Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. He is the founder and owner of Rick Steves’ Europe, a travel business with a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Rick lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.
SPEAKERS
Business, Policy and Purpose Conference
October 21 - 23 2025 | 12 - 3:30 PM ET Daily | Virtual Event
KeyNote Speakers
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Rick Steves
Television Host, Author, Activist
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Paul Rice is an award-winning social entrepreneur, author, and founder of Fair Trade USA, the leading certifier of Fair Trade products. Rice launched Fair Trade USA in 1998. Under his leadership, Fair Trade Certified became one of the fastest growing segments of the food and apparel industries. By forging partnerships with over 1,700 brands and retailers, the organization has generated over $1.2 billion in cumulative financial impact for 1 million farmers, workers, and their families in 72 countries worldwide. Previously, Rice worked with family farmers for 11 years in the highlands of Nicaragua, where he founded and led the country’s first Fair Trade coffee export cooperative.
Rice was Ethical Corporation’s 2019 Business Leader of the Year and was recognized four times as Social Capitalist of the Year by Fast Company magazine. Rice received the prestigious Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and the World Economic Forum’s Outstanding Social Entrepreneur award. His new book, Every Purchase Matters, is a USA Today National Bestseller.
PAUL RICE
Founder of Fair Trade USA
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Jamie Ager is a fourth-generation farmer, entrepreneur, and proud son of Western North Carolina. Born in Fairview and raised on his family’s Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Jamie has spent his life growing food, building community, and working with people.
His great-grandparents helped launch one of the region’s first farm cooperatives, and his grandfather, Jamie Clarke, served western North Carolina in the U.S. Congress and the state legislature, balancing running the farm with working for the people in office.
After earning degrees from Warren Wilson College in Environmental Studies with a concentration in sustainable agriculture and History, Jamie participated in an Agriculture Leadership Development Program through NC State. Together, Jamie and his wife Amy returned to Fairview to raise their family and built Hickory Nut Gap, a sustainable meat company that today supports 25 employees and works with dozens of farmers across the region.
Jamie Ager
Owner, Hickory Nut Gap
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Ahmed Baba is an independent journalist, political analyst, technologist, and founder of the bestselling Substack publication Ahmed Baba News. He’s also a columnist at The Independent and a frequent panelist on MSNBC and CNN. His work has been cited by The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS News, and Rolling Stone, among others.
In addition to his journalism, Ahmed builds civic engagement technology and has given guest lectures to over a thousand college, high school, and middle school students on media literacy, technology, and disinformation. For over a decade, his work has focused on creating journalism and technology that strengthen American democracy.
Ahmed Baba
Independent Journalist
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Mindy Lubber is the CEO and President of the sustainability nonprofit Ceres. She has been at the helm since 2003, and under her leadership, the organization and its powerful networks and global initiatives have grown significantly in size and influence.
As a global thought leader, Lubber has inspired capital market leaders including some of the world’s largest institutional investors and corporate boards and executives to factor responsible investment and business practices into their overall strategies. She regularly speaks to high-level global and national policymakers on the need for stronger climate policies that accelerate the transition to a more just and resilient economy. She is frequently quoted in mainstream business and financial news outlets and pens columns for Forbes.com and Reuters.com on a variety of sustainability topics. In 2015, Lubber helped catalyze the necessary business support to get the historic Paris Agreement across the finish line, leading Vogue Magazine to name her a “Climate Warrior.”
Lubber has received numerous awards and recognitions for her leadership. In 2020, she was awarded the United Nations ‘Champions of the Earth’ Entrepreneurial Vision award. She has made Barron’s Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential women in U.S. finance for four consecutive years and received the Climate Visionary Award from the Earth Day Network, the William K. Reilly Award for Environmental Leadership from American University, and the Skoll Foundation’s Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Ceres has been named a top 100 women-led businesses in Massachusetts for five years in a row by the Globe Magazine.
Prior to Ceres, Lubber served as a Regional Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She also founded Green Century Capital Management and served as the director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group. She resides in the Boston area.
Mindy Lubber
CEO and President, Ceres
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Dr. Ellonda L. Williams is an Equity-driven Community Relations Operator, Inclusion Artist & Strategic Organizational Leader.
She serves as Senior Director of Community and co-Lead Executive at B Lab U.S. & Canada; one of six global partners of the B Lab Global Network that foster and mobilize a growing community of people and businesses working towards a more fair and inclusive economy in the United States and Canada.
In her day-to-day work, Dr. Williams balances focus on demonstrating the indispensable business value of certification, building community, and driving impact.
Ellonda possesses a rich background; with education in Human Services, Psychological Studies, Education, and Leadership Management, her experiences vary widely, giving her a keen eye and ear in the spaces she takes up. With both personal and professional commitments to the equitable treatment and inclusion of those who are historically and regionally marginalized, she has been a lifelong proponent and champion of social justice. She brings those ethics and ideologies to her everyday work and conversations.
Ellonda Williams
Co-Lead Executive, B Lab
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Fran Seegull is President of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, which works to increase awareness of impact investing in the United States, foster deployment of impact capital across asset classes globally, and partner with stakeholders, including government, to build the impact investing ecosystem. She also serves as Executive Director of the Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing—a donor collaborative focused on growing the field.
Previously, Seegull was the Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director at ImpactAssets, where she headed investment management for The Giving Fund—now a $3.5 billion impact investing donor-advised fund.
Seegull has a BS in Economics from Barnard at Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of Align Impact and the investment committee of Calvert Impact Capital.
Fran Seegull
President, U.S. Impact Investing Alliance
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Eryn Banton is a climate and sustainable business advocate dedicated to advancing equitable, community-centered solutions to environmental challenges. Inspired by her experience in the Environmental Social Governance Sector, she founded ReSurge, a social enterprise that connects companies with community leaders to create resilient and inclusive impact. Additionally, Eryn serves on the ASBC Board, where she helps shape policy initiatives that drive sustainable business practices. As a current law student, she is committed to using legal tools to champion environmental justice and systemic change.
Eryn Banton
Founder, ReSurge
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As President and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), Angela Dingle leads a national nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of women entrepreneurs, strengthening their impact on our nation’s public policy, creating economic opportunities, and forging alliances
with other business organizations. Serving as the voice for the over 14 million women owned companies in the U.S., WIPP works with lawmakers to impact and influence policy that provides economic equity, procurement inclusion and access to the global marketplace.
Prior to serving in this role, Angela founded Ex Nihilo Management, an award-winning consultancy that provides governance, risk and cybersecurity (GRC) to the public, private and non-profit sector.
Angela is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. She is the author of Discovering Your Girl Powers: 10 Strategies to Build Confidence, Charisma and Credibility and Unexpected Leader: 11 Tools for Transformational Leadership. She has written articles and publications that provide valuable leadership guidance.
Angela Dingle
President and CEO, Woman Impacting Public Policy
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In over two decades of working in climate change and its intersecting impacts on nature, communities, and health, Hannah has always worked to connect different parts of the systems needed to activate transformational change: businesses, policy-makers, academia, and NGOs. From co-leading the HSBC Climate Partnership - at the time the world's largest business-led climate change programme- to leading humanitarian response operations following disaster, Hannah's focus has always been on trying to connect up different parts of the system, and on trying to identify intersections and patterns between issues, and the root causes that underpin them.
Hannah Pathak
CEO, Forum for the Future
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Camilla is a globally renowned leader focused on changing economic systems into stakeholder-driven economies. Over the years, she has held leadership positions at B Lab Global as well as Holland FinTech and FinTech Aera, a network of sustainable European FinTech companies working together toward the democratization of financial services. When Camilla’s not driving systemic change, she’s exploring the world with her husband and kids in tow.
Camilla Taylor
Executive Director, American Sustainable Business Network
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Named one of the Time 100’s 2025 100 Most Influential People In The World, as well as one of The NonProfit Times’s Power & Influence Top 50 and their 2025 Influencer of the Year, Skye Perryman is the President & CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, policy education, and research. Perryman is known for developing innovative legal strategies, building unique communities and coalitions, and values-based leadership.
Skye Perryman
President and CEO, Democracy Forward
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Holly Ensign-Barstow is the Interim Co-Executive Director at B Lab U.S. & Canada. Previously, she was the Senior Director of Programs and Policy for B Lab U.S. & Canada, where she worked with business leaders to drive policy advocacy and sustainable operational changes that create a positive impact on workers, communities, and the environment.
During her 13-year tenure at B Lab, Holly has passed benefit corporation statutes in 40+ US jurisdictions and more than eight other countries through her leadership of broad-based coalitions of business leaders, business groups, bar associations, and policymakers. She also spearheaded an ecosystem education effort to promote the usage of this new corporate status by engaging public and private market investors, regulators, and influencers.
Holly is a recognized leader in stakeholder governance, stakeholder capitalism policy, and business engagement. She is the co-author and leader of B Lab’s expanded policy agenda entitled “From Shareholder Primacy to Stakeholder Capitalism,” which identifies regulatory and policy changes that are necessary to ensure our capital markets and entire economic system work for all people and the planet.
Holly earned her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University and a Master of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University. Prior to B Lab, Holly was instrumental in the launch of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.
Holly Ensign-Barstow
Interim Co-Executive Director at B Lab U.S. & Canada
DAY 1 - SESSION SPEAKERS
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Mirabai Bush is the founder of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. Under her direction, The Center introduced contemplative practices into social work, higher education, law, business, environmental leadership, the military, and social justice activism. She developed the Search Inside Yourself program for
Google. She has been teaching workshops and courses on contemplative practice in life and work for 50
years.
She is co-author with Ram Dass of Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying and Compassion in Action: Setting Out on the Path of Service; editor of Contemplation Nation: How Ancient
Practices Are Changing the Way We Live; and co-author with Dan Barbezat of Contemplative Practices in Higher Education. She hosts a podcast on Be Here Now Network and is working on a memoir.
Mirabai Bush
Co-creator of Search Inside Yourself
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Martin is Deputy CEO at the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) and a member of the ISEP Board. He works in the UK and internationally to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. Martin has experience in developing global and European standards and chairs the ISO environmental management systems committee of ~100 countries. He is a non-exec director of the Society for the Environment (SocEnv) and the Broadway Initiative, a visiting professor on sustainability at Cranfield University, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Derby in recognition of his contribution to environmental sustainability
Martin Baxter
Deputy Chief Executive at the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals
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Gary Belan in the Senior Director of American Rivers’ Clean Water program. He leads a national team working to ensure cities across the countries have rivers that are clean enough to swim and play in. He does this by building national leadership for increasing funding and improving regulations to improve urban water infrastructure, including stormwater and sewage systems. He also promotes increasing the use of natural infrastructure practices and improving water quality monioting and data systems to help make water quality information more transparent to the public.
Gary joined American Rivers in May 2003. Prior to American Rivers, he worked as a project engineer for the Clark Construction Group, working on large commercial building projects.
Education: B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia, M.A. in Environmental Policy from American University and Certificate of Non-Profit Management from Georgetown University.
Gary Belan
Senior Director of American Rivers’ Clean Water program
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Stacey Sprenkel is a Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine and leads the firm’s ESG & Sustainability and Compliance, Ethics, Risk & Governance practices. She advises boards, executives, and legal teams across industries on ESG strategy, ethics, compliance, anti-corruption, and risk mitigation, combining deep regulatory knowledge with a pragmatic, business-focused approach. Her work spans risk and materiality assessments, program design and benchmarking, high-stakes due diligence, third-party and supply chain risk management, and internal investigations involving complex financial and regulatory issues. With experience guiding multinational companies through evolving enforcement priorities and sustainability expectations, Stacey delivers practical solutions that align compliance objectives with business goals while minimizing litigation and enforcement risks.
Stacey Sprenkel
Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine
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Dan Seltzer has more than 20 years of experience designing, building and overseeing
sophisticated ethics and compliance programs for multinational corporations as both an
in-house and external attorney. Dan is currently the Senior Director of Anticorruption
and Government Compliance at Accenture, where he is responsible for ensuring the
company’s compliance in all interactions with governments by its nearly 800,000
employees working in more than 120 countries.
In his career, Dan has led investigations or delivered training in more than 20 countries
on 6 continents and represented clients before numerous regulatory bodies and
international organizations. Dan also serves on compliance advisory boards for
organizations such as Ethisphere and the OECD.
Prior to joining Accenture, Dan was Senior Compliance Counsel to Agilent Technologies
(formerly Hewlett-Packard); a senior associate in the Los Angeles office of Latham &
Watkins, where he specialized in white collar criminal investigations and defense; and a
law clerk to a federal judge in Los Angeles.
Dan Seltzer
Senior Director of Anticorruption and Government Compliance, Accenture
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Will Devine is a Sr. Advisor to Centerline Liberties which is a 501(c)3 focused on advancing policy solutions capable of defending core constitutional liberties, preserving a free market economy, and limiting the role of government in Americans’ everyday lives. For the past decade, Will has built his career at the intersection of Republican politics, advocacy, and grassroots organizing at the federal and state level. His work has centered on finding common ground and advancing solutions on complex policy issues most notably in clean energy.
Will holds a degree in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross. A Florida native, Will currently resides in Boston, where he enjoys New England’s occasional warm weather.
Will Devine
Sr. Advisor, Centerline Liberties
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He is one of ICCR’s founding staff members and has been a leader in our field for over five decades.
Tim currently serves as ICCR’s Senior Policy Advisor, where he supports ICCR’s work around responsible political engagement, deepening engagements with asset managers, and responding to the pushback on ESG.
Tim served as ICCR staff for 30 years including 24 years as its Executive Director. In 2000, Tim joined Boston Trust Walden where he led the organization’s shareholder engagement efforts for 22 years. In 2007, 2012, and 2013, Tim was named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics” by Ethisphere Institute. In 2010, he received the Bavaria Award for Impact at the third annual Joan Bavaria Awards for Building Sustainability into the Capital Markets. In 2011 and 2012, he was named one of the most influential people in corporate governance by the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Tim Smith
Senior Policy Advisor, ICCR
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Andrew Collier is the Director for Ceres Freedom to Invest initiative. He leads the organization’s internal and external coordination of the campaign, including stakeholder engagement and collaboration with a variety of groups. Andrew comes to Ceres from the National Public Pension Coalition, having worked for almost seven years in a variety of roles protecting the pensions of public employees across the country. He has worked to pass legislation that benefits working and retired employees, while also defeating various harmful bills to retirement security.
Prior to NPPC, Andrew has worked for candidates, national campaigns, and non-profits helping to advance their organizational goals and candidacies. Andrew has his master’s in public administration from Fairfield University.
Andrew Collier
Director, Freedom to Invest, Ceres
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Andrew serves as a Senior Research Analyst on Sage’s Responsible Investing team and is a member of the Investment Committee. He began his career in 2006 as a Naval Aviator in the United States Navy, where he completed four deployments to the Middle East and Western Pacific while performing a variety of leadership roles during his 13 years of active-duty service. He presently serves as a Commander in the United States Naval Reserves. Andrew holds an MBA with Distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School and a B.A. degree in Economics from Rice University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute. In addition, he is a Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Credential holder and has a Sustainable Investing Certificate from the CFA Institute.
Andrew Poreda
Senior Research Analyst at Sage Advisory
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Chris is a social impact and circular economy leader, who has worked with businesses and NGOs for almost two decades.
Most recently, he has been leading business engagement for Purchasing with Purpose, a 501(c)(3) that supports the development of strong local economies and community impact driven by impact-led purchasing across the US.
Chris previously led eBay’s circular innovation and impact team, focusing on the role of e-commerce in empowering economic opportunity across under-served communities, as well as how recommerce can support the transition towards a circular economy.
Prior to joining eBay in 2020, Chris spent several years on issues surrounding education and skills development in Ghana, India and South Africa. He then transitioned into working more closely on how business can drive social impact, spending time at Marks & Spencer and Ben & Jerry’s where he led their social mission strategy in Europe for 5 years, focusing on refugee and asylum rights.
Chris is an alumni of The University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership, has a BA in Geography from The University of Manchester, and a Masters in International Business and Development from The University of London.
Chris Gale
Business Engagement, Purchasing with Purpose
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Kellie Brownlow is the Chief Mission Officer at First Step Staffing, where she oversees fundraising, client programming, marketing, and communications. Under her leadership, First Step launched its first major capacity campaign, raising nearly $15 million and establishing two new departments: Marketing & Communications and Retention Services. Before joining First Step, Kellie served as Executive Director of the Georgia Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, managing a $32 million contract with the Georgia Department of Human Services and successfully lobbying for the creation of a Boys & Girls Clubs license plate. She was also Deputy Chief to the Chairman of Cobb County, playing a key role in the development of the Braves Stadium and Battery project.
Kellie began her career at the Atlanta Regional Commission, leading leadership development and strategic planning initiatives for local governments. She holds a bachelor's degree from Rhode Island College and a master's in public administration from the University of Georgia. She is a member of the State of Georgia Workforce Board and the Fulton County Technology & Energy Enhancement Authority.
Kellie Brownlow
Chief Mission Officer, First Step Staffing
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Kevin McGahren is currently the President & GM of Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY. Kevin has led Greyston the past 4 years and has over 30 years of experience managing a variety of businesses. He attended the College of William and Mary and started his business career as a branch manager for M&T Bank. He joined Kraft Foods after earning his MBA at Northwestern University (Kellogg) and then spent 15 years managing brands such as Jell-O and Oreo cookies. Kevin has since spent his time leading a variety of smaller packaged food companies, such as American Beverage, PANOS brands, Dancing Deer, and now Greyston.
Kevin McGahren
President & GM of Greyston Bakery
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Dãnia Davy is the founder of Land & Liberation, LLC, a consultancy promoting liberatory relationships between humans, natural and financial resources, and land. To help farmers, land stewards and their communities of support navigate the challenges of the current political climate, she created the WTF?! (We’re the Future), through which she distributes a weekly newsletter, maintains an educational website, and hosts educational webinars. Her previous professional experience includes serving as Director of Land Retention & Advocacy at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund and Skadden Fellow Attorney at the Land Loss Prevention Project.
Dãnia Davy, Esq.
Founder/Owner, Land & Liberation LLC
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Nick (he/him) is the Regenerative Agriculture Organizer for Climate Reality Project; Covering the agricultural portfolio for governmental affairs and engaging chapters on advocacy opportunities. Born in Orlando, Florida, Nick attended New College of Florida in Sarasota, where he received a Bachelor's degree in environmental studies. There, he coordinated events, sustained traditions and discovered his passion for agroforestry, land use policy, and community spaces. For his senior thesis, Nick researched and reported on student perceptions of the campus’ built and natural environments. Before joining Climate Reality, Nick interned with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture. In his free time, Nick enjoys long walks with his dog and playing percussion in a folk band.
Nick Beck
Regenerative Agriculture Organizer Climate Reality Project
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Laurie Lane-Zucker is Founder and CEO of Impact Entrepreneur, PBC, a company dedicated to
fostering the Impact Economy. Impact Entrepreneur hosts the Impact Entrepreneur Network, a
large, global community of “systems-minded” entrepreneurs, investors, and scholars focused
on social and environmental innovation. Laurie also serves as editor and publisher of Impact
Entrepreneur, a digital magazine dedicated to the emerging Impact Economy. For over 30 years,
Laurie has been a “pioneer” (Forbes) and recognized leader in sustainability, social enterprise,
and impact investing. Laurie was the founding Executive Director of the international
environmental organization, Orion Society, which publishes the celebrated Orion Magazine, as
well as the founder of a global sustainability think-tank, the Triad Institute, and Hotfrog, a
Founding B Corporation, GIIRS Pioneer Company, and the first company ever to complete an
equity transaction on an impact investment exchange. Laurie is the bestselling and multiple
award-winning publisher and editor of books and magazines on sustainability and social impact
— having worked with such acclaimed authors as Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Terry Tempest
Williams, and David James Duncan — and the author of numerous articles on entrepreneurship
and impact investing. Laurie is a contributing author to the recently published academic
textbook Sustainability: Business and Investment Implications (World Scientific).
Laurie Lane-Zucker
Founder and CEO, Impact Entrepreneur, PBC
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Isabelle Swiderski founded her design-for-impact agency Seven25 in 2007
to help values-driven organizations leverage design to make new ideas
real through brand, product, and story. Marrying an MBA and MA in
Design, Isabelle facilitates systems change and social innovation work in
partnership with NGOs, universities, governments, early-stage
entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders globally. She is a correspondent
for Impact Entrepreneur Magazine and was adjunct professor at Emily
Carr University in Vancouver for over a decade and most recently at Pratt
Institute and Parsons The New School in New York City. She currently
lives in Paris.
Isabelle Swiderski
Founder, Seven25
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Mia Ketterling is the Sr. Global Sustainability Lead at Pinterest. In her role, she is responsible for building Pinterest’s sustainability strategy to advance sustainable outcomes within its operations. Mia manages Pinterest’s annual GHG inventory and assurance, sets science-based emissions reduction targets, helps maintain Pinterest’s commitment to 100% renewable electricity for our offices around the world, and collaborates on the company’s ESG disclosures.
Previously, Mia was a Program Manager on Pinterest’s Product Design team and before joining Pinterest, she was a Senior Producer at Apple. Mia earned a bachelor’s of science degree in Business and International Business from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. She lives with her husband, two wild kids and puppy in Pacifica, California.
Mia Ketterling
Sr. Global Sustainability Lead at Pinterest
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Matt Renner leads strategic development for Seneca Environmental with the goal of creating unprecedented collaboration to accelerate climate action. Previously he worked as a nonprofit executive in clean energy policy, climate organizing, and journalism for over a decade, focusing on the near-term social and economic impacts of climate change. Matt began his career as an investigative reporter and later became the Executive Director of the World Business Academy to focus on the future of business in a climate-constrained world. He has a BA in Political Science and Government from the University of California, Berkeley. In his spare time, Matt feeds local squirrels and birds and occasionally his family and friends by raising fruit trees.
Matt Renner
Vice President, Seneca Environmental
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Pat McCabe, Woman Stands Shining, is of Diné Nation, and was adopted into the Lakota Spiritual way of Life. Through cultural and spiritual practice she seeks guidance for what is called for from the Five-Fingered-Ones at this time. Her study is remembering and learning the perfect design for Thriving Life Way for a Human Being to become an Omnibeneficent presence on this Mother Earth. Currently she is beginning the stewarding of land at one of the four sacred mountains of her people, a rematriation movement; she is in deep study of the practices of releasing the powerful hallucinogenic of hypervigilance associated with the trauma of surviving attempted genocide; she speaks and teaches internationally, offering cultural insight and consulting to inquiries into human systems that were developed without placing Life at the Center - Economics, Education, Health, Justice, etc, - with a special interest in supporting gender constructs outside of The Power-Over Paradigm, or Modern World Paradigm. She is a proud grandmother.
Pat McCabe
Woman Stands Shining
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In her position at Friends Fiduciary Corporation, Amy engages directly with companies to raise issues of concern, mitigate corporate risk, and ensure alignment of company policies and practices with broadly held Quaker values. As a Quaker faith-based investment firm, FFC has a responsibility to witness to its Quaker values within invested companies to improve impacts on people and planet and protect long term shareholder value. Areas of engagement range from sound governance, human rights, affordable medicines, environmental sustainability and political spending transparency. Through this work Amy is involved in planning and strategizing FFC’s company engagements with partners, investment peers, and fellow investor networks. BA, Duquesne University; MSI, University of Michigan.
Amy Carr
Friends Fiduciary Corporation
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Alex Cupo, Senior Manager for Climate Resilience Programs, has nearly a decade of experience in advancing sustainability and climate resilience through community engagement, advocacy, program and events development, and program management. Alex has been with SBN for five years, leading the GSI Partners initiative and now implementing the Urban Forestry Initiative. Previously, Alex served as Water Programs Coordinator for Wissahickon Trails, which involved direct community engagement with local neighbors to address the flooding challenges in their communities.
Alex received a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, with a minor in Political Studies and a certificate for Global Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Development and Latin American history.
Alex Cupo
Senior Manager for Climate Resilience Programs, SBN of Greater Philadelphia
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Mandy Gardner serves as Veris’ Associate Director of Marketing, collaborating with the firm’s thought leaders to develop articles, research briefs, editorials, and other communications including the firm’s annual Impact Report.
Prior to joining Veris, Mandy was the Senior Content Strategist and Brand Journalist at JB
Media, a digital marketing agency focused on impact sector clients including the Social Capital Markets Conference (SOCAP). She was the lead writer for SOCAP’s blog between 2015 and 2020.
Mandy currently serves on the Editorial Committee of Impact Entrepreneur Magazine. She is also a Moth StorySLAM winning storyteller who has been featured on the Moth podcast. She lives with her wife in Asheville, North Carolina.
Mandy Gardner
Associate Director of Marketing, Veris
DAY 2 - SESSION SPEAKERS
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Sasha Chebil is the Director of Communications at the Carbon Business Council, a global coalition of over 100 leading companies and nonprofits advancing carbon management. With extensive experience in strategic communications, she works to elevate the role of carbon removal in addressing climate change. Previously at the We Mean Business Coalition, Sasha led communications for mitigation programs focused on small businesses and corporate supply chains. With a background in climate communications and policy, she is currently working to integrate carbon removal into COP30 priorities and spotlight the companies and policymakers leading the industry. Sasha’s expertise spans strategic communications, media relations, and stakeholder engagement.
Sasha Chebil
Director of Communications, Carbon Business Council
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Saru Jayaraman (JD, Yale, MPP Harvard) is an academic at UC Berkeley and the President of One Fair Wage, which organizes to raise wages and end subminimum wages nationwide. She was named one of CNN’s “Top10 Visionary Women”, a White House Champion of Change, a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award winner, the San Francisco Chronicle ‘Visionary of the Year’ and most recently an Irvine Foundation Leadership Award Winner. Saru authored Behind the Kitchen Door (Cornell University Press), Forked: A New Standard for American Dining (Oxford University Press), and One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America (New Press) and has appeared on MSNBC, HBO, PBS, CBS, and CNN.
Saru Jayaraman
President, One Fair Wage
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Dr. Michelle C. Chatman is a socio-cultural anthropologist, professor, and contemplative scholar-activist dedicated to fostering healing-centered education and social change. As a tenured professor at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), she has led an impressive career of exceptional teaching, innovative research, and visionary leadership. At UDC she founded the Mindful and Courageous Action (MICA) Lab which advances liberatory approaches to teaching, research, and service.
As the Founder and Principal Consultant of Integrate Mindfulness, LLC, she provides specialized mindful leadership and coaching services to mission-driven organizations, centering racial healing, relationality, and trust. Earlier this year she launched Dream, Sis! Mindful Coloring & Activity Books to promote mindful fun for communities of color. Recognized among the Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement, Dr. Chatman lectures globally on the role of inner approaches for societal transformation. Learn more about her work at michellecchatman.com
Michelle Chatman
Founder and Principal Consultant, Integrate Mindfulness, LLC
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Michael is a sustainability expert with a diverse professional background including experience as a local policy researcher at an energy efficiency nonprofit, federal government consultant, data division director at an energy management firm, and policy director for a start up focusing on the intersection of sustainability policy and social justice issues. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from Duquesne University and an MPP from The George Washington University. He is also an adjunct professor in Duquesne’s Political Science Department where he teaches courses on domestic and global sustainability policy, and the United Nations. Michael currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
Michael Jarrett
Sustainability Expert
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GREG ASBED is a Co-Founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and a principal author of the CIW's Fair Food Program (FFP) and the Worker-driven Social Responsibility (WSR) model, a breakthrough approach to verifiable corporate social responsibility. The FFP has received a Presidential Medal for its "unique effectiveness" in combatting forced labor, sexual violence, and other human rights violations prevalent in agriculture, and a MacArthur "Genius" Award for the model's "visionary strategy with potential to transform workplace environments across the global supply chain." Mr. Asbed coordinates relations among farmworkers, retailers (including Walmart, Whole Foods, McDonald’s, and Sodexo), and agricultural industry leaders in the development, implementation, and expansion of the Fair Food Program's innovative rights standards, worker education processes, and market-backed enforcement mechanisms. He also heads up the CIW’s communications efforts, and is a lead strategist in the CIW’s national consumer movement.
Greg Asbed
Co-Founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
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Judge Laura Safer Espinoza is the Executive Director of the Fair Food Standards Council, which monitors and enforces the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ groundbreaking agreements with growers and food retail buyers to ensure fundamental human rights for agricultural workers on participating farms across half the continental U.S., as well as in Chile and South Africa.
Judge Safer Espinoza is a former NY State Supreme Court Justice who served as a judge and court administrator for twenty years. She helped to design and became the first presiding judge of an innovative alternative to incarceration court for non-violent offenders. Judge Safer Espinoza has an extensive history of work with government, human rights and legal organizations in the United States and Latin America.
Laura Safer Espinoza
Executive Director, Fair Food Standards Council
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Alex has a degree in Art History from Northwestern University and completed his Master’s
of Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture in 2005.
Almost 20 years since, he has practiced architecture at corporate and boutique
firms, in LA and abroad, learning from different types of practice, on a range of institutional
and residential projects. He has worked on new construction, multi-phase projects, and
transformative reuse of existing buildings and campuses.
He is licensed to practice in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, and is
nationally board-certified (NCARB). He is the current Chair of the Southern Arizona AIA
Committee on the Environment, and on the Arizona AIA COTE Steering Committee.
After dealing with black mold in 2018, his practice evolved to incorporate research, education and advocacy work around non-toxic materials, with a special focus on hemp-
lime construction. To serve this goal he founded Sexsmith Architects in 2021.
Alex Sexsmith
Founder, Sexsmith Architects
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Geoffrey W. Whaling is the leading hemp industry advocate and expert, serving as volunteer Chairman of the National Hemp Association (NHA), the world’s largest grass roots hemp advocacy. With over a decade of experience, he has played a pivotal role in advancing hemp farming, deregulation, and market growth in North America and globally. Whaling was instrumental in shaping the 2014/2018 US Farm Bills, legalizing hemp cultivation across all 50 states, and is currently involved in drafting the 2025 Farm Bill. He also founded rePlant Advisors LLC, a $500M USDA RBIP focusing on Ag-Tech, Bio-Manufacturing, and Carbon Sequestration. Formerly, Whaling co-founded Collective Growth which closed on a $1.4 transaction and, co-founder and president of Canopy Growth Corporation HIP which grew to a $22B market leader. With a broad global network, he is committed to developing sustainable true industrial hemp - fiber and grain - supply chains. Whaling’s work continues to shape global hemp policy and environmental efforts.
Geoff Whaling
Hemp Industry Advocate and Expert
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HempWood founder and CEO Greg Wilson developed HempWood out of a desire to create a healthier material based on natural ingredients, driven by his experience in the bamboo flooring industry in China. Greg experienced respiratory issues from formaldehyde exposure after his time working in bamboo flooring mills and set out to create a material that was free of formaldehyde but performed like other hardwoods. The answer was HempWood, which uses the strong, fibrous structure of industrial hemp and the bonding power of a soy-based glue to create a strong, high-performance flooring product.
Greg Wilson
Founder and CEO, HempWood
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Anna, a bold advocate for Florida families and the working class, is born and raised in Orlando. She’s a State House Representative with a background in nonprofit management and a PhD in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida. She also serves as the Founder and Executive Director of People Power for Florida, a voter registration and engagement organization. In 2018, she made history by flipping her legislative seat and becoming Florida’s first Iranian-American elected official. Known for her advocacy on housing affordability, healthcare access, public education, equality, tax policy, and environmental issues, Anna secured a permanent tax break on children’s diapers and adult incontinence products in 2023. Prior to running for office, Anna served as the Senior Director of Public Affairs and Communication at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. In addition to her work as a public servant, Anna also continues to work in the nonprofit sector and serves as a Senior Colloborations Manager for NEO Philanthropy. A problem solver with a track record of kind sacrifice, endless hard work, and iron-clad values, Anna is known across the state and nation as a leader who is unbothered, unbossed, and committed to the people of Florida.
Representative Dr. Anna V. Eskamani
Florida State House Representative
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John Imes is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and Village President of Shorewood Hills. For more than three decades, he has shown how smart policy and market innovation can reinforce one another—even in a politically divided state. John works with unlikely coalitions of business leaders, policymakers, and communities to advance clean energy and sustainability solutions that lower costs, create jobs, and strengthen local economies.
From manufacturing and green building to sustainable tourism and municipal governance, he has championed pragmatic, bipartisan approaches that turn environmental stewardship into a competitive advantage. His track record demonstrates that when policy enables market-driven innovation, states like Wisconsin can become national leaders in building a resilient, inclusive, and low-carbon future—proof that in purple states, local momentum and business ingenuity can outpace politics as usual.
John Imes
Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Wisconsin Environmental Initiative
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MIT economics PhD Stephen Herzenberg is Keystone Research Center (KRC) executive director emeritus and ReImagine Appalachia co-director. Steve’s recent writings include a chapter in Governing for Sustainability on “Decent Work” and analysis of how to socialize the cost to workers of a clean economy transition in Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization. Earlier writings include New Rules for a New Economy, Cornell/ILR Press, 1998; and U.S.-Mexico Trade: Pulling Together or Pulling Apart, 1992.
Stephen Herzenberg
Executive Director Emeritus, Keystone Research Center (KRC) & Co-director, ReImagine Appalachia
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Tim Greiner, a Pure Strategies Co-founder and Managing Director, has pioneered approaches to building environmental and social integrity into products, brands, and businesses. He is also a co-founder of the Chemical Footprint Project and has guided sustainable chemicals management strategies for companies across diverse industries. His experience spans the spectrum from developing sustainability strategy, drafting sustainability goals, designing product sustainability programs, creating approaches to transform sustainable supply chains and facilitating a landscape level stakeholder process to improve climate and water quality outcomes.
Tim Greiner
Co-founder and Managing Director, Pure Strategies
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Mr. Wolf has studied the environmental fate and metabolism of agricultural chemicals, studied the occurrence of hazardous chemicals in the environment, conducted life cycle studies of product systems, and developed more sustainable household cleaning products. Mr. Wolf also worked to create frameworks for more sustainable systems of commerce, and worked with other businesses, industry associations, legislators and regulators to implement those frameworks.
Martin Wolf
Senior Advisor, Safer Chemicals and Circular Economy
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Richard has worked at the intersection of sustainable business, public policy and advocacy for thirty-five plus years. During that time, he has helped establish several influential organizations that have improved the quality of life in America and across the world. Those include the American Sustainable Business Council, the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives, Business for America and the United Nations Environmental Finance Initiative.
His experience involves work in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Richard has coordinated United Nations programs, been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and Boston College, co-owned a solar energy firm, consulted to multinationals, and led advocacy campaigns on Capitol Hill for businesses on democracy, sustainable economy, voting rights and clean energy & environmental issues.
Richard earned a master’s in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor’s in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. He has resided in Denver, Colorado since 2003 with his wife, Heather.
Richard Eidlin
Current Board Member and Co-Founder, ASBC
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Becky Edwards is a House of Representatives member for HD61 in Bozeman, where she’s lived for over 26 years. She serves as executive director of the national conservation nonprofit Mountain Mamas and co-owns a marketing firm that works with clients like the U.S. Forest Service and local governments. Raised on a farm in Iowa, she attended Montana State University and has 15 years of experience influencing state and federal legislation. She is the proud mother of three adventurous daughters.
Becky Edwards
Democratic Candidate for HD61, Montana
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Barry A. Cik is the Founder and Technical Director of Naturepedic, an award-winning manufacturer of certified organic mattresses for babies, kids, adults and even pets. A board-certified environmental engineer, Barry combines decades of technical expertise with a genuine passion for healthier living.
The idea for Naturepedic was born when he shopped for his first grandchild’s crib mattress and was shocked by the industry’s widespread use of harmful chemicals. Determined to create a safer alternative, Barry teamed up with his sons to launch Naturepedic in 2003 and pioneer the organic mattress movement.
A dedicated advocate for environmental and chemical reform, Barry has testified before Congress, is a longtime supporter of ASBN, and speaks frequently before scientific, consumer and business audiences on the benefits of organic. With over 30 years of experience “chasing chemicals,” he remains dedicated to protecting both people and planet – one mattress at a time.
Barry Cik
Founder & Technical Director, Naturepedic
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Jenna Arkin is the Chief Innovation Officer at ECOS®, the climate-positive manufacturer of safer, plant-powered cleaning products. With a background spanning biology, fashion design, and an Executive MBA, Jenna blends science and creativity to rethink how everyday products are made. She leads the charge in developing safer chemical systems, circular packaging solutions, and data-driven sustainability initiatives that challenge industry norms.
A six-time U.S. patent holder and EPA Safer Choice collaborator, Jenna is a leading voice for ingredient transparency and toxic substance reform. Under her leadership, ECOS® earned recognition as one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies. Passionate about regenerative design and education, she also founded the ECOScience program to bring hands-on green chemistry learning to children nationwide. Jenna’s work exemplifies how bold innovation
and circular thinking can drive a safer, more sustainable future
Jenna Arkin
Chief Innovation Officer, ECOS
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Michael Green supports the ASBN Climate and Energy Steering Committee, providing policy briefs and strategic guidance on climate policy. Michael is the Director of Carbon Markets at ASBN member, Native. From 2012–2021, he was Executive Director of Climate XChange. A 2016 White House Champion of Change, he serves on multiple nonprofit boards. Michael is based in Woodstock, Vermont. He enjoys cycling, skiing, snowboarding, and hiking.
Michael Green
Senior Advisor on Climate & Energy, ASBN
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Glo is a dedicated grassroots community advocate who has worked throughout the Southwest in Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. A native of Central Texas, she was inspired by her grandmother’s teachings of traditional plant-based medicines. She resides in New Mexico–and is the co-founder of the New Mexico Industrial Hemp Coalition and member of NM Hempsters and Beyond.
The seventies were a turbulent time of social and cultural change, especially in Texas. As a young adult, like many others, she struggled to find a sense of belonging and direction while raising her two children, and seeking a professional career.
After many years of studying massage therapy, acupuncture and Chinese medicine, along with the study of Holistic Healing, she found the pathways which led to the mission that she embraced. What started out as a spiritual trajectory brought her full circle to the teachings elicited by the study of sacred plants and sacred medicines. It was this desire to share these teachings with others that posed one of the most significant challenges that a community advocate could ever choose to undertake: That is the legalization of industrial hemp.
The potential of hemp to create economic development by utilizing its myriad of beneficial applications as green building components (housing and shelter), bioplastics (lessening dependence on fossil fuels), green cement (provides carbon sequestration that affects climate change), and improved nutrition. The potential benefits of industrial hemp benefits using modern technology has barely begun.
The ASBN and its members can provide leadership and forge a future built on sustainability, soil regeneration and economic development. See You in the Circle!
Gloria Castillo
Co-founder, New Mexico Industrial Hemp Coalition
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Alexandra Bookis is an environmental and public health advocate with the Environmental Working Group. She leads efforts to engage organizations, companies, and community leaders on policy issues related to food, farming, water, and chemical safety. Drawing on years of experience in advocacy strategy, stakeholder engagement, and lobbying, Alexandra helps forge partnerships that advance consumer safety and environmental health. She previously managed government affairs for a national nonprofit advocating for more equitable and sustainable food systems, and she holds a master’s degree from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.
Alexandra Bookis
Environmental and Public Health Advocate, Environmental Working Group
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Tim Frick is founder and President of Mightybytes, a digital agency and Certified B Corp located in Chicago. A seasoned public speaker, he regularly presents at conferences around the world on sustainable design, measuring impact, and problem solving in the digital economy. Tim is also the author of four books which have been translated into multiple languages, including, Designing for Sustainability: A Guide to Building Greener Digital Products and Services, from O’Reilly Media.
Tim Frick
Founder and President, Mightybytes
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Grace Mausser is the Senior Policy Manager with B Lab U.S. & Canada. In this role, she supports and organizes B Corps and other aligned businesses to advocate for public policy that will create a more just and equitable economy. Before joining B Lab U.S. & Canada, she worked on a variety of electoral, issue, and union campaigns across many levels of government.
Grace Mausser
Senior Policy Manager, B Lab U.S. & Canada
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Jenifer (Jeni) Collins serves as Director of the Clean Water for All Coalition, where she oversees the operations of the Coalition, supports member organizations and partners, manages grants and fundraising, and runs Coalition programs and initiatives. Jeni has been working with the Coalition since 2019. Previously, she was a Legislative Representative for Earthjustice’s Policy and Legislation team in Washington, DC, where she led their federal clean water policy and advocacy work. Jeni is based in Lakewood, Colorado, where she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and generally spending time outside with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Jenifer Collins
Director, Clean Water for All Coalition
DAY 3 - SESSION SPEAKERS
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Sada Geuss is a Managing Director and Investment Manager at Trillium Asset Management. For over 40 years, Trillium has been exclusively focused on Sustainable and Responsible Investing (SRI), supporting a diverse group of investors to build investment programs designed to reflect both their financial and their impact goals. As part of her role, Sada supports investors seeking to provide loan capital to community-focused financial institutions. She is also part of the team at Trillium responsible for identifying and monitoring those community development financial institutions (CDFIs) made available to their investors.
Sada Geuss
Managing Director and Investment Manager, Trillium Asset Management
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Alex Wright-Gladstein is the founder and CEO of Sphere, a VC-backed company that makes it easy for everyone to invest their retirement savings in a climate-friendly way, by offering climate-friendly funds that can check the boxes of what 401(k) fiduciaries look for. Prior to founding Sphere, Alex was founding CEO of Ayar Labs, an MIT technology spinout that is valued over $1B and cuts the energy use of AI in half by using light to move data between chips. She has also been the energy entrepreneurship practice leader at MIT and an energy efficiency program manager at smart grid company EnerNOC. She received an MBA from MIT and a BA in Political Science and Economics from Tufts University.
Alex Wright-Gladstein
Founder and CEO, Sphere
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Aaron Hurst is the founder and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Connection, a national movement to reverse the decline of trust and social connection by mobilizing cross-sector leaders to take collective ownership of their communities. A pioneering social entrepreneur, Aaron previously founded the Taproot Foundation, catalyzing the $15 billion pro bono service market, and Imperative, a venture-backed company redefining purpose at work. Author of The Purpose Economy, his work has been featured in The New York Times, WSJ, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. At the Chamber, he partners with cities, companies, and civic institutions to turn purpose into lasting civic infrastructure.
Aaron Hurst
Founder & CEO, US Chamber of Connection
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Nick Gardner is Co-Founder and Head of Strategic Initiatives and Community at Premiums for the Planet, a climate finance movement helping businesses use their insurance dollars to accelerate resilience and climate action. He leads efforts to build a coalition of climate-conscious companies, mobilizing their collective spend, influence, and voice to drive systemic change across the insurance industry.
Beyond his work at PFP, Nick helps guide the U.S. Chamber of Connection, a civic innovation network tackling the loneliness epidemic and rebuilding trust in communities. He previously spent seven years at Salesforce, where he launched climate-focused products and built citizen philanthropy programs in education, economic opportunity, and climate resilience. Based in Seattle, Nick finds inspiration on mountain trails year-round.
Nick Gardner
Co-Founder and Head of Strategic Initiatives and Community, Premiums for the Planet
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Kate Ogden is Head of Advocacy and Movement Building at Seventh Generation, where she harnesses the power of brands and consumers to push for climate justice and systemic policy change. Her work has supported the passage of state “polluter-pays” climate superfund laws in both Vermont and New York and is now focused on advancing coalition efforts in California alongside partners across business and civil society. Before joining Seventh Generation, Kate spent 12 years at Greenpeace leading campaigns on climate, toxics, forests, ocean protection, and the right to protest. She continues to collaborate closely with advocacy and research groups, helping translate complex data into public action and business voice. Kate’s work centers on partnership, civic engagement, and using brand influence to shift culture, policy, and capital toward a livable future.
Kate Ogden
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Sara Blenkhorn is a systems strategist and culture hacker who turns ideas into movements. A master convener across sectors, she has a gift for aligning unlikely allies and transforming competition into collaboration.
She has built two social enterprises, raised over half a million dollars for circular innovation, advised governments on sustainability and leadership, and helped global brands form coalitions for systemic change. Known for “stirring up the good kind of trouble,” Sara brings creativity, pragmatism, and purpose to every conversation. She is currently looking to join a team with an amazing culture that is setting the standard for impact and innovation
Sara Blenkhorn
Systems Strategist
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Anthony Myint is the Executive Director of Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit named One of the Most Innovative Companies in the World (#1 in Agriculture) by Fast Company. ZFP leads collaborations with state agencies, local governments and hundreds of businesses to implement impactful and validated regenerative agriculture projects. ZFP has awarded $8+ million to 600+ farm projects with a modeled GHG benefit equal to not burning 22+ million gallons of gas.
Anthony Myint
Executive Director, Zero Foodprint
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Cheryl Heller is a creative director, educator and artist who works with leaders at critical inflection points to define and define their futures. She is the recipient of the AIGA Lifetime Medal for her contributions to the field of Design and a Rockefeller Bellagio Fellow. She founded the first Master’s program in Social Design at SVA in New York, an experiential program developing leaders who use participatory design to address complex human and business challenges. Her book, “The Intergalactic Design Guide” is a manual for anyone working toward a sustainable future. She holds a doctorate in Social Design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Cheryl Heller
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Athena Petty is a sustainability leader with over 15 years of experience working with companies to draw down their climate impact and build sustainable systems. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Athena worked in the energy efficiency sector using innovative behavior change models to reduce energy use before shifting her focus to food and agriculture. As the Senior Manager of Sustainability and B Corp practice lead at New Seasons Market, Athena develops strategies that deliver value beyond the dollar, implements climate actions and creates partnerships to deepen impact. Athena is dedicated to the protection of our planet and communities and advocates for farmer protections and the climate-
smart practices necessary for a resilient food economy. Athena is inspired by nature and seeks balance in life, spending time with her family under the stars whenever possible.
Athena Petty
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Julia Person is the Sustainability Manager at Bob’s Red Mill, a 100% employee-owned maker of whole grain foods based in Milwaukie, Oregon. As a leader in the healthy food movement for all people and all communities, our mission is fostering the joy of togetherness. At Bob’s we know we rely on a healthy planet to bring healthy, high quality ingredients to your table. Through Sowing Goodness, we focus on transforming how our food is grown into a climate solution – whole grains are good for the farmer, the soil, and the eater.
Julia Person
Sustainability Manager, Bob’s Red Mill
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Ben Anderson is Managing Director of Groundwater Institute, an equity-focused training, coaching, and advisory firm that drives transformative impact for the benefit of all. Groundwater also stewards the Groundwater Network, made up of leaders doing systems change work. He also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at New Bedford Research & Robotics and is a board member for Social Enterprise Greenhouse. Previously he served as CEO of B Lab US & Canada, the organization that certifies B Corps and is building a movement of people using business as a force for good. Earlier in his career Ben served as COO at Preserve, a B Corp that develops sustainable consumer products. He received his BA from Williams College and MBA from Babson.
Ben Anderson
Managing Director, Groundwater Institute
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Dwight Smith is a leader in people development, with deep experience in coaching, management, and creating transformative learning experiences for adult learners. At Groundwater Institute, he equips leaders and organizations to address complex social challenges through cross-sector strategy and capacity building. His approach is shaped by work across education, edtech, civic leadership, and nonprofit strategy. Previously, Dwight served as a senior administrator at a tier-one public research university, advancing student success and organizational innovation. He has held multiple nonprofit board roles and is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs (’13).
Dwight Smith
Director, Groundwater Institute
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Carissa Sanchez, citizen of the Tohono O’Odham Nation, is an Investment Associate at Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, where she supports Native American entrepreneurs with access to venture capital financing and hands-on strategic support toward achieving multiples of growth across industries like climate, agriculture, healthcare, technology, Native fashion, and more.
When Carissa works directly with Native entrepreneurs, she brings a blend of her FGLI (First-gen, low income) rural desert upbringing and corporate experience including her time at Boston Consulting Group, in aerospace engineering and operations roles with Alcoa, and from managing a DaVita dialysis clinic and directing the strategy and implementation of value-based care programs for chronic disease management including heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University, an M.B.A from the University of Virginia - Darden School of Business, and has studied Tohono O’Odham language and culture at Tohono O’Odham Community College.
Carissa Sanchez
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Andrew’s passion for community service is reflected in his extensive involvement as a president and board director for various nonprofits, where he has consistently championed initiatives that drive meaningful change. His commitment to empowering others led him to his role at the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, where he has made a transformative impact by advancing Native Hawaiian business people, owners, and entrepreneurs.
A strong advocate for lifelong learning, Andrew has undergone extensive training with leading organizational effectiveness consultants, equipping him with invaluable expertise in leadership, business development, and strategic planning. His hands-on approach has been pivotal in shaping NHCC's Project Ho‘omana program, a groundbreaking initiative designed to empower Native Hawaiian small and micro businesses and business people. Under his leadership, Project Ho‘omana, which provides comprehensive support in
training, mentoring, networking, a micro-small business cohort, and access to capital to ensure long-term, sustainable success for Native Hawaiian business owners, startups, and entrepreneurs. In fact, since November 2024, Project Ho’omana has reached nearly 1,000 people, in-person, which increased membership 150 percent during that time.
Andrew’s efforts have generated over $1,700,000 in sponsorships and grants within two years, enabling NHCC to expand its offerings in training, networking, conferences, and economic data reporting on Native Hawaiian commerce. His strategic vision and tireless dedication have propelled NHCC’s mission forward, ensuring Native Hawaiians have the tools and resources to thrive in the modern economy.
Combining a deep commitment to excellence with real-world experience, Andrew Rosen continues to lead with purpose, empowering individuals and organizations to achieve their full potential while advancing Native Hawaiians in commerce through the work of NHCC.
Andrew Rosen
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Alexander "Brave Journey" Sterling is of mixed Ramapo Lenape, Cuban and Black descent, A dedicated leader in renewable energy finance and economic development with a strong commitment to advancing Afro-Indigenous led clean energy solutions, he has played a pivotal role in deploying solar and storage solutions across Native lands, ensuring long-term energy sovereignty and economic resilience. As Founder and CEO of Turtle Island Community Capital, Alexander is at the helm of an emerging Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that expands capital access for tribal communities, small businesses, and clean energy projects.
With a tenure managing $45 million in private sector utility-scale solar projects and hundreds of residential installations, Sterling has developed deep expertise in international supply chain optimization, logistics management, financial forecasting and data-driven decision-making, project finance, tribal governance engagement, and capacity building, particularly within emerging clean energy industries. A recognized speaker on Native-led energy finance, Alexander is shaping policies and investment strategies that prioritize Indigenous economic self-determination. His leadership reflects his dedication to advancing regenerative economic models that strengthen Native nations and promote climate resilience.
Defined by integrity, transparency, and strategic foresight, Alexander ensures that complex decisions are made with respect and attention to detail, fostering a culture of accountability and innovation across all sectors he serves.