Program

Theresa Lieb leads GreenBiz’s efforts on nature and food systems, empowering sustainability professionals around the globe to address the biodiversity and climate crises hand-in-hand. With her team, she shapes our strategic positioning and partnerships, curates content for related newsletters and events and nurtures a collaborative community.

Theresa brings international expertise in corporate sustainability, supply chains, development policy and finance. Prior to GreenBiz, she worked with the United Nations, German Development Bank, ClimateWorks Foundation and WeWork. Theresa holds an MPhil in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and a BSc in International Development and Policy Science from Leiden University.

Alex Novarro has devoted his professional life to safeguarding wildlife and their habitats. His goal is to create a world where people can fully appreciate and enjoy the benefits of nature. As a Senior Manager at GreenBiz, Alex is responsible for curating events and content that focus on nature and biodiversity.

Alex began his career as a scientist, studying the impacts of climate change on animal populations. He became a national leader for Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, an organization that brings together private, public, and non-profit sectors to achieve shared conservation objectives. He later worked at The Nature Conservancy, where he directed a program to enhance access to nature and improve climate resilience on protected lands.

Alex holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Maryland and a BS in Environmental Science from SUNY Brockport. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship and served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Swarthmore College.

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. His work connects underrepresented young professionals to global leaders in the sustainability industry and builds lasting connections that bridge the gap towards a diverse and well-resourced green workforce.
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. Bryan received a Masters in Energy Science, Technology, and Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Theresa Lieb leads GreenBiz’s efforts on nature and food systems, empowering sustainability professionals around the globe to address the biodiversity and climate crises hand-in-hand. With her team, she shapes our strategic positioning and partnerships, curates content for related newsletters and events and nurtures a collaborative community.

Theresa brings international expertise in corporate sustainability, supply chains, development policy and finance. Prior to GreenBiz, she worked with the United Nations, German Development Bank, ClimateWorks Foundation and WeWork. Theresa holds an MPhil in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and a BSc in International Development and Policy Science from Leiden University.

As Managing Director, Policy & Markets Analytics, for The Nature Conservancy, Jennifer Molnar provides thought leadership on improving society’s ability to create a more sustainable future for nature and people, including through corporate practices and policy. Molnar has 15 years of experience bringing science to decisions that improve the state of the natural world and how people depend on it, including through research, global assessments, corporate practice innovations, and environmental remediation. She is the science lead for the TNC-Dow collaboration to incorporate nature and the value it provides to people into corporate decision-making. This work has led to Dow’s ground-breaking ten-year Valuing Nature Goal – a commitment to consider nature in all of the Fortune 50 company’s capital, R&D, and real estate decisions by 2020, while aiming to generate $1B in business value from projects that are good for business and good for ecosystems. Until recently, Molnar was the director of science for The Nature Conservancy, where she was responsible for helping the Conservancy bring the best possible science to the organization's evolving conservation work. She led an interdisciplinary program of scientists and economists dedicated to cutting-edge research and practice on ecosystem services, social science and economics, climate science, conservation methods and measures, and science communications. Molnar joined The Nature Conservancy in 2004 as part of an international team of scientists that collected, tracked, and analyzed global data to inform conservation. She was editor and a lead co-author of The Atlas of Global Conservation (University of California Press, 2010). Partnering with some 70 institutions around the world, she and her Conservancy co-authors compiled and developed an unprecedented number of global maps to describe the state of the natural world. Molnar worked with partners to make all of the data behind the maps publicly available online. She led global analyses of habitat condition and threats with a focus on marine and freshwater systems, including the first global assessment of the distribution, pathways, and ecological impacts of marine invasive species. Molnar received a master’s degree from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she now serves as a board member of the Alumni Association.  She has a B.S. in environmental engineering from Harvard and has previous experience in hydrology and environmental remediation. Molnar has been both a Sawhill Global Leadership Fellow and a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow. She speaks frequently at national and international conferences, and publishes widely in the academic literature.

Dee is a Partner in McKinsey’s New York office and co-leads Natural Capital and Nature. She focuses on the nexus of climate and financial institutions to unlock capital flow for climate solutions. She leads McKinsey’s global collaboration with the Mission Possible Partnership to establish decarbonization pathways for hard to abate sectors.

Select experience

• Served a number of leading global financial institutions (institutional investors, banks) on the pilot of the TNFD, and the extension of climate programs to incorporate nature
• Led work with the Tropical Forest Alliance (World Economic Forum) on the drive to limit financing for deforestation by banks
• Working with project developers, startups, and non-profits on scaling nature based solutions
• Designed a climate risk program for a top US bank to meet evolving regulatory expectations across five major jurisdictions and compete with peers
• Advised North American financial institutions—global banks, private equity, regional banks, and venture capital groups—on investment theses across a number of decarbonization and sustainability topics including catalytic investments to unlock additional capital for climate solutions
• Designed top-of-the-house sustainability and net-zero strategies for a number of financial institutions, accompanied by enabling organizational structures and infrastructure to execute against strategic vision

Education and other background

• Leonard N. Stern School of Business; BS, finance, international business

Shell Lin is Partnerships and Communications Associate at Business for Nature, a global coalition that brings together influential organizations and leading companies to demonstrate and amplify a credible business voice for nature, calling for governments to adopt policies to reverse nature loss in this decadee. In this role, shell leads the engagement with BfN's 75+ global partner organizations working on the nature agenda. She also manages BfN's communication channels and supports its campaigns on COP15, COP26, and environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS). In addition, she liaises with the BfN China team and supports engagement in the China market. Prior to joining BfN in 2021, Shell worked in journalism, clean-tech marketing, and higher education fundraising. She learned about biodiversity and forest loss in a youth sustainability leadership initiative called Changemakers for Nature (C4N). Since then, she engaged with cross-sector stakeholders and led a research & advocacy project to influence major US grocery retailers' forest commitment and actions. With this project, she won RSPO's Global Youth Impact Competition and C4N's Amazon Rainforest Award.

Rajat Panwar (phonetically R-uh-j-uh-t P-un-w-aa-r) is an Associate Professor of Responsible and Sustainable Business Practices at Oregon State University. His current research focuses on corporate engagement with biodiversity protection and ecosystem restoration. He advises global companies and multilateral agencies on these and related topics.

Colleen Corrigan, Ph.D., is a Senior Sustainability Advisor for Pure Strategies. She works with corporate clients on developing strategies to promote sustainability in company operations, value chains, material selection and natural resources management. Colleen focuses on helping companies set science-based targets for nature to protect and regenerate biodiversity. Her work in this area helps companies understand their impacts and implement strategies, collaborations, and business process changes to mitigate harm to and restore affected ecosystems.Prior to joining Pure Strategies, Colleen was the founder of Conservation Matters, an organization that consults on biodiversity protection, strategy development, and program delivery with a focus on marine protection, indigenous issues, and environmental governance for clients including National Geographic, UNESCO, and the World Wildlife Fund.Previously, Colleen was a senior officer in protected areas at the United Nations Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Center in the UK. She was also senior manager for international sustainable development policy with Conservation International and learning facilitator for international field programs at The Nature Conservancy. Her career has included working with three branches of the U.S. Department of the Interior.Colleen holds a Ph.D. from the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Management at the University of Queensland, Australia and an M.S. in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Cheryl Baldwin, Ph.D., is a sustainability expert and vice president of consulting for Pure Strategies, a leading sustainability consulting firm.  Pure Strategies helps organizations improve environmental and social performance through effective goals, sustainable packaging and product design and production, sustainable chemistry and material health, supply chain and sustainable agriculture engagement, and transparent progress reporting.  Pure Strategies’ clients include Ahold Delhaize USA, Ben & Jerry's, Seventh Generation, The North Face, and Walmart.

Managing Director of Indigenous relationships at N4J.

Dick Cameron is the Vice President of Science at Pachama, a technology company using remote sensing and machine learning to scale nature-based solutions to climate change. He leads a team of forest ecologists, policy experts, and earth observation scientists developing tools and research that promote integrity in carbon markets through transparency and standardization.  Before Pachama, he was the Director of Science for the Land and Climate Programs in the California program of The Nature Conservancy. There he led research efforts to integrate natural climate solutions and biodiversity conservation into California’s land use and climate policies. His research has been published in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Climatic Change, and Global Change Biology, and covered in media outlets such as the New York Times, NPR, and the Associated Press. He has a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.A. from University of Colorado, both in Geography.

Jess McGlyn is the Director of Corporate and Partner Engagement for the Science Based Targets Network, managing partnerships with over 200 organizations from around the world.She works with companies, consultants, and NGO partners to test and give feasibility feedback on SBTN methods, tools and guidance under development and helps them to understand how to prepare to set SBTs for nature. Jess has held previous roles at World Business Council for Sustainable Development, World Wildlife Fund, and International Paper. She’s also a certified Leadership and Team Coach, credentialed through ICF ACC, American University Executive Leadership Program, and GTCI.

As Director of Sustainable Development Innovation and Markets, Sinclair leads the program and market development of Verra's suite of programs focused on sustainable development. Previously, Sinclair led the development of Verra’s Plastic Waste Reduction Standard, which aims to enable robust impact assessment of new or scaled-up plastic waste collection and recycling projects.

Sinclair earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at the University of California Santa Barbara, where she focused in Pollution Prevention and Remediation and Corporate Environmental Management. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Florida.

Erin Billman has over a dozen years of experience in environmental work. She is executive director of the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) and leads both global communications and strategic initiatives. Previously, she worked with Tompkins Conservation as Global Communications Lead. Erin came to conservation by way of management consulting, first at Bain and then at Blu Skye focused on environmental strategy for NGOs, corporations, and industry alliances. Erin holds an MBA in sustainable business and the environment from Wharton.

Theresa Lieb leads GreenBiz’s efforts on nature and food systems, empowering sustainability professionals around the globe to address the biodiversity and climate crises hand-in-hand. With her team, she shapes our strategic positioning and partnerships, curates content for related newsletters and events and nurtures a collaborative community.

Theresa brings international expertise in corporate sustainability, supply chains, development policy and finance. Prior to GreenBiz, she worked with the United Nations, German Development Bank, ClimateWorks Foundation and WeWork. Theresa holds an MPhil in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and a BSc in International Development and Policy Science from Leiden University.

Samantha Power is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Finance for Gaia. She is a Nature Finance Specialist and Ecological Economist based in Oakland, CA on the ancestral land of the Ohlone people. Through Finance for Gaia, she supports clients to: pursue cross-sector collaboration and cooperation, develop and implement visions and strategies that lead to transformative economic change, and put finance in service to life. It is her personal mission to heal how humans interact with the Earth through the economy – moving from extraction and destruction to regeneration.

Samantha believes that our biodiverse ecosystems are the organs of the Earth and must urgently be protected to ensure resilience to climate change, meet the needs of all, and to provide humanity the continued ability to thrive. She believes in the criticality of a just transition to the zero-carbon, nature-positive economy that puts the needs of the most vulnerable at the center and builds on the wisdom of indigenous practices. She is working to drive a global economic and social transformation that fundamentally shifts how we relate to and value the natural world.

Samantha worked with the World Bank for more than 5 years where she was a leading voice on nature finance and an author on multiple reports on the topic. She has advised finance ministries, central banks, and investors. Her previous work includes consulting on climate and nature finance and policy at consulting firms and for a political candidate. Samantha holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics from Louisiana State University.

Josiah Cain is a licensed landscape architect, academic, and consultant with over 20 years of direct experience in the sustainable design industry. Known as a visionary ecological integration strategist, he is regularly requested to present at major universities and conferences addressing building ecology, green infrastructure, and sustainable development processes. He has provided design services to major clients including University of California, New York Department of the Environment, and California Academy of Sciences. Cain is currently Director of Innovation at Sherwood Design Engineers, a forward thinking civil engineering and infrastructure planning firm based in San Francisco, CA.

Kiran Joseph is an accomplished Digital Product Manager with a diverse career in Program & Product management, Digital Strategy, IT operations and Customer Success. He excels in visioning, building, and scaling digital products that address real-world challenges. Kiran’s current mission is to revolutionise agriculture sustainability through digital solutions focusing biodiversity and soil health. He firmly believes teamwork makes dreamwork and he strives to bringing the potential of strong partnerships to solve collective problems. He is renowned as a thought leader, effortlessly leads people-technology transformations and advocates open-source software and ecosystems. Beyond being an authentic problem solver, Kiran has keen interest in human psychology and electronics. Notably, he achieved a remarkable feat by inventing and scaling India’s first prepaid electricity meter for industrial parks at age 21. Additionally, he co-authored multiple influential digital transformation books in recent years. Kiran draws inspiration from Mother Nature who approaches everything with creativity and purpose.
 

Nicole Miller is the managing director of Biomimicry 3.8, a certified BCorp and social enterprise dedicated to helping change-makers create a more sustainable and just world by emulating nature’s designs and core principles. Her 22 years in Corporate Sustainability and global supply chain development support her role in driving internal strategy, projects, and initiatives as she works to bring biomimicry solutions to clients worldwide. Since joining B3.8 in 2012, she has overseen the development of key strategic partnerships to increase access to biomimicry and worked with clients such as Google, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Interface, Jacobs Engineering, Estee Lauder, Microsoft, and others to drive innovation informed by nature. Nicole has a unique grasp of how to position great science to drive commercial practice--and, ultimately, market transformation. She won’t rest until biomimicry is in the hands of all designers who shape our world. Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Montana and a Sustainability Leadership Certification from Harvard University. She is a Fellow of Columbia University’s American Assembly Next Generation Project—a review of U.S. Global Policy and the Future of International Institutions. Nicole has been included in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and Time Magazine. She has received the Utah Business “30 under 30” Award for her work at Overstock.com and was awarded “20 under 40” by the Missoulian for her work at Biomimicry 3.8.

Karrie Denniston serves as senior director of sustainability with Walmart.org. In this role, Karrie manages the strategy and grant making for Walmart.org’s efforts to help create environmentally and socially sustainable supply chains globally. Her portfolio includes advancing livelihoods for workers and smallholder farmers across supply chains and working to preserve the natural capital found in forests, oceans, land and waterways. 

Prior to joining Walmart, Karrie served as the Vice President of National Programs at Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the US. She also worked in public service as a Policy Analyst at the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service - Child Nutrition Division. 

Karrie received a B.A. in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University focused on Non-Profit Management. 

Marissa is the Chief Sustainability Officer, NA at L'Oréal, the world's largest beauty company, where she stewards the company's sustainability platform, L’Oréal for the Future, in North America. Together with L'Oréal's leadership team, Marissa believes that L'Oréal has a responsibility and opportunity to drive transformation towards a more circular, just and inclusive beauty industry benefiting all stakeholders, and she is dedicated to collaboration and innovation to accelerate this progress.

Marissa is drawn to the beauty (and fashion) industries because of their humanity, creativity, and power to influence great change. She is passionate about the power of partnerships and collective action, and believes that working with people that bring a different background, perspective, and input will always lead to something greater than any individual can achieve alone.

Marissa started her career as a lawyer focused on international mergers and acquisitions, and corporate compliance. She received degrees from Georgetown University and Georgetown University Law Center, and studied at Georgetown University’s Villa Le Balze in Florence. Marissa serves on the Board of Directors of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. She served on the Steering Committees of the Global Fashion Agenda, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, the Industry Association, and the Board of Directors of the Fair Labor Association.

Dr. Helen Crowley Helen is a recognised nature and biodiversity expert, delivering pioneering and impact-led climate and nature focused solutions across public and private sectors. Formerly the Head of Sustainable Sourcing Innovation at the French company Kering for over a decade, Helen crafted new solutions for best practices in sustainability, supply chains an sourcing for luxury and lifestyle brands. Prior to this, Helen across Africa and Madagascar leading conservation programs for Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Early in her career, she worked as a senior consultant to companies on building out environmental health and safety programs to encompass broader sustainability issues. Over the last several years, Helen has also advised the Nature Action Agenda at the World Economic Forum and has been a member of the WEF’s Global Futures Council. Helen has a PhD in Zoology from the Australian National University and has contributed to various non-profit Boards and Advisory Groups including Textile Exchange, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature US, UK’s Digital Catapult Supply Chain Hub and the Global Environment Facility.

Ben Wilinsky is the Director of Partnerships and Innovation at the Arbor Day Foundation. He is charged with collaborating with the world's preeminent brands to co-develop environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts aligned to its mission of "inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees." As a subject matter expert for the Foundation, Ben supports many of the largest market and non-market-based investments in both cities and natural forest settings. As its innovation leader, he evaluates and pursues fresh and forward-looking opportunities to bring the mission to market for current and future partners. Ben is a graduate of the University of Kansas, and serves on the Steering Committee for the California Water Action Collaborative.

Austin Meyer is the cofounder of Collective Capital, a creative consultancy that leads interactive workshops grounded in the principles of improvisational theater in order to help teams connect, communicate, and unleash their creative potential. A graduate of Stanford University, Meyer has worked with organizations big and small — from Google, Citadel, and Kaiser Permanente, to startups across the country trying to build a culture of innovation. His pedagogical approach blends play with reflection, encouraging teams to create new patterns of working and living that are more collaborative, authentic, and joyful. (www.cocap.io)

Leah Gerber is a professor of conservation science in the School of Life Sciences and founding director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at Arizona State University. Gerber has pioneered new approaches to critical conservation planning and management questions and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and frequently publishes in leading scientific journals such as Science, Nature, PNAS, American Scientist and Ecology Letters. She is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow and recently served as lead author of the Global Assessment of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. 

Currently, Shannon Cosentino-Roush serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Finless Foods — an alternative seafood company that is committed to creating a future for seafood where the ocean thrives. Shannon is inspired by the dynamic opportunity this rapidly evolving industry presents to reshape our interaction with the ocean, by expanding the way we think about, produce, and consume seafood - particularly bluefin tuna.

In her role, Shannon oversees multiple departments from Policy and Regulatory Affairs to Sustainability, Marketing, and Communications. In addition to supporting and guiding the vision, planning, and decision-making for the company, She also focuses heavily on building greater buy-in, collaboration, and investment for alternative seafood and food system innovation among ocean conservation and policy experts, seafood industry representatives, food industry players, global governments, and broad strategic partners.

Prior to Finless, Shannon built her expertise and career around a passion for creating and implementing policies and systems-change that strengthen sustainable fisheries, protect biodiversity, and ensure a healthy, thriving ocean. Her professional journey began with a B.S. in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Santa Clara University followed by a J.D. and Masters in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School.

Following this, Shannon has developed a breadth of applied expertise, from the global stage to the field, through a range of positions including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the US Government (NOAA), various global-focused NGOs, and as a technical ocean policy and legal expert on a range of international projects across the US, Asia, and Africa. Through these experiences, she has honed in on her dual passion for catalyzing systems
change through innovation and policy, which led her to co-found a cross-disciplinary, zero-waste hackathon in partnership with NYC’s Department of Sanitation as well as inspired her to join Finless Foods. Shannon applies her expertise to advance policies and catalyze innovative solutions (finding the power lies in the synergy of these together) for the benefit of the ocean, biodiversity, and overall planetary sustainability.

Marielle Weikel leads Conservation International’s Corporate Climate Solutions team, which is responsible for guiding the governance and tracking the impact of the organization’s portfolio of natural climate solutions commitments, including carbon crediting.

The team oversees technical expertise surrounding high-quality natural climate solutions through Conservation International’s business engagements and external platforms, as well as its internal greenhouse gas footprint commitments. It also develops, stewards and guides internal best practice on strategic corporate relationships focused on natural climate solutions.

Marielle joined Conservation International in 2002, and previously led its Responsible Mining & Energy program and, prior to that, its strategy to engage the private sector on freshwater conservation. She has advised on conservation and sustainability issues for Conservation International partnerships across a range of sectors, including finance, technology, retail, fashion, agriculture, mining, airlines, travel, hospitality, entertainment, beverage and others.

Prior to joining Conservation International, Marielle worked as an environmental, health and safety consultant, and held positions in the public policy and government arenas. She holds a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University and bachelor’s in government and environmental studies from the College of William and Mary, with coursework through Columbia University at the Biosphere 2 Center in Arizona.

Rachel Ashton Lim is an impact investment analyst at Silverstrand Capital, a Singapore-based family office which invests in biodiversity and the regenerative economy across agriculture, nature-based solutions, MRV solutions, and more. Rachel is passionate about restorative justice, environmental protection, and in the innovative, intersectional solutions which can enable wide-scale systems change. Her work includes deal origination, due diligence, portfolio management, and communications. She has worked extensively with founders and non-profit leaders as a capacity builder, including for Silverstrand's flagship philanthropic programme, the Biodiversity Accelerator+.Rachel holds a dual degree from Claremont McKenna College in Biology and Environmental Policy, and speaks English and Spanish.

Carter has over 20 years of experience at the forefront of integrating nature into sustainable development and corporate sustainability across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the United States. Currently, Carter is an Executive Director at Pollination where she focuses on nature-based solutions and advises clients who have food and fiber supply chains. Prior to joining Pollination, Carter was a Senior Manager in EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice where she advised food/agriculture, real estate, infrastructure and tourism businesses in designing and implementing ESG goals and strategies, programs and impact measurement, with a focus on natural capital. Carter’s previous experiences include launching and leading the Ecosystem Services program and the Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) for the Wildlife Conservation Society, where she worked with governments, multi-lateral institutions, NGOs and businesses to advance conservation and sustainable development globally. Carter completed a Post-doctoral fellowship at the Earth Institute of Columbia University and has a M.Sc. and D.Phil. from the School of Geography and the Environment of Oxford University. She has co-edited two books and written over 60 articles, reports and publications on biodiversity and ecosystem services, climate change, poverty reduction and economic development. Carter is currently an Adjunct Associated Professor in the School for Foreign Service at Georgetown University and serves on the SNAPP Science Advisory Council, the Technical Advisory Council for the UNDP Equator Initiative, Terra Alpha Investments Advisory Board, HQ Capital Ayuda Deep Impact Fund Expert Group, and co-led a USG working group on Natural Capital Accounting in the United States.

Theresa Lieb leads GreenBiz’s efforts on nature and food systems, empowering sustainability professionals around the globe to address the biodiversity and climate crises hand-in-hand. With her team, she shapes our strategic positioning and partnerships, curates content for related newsletters and events and nurtures a collaborative community.

Theresa brings international expertise in corporate sustainability, supply chains, development policy and finance. Prior to GreenBiz, she worked with the United Nations, German Development Bank, ClimateWorks Foundation and WeWork. Theresa holds an MPhil in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and a BSc in International Development and Policy Science from Leiden University.

For over 40 years, Peter Seligmann has been an influential and inspiring voice in conservation. He works in partnership with communities, governments, and businesses to find innovative solutions to ensure the sustainability of the planet’s natural and cultural resources. Peter co-founded Nia Tero in 2017. He is also the Chairman of the Board and former CEO of Conservation International, a global nonprofit organization he co-founded in 1987. Peter began his career in 1976 with The Nature Conservancy as the organization’s western region land steward, later becoming the director of the California Nature Conservancy.

Peter earned a Master of Science in Forestry and Environmental Science from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology from Rutgers University. Peter holds Honorary Doctorates in Science from Michigan State University and Rutgers University. A world traveler, avid fisherman and diver, Peter lives in Seattle with his wife, Lee Rhodes, an entrepreneur and the founder of Glassybaby.

Dr. Helen Crowley Helen is a recognised nature and biodiversity expert, delivering pioneering and impact-led climate and nature focused solutions across public and private sectors. Formerly the Head of Sustainable Sourcing Innovation at the French company Kering for over a decade, Helen crafted new solutions for best practices in sustainability, supply chains an sourcing for luxury and lifestyle brands. Prior to this, Helen across Africa and Madagascar leading conservation programs for Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Early in her career, she worked as a senior consultant to companies on building out environmental health and safety programs to encompass broader sustainability issues. Over the last several years, Helen has also advised the Nature Action Agenda at the World Economic Forum and has been a member of the WEF’s Global Futures Council. Helen has a PhD in Zoology from the Australian National University and has contributed to various non-profit Boards and Advisory Groups including Textile Exchange, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature US, UK’s Digital Catapult Supply Chain Hub and the Global Environment Facility.

Hiba Larsson is a Principal at NatureFinance, and leads the organisation’s nature investment activities. She has 16 years’ of international experience in finance, with a keen understanding of different capital providers, an established network of investors and particular expertise in agriculture (incl. ag tech). Hiba’s career has taken her across Stockholm, London Sydney and most recently the UAE, where she held the post of COO Middle East at Respira International, an impact-finance business and subsidiary of Global Harvester Holdings. Prior to this, Hiba was CEO and co-founder of Bydand Ag Partners with an initial portfolio of AUD $50 million across three farmland aggregations. She has held posts as Director at New Hope Group and UBS as well as working as an analyst at Dexion capital, RBS Global Banking and Markets, and SEB. Hiba has also held multiple Advisory and Board roles, and is currently a Non-Executive Director of OneFarm, a UK/Netherlands business designing and deploying large-scale fully circular vertical farms. She has a Bachelor in Accounting from the Gothenburg School of Business, Economics & Commercial Law in Sweden and is currently based in Abu Dhabi.Holger SchmidHolger Schmid, PrincipalHolger Schmid was previously the director of the sustainable economy programme at the MAVA

Lucy Almond is a strategic communications and coalition-building specialist, proficient in delivering projects at a strategic or operational level, with a special interest in natural resource sectors, technological and social innovation.

She has been the driving force behind the Nature4Climate (N4C) coalition – where she is currently working as Chair. N4C is a strategic mobilisation response to climate change that aims to increase investment and action on natural climate solutions. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) hosts the secretariat for 18 other international coalition partners: UNDP, UN-REDD, UNEP, CBD, IUCN, CI, EDF, Global Mangrove Alliance, Birdlife International, Re:wild, WCS, Woodwell Research Centre, WBCSD, WRI, WWF, We Mean Business, the Food and Land Use Coalition and Youth4Nature.

Rachel Ashton Lim is an impact investment analyst at Silverstrand Capital, a Singapore-based family office which invests in biodiversity and the regenerative economy across agriculture, nature-based solutions, MRV solutions, and more. Rachel is passionate about restorative justice, environmental protection, and in the innovative, intersectional solutions which can enable wide-scale systems change. Her work includes deal origination, due diligence, portfolio management, and communications. She has worked extensively with founders and non-profit leaders as a capacity builder, including for Silverstrand's flagship philanthropic programme, the Biodiversity Accelerator+.Rachel holds a dual degree from Claremont McKenna College in Biology and Environmental Policy, and speaks English and Spanish.

Joel Makower is a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. As a writer and strategist on corporate sustainability practices and clean technology, he has helped a wide range of companies align environmental goals with business strategy. Joel is a bestselling author or co-author of several books on business and sustainability, including his latest, The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America's Prosperity, Security, and Sustainability in the 21st Century (St. Martin's Press).

He is a frequent commentator in print, broadcast and online media, and a sought-after speaker to companies and business groups around the world. In 2012, Joel was awarded the Hutchens Medal by the American Society for Quality, which cited “his ability to tell compelling stories that both inform and inspire business leaders toward profitable action.” From 1991 to 2005, Joel was editor of The Green Business Letter, an award-winning monthly newsletter on corporate environmental strategy. He is a graduate in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley and is an advisor to both for-profit and non-profit organizations. The Associated Press has called Joel "the guru of green business practices."