For more than 35 years, Joel has been a well-respected voice on business, sustainability and innovation. An award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker and strategist on corporate sustainability practices, climate tech and the clean economy, he has advised a wide range of companies on how to align sustainability with business success.

Dylan has spent nearly two decades building better environmental and social impacts in the nonprofit and public sectors and the Fortune 500. Prior to GreenBiz, she was a lead strategist on the social innovation team at Verizon, where she introduced climate justice as a core element of the company’s climate approach and worked to address the rural digital divide. Formerly, at power company NRG, she developed climate and water strategy, and helped conceive and launch a consultancy to help commercial customers navigate climate action, resilience, clean energy, and energy efficiency.

Mayor Kate Gallego has a vision for Phoenix: she sees it as a place that is vibrant and growing, and one where every person is treated with dignity and respect. Mayor Gallego is a strong advocate for smart business growth and investment – she recently helped land the city’s largest-ever business development deal, a $40 billion semiconductor manufacturing plant that will bring significant economic development for decades to come. She is leading the city to global status as a leader in bioscience, technology, research, and advanced manufacturing. The mayor is also leading Phoenix t​o meet its goal to become the most sustainable desert city in the United States. She has fostered investments in cool solutions, including the nation’s first, publicly funded Office of Heat Response and Mitigation; launched the city’s successful cool pavement pilot; and led the charge toward building the necessary EV infrastructure to support a sustainable future. Mayor Gallego is the second elected female mayor in Phoenix history a​nd one of the youngest big city mayors in the United States. In November 2020, she was returned to office with the highest number of votes ever cast for a mayoral candidate in Phoenix.

Ginger Sykes Torres was appointed by the Biden Administration to serve as the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Arizona in October 2022. Sykes Torres is a certified environmental planner and a civic leader. She previously worked as a consultant on land use planning and environmental impact assessment for developers and Federal land management agencies on projects in Arizona and New Mexico. At Pacific Gas and Electric Company, she worked with California stakeholders on environmental policy, renewable energy planning, water resources planning, and climate adaptation initiatives. Sykes Torres served as Vice Chair of the City of Phoenix Environmental Quality and Sustainability Commission, Chair of the City’s Urban Heat Island Tree and Shade Subcommittee, and also served on the Executive Committee of the City of Phoenix proposed $500 million 2023 General Obligation Bond Program, which will shape investments in projects that reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and make the city more climate resilient. Additionally, Sykes Torres is a Trustee at the Heard Museum, serving as the Board Secretary and a member of the American Indian Advisory Committee. She also serves on the board of directors for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Valley Leadership, and the Indigenous Peoples’ Initiative, which worked with the White House to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Sykes Torres is a graduate of Stanford University’s interdisciplinary Earth Systems Program. She is a passionate advocate for issues affecting Tribal communities. In March of 2020, she cofounded a COVID relief group to deliver PPE to frontline workers and vulnerable Native American communities in Arizona. She is a Native American hoop dancer who was the first female to ever win a title at the Heard Museum’s World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.

Bill Weihl is the Founder and Co-Executive Director of ClimateVoice, a non-profit initiative launched in February 2020 that is mobilizing the workforce to encourage companies to go “all in” on climate - especially in their use of their voice and influence to support public policy, everywhere they operate. From 2012 to 2018, Bill was Director of Sustainability at Facebook, leading work on sustainability across the company, and helping to launch the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (now CEBA). Prior to Facebook, Bill was Green Energy Czar at Google, where his team pioneered Google’s work to buy clean energy for its data centers and helped found the Climate Savers Computing Initiative with Intel and WWF. Bill is on the board of directors of Acterra and Common Energy, and on the President’s Councils for Ceres and for Pathfinder International. He has received numerous awards, including Time Magazine's Hero of the Environment (2009), the Global Green Award for environmental leadership (2016), and the VERGE Vanguard Award (2018).

Lucy Shea is the CEO of Futerra, the change agency. A firm believer in the power of business to create change, she advises Fortune 500 companies on how to unlock the value of sustainability for their business and brand. Lucy has long experience in developing bold goals and sustainability strategies plus powerful communications to drive social and environmental change. Her interests are in operationalizing sustainability and developing initiatives to make sustainable lifestyles choices more accessible. She radically reimagined garment recycling with the creation of our Swishing campaign and was a founder member of the UN’s Sustainable Lifestyles Taskforce, when she authored Communicating Sustainability, today one of the UN’s most read reports. In 2014, she joined the Global Organising Committee of Fashion Revolution and is now a Trustee. She serves on the Steering Committee of the UNFCCC’s Fashion Charter.

Leah Thomas is an environmental justice advocate passionate about exploring the relationship between climate, justice, art and culture. With a background in Environmental Science & Policy, Leah started her career in corporate sustainability at Patagonia HQ and later founded the non-profit Intersectional Environmentalist. In 2021, she launched the project Earth Sessions, a climate optimism and community-driven art program centered on environmental justice solutions and utilizing creativity as a vehicle for positive change. She is the author of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet book and has been honored on lists including EBONY Power 100, TIME100 Next, and INSIDER’s Climate Action 30. She is based in Los Angeles, California - but proudly born in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Zahra is a youth climate activist and entrepreneur that has been sharing action items and tidbits of hopeful news for the planet for over 2 years to ~50K people on her social media platforms. She is the CEO and Founder of In the Loop, a circular economy software startup, the author of forthcoming book “Climate Optimism: Climate Wins and Creating Systemic Change Around the World”, and a TED Speaker.

Dr Zoe Chance is an award-winning Yale professor, a bestselling author, and a world expert on interpersonal influence. In her coaching and advisory work, she loves helping organizations working on sustainability and climate solutions. Her recent book, Influence Is Your Superpower, is being published in 28 languages, and she’s donating half her book profits to help solve the climate crisis. Before joining Yale, Zoe managed a $200 million segment of the Barbie brand at Mattel and earned her doctorate at Harvard. She lives with her family in New Haven, CT.

Jorge Fontanez is the Chief Executive Officer at B Lab U.S. & Canada, a Global Partner of the nonprofit B Lab, commonly known for certifying for-profit companies trademarked as B Corps, who as a community are mobilizing to change the economic system to benefit all people, and the planet. He also founded Marca Studio in 2015, a brand and marketing strategy consultancy, serving for-profit social enterprises and nonprofits. He is a First Mover Fellow of The Business & Society Program at The Aspen Institute. Jorge brings the mindset of an intrapreneur to his work, having dedicated his private sector career focused on stakeholder engagement at the intersection of marketing, technology and sustainability. His perspective on business as a driver for social change was formed by his experiences in leadership roles at Alcoa, Colgate-Palmolive, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Jorge received his MBA from Stern and a BSE from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Wawa Gatheru is the founder and Executive Director of Black Girl Environmentalist, a national organization dedicated to addressing the pathway and retention issue in the climate sector for Black girls, women and gender-expansive people. BGE has been recognized in Vogue, the New York Times, NPR, LA Times, Forbes, Fast Company, Essence, Teen Vogue, Axios, and more. A Rhodes Scholar, Wawa is a member of the inaugural National Environmental Youth Advisory Council of the US EPA, the first federal youth-led advisory council in US History. She sits on boards and advisory councils for Earth Justice, Climate Power, the Environmental Media Association, the National Parks Conservation Association, Sound Future, Good Energy, and Earth Percent. Wawa has been recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 recipient, a Glamour College Woman of the Year, a Grist 50 Fixer, a Young Futurist by The Root, a Gucci Changemaker, named a Climate Creator to Watch by Pique Action and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and has given keynotes around the world. In January 2023, musician Billie Eilish personally invited Wawa to join her on the first-ever digital cover of Vogue alongside 7 other youth climate activists.

Derrick Johnson is the President and CEO of NAACP. Derrick Johnson formerly served as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors as well as state president for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP. A longstanding member and leader of the NAACP, Mr. Johnson will guide the Association through a period of re-envisioning and reinvigoration. Mr. Johnson is a veteran activist who has dedicated his career to defending the rights and improving the lives of Mississippians. As State President of the NAACP Mississippi State Conference, he led critical campaigns for voting rights and equitable education. He successfully managed two bond referendum campaigns in Jackson, MS that brought $150 million in school building improvements and $65 million towards the construction of a new convention center, respectively. As a regional organizer at the Jackson-based non-profit, Southern Echo, Inc., Mr. Johnson provided legal, technical, and training support for communities across the South.

C.D. Glin President, PepsiCo Foundation & Global Head of Social Impact at PepsiCo Inc. PepsiCo C.D. Glin linkedin Less C.D. Glin is President of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Social Impact for PepsiCo. In this role, Glin leads the organization’s social- and community-driven impact efforts and a portfolio of global employee engagement programs. Glin oversees the Foundation's strategic direction, leading internal and external engagement around The PepsiCo Foundation's three core pillars of creating equitable access to nutritious food, safe water, and economic opportunity. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Glin began his career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa during the Mandela administration. He also served as President and CEO of the U.S. African Development Foundation, Associate Director of The Rockefeller Foundation and Vice President for Business Development at PYXERA Global. Further, as an appointee in the Obama Administration, Glin was the first Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Global Partnerships for the Peace Corps. In 2011, Glin was honored as a Champion of Change in Civic Engagement and International Service by the White House.

Bryan Lewis leads the Emerging Leaders program at GreenBiz.org, which elevates, cultivates and supports the next generation of Black, Indigenous and other leaders of color (BIPOC) in the climate community. Prior to joining GreenBiz, Bryan served as Executive Director of EcoWorks Detroit where he led climate and energy education, building decarbonization, and local community organizing initiatives. He has a background in youth mentorship and career development and currently leads a network of emerging clean energy leaders in Michigan.

Molly Wood is a longtime business and technology journalist turned venture capitalist. She is a veteran of national media (Marketplace, the New York Times, and CNET/CBS) and a podcasting hall-of-famer. Currently, she is scouting and advising climate tech startups as a venture partner at Amasia, and is the founder and CEO of Molly Wood Media, where she is podcasting, writing, and advising companies around climate storytelling and financing trends.

Elizabeth Hunter is the co-founder and COO of Treeswift, a forestry and nature technology company that produces transparent, verifiable forest inventories for timber and carbon to scale from beneath the canopy using robotics and AI. As a technologist, she has innovated the tech stack driving the most accurate and actionable datasets on stem-level metrics for forests. As a revenue and operations leader, she has worked with landowners and project developers in their adoption of Treeswift’s technology enabling them to unlock new forest insights to better measure, manage and market their timberlands, carbon projects and more. Prior to Treeswift, Elizabeth was an academic and imagined a world in which robots could fundamentally change the speed, scale, and potential of data that is humanly possible to collect, and the resulting experiences and insights that data can bring through AI analytics. Elizabeth received her M.S. in robotics and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She is an internationally recognized leader and expert in microrobotics and synthetic biology, specifically methods to fabricate, actuate, control, and sense biocompatible micrometer-scale to centimeter-scale robots (aka tiny robots).

Katie thinks and works best in systems, drawing most from the natural systems that surround and provide for us. She brings diverse career experience to the great work happening at GreenBiz thanks to time and energy spent in marketing, communications, corporate sustainability and climate tech. She believes in the power of inclusivity, and aims to give everyone agency and energy to take positive action around the climate crisis.