Breakfast

8:00 am - 9:00 am ET

Breakfast and networking opportunity to mingle with the other attendees and panelists

Opening Remarks

9:00am - 9:10 am ET

Conference Planning Committee and Faculty Advisors 

Lightning Lecture I: Cities, Climate and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

9:10 - 9:30 am ET

Andrew Wishnia | Deputy Assistant Secretary, Climate Policy | US Department of Transportation

Panel I: Deploying Next Generation Infrastructure in Cities

Explore how public and private sector parties can accelerate sustainable large-scale infrastructure deployment and the biggest headwinds these projects currently face. Who are the key players and primary sources of capital, what are the unique challenges for sustainable / next gen infrastructure, and how can the traditional barriers to deployment be overcome?

9:40 - 10:30 am ET

Moderator:

Dr. Allison Lassiter | Assistant Professor | The Weitzman School of Design

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Speakers:

Joe Andronaco | Senior Advisor, Loan Programs Office | US Department of Energy 

David Gilford | Head of Policy & Strategic Partnerships | Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners 

Andrew Marino | Senior Managing Director & Head of Corporate Private Equity | Generate Capital

Panel II:  Build or Retreat? Managing Climate Risk in Real Estate

Climate risk will fundamentally alter real estate decisions, particularly in coastal areas threatened by rising sea levels. How should the real estate industry adjust to these pressures? Should developers and investors bullish on coastal cities shift their focus to flood risk mitigation and adaptation? Is managed retreat a more viable option for managing risk and avoiding displacement and relocation of vulnerable communities?
 

10:40 - 11:30am ET

Moderator:

Ben Keys | Rowan Family Foundation Professor & Professor of Real Estate and Finance | The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Speakers:

Matthijs Bouw | Professor of Practice; McHarg Center Fellow for Risk and Resilience | The Weitzman School, University of Pennsylvania

Kelly Hereid, Ph.D. | Director of Catastrophe R&D | Liberty Mutual

Jeremy Alain Siegel | Associate | BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

Lunch 

11:30 - 12:30pm ET

Lunch 

Lightning Lecture II: Disaster Relief and the Human Costs of Climate Change

12:30 - 12:50pm ET

Rob Gaudet | Founder & Director | Cajun Navy

Lightning Lecture III: Prioritizing Environmental Justice and Equity in Urban Climate Initiatives

12:55 - 1:15pm ET

William J. Barber III | Director of Climate and Environmental Justice | Climate Reality Project

Panel III: The Future of Mobility in a Climate Resilient City

What does mobility look like in a resilient-forward city in 2050? What investments and innovations are needed (for highway construction, electric grids, public transit, electric vehicle transportation, mobility hubs, etc.) to address future or ongoing global crises? Which cities are leading vs. falling behind in these endeavors?

1:25 - 2:15pm ET

Moderator: 

Christina Simeone | Senior Fellow | Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

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Speakers:

Augustin K. Wegscheider | Managing Director & Partner, Co-Lead, North American Center for Mobility Innovation | BCG

Robert Rupp | Senior Manager, Vehicle Solutions, Strategy & Analytics | Uber

Alvaro Sanchez | Vice President, Policy | Greenlining Institute

Raghusimha Sudhakara | Director, E-Mobility | Con Edison

Meghan Schulz | Corporate Sustainability Initiatives Manager | SEPTA

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Coffee Break 

2:15 - 2:45pm ET

Coffee Break 

Panel IV: Decarbonizing the Built Environment

Cities' greenhouse gas emissions span the built environment, from buildings to energy, water, and food distribution networks and transportation systems. How are municipal governments, utilities, and other public and private players targeting emissions reductions within and across these emissions-intensive sectors? How can better emissions data and measurement tools improve the efficacy and accountability of these initiatives?

2:45 - 3:35pm ET

Moderator:

Maggie Peloso | Lecturer in Law | University of Pennsylvania

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Speakers:

Jacob Koch | Manager, Sustainability Practice | Bloomberg Associates

Ben Rodney | VP of Construction | Hines

Samantha Shiells | Head of Business Operations | Blueprint Power

Josh Sperling | Urban Futures and the Energy-X Nexus, New Concepts Incubator | NREL

Panel V: Launching and Scaling Urban Climate Ventures

Cities will need to embrace innovation and effectively deploy new technologies to meet climate targets and respond to growing environmental pressures. What are the major challenges and opportunities facing urban-centric climate startups today? What roles do policy makers and investors play in this ecosystem? What are the biggest lessons learned from early-stage and more established urban climate ventures?

3:45 - 4:35pm ET

Moderator:

Jacqueline Kirtley | Assistant Professor of Management | The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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Speakers:

Lolita Jackson | Executive Director of Communications & Sustainable Cities | Sustainable Development Capital

Jonathan Lane | Vice President, Infrastructure Innovation | NYCEDC

Greg Smithies | Co-Head of Climate Tech | Fifth Wall

Closing Remarks

Life After COP26: Major Policy Milestones for COP27 and COP28

4:40 - 5:00pm ET

Koko Warner | UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Secretariat | United Nations

Happy Hour 

5:00 - 7:30pm ET

Join us for drinks and networking at Louie Louie