGBT+ charity.
NYC & Company Talks: Taking Action on Urban Resilience – with Adam Lake, Head of Climate Week NYC, Climate Group
Alan Steel is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the New York Convention Center Operating Corporation, which operates the Javits Center on Manhattan’s West Side. Under Mr. Steel 's leadership, the Javits Center has launched an historic expansion project that will add more than 1 million square feet to the convention center, including more exhibition and meeting room space, a rooftop pavilion and a one-acre rooftop farm. Upon his appointment in 2012, Mr. Steel led the completion of a comprehensive renovation and operational overhaul that included significant investments in energy efficiency, security and technology. As a result, the Javits Center has emerged as a nationwide model of sustainability, partnering with research institutions and community groups to study and reinforce the positive impact on the local environment. Prior to the Javits Center, Mr. Steel spent more than 30 years as an event management executive and United Kingdom trade development official. He is the former President of George Little Management (GLM), a major producer of trade shows in the United States and Canada, where he was responsible for the creation of new events, oversight of corporate strategic planning, marketing programs and the direction for various company events including NY NOW (formerly New York International Gift Fair), the National Stationery Show, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and SURTEX. Mr. Steel also was active in developing domestic and international markets for the company. Before joining GLM in 1982, Mr. Steel worked for more than 15 years with the British government in a number of trade-related positions at the Department of Trade and Industry in London, the British Consulate in Chicago and the British Trade Development Office in New York. In these roles, Alan bought and sold exhibit space to participants in trade and consumer shows, conferences, and special events. In 2014, Mr. Steel was awarded with the King’s Glove award by the International Association of Exhibitors and Events (IAEE) for his enriched contributions to the trade show industry in New York and beyond. An avid environmentalist, he currently serves on the Board of Directors for New York City Audubon and New Yorkers for Parks and the Board of Trustees for The Climate Museum.
NYC & Company Talks: Taking Action on Urban Resilience – with Alan Steel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Javits Center
Jainey K. Bavishi serves as the Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency, which tackles the challenge of climate change through science-based analysis, policy and program development, and capacity building. She previously served as the Associate Director for Climate Preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality under President Barack Obama. Prior to this, Bavishi served as the Executive Director of R3ADY Asia-Pacific based in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she was responsible for initiating, expanding and managing the start-up public-private partnership, which focused on enhancing disaster risk reduction and resilience in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, she served as the Director of External Affairs and Senior Policy Advisor to the Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington, DC. She was also the Founding Director of the Equity and Inclusion Campaign, a coalition of community-based leaders in the Gulf Coast region that focused on recovery from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike, at the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation. Bavishi has a Master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in public policy and cultural anthropology from Duke University.
NYC & Company Talks: Taking Action on Urban Resilience – with Jainey Bavishi, Director, NYC Mayor's Office of Climate Resiliency
Miranda Massie directs NYC’s Climate Museum, the first climate-dedicated museum in the US. She left a career in social justice law to lay the groundwork for the Museum. Her prior honors as a civil rights impact litigator include Fletcher Foundation, W.E.B. Dubois Institute, and Harvard Law School Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowships, as well as a Mentorship-in-Residence at Yale Law School. She is a public voices fellow with the OpEd Project and Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and a regular guest speaker who emphasizes the need for a cultural shift toward civic action on the climate emergency.
Rising to Meet Current Challenges: The Rapid Growth of Climate Arts – with Miranda Massie, Director, Climate Museum
Brady Piñero Walkinshaw is the CEO of Grist.org, the leading national environmental media nonprofit dedicated to climate, justice, and solutions. Joining Grist in 2017, Brady has led Grist’s strategic growth over the past several years. Before joining Grist, Brady served two terms in the Washington State Legislature and was previously a Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Brady is a Fulbright Scholar and a graduate of Princeton, where he served on the Board of Trustees. Brady is active on several national boards and advisory groups on issues of climate, equity, and justice.
The Story of a Better Future: Shifting the Climate Narrative – with Brady Piñero Walkinshaw, CEO, Grist
Isaias Hernandez is an Environmental Educator & Creator of QueerBrownVegan, an educational platform that seeks to provide accessible forms of climate education through visual graphics, illustrations, and video series. As a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Isaias has built extensive educational resources through online digital spaces to advance the discourse around the climate crisis.
The Story of a Better Future: Shifting the Climate Narrative - with Isaias Hernandez, Environmental Educator & Creator, QueerBrownVegan
Jill Kubit is the co-founder of the award-winning DearTomorrow storytelling project and the Our Kids’ Climate global parent network. Her work has been covered by PBS, TED, Grist, Public Radio International, Parents Magazine, Yale, Wired and others. Jill is focused on advancing climate arts, legacy thinking, climate communications and social entrepreneurship. Prior to DearTomorrow, Jill worked for a decade to help establish the labor-climate field. She works to build the public will for climate solutions so her son can have a safe and secure future.
The Story of a Better Future: Shifting the Climate Narrative – with Grist 50 honoree Jill Kubit, Co-Founder, DearTomorrow and Our Kids’ Climate
Jerome Foster II is an 18-year-old African-American climate justice activist, voting rights advocate, and emerging technology developer. He is the Executive Director & Founder of OneMillionOfUs, which is mobilizing a new generation of young people to register and turnout to vote. Throughout 2019, He served as the House Congressional Intern for the late Honorable Congressman John Lewis. Also working as Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Climate Reporter, an international environmental news organization. Jerome has spoken at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, held weekly climate strikes in front of the White House and Harvard University for over 80 weeks as a part of Greta Thunberg’s Fridays For Future, and helped to pass the Clean Energy DC Act. He won the World Series of Entrepreneurship for creating a civic-based virtual reality organization called TAU VR.
The Story of a Better Future: Shifting the Climate Narrative – with Grist 50 honoree Jerome Foster II, Executive Director & Founder,OneMillionOfUs
Miranda Massie directs NYC’s Climate Museum, the first climate-dedicated museum in the US. She left a career in social justice law to lay the groundwork for the Museum. Her prior honors as a civil rights impact litigator include Fletcher Foundation, W.E.B. Dubois Institute, and Harvard Law School Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowships, as well as a Mentorship-in-Residence at Yale Law School. She is a public voices fellow with the OpEd Project and Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and a regular guest speaker who emphasizes the need for a cultural shift toward civic action on the climate emergency.
1,001 Voices on Climate Change: Book Launch – with Miranda Massie, Director, Climate Museum
Devi Lockwood has written about science, climate change, and technology for The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, and The Washington Post, among others. She spent five years traveling in twenty countries on six continents to document 1,001 stories on water and climate change, funded in part by the Gardner & Shaw postgraduate traveling fellowships from Harvard and a National Geographic Early Career Grant. Lockwood graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude from Harvard and completed an MS in Science Writing at MIT. She is an editor for Rest of World.
1,001 Voices on Climate Change: Book Launch – with Devi Lockwood, Journalist & Author, Simon & Schuster
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