2026 LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION WORKSHOP: NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR CORPORATE DECARBONIZATION
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 Rafik B. Hariri Building | Fisher Colloquium
Welcome Dear Colleagues and Guests, The Business of Sustainability Initiative at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business is pleased to announce the 2026 Leadership and Innovation Workshop! As companies work to address residual and hard-to-abate emissions on the path to net zero, nature-based solutions, ranging from forest conservation and restoration to regenerative agriculture and blue carbon, are drawing growing corporate interest and investment. This year's Leadership and Innovation Workshop convenes project developers, corporate sustainability leaders, investors, policymakers, and community representatives to examine how nature-based solutions can be scaled with integrity as part of credible corporate decarbonization strategies. To facilitate candid conversations, the workshop will be invitation-only and held in-person without any recording or virtual attendance, following the format of the Initiative's prior workshops on voluntary carbon offsets (2023), energy transition (2024), and sustainable supply chains (2025). We look forward to a day filled with insightful discussions, collaborative problem-solving, and collective inspiration as we work together to advance corporate decarbonization for a better future. Thank you for joining us and for your commitment to making the business case for sustainability. Welcome, and enjoy the workshop! Sincerely,
Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business Professor of Operations Management Academic Director, Business of Sustainability Initiative Co-Academic Director, M.S. in Environment and Sustainability Management
WORKSHOP AGENDA Rafik B. Hariri Building | Fisher Colloquium
10-10:45 a.m.
Registration and Breakfast
10:45-11 a.m.
Welcoming Remarks
11 a.m. to noon
Defining the Landscape of Nature-based Solutions
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Working Lunch
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Corporate Demand for Decarbonization Through Nature-based Solutions
2:30-2:45 p.m.
Coffee Break
2:45-3:45 p.m.
Measurement, Integrity, and Policy
3:45-4 p.m.
Coffee Break
4-5 p.m.
Scaling Nature-based Solutions
5-6 p.m.
Closing Reception, PwC Plaza
ABOUT THE MODERATORS
Vishal Agrawal Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business, Georgetown University
Vishal Agrawal is the Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business and professor of operations management at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, where he directs the Business of Sustainability Initiative and co-directs the M.S. in Environment and Sustainability Management. His research on sustainable operations spans the circular economy, business model innovation, renewable energy, and supply chain sustainability, and has appeared in Management Science and Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. His honors include the Paul Kleindorfer Award in Sustainability and the MSOM Young Scholar Prize.
Şafak Yücel Associate Professor of Operations Management, Georgetown University
Şafak Yücel is an associate professor of operations management at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, where he also serves as associate director of the Business of Sustainability Initiative. His research examines sustainable operations, showing how sustainability strategies can improve profitability while supporting the transition to renewable energy. His work spans solar and wind capacity investment, electricity markets, electric vehicle charging, carbon markets, and corporate decarbonization. He previously worked at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His research has been recognized with the Management Science Best Paper Award in Operations Management and the INFORMS Best Publication Award in Environment and Sustainability, and he was named a Poets & Quants Top 40 Under 40 MBA Professor. He serves as an associate editor at Manufacturing & Service Operations Management and as president of the POMS College of Sustainable Operations. He holds a Ph.D. in operations management from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a B.S. in industrial engineering from Boğaziçi University.
WORKSHOP AGENDA Session 1
11 a.m. to noon
Defining the Landscape of Nature-based Solutions In the first session of the day, we will hear the perspectives of project developers working across the nature-based solutions space, including reforestation and afforestation, wetland and coastal restoration, regenerative agriculture, and improved forest management. What are the most recent challenges and opportunities in developing, implementing, and operating these projects? What market considerations are most important in determining which project types to pursue and where? By discussing these questions in detail, we will establish a unified understanding of the supply side of the market for nature-based solutions.
Moderator: Şafak Yücel
Jonathan Shears Land Partnerships Lead, Living Carbon
Jonathan Shears is a veteran of nature-based solutions and carbon markets. As land partnerships lead for Living Carbon, Jonathan leads engagement with landowners and origination of new afforestation/reforestation carbon projects, with a focus on reforesting surface mines land in the Appalachians and other degraded lands. Jonathan brings 10 years of experience in forest conservation and restoration, and seven years in the voluntary carbon market, with Living Carbon, South Pole, and the American Forest Foundation. Jonathan hails from just across the river in Virginia and credits his career path to an upbringing in the outdoors.
Joan Abbott Associate Manager, Terion
On Terion's Go-to-Market team, Joan Abbott helps food, beverage, and fashion companies leverage Terion's regenerative agriculture programs to meet corporate ESG goals, reduce scope 3 emissions, and make product claims. Prior to Terion, Joan's work focused on smallholder agriculture with the nonprofit TechnoServe, and operational policy at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). She started her career in management consulting at PwC. Joan holds a B.S. from Georgetown's SFS and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins SAIS.
Olivia Palma Director, Nature-based Solutions Project Development & Systems, Earthshot Labs
Olivia Palma is director of nature-based solutions project development and systems at Earthshot Labs, a technical carbon project developer that has completed more than 50 project engagements in 24 countries. Olivia currently manages a portfolio of nine active projects and has worked across more than 20 nature-based solutions projects spanning ARR, REDD+, and related methodologies throughout Latin America and globally. She helped structure Earthshot's corporate partnership with Lindt & Sprüngli and manages the project portfolio supporting Lindt's certified cocoa agroforestry insetting program, part of Lindt's public commitment to 20,000 hectares of high-carbon-stock agroforestry by 2030. She also leads Earthshot's BirdLife International portfolio within its forest carbon initiatives. Her projects sit within Earthshot's broader model of connecting projects with investors and channeling finance into implementation. Olivia has worked closely with Indigenous communities for over a decade, bringing that relationship-based, on-the-ground experience to how nature-based solutions are designed, financed, and delivered. She is originally from Chile and was raised in the U.S.
Gregg Verutes Director of Conservation Science, Blue Forest
Gregg Verutes, Ph.D., is director of conservation science at Blue Forest. His work applies natural capital science and geospatial modeling to quantify the water, carbon, biodiversity, and risk-reduction benefits of nature-based solutions. He is passionate about helping others make the case for protecting and restoring ecosystems. Gregg brings 20 years of experience and more than 50 peerreviewed publications to research on watershed modeling, restoration science, and communicating nature's value to corporate decision-makers.
Stacy Baez Senior Officer, Advancing Coastal Wetlands Conservation, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Stacy Baez is a senior officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts' Advancing Coastal Wetlands Conservation Project, where she leads a global portfolio of research partnerships that generate the scientific evidence needed to advance coastal wetlands conservation within climate policy. She has supported collaborative, multi-stakeholder processes that brought together governments, local experts, and civil society organizations to develop conservation targets for mangrove and seagrass ecosystems in Belize, Seychelles, and Jamaica. She also leads the Large-scale Seagrass Mapping and Management Initiative, a flagship regional program in the Western Indian Ocean that is advancing seagrass mapping, blue carbon research, and science-to-policy engagement to strengthen the conservation of seagrass ecosystems. Stacy is particularly passionate about amplifying local voices in conservation and ensuring that the scientists and practitioners closest to coastal ecosystems are at the forefront of efforts to conserve and manage them. Stacy holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Morgan State University and a doctorate in oceanography from Old Dominion University.
WORKSHOP AGENDA Session 2
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Corporate Demand for Decarbonization Through Nature-based Solutions As corporations set science-based and net-zero targets, many are turning to nature-based projects to address hard-toabate and residual emissions. In this session, we will hear from corporate buyers about how they evaluate, procure, and integrate nature-based solutions into broader decarbonization strategies. What are their primary considerations for selecting projects: price, project type and location, permanence, and co-benefits? How are companies balancing insetting within their own value chains against offsetting through external projects? This session will allow us to understand the demand side of the market.
Moderator: Vishal Agrawal
Meagan Breidert Senior Director, Sustainability & Impact, Slalom
Meagan Breidert is the senior director of sustainability and impact at Slalom, where she leads global strategy at the intersection of sustainability, corporate citizenship, employee engagement, and business transformation. Over the course of her 15-year career, she has worked across four continents advising governments, multinational corporations, and development organizations on complex sustainability and social impact challenges. Before joining Slalom, Meagan was a leader in PricewaterhouseCoopers' International Development practice, advising clients on major global development and sustainability initiatives. Today she helps guide Slalom's enterprise sustainability strategy, including the achievement of the firm's renewable energy goals five years ahead of schedule, while connecting environmental and social impact outcomes to broader business objectives. Originally from the Midwest, she resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and son.
Emily Kunen Senior Director, Positive Agriculture, PepsiCo
Emily Kunen is a senior director of sustainable agriculture at PepsiCo, where she leads the company's global nature strategy, Positive Agriculture goal governance, and implementation work across high-risk ingredients. She brings nearly two decades of experience bridging sustainability science and business strategy, with prior roles at Nestlé and Walmart, and earlier work at USAID as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, and at Winrock International as a clean energy specialist. She holds an M.Phil. in engineering for sustainable development from the University of Cambridge and a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Brown University.
Emery Sorvino Senior Manager, Carbon Business Strategy, Indigo Carbon
Emery Sorvino is focused on building climate resilience and environmental sustainability within food systems. Since 2021, Emery has been working at Indigo Ag, whose mission is to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, using rigorous soil science and technology to scale agriculture as a climate and nature solution. As a carbon business strategy senior manager, Emery's work focuses on Indigo Carbon's go-to-market strategy and positioning within the voluntary carbon market. Emery leads relationships with both demand-side partners and corporations with net-zero goals. Emery lives in Manhattan and co-leads the Women in Climate & Food NYC Community.
Jenny Brusgul Partner, Decarbonization & Value Creation, ERM
Jenny Brusgul is a partner based in ERM's Washington, D.C., office and has over 20 years of experience in decarbonization and climate strategy, leading enterprise sustainability and energy transition strategies that create financial value for Fortune 500 corporates, including pharmaceuticals, industrial manufacturing, consumer, and technology. Jenny specializes in Scope 1-3 inventories, science-aligned targets, facility-level decarbonization roadmaps, nature-based solutions, and abatement cost curves. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
Teresa Nick Director of Natural Systems & Sustainability, Microsoft
Teresa Nick is director of natural systems and sustainability at Microsoft, where she leads efforts to understand and optimize the environmental impacts of hyperscale AI and cloud infrastructure. Her work spans datacenter sustainability, climate and biodiversity risk, water and energy management, and the development of AI-powered decision-support tools for sustainable infrastructure planning. A scientist, inventor, and technology leader, Teresa recently co-authored a Nature Communications paper introducing Parallel Photonic Integration (PPI), an optical networking architecture for dramatically improving the energy efficiency of future AI systems. She has led transformative innovation programs at Microsoft, Medtronic, and McKinsey & Company, translating advanced research into large-scale business and sustainability outcomes. Teresa earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Yale University, completed postdoctoral training at Caltech, and served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota Medical School. She holds more than 20 patents, has authored more than 20 scientific publications, and was recognized with the Infrastructure Masons iM100 Award for leadership and innovation in digital infrastructure sustainability.
WORKSHOP AGENDA Session 3
2:45-3:45 p.m.
Measurement, Integrity, and Policy Nature-based solutions face persistent questions about measurement, verification, and long-term integrity. In this session, we will hear from registries, standard-setting bodies, and policymakers on the most recent approaches to maintaining market integrity by addressing additionality, permanence, and leakage. What role can government play in bringing clarity through regulatory frameworks, both domestically and internationally? By answering these questions, we will have a better understanding of how measurement and policy can support a credible market for nature-based solutions.
Moderator: Şafak Yücel
Annette Nazareth Chair, Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)
Annette Nazareth is chair of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), the international organization that sets the standards for high-integrity carbon credit trading, and a recognized authority on voluntary carbon markets as a tool to accelerate netzero climate goals. She is senior counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell, where until 2021 she was a partner heading the Trading and Markets practice and served as managing partner of the Washington, D.C., office. A former commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2005 to 2008, she joined the SEC staff in 1998 as senior counsel to Chairman Arthur Levitt and directed the Division of Trading and Markets from 1999 to 2005, overseeing the regulation of broker-dealers, securities exchanges, and clearing agencies. Much of her career has been spent advising boards on corporate governance and advising financial institutions on complex regulatory matters. She serves on the board of Broadridge Financial Solutions and chairs the Urban Institute. Nazareth graduated from Columbia University School of Law and received her A.B. from Brown University.
Jennifer Mleczko Director, Sustainability Advisory, North America, Preferred by Nature
Jennifer Mleczko is director of sustainability advisory for the U.S. and Canada at Preferred by Nature, where she leads a team supporting companies, investors, and organizations in addressing sustainability risks and opportunities across global supply chains. With over 15 years of experience in sustainability strategy, responsible sourcing, certification systems, and due diligence, Jennifer advises clients on topics including regenerative agriculture, nature-based solutions, biodiversity, deforestation-free supply chains, and emerging ESG regulations. She has worked with leading food, agriculture, forestry, and consumer goods companies to develop credible approaches for sustainability claims, impact measurement, verification, and supply chain transparency. Jennifer regularly speaks at industry events and workshops on responsible sourcing, biodiversity, nature-based solutions, and emerging sustainability regulations.
Sarah Lupberger Technical Lead, Sustainability Services, Winrock International
Sarah Lupberger is technical lead on the Sustainability Services team at Winrock International, where she advises corporate clients on climate and sustainability strategies, with a particular focus on Scope 3 emissions, land sector accounting, and regenerative agriculture. She works with companies and their suppliers to develop and implement approaches that support net-zero commitments while advancing sustainable agricultural production. Before joining Winrock, Lupberger built expertise in climate action, sustainable land use, and environmental governance through roles with the Rainforest Alliance, Verra, the World Resources Institute, and Peru's Ministry of Environment. Her work has included REDD+ implementation, forestry and agriculture carbon projects, greenhouse gas impact quantification, and landscape-scale sustainability initiatives spanning farmers, forest communities, companies, and governments. She is a Fulbright Fellow and helped launch LandScale, a global framework for assessing sustainability outcomes at the landscape level. Lupberger holds a master's degree in environmental science from the Yale School of the Environment and a bachelor's degree in international studies from the University of Chicago.
Ryan Huang Carbon Removal Scientist, Isometric
Ryan Huang is a carbon removal scientist at Isometric, overseeing the crediting of nature-based projects and the development of protocols for pathways such as mangrove restoration, fire management, and avoided deforestation. He received his Ph.D. in ecology from Duke University, studying conservation, the effects of habitat loss on biodiversity, and how to restore landscapes to prevent extinctions. His research spans tropical regions across the world and focuses on restoring habitats, wildlife corridors, and protected area design.
Julia Paltseva Associate Director, Policy, ART
As ART's associate director of policy, Julia Paltseva focuses on external stakeholder engagement to promote market understanding and acceptance of ART and jurisdictional programs, including through the development of outreach material, communicating with regulatory bodies, and report writing. She is a technical expert on the analysis of REDD+ policy issues and carbon market design. A key component of her role is to lead ART's applications to appropriate certification bodies and maintain industry approvals to position ART well in the market. Julia holds a master's degree in environmental science and management from UC Santa Barbara's Bren School and a bachelor's degree in organismic and evolutionary biology with a minor in economics from Harvard University. She has extensive experience in forestry-based research, including previous work spatially analyzing global wood-sourcing regions, tracking tree phenology in response to climate change, and managing a reforestation project in Indonesia.
WORKSHOP AGENDA Session 4
4-5 p.m.
Scaling Nature-based Solutions In the final session of the day, we will focus on what it will take to scale nature-based solutions to meet corporate and global climate goals. What are the most recent challenges in mobilizing capital for nature-based projects, from long project timelines and land tenure risk to blended finance structures? We will also hear community perspectives on equitable benefit-sharing and durable outcomes. We will be joined by investors, financial institutions, and NGOs to better understand how nature-based solutions can be scaled responsibly and for all.
Moderator: Vishal Agrawal
Sieren Ernst Owner, Whistler Meadow Farm
Sieren Ernst is the owner of Whistler Meadow Farm, an integrated commercial farm and ecological restoration project in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The farm produces Virginia-grown teas and combines agricultural production with native habitat restoration. Whistler Meadow Farm's approach to land management focuses on plant and soil health, ecological management, and biodiversity restoration within a working landscape. Before establishing Whistler Meadow Farm, Sieren worked in climate policy, carbon markets, and emissions reduction projects, including carbon project development, environmental markets, and efforts to quantify the economic impacts of climate change on communities.
Dan Carroll Managing Director, Inherent Group; Director, Component Earth
Dan Carroll is a managing director at Inherent Group, an investment firm based in New York and Lisbon. Carroll oversees Inherent's portfolio allocation strategy as well as its direct investments in both the public and private markets. Additionally, Carroll serves as a director of Component Earth LLC, a carbon finance company that creates investable projects by partnering with experienced implementation organizations to move early-stage carbon projects from concept to scale. Prior to joining Inherent in 2016, Carroll was a principal at Tinicum Inc., a New York-based private equity firm. Carroll resides in New York City with his wife and two children.
Christopher Carr President, C2E2 Strategies
Christopher Carr is president of C2E2 Strategies, LLC, where he advises on climate change, environmental, and energy issues. Chris is a former co-chair of the climate change practice group at the international law firm Vinson & Elkins, and a former senior legal advisor for the World Bank on carbon finance and climate change issues. Among other roles at the World Bank, Chris served as the lawyer for the BioCarbon Fund and other carbon funds. Chris has advised a wide range of clients including energy producers, utility companies, financial institutions, other industrial and private corporations, and NGOs. He has served as chair of the Climate Change Committee of the American Bar Association and is currently a vice chair. He has written and spoken nationally and internationally on climate change, greenhouse gas reduction strategies, and carbon finance, and has advised on numerous nature-based and other carbon transactions. A graduate of the Columbia University School of Law and Brown University, Chris has regularly been listed on Who's Who Legal (now Lexology) for Environment & Climate Change practitioners.
Stephanie Cardenas Sustainability and Nature Strategist
Stephanie Cardenas is a nature and biodiversity strategy leader who has helped some of the world's biggest brands turn their impact on nature into a competitive advantage. Her career of more than 15 years spans founding a Galapagos Islands tree-planting partnership now over 87,000 trees strong, a former board advisory role with one of Ecuador's largest food forest initiatives, and building and leading Deloitte's cross-business nature practice as a senior manager in its Sustainability & ESG Services team. There, she guided global corporations through geographic scoping assessments; nature-related impacts, dependencies, and risk analyses; disclosure gap assessments and roadmaps; data, process, and controls readiness; and nature-positive strategy design, meeting clients wherever they stood on their nature journey. She was seconded to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), named an Aspen Institute Fellow, and has spoken at Biodiversity COP16 and Climate Week NYC.
John Ambler Director of Nature Markets and Nature-based Solutions Development, World Wildlife Fund
John Ambler is director of nature markets and nature-based solutions development within WWF's Nature Finance and Investment team. In this role, he supports WWF offices to originate, develop, and finance nature-markets projects with a particular focus on nature-based solutions removals. His work includes project design, commercialization, and delivery. John has worked in nature-based solutions and carbon markets for more than a decade as a project developer and investor. Prior to joining WWF, he was a director at Pollination, a nature- and climate-focused advisory and investment firm, where he helped build the Carbon Projects business, supporting and investing in projects across Africa and Southeast Asia. Previously, he led growth for The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST), a smallholder-focused agroforestry platform in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and India, supporting strategy and operations, commercialization, and the technical development of carbon credits. John holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge and graduated magna cum laude from Trinity College in Connecticut.
About Us The Business of Sustainability Initiative focuses on the business approach to sustainability that creates long-term value by embracing opportunities and managing risks deriving from economic, environmental, and social developments. We focus on student learning, thought leadership, and convening and outreach. Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business is a natural fit. Among our faculty and programs — and collaborations across Georgetown’s renowned schools — we offer the right intersection of business, policy, and society to address these issues. Our global reach and D.C. location allow us to hone deep skills and natural affinity to tackle the business case for sustainability.
BUSINESSOFSUSTAINABILITY.GEORGETOWN.EDU