Meet Our 2024 Speakers
Keynote Addresses
Kate Williams - CEO, 1% for the Planet
Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global organization that inspires action and commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. 1% for the Planet’s global network of thousands of businesses and individuals have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to vetted environmental partners to date. Kate has driven significant organizational scale —implementing high-impact giving strategies, growing a global brand and leading an incredible and dedicated team around the world.
Outside of her tenure at 1% for the Planet, Kate earned a BA at Princeton University and an MS at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and has served on a variety of Boards. At home, Kate is Mom to two amazing young adults, a partner with her husband of 30+ years, and is outside on trails as much as possible.
Jon Yoder - President and CEO, MN8 Energy
Jon Yoder is the President and Chief Executive Officer at MN8 Energy. He also serves as a director on MN8’s board of directors.
Jon was previously a Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co. where he was Head of the Renewable Power Group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, a 100+ person team focused on investments in the renewable energy sector. During his career at Goldman Sachs, Jon was also Co-Head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Credit Alternatives investing team and Chief Operating Officer of Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. (NYSE: GSBD).
Panel Sessions
Session 1: 11:00-11:50 am
AI & Sustainability
Priyanka is a Professor of Marketing and Analytics at Hult International Business School, San Francisco. Priyanka is a dedicated and results-driven professional with a proven track record of excellence in her field. With a robust background that combines innovative leadership with strategic operational expertise, Priyanka has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive positive change and deliver key business objectives. Her commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends is reflected in her approach to problem-solving and project management, where she blends analytical prowess with a creative mindset.
Priyanka Shrivastava - Professor of Marketing and Analytics, Hult International Business School
Peter Sun - Founding Team, Climactic
Nuclear
Ellen C. Ginsberg is senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of NEI. Ms. Ginsberg is responsible for legal matters affecting the commercial nuclear energy industry. She directs and manages NEI’s federal litigation on behalf of its members. NEI frequently participates as a party or amicus curiae in matters before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, and state courts. She also represents NEI in proceedings before federal regulatory agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Energy (DOE). Ms. Ginsberg is a 1980 magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University and was awarded a bachelor’s degree with special honors in history and received her law degree from American University.
Ellen Ginsburg - Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Nuclear Energy Institute
Sam Meyers is a Senior Vice President with Brookfield Renewable & Transition. Sam was previously with Brookfield Private Equity, where he supported various due diligence and portfolio company oversight assignments, including working closely with Westinghouse. Sam will be supporting Westinghouse and other investments in a similar capacity with Brookfield Renewable & Transition. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2016, Sam worked in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and Lazard.
Sam Meyers - Senior Vice President of Renewable Power & Transition, Brookfield Asset Management
Noah Sumait is an Investor at Energy Impact Partners (EIP), where he is responsible for deal execution, thesis development, portfolio support, due diligence, and sourcing within the firm’s Frontier Fund strategy. Prior to joining EIP, Noah was an investment associate at Fifth Wall, where he supported energy transition investments for both venture capital and growth equity strategies. Noah also previously worked as an investment banking associate at Stephens, where he executed climate technology transactions including equity capital raises, renewable project finance, mergers & acquisitions, and public market financings. Noah graduated magna cum laude from the College of William and Mary with a B.B.A. in Finance and a concentration in Business Analytics. He also completed a study-abroad program focused on Environmental Sustainability at the University of Adelaide in South Australia.
Noah Sumait - Investor, Energy Impact Partners
Session 2: 12:00-12:50 pm
Sustainable Fashion
John Atcheson is the Co-Founder/CEO of Circular Way, the world’s first fully circular fashion retailer, and a recognized thought leader in the field of circular fashion. Over his career, John has launched multiple startups and worked with some of the world’s top venture capitalists. Prior to Circular Way and its predecessor company, Stuffstr, John helped to launch Getaround (NYSE:GETR), the world’s leading peer-to-peer car sharing company, and served on the early executive team of streaming media pioneer RealNetworks (Nasdaq:RNWK). John began his career as Founder/CEO of MusicNet, the first interactive music service.
John Atcheson - Co-Founder and CEO, Circular Way
Sucharita joined Citi in July 2022. She has over 15 years of experience advising clients on M&A and capital markets transactions in the Diversified Industrials and Clean Energy Transition sectors in New York and London. Sucharita holds an MBA from Ross Scholl of Business at the University of Michigan.
Sucharita Dasa - Managing Director, Investment Banking, Clean Energy Transition, Citi
Nikita Jain is a Senior Associate and Engagement Strategist for Calvert Research and Management, which specializes in responsible and sustainable investing across global capital markets. She is responsible for executing the firm's corporate engagement strategy by engaging with companies on ESG factors relevant to financial performance. She is also a member of the Proxy Voting and Stewardship team. She joined Calvert in 2022.
Nikita began her career in the investment management industry in 2021. Before joining Calvert, she worked in investment banking at Rothschild & Co in London supporting several large public companies in activism defense and building out their ESG reporting and strategy. Nikita was also a senior research analyst, focused on Social issues at The Wharton School. During this time, she worked with a US based activist hedge fund and South African asset owner on their internal and external ESG strategies.
Nikita graduated from The University of Pennsylvania with a Masters degree in Behavioral Economics. She also holds a Bachelors degree in Business and Management from The University of Exeter in the UK.
Nikita Jain - Vice President, Morgan Stanley (Calvert)
Water Reuse
Maher is the Co-Founder and CEO of Infinite Cooling, an award-winning start-up disrupting the way cooling is done in industrial processes and commercial buildings. He has led the development and commercialization of water recycling technology and optimization software for cooling systems in multiple verticals including power generation, data centers, manufacturing, and commercial HVAC. Maher has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he developed a novel patented technology to efficiently capture water from fog and cooling tower plumes using electric fields. He received several awards for his work including Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy and the Edison Awards Gold Medal.
Maher Damak - Ph.D, Co-Founder and CEO, Infinite Cooling
Alex Loucopolus - Partner, Sciens Water
Sarah St. George Freeman is a Senior Water Resources Management Consultant at The World Bank Group specializing in climate change and water resources management under uncertainty. She has over 15 years of experience working as a water resources engineer, researcher, project manager, and facilitator of stakeholder engagement processes for climate change adaptation, resilience planning, international development and environmental conservation issues in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Southern and Eastern Africa, the Eastern Himalayas, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Her most recent work focuses on the participatory modeling and analysis of complex human-hydrologic systems to improve sustainability outcomes of investments in the water sector under climate and other uncertainties. She holds a PhD in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, a MS in Water Resources Engineering and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University.
Sarah St. George Freeman - Senior Water Resources Management Consultant, The World Bank Group
Session 3: 2:00-2:50 pm
Electric Vehicles
Sarang Mani - Sustainable Growth Equity Investor, J.P. Morgan
Grace is an associate in Macquarie’s Climate Intelligence Unit. Based in New York, she works with senior leaders across the Americas to provide research and insights on opportunities within the energy transition in a variety of sectors. Before Macquarie, Grace spent 3 years on the Corporate Strategy & Development team at Rivian, one of the largest EV start-ups in the United States. She helped to develop the company’s short- and long-term battery strategy and supported Rivian’s 2021 IPO. Grace holds a B.A. in History from Brown University.
Grace McCleary - Research & Advisory Associate, Climate Intelligence Unit, Macquarie Group
Wen-Yu Weng - Managing Consultant, Energy Transition, PA Consulting
Shifting Perspectives on ESG
Molly Betournay is Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Research at Invesco. In this role, she leads the firm's ESG research and ESG-related engagement activities. Ms. Betournay joined Invesco in 2023. Prior to joining the firm, she was director of ESG research and shareholder advocacy at Clean Yield Asset Management. Before that, Ms. Betournay served as director of ESG and impact investing at Pathstone, as head of US research at EIRIS (now part of Moody's), and as a lead sustainability research analyst at Pax World Funds (now part of Impax). Ms. Betournay has been in the industry since 2004. Ms. Betournay earned a BA degree in linguistics from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from the Paul College of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire.
Molly Betournay - Director of ESG Research, Invesco Ltd.
Amir Khaleghi leads innovative development and research initiatives for HIP's municipal bond ratings, serving as a vital resource for Fund Managers, Hedge Funds, Indexes, Family Offices, and 401(k)s in shaping their investment strategies. With a keen focus on integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, Amir is committed to unraveling the complexities of finance and sociology to unlock pathways toward a sustainable and equitable future.
Amir holds a Master of Arts in Economics and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His academic pursuits reflect his passion for exploring the dynamic interplay between economic forces and societal dynamics, particularly within the realm of sustainable development.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Amir finds solace and rejuvenation on the Jiu Jitsu mat. At home, he cherishes moments spent with his cat companions, embracing the joys of companionship and playfulness.
Amir Khaleghi - Director of Impact Ratings and Product Development, HIP Investor Inc.
Robert is a professor at Drexel University - Close School of Entrepreneurship, where he teaches courses on venture capital investing, early stage venture finance, and private market due diligence. He also advises and mentors entrepreneurs and connects Drexel to external relationships. With over 20 years of experience in business development and investor relations, Robert has a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation, and a mission to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.
In addition to his academic role, Robert is the co-founder of Twelve Pound Productions LLC, a woman-owned media company that produces the Dakota Live! Podcast and more. As host of the Dakota Live! Podcast, Robert shares his insights and perspectives on various topics, from business and finance to sales and coaching through engaging interviews with leading investors. Robert leverages his extensive network and expertise to create engaging and informative content for his listeners. Robert also helps asset managers with fund raising strategy, drawing on his proven track record of raising billions of dollars in assets under management across multiple markets and strategies.
Rob Morier - Professor, Drexel University, Close School of Entrepreneurship
Climate careers workshop: 4:00-5:30 pm
Grace is an associate in Macquarie’s Climate Intelligence Unit. Based in New York, she works with senior leaders across the Americas to provide research and insights on opportunities within the energy transition in a variety of sectors. Before Macquarie, Grace spent 3 years on the Corporate Strategy & Development team at Rivian, one of the largest EV start-ups in the United States. She helped to develop the company’s short- and long-term battery strategy and supported Rivian’s 2021 IPO. Grace holds a B.A. in History from Brown University.
Grace McCleary - Research & Advisory Associate, Climate Intelligence Unit, Macquarie Group
Kobi Weinberg - Senior Manager, Strategic Initiatives, CREO