Business of Sustainability Events
Georgetown McDonough’s Business of Sustainability Initiative is a driving force in advancing sustainable business practices.
Each fall, the annual Leadership and Innovation Summit gathers students, alumni, business leaders, NGOs, and organizations to discuss vital themes. The private workshops unite academics, practitioners, and experts for problem-solving the most pressing issues at the intersection of sustainability and business.
Additionally, our ongoing Business of Sustainability Speaker Series offers insights through conversations and networking with practitioners and Hoya alumni.
Through initiative programming and engagement opportunities, as well as cutting-edge academic research, Georgetown McDonough is one of the most important thought leaders in sustainable business.
Register Now: 2024 Leadership and Innovation Summit
Leadership and Innovation Summit
The Leadership and Innovation Summit is a public convening bringing together current students, alumni, business leaders, NGOs, and different organizations each year to discuss a specific theme related to sustainable business.
Leadership and Innovation Workshop
Each year, the Business of Sustainability Initiative will host a private, invitation-only workshop to discuss, identify, and solve key problems related to a specific area/theme in sustainable business. The workshop will convene academics and practitioners from several organizations, including for-profit companies, NGOs, policymakers, and startups.
Speaker Series
The Business of Sustainability Initiative Speaker Series features conversations, discussions, and panels with alumni and practitioners working in different areas related to sustainable business.
Read the 2023 Leadership and Innovation Workshop White Paper
Past Events
Previous Speaker Series Events
Christina Shim – April 11, 2024
Christina Shim, IBM’s chief sustainability officer, discussed the intersection of AI and sustainability. Qiuping Yu, associate professor of operations management and business analytics at Georgetown McDonough, moderated the conversation.
Dan Gabaldon (SFS’86) – March 21, 2024
Dan Gabaldon, a senior partner at Roland Berger, discussed his extensive career in the energy sector and included topics such as the energy transition, clean hydrogen, and energy storage. Safak Yucel, assistant professor of operations management at Georgetown McDonough, moderated the conversation.
Danielle Nkojo – February 15, 2024
Danielle Solomon Nkojo, sustainability lead at Ralph Lauren, discussed circularity and sustainability in the fashion industry. Vishal Agrawal, Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business and academic director of the Business of Sustainability Initiative, moderated the conversation.
Natasha Braginsky Mounier (SFS’91) – February 1, 2024
Natasha Braginsky Mounier (SFS’91), former global ESG director at Capital Group, discussed the financing of sustainability strategies from the capital markets and investors’ perspective. Maya Burney (MS-ESM’24), a Georgetown Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management student, moderated the conversation.
Sargon Daniel (B’04) – April 27, 2023
Sargon Daniel (B’04), founder of Nexus Renewable Power, discussed solar energy, energy storage, and how these technologies can transform the energy landscape. Safak Yucel, assistant professor of operations management at Georgetown McDonough, moderated the conversation.
Peter Blommer (C’85) – March 20, 2023
Peter Blommer (C’85), vice chairman of the Blommer Chocolate Company, discussed supply chains and the evolution of sustainable business practices in the confectionery industry. Academic Director of the Business of Sustainability Initiative, Vishal Agrawal, the Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business and Director of the Business of Sustainability Initiative moderated the conversation.
2023 Leadership and Innovation Summit
Business and Climate Change
https://businessofsustainability.georgetown.edu/events/summit-agenda-2023/
The Business of Sustainability Initiative’s inaugural Leadership and Innovation Summit provided an immersive, full-day experience for businesses, students, alumni, and the broader Georgetown University community to discuss decarbonization strategies—the key step in the fight against climate change. The primary goal was to bring experts across various industries together to identify and discuss challenges and opportunities in this exciting space. The summit also offered opportunities for networking and socializing, not only with current students and alumni but also with the broader community of sustainability experts.
Workshop: Business of Carbon Offsets
The Business of Sustainability Initiative’s inaugural workshop convened speakers from all parts of the value chain – including buyers, project developers, carbon registries, and NGOs – to focus on the market for voluntary carbon offsets. The in-person and invitation-only workshop was designed to facilitate candid conversations to identify innovative solutions from the perspectives of all market participants. The primary goal was to ensure markets can be more efficient in the fight against climate change.