2023 Leadership and Innovation Summit: Business and Climate Change

The Business of Sustainability Initiative’s inaugural Leadership and Innovation Summit will provide an immersive, full-day experience for businesses, students, alumni, and the broader Georgetown community to discuss decarbonization strategies—the key step in the fight against climate change. The primary goal is to bring experts across various industries together to identify and discuss challenges and opportunities in this exciting space. The summit also will provide opportunities for networking and socializing, not only with current students and alumni but also with the broader community of sustainability experts. View the full list of speakers and biographical information.

Attend the 2023 Summit

Agenda

Breakfast and Coffee  

8:00 – 8:45 a.m. 

Opening Remarks from Paul Almeida, Dean and William R. Berkley Chair, McDonough School of Business

8:45 – 9:00 a.m.

Fireside Chat with Hayes Barnard, Chairman and CEO, GoodLeap, GivePower

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.

Moderated by Vishal Agrawal, Henry J. Blommer Family Chair in Sustainable Business, Academic Director, Business of Sustainability Initiative, McDonough School of Business

Fireside Chat with Lauren Riley, Chief Sustainability Officer, United Airlines

10:00 – 10:45 a.m.

Moderated by Kerrie Aman Carfagno, Associate Teaching Professor, Georgetown McDonough School of Business

Panel on Carbon Offsets

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Panelists:

  • David Antonioli, Former CEO, Verra
  • Nancy Fuchs Marshall, Senior Vice President of Marketing, ClimeCo
  • Caitlin Smith, Manager of Carbon Markets, Rocky Mountain Institute

Moderated by Julia Stadlinger (MBA’24)

Lunch Break   

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Fireside Chat with M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International 

1:30 – 2:15 p.m.

Moderated by Pietra Rivoli, Professor of Strategy, McDonough School of Business

Panel on Renewable Energy 

2:30 – 3:15 p.m.

Panelists:

  • Emily Easley, Founder and CEO, NOVUS Energy Advisors
  • Sarah Mihalecz, Senior Director, Clean Energy Buyers Association
  • Nicole Steele, Workforce and Equitable Access Lead, U.S. Department of Energy and Senior Advisor, Environmental Protection Agency

Moderated by Safak Yucel, Associate Professor of Operations Management, McDonough School of Business

Panel on Supply Chain and Circular Economy

3:30 – 4:15 p.m.

Panelists:

  • Scott Breen (C’11), Vice President of Sustainability, Can Manufacturers Institute
  • Kevin Keepper (MBA’13), Senior Manager of Sustainability Projects, Amazon
  • Vanessa Miler-Fels, Vice President of Climate and Environment, Schneider Electric

Moderated by Alice Naughton (B’24), sustainable business fellow at Georgetown McDonough

Technology and Innovation Showcase 

4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Panelists:

  • Luke Barnard, Contributor, GivePower
  • Benjamin Materna, Vice President of Deployment, GivePower
  • Christie Gamble, Director of Business Development, Cloverly
  • Lacey Pyle, Chief Soil Scientist, Arva Intelligence

Moderated by Clayton Pokorny (MS-ESM’23)

Closing Reception 

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.