Rohit T. “Rit” Aggarwala was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the City’s Chief Climate Officer in February 2022. Under his leadership, DEP has embraced a leadership role on both stormwater and coastal resilience, streamlined its procurement processes to be able to invest more money in infrastructure each year, and improved DEP’s water revenues by reducing accounts receivable and delivering revenues $250 million above budget in his first year. As Chief Climate Officer, he also led the development of New York City’s most recent sustainability plan, PlaNYC.
Prior to the Adams administration, Aggarwala served as the first Director of the New York City Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, where he led the creation of the first PlaNYC. He later founded the environmental grantmaking program at Bloomberg Philanthropies and served as president of the Board of Directors of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. He was part of the founding team at Sidewalk Labs—Google’s urban technology startup—and more recently was a senior urban tech fellow at the Jacobs Cornell-Technion Institute. He has co-chaired the Regional Plan Association’s Fourth Regional Plan for the New York metropolitan area and is an adjunct professor at Columbia University. Aggarwala holds a PhD, MBA, and BA from Columbia University and an MA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Suriya A. Blair serves as the Student Representative of the Urban Assembly (UA) School for Leadership and Empowerment in Brooklyn, NY.
A passionate advocate for students' voices and equity, Suriya has been instrumental in helping her school design a community schoolyard that reflects student voices and neighborhood needs. Through her leadership, Suriya advocates for inclusive, sustainable spaces that foster learning, play, and community connection. Her work continues to inspire her peers to take active roles in transforming their environments.
Christopher Davidson is based in Richmond, Virginia, and serves as vice president, Sustainability Engagement for Smurfit Westrock, a global manufacturer of sustainable paper-based packaging solutions. He develops strategy, policies, goals and metrics for the company’s sustainability platform and is accountable for internal and external reporting to measure its progress.
His work with customers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world focuses on optimizing the impact of sustainability on businesses and communities.
Chris’ experience in the forest products industry spans nearly 30 years. He serves on the board of directors for GreenBlue and the Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. He is also the co-chair of the Corporate Sustainability & Environment Executive Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Chris earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forest management and forestry from North Carolina State University and received a doctorate in forestry from Virginia Tech.
As President & CEO, Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser leads TPL’s mission to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors.
Since joining TPL, Carrie has championed the expansion of equitable access to nature, especially in underserved neighborhoods where schoolyards serve as vital hubs for health, learning, and climate resilience. Under her leadership, TPL continues transforming community schoolyards into climate-resilient green spaces and reimaging them as shared public spaces that help communities adapt to climate challenges, reduce urban heat, and foster environmental justice.
Carrie has also served as President and CEO of Colorado Mountain College, where she spearheaded groundbreaking efforts in equity, outdoor education, and student housing.
She has earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, her master’s and Ph.D. from UCLA, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of Business. A lifelong outdoor advocate, Carrie has climbed major peaks around the world and believes deeply in the power of nature to heal, connect, and protect communities.
Senator Martin Heinrich has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 2012, representing New Mexico and serving on the Energy and Natural Resources, Appropriations, Intelligence, and Joint Economic Committees. Before the Senate, he served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A lifelong conservationist, Heinrich began his public service as an AmeriCorps environmental educator. He led the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation and the Coalition for New Mexico Wilderness—experiences that continue informing his commitment to outdoor access, equity, and environmental stewardship.
In the Senate, Heinrich has been instrumental in major conservation victories, including the Great American Outdoors Act. He is a national leader in transforming schoolyards into lush green spaces—particularly in underserved communities. He has worked with local communities to protect iconic New Mexico landscapes, expand public access, and establish national monuments.
At the heart of Heinrich’s work is a belief that everyone deserves access to nature and that protecting the environment is a moral duty and a path to a stronger, more equitable future.
With more than thirty years in brand management and innovation, Virginie has broad experience across multiple categories, which has built her skills in global to local brand management. She has worked on several of P&G’s high-profile brands, including Pantene, Ariel/Tide, and Pampers. Virginie has extensive international experience, having been based in France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States.
Today, Virginie serves as P&G’s Chief Sustainability Officer, where her mission is to develop the company’s strategies and goals on sustainability and operationalize them across businesses and regions.
.
Naomi Morenzoni is SVP of Climate and Innovation Philanthropy at Salesforce. She leads the company’s philanthropic programs focused on innovation, including the Salesforce AI for Impact Accelerator, which provides funding, technology, and technical support to advance promising AI solutions from idea to widespread adoption. She also oversees the Nature and Sustainability Fund, designed to deploy catalytic capital in support of a transition to a net-zero, nature-positive world.
Naomi is a founder and board member of Pledge 1%, a global movement of over 19,000 companies committed to making community a core stakeholder in business. She serves on the Advisory Board of Uplink, a World Economic Forum platform supporting early-stage entrepreneurs building a sustainable and inclusive global economy. Naomi is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Innovative Climate Finance and Co-Chair of the Green Skills Initiative for the Sustainable Business COP30.
Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersection of business and social impact, with previous roles at Google, the Global Philanthropy Forum, and Business for Social Responsibility. Naomi lives in Bend, Oregon and graduated from Vassar College with highest honors.
Leading CET’s rapid growth and expansion of climate solutions during this decisive decade for action. Her leadership in testing Inclusive Utility Investments (IUI) in Massachusetts has successfully demonstrated the feasibility and significant benefits of this financing model for residential decarbonization. She is a career innovator who has consistently brought market-edge ideas from conception to implementation, from the urban sanitation sector in sub-Saharan Africa to the climate sector in the US. Ashley holds an MS in Environmental Engineering and PhD in Energy & Resources from UC Berkeley and resides in Western Massachusetts.
Jeremy is a co-founder and the CEO of 11th Hour Racing and Ocean Hour Farm. Working across both organizations, Jeremy seeks to underscore the intersection of ocean and land, and us humans, who are in the middle, and how we can push each other to find better solutions for the sea and the soil.
Lindsey, Nest’s Chief Operating Officer, brings over a decade of nonprofit management and organizational capacity building experience to the Nest team, specializing in nonprofit governance, process improvement, financial accountability, and social impact reporting.
She previously managed CSR engagement in Russia and contributed to Charity Navigator's leadership, enhancing evaluation methodologies for financial health and nonprofit effectiveness. Lindsey has consulted for Intentional Futures and GLG Social Impact, supporting NGOs and social impact leaders with evaluation frameworks and growth strategies.
She holds an M.A. in International Development and a B.A. in Communications with certifications in Intercultural Relations and Program Strategy and Evaluation. Lindsey has served on the boards of TIP Global Health and the Mary J. Heerdt Charitable Trust, and is engaged in NYC Sustained Global Impact Community of Practice and Women Investing for a Sustainable Economy (WISE-NYC).
Dr. Pooja S. Tandon is a pediatrician and health researcher dedicated to advancing children’s health by promoting healthy behaviors and reducing disparities. Her work has focused on play equity (“play for all children”) and promoting access to physical activity and outdoor recreation.
As Health Director at Trust for Public Land, Dr. Tandon leads the organization’s work at the intersection of public health and access to the outdoors—demonstrating how parks, trails, and community schoolyards can be powerful tools for improving community well-being
Dr. Tandon also serves as Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor at UW’s School of Public Health, and a researcher at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. She recently co-authored Digging Into Nature: Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids, which explores the transformative power of nature for families.
As Colgate-Palmolive's Chief Sustainability Officer Ann leads Colgate’s Global Sustainability strategy and key initiatives, integrating a strong technical foundation across our enterprise Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy Core Ambition pillars - Driving Social Impact, Helping Millions of Homes and Preserving our Environment. Ann holds a BA degree in Applied Science, a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master's of Engineering degree in Manufacturing Systems. Most recently Ann has completed a Certificate of Sustainability from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Currently she is on the Board of the UNGC Network USA.
James Tyre, Senior Vice President, joined Neuberger Berman in 2006 and is currently a Research Analyst in the Global Equity Research Department covering basic materials and industrial companies. Prior to joining Neuberger Berman, he was an associate for six years in the Equity Research division of Lehman Brothers. Jim received a BS in Finance from Georgetown University.
Esther Whieldon is co-host of the S&P Global All Things Sustainable podcast, a senior writer on the S&P Global Sustainable1 Thought Leadership Team, and a member of S&P Global's Emerging Markets Research Lab. Esther has a background in journalism and previously covered energy and sustainability topics in the newsrooms of Politico, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and S&P Global Commodity Insights.
No results found
The Nest Climate Campus
6 Thorndal Circle, Suite 6E
Darien, CT 06820
