BLD Southeast 2026: Full Schedule

9:25am EDT

From Readiness to Responsibility: An AI Readiness Workshop for Purpose-Driven Companies

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT

Every leadership team is having the same quiet conversation. "We know AI matters. We're using it in pockets. But is it actually moving us forward, or are we just busy?" For B Corps there's a second layer. Doing it in a way that protects stakeholders, upholds transparency, and stays true to the mission.

This working session turns that question into a plan. Building on the Ethical AI conversations from BLD Mountain West, PNW, and Bay Area, Jonathan Will walks the room through a live, six-area AI readiness assessment tool. You leave with an Organizational AI Readiness Score, a clear view of your biggest gap, and a practical step you can put into action right now, for free, to start closing it. All of it framed through a responsible, stakeholder-first lens.

Speakers

Jonathan Will

Director of Strategic Partnerships, GadellNet

Jonathan Will works for GadellNet, a certified B Corp IT, cybersecurity, and strategic consulting company, leading the growth of the Colorado market and new markets. He is passionate about business, community involvement, and service. He served on the board of B Local Colorado and... Read More →

Tiffany Lentz

Managing Vice President, Pariveda

I lead our Purposeful Profit Office, enterprise Social Impact, NPO strategy, JEDI, and B Corp Certification. I’m a storyteller and love sharing stories of business operating for good!

Jahari Soward-Weaver

CEO, NPursuit Career Partners

Jahari Soward Weaver is a responsible AI adoption and workforce transformation strategist, speaker and coach. As Founder and CEO of NPursuit Career Partners, a talent solutions company with a social impact model, she helps organizations prepare their people, operations and governance... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT
Room 302

Session, Breakout

Track Emerging Challenges

9:25am EDT

Protecting the Mission: Practical Climate Risk Strategies for B Corps

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT

Room 301

B Corps are built to deliver positive impact, but climate change can disrupt the people, places, suppliers, and systems that make that work possible. This interactive workshop will help participants think through the physical and transition risks most likely to affect mission-driven businesses, from flooding, extreme heat, and supply chain disruption to insurance pressure, customer expectations, and changing regulation. Using peer discussion, real-world examples, and a simple guided framework, attendees will identify where climate risks may show up in their own organizations, explore practical resilience and mitigation responses, and discuss where climate-related opportunities may emerge.

Speakers

Grace Cook

Climate Risk Lead, Ramboll

Grace is a climate strategy and risk advisor at Ramboll, where she helps companies and asset owners assess climate-related risks, respond to evolving disclosure requirements, and build more resilient business strategies. Her work focuses on translating complex climate risk information... Read More →

James McCann

Ramboll

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT
Room 301

Session, Workshop

Track Planet

9:25am EDT

Radical Inclusion: Aligning Your Digital Presence with Your Inclusion Commitments, Legal Requirements, and B Corp V2 JEDI Standards

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT

Room 307

Your brand is a B Corp because you believe in a world that works for everyone. But is your digital "front door" locked for 1 in 4 people who want to be your customer?

In the B Corp world, we don’t just check boxes; we break barriers. Unfortunately, many small business owners are unaware of the website accessibility barriers that mean 25% of your potential customers cannot buy from you.

Equally troubling: as a small or medium sized business, you are much more likely to get sued than larger or enterprise companies. The lawyers looking to make easy money know that, unlike a giant company which might fight the lawsuit in court, small and medium sized businesses are going to settle. We don’t want this to be the case for a single B Corp - especially you.

This interactive session moves beyond the (very real) fear lawsuits and dives into the heart of the new B Corp V2 JEDI standards. We’ll explore how website accessibility isn't just a legal requirement—it’s a fundamental human right and a powerful engine for SEO and revenue.

Denise Páne will show you how to turn digital compliance into a competitive advantage that honors the dignity of every user.

Participants will leave with

What You’ll Learn:

1. The JEDI Evolution
How the new B Corp standards include website accessibility as a core pillar of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

2. Market Share with a Mission
Why digital inclusion unlocks a $13 trillion global market and boosts your market share by 25%.

3. SEO That Sees Everyone
How accessible code makes your site a favorite for both human beings and search engine crawlers.

4. Risk Mitigation Through Radical Caring
Avoiding $50,000 accessibility lawsuits by creating a culture of digital "open doors" that protects your bottom line.

5. Beyond the Label
How accessibility supports people with ADHD, Color Blindness, Dyslexia, Epilepsy, Autism, and more—creating a better user experience for every single visitor.

6. $5,000 Tax Credit!
Who doesn’t love a good tax credit? There is a $5000 tax credit for small businesses when they make their website websites accessible.

Speakers

Denise Pane

CEO & Founder, Access Design Studio

Denise Páne is the CEO and Founder of Access Design Studio. Access Design Studio helps mission-driven, sustainable brands make their websites accessible—thus aligning their digital experiences with their sustainability and inclusion commitments and the new V2 JEDI standards.

De... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT
Room 307

Session, Breakout

Track People

9:25am EDT

Why Should Anyone Choose You? How Purpose-Driven Businesses Win Better Clients at Better Prices

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT

Room 308

Most purpose-driven businesses sound the same. "We care about people and planet" stopped being a differentiator years ago. They end up competing on price because they haven't earned the right to charge more.

The workshop: A 60 to 90-minute interactive session where participants sharpen how they talk about what makes their business different. We teach the karmadharma positioning framework, then participants draft, stress-test, and rewrite their positioning live with peer feedback.

The output: A sharpened positioning statement, a clearer view of their ideal customer, and three messaging angles they can test on LinkedIn the following week.

Speakers

Peter Georgariou

Founder/CEO, karmadharma

Thursday September 17, 2026 9:25am - 10:25am EDT
Room 308

Session, Workshop

Track Profit

10:35am EDT

From Proof to Power: Building the Infrastructure for Systems Change

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT

Room 301

This session will explore a central question for the B Corp and sustainable business community: Now that we've spent the last two decades proving that stakeholder-oriented business works, what will it take to translate that proof into durable systems change?

Panelists will discuss the policy, civic, economic, and movement infrastructure needed to move beyond individual company leadership and toward lasting change at scale.

Speakers

George Chmael II

CEO & Founder, Council Fire

Shaibya Dalal

Senior Director, Policy Research & Development, PolicyLink

Holly Ensign-Barstow

Co-Executive Director, B Lab U.S. & Canada

Abby Maxwell

Policy & Advocacy Manager, ASBN

Abby Maxwell is the Policy & Advocacy Manager at the American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN), where she works on the development of advocacy initiatives, such as Advocacy 101 training for business leaders focused on sustainability and climate policy. Since joining the organization... Read More →

J. Dontrese Brown

Community Development Executive | Ecosystem Architect | Educator, Hidden in Plain Site (HiPS™)

J. Dontrese Brown is a Community Development Executive and Opportunity Ecosystem Architect who designs and aligns cross-sector partnerships, systems, and strategies that create opportunity and help communities thrive. His work sits at the intersection of community health, economic... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT
Room 301

Session, Panel

Track Emerging Challenges

10:35am EDT

Impact Capital Right for You — and Are You Ready for It?

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT

Room 307

Impact Investing Workshop touching on some combination of the following topics:
(1) The Impact Capital Landscape: Who's Out There and What Do They Want?
(2) Debt vs. Equity vs. Everything In Between
(3) Not Quite Ready? Building Toward Investor Criteria
(4) From Conversation to Term Sheet: Navigating the Relationship with Impact Investors

Speakers

Michael Whelchel

CEO, Big Path Capital

Michael Whelchel is Founder and CEO of Big Path Capital (www.bigpath.com) – a leading boutique investment bank working with positive impact companies and funds in capital raises and exits / liquidity events. Founded in 2007, Big Path Capital has developed one of the largest networks... Read More →

Cortney Mukushi

Partner, ImpactGC

Yrenilsa Lopez

Managing Director, Momentus Capital

Elizabeth Seward

Momentus Capital

Michael Jones

RSF | Regenerative Social Finance

As RSF’s Vice President of Lending Business Development, Michael Jones manages RSF’s business development, oversees the relationship management team, and works with strategic lending partners. He is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta and attended graduate school at NYU... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT
Room 307

Session, Panel

Track Profit

10:35am EDT

Keeping Your People When Budgets are Stretched and Attention Fractured

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT

Room 308

You already chose the harder path in how you build your business: better systems, more human, less, less extractive. The question is whether you're choosing it in how you lead your people, now that every choice is under more pressure.

Budgets are tight and attention is pulled in multiple directions, and work becomes more transactional — “just this one emergency,” “just until we get back to solid ground” — while the conversations that matter fall away.

People don’t leave for one reason; compensation, workload, and pressure all matter. But under constraint, what most shapes whether they stay is an intangible force that holds people together when everything is pulling them apart: Relational Gravity

This experiential lab will build your practice for building Relational Gravity, so that you can design for the conditions that retain great talent, instead of leaving it to chance.

Grounded in behavioral science and built from years of designing connection across communities, and movements, this session provides a repeatable practice you can use the next time you walk into a room of capable, scattered, under-resourced people and need them to stay connected.

Through footage from &Human’s Strangers on the Street and Traveling Table series and hands-on practice in small clusters, you’ll learn by observing real interactions and reflecting on what actually shifts connection in the moment — no new platform, no big budget, and no theory to translate later.

Speakers

Lia James

CEO / Facilitator, &Human

Lia James designs spaces where people move past surface-level exchange into something more honest and generative. She's the founder of &Human, a connection design studio working in live gatherings, film, and participatory training that help teams and communities build trust on purpose.Her... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT
Room 308

Session, Workshop

Track People

10:35am EDT

Using Your Purchasing Power: Supply Chain Engagement as Collective Action

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT

Room 302

B Corp V2.1 raises the bar on collective action, including how companies engage their supply chains. Grove Collaborative and Ecolytics explore how connecting service providers with your supply chain creates measurable impact, and how companies of any size can use their purchasing relationships to drive sustainability outcomes beyond their own operations.

Speakers

Hazel Horvath

Founder & CEO, Ecolytics

Hazel Horvath is the founder and CEO of Ecolytics, a software platform that helps companies build data-driven sustainability programs, specializing in working with B Corps to streamline the rigorous certification process. With a background in global sustainability analysis and a degree... Read More →

Kaley Cross

Sustainability Manager, Grove Collaborative

Kaley Cross serves as Sustainability Manager at Grove Collaborative, where she leads a variety of sustainability initiatives focused on advancing both human and environmental health. With a career dedicated to circular economy solutions, plastic reduction, and corporate sustainability... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 10:35am - 11:35am EDT
Room 302

Session, Breakout

Track Planet

1:10pm EDT

Beyond the Statement: Building Structural Solidarity That Pays Off Before, During, and After a Crisis

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT

Room 308

When social/political flashpoints hit, most companies scramble to figure out what to say and do in the moment, often getting it wrong. This interactive workshop gives B Corps and mission-driven businesses a practical framework for building structural solidarity before a crisis arrives, so that when something happens, the organization already has proof to point to, not just a statement. Participants will work through the "Three Traps" organizations fall into during crisis response, a Proof Spectrum self-assessment tool, and a condensed framework for turning stated values into structural commitments. The session also makes the business case: organizations that build this infrastructure see it pay back in retention, recruitment, and trust, long before any crisis ever arrives.

Speakers

August M Ball

Founder/Lead Consultant, Cream City Conservation & Consulting LLC

August M. Ball is the founder of Cream City Conservation, the first Black woman-owned business in Wisconsin to earn B Corp certification, working at the intersection of organizational development and environmental conservation. With over 20 years in youth program management and a... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT
Room 308

Session, Workshop

Track Emerging Challenges

1:10pm EDT

Buy, Build, Share: A Practical Workshop on Mission-Driven M&A and Employee Ownership

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT

Room 307

Mission-driven companies are under pressure to grow, collaborate, and survive in a consolidating economy. But many founders and operators still think of M&A as something that happens to them, not something they can use intentionally.

This workshop reframes M&A as a practical tool for mission-aligned growth, succession planning, employee ownership, and community wealth preservation.

Rather than a panel or lecture, this session will guide participants through a working session to identify where acquisition, merger, succession, or employee ownership strategies may be relevant to their own business or ecosystem. We will explore how B Corps and purpose-led companies can use these tools to grow impact, preserve jobs, support founder transitions, and expand broad-based ownership.

Speakers

Hannah Sandmeyer

Founder & CEO, Up & Over Advisors / Steward Market

Hannah Sandmeyer is the Founder and CEO of Up & Over Advisors, the first Certified B Corporation in the world dedicated exclusively to values-aligned M&A sourcing, and the founder of Steward Market, a live marketplace for ethical business transitions. She also co-hosts Ethical Exits... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT
Room 307

Session, Workshop

Track Profit

1:10pm EDT

From B Impact to Certification: Demystifying the Audit Process

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT

Room 301

This interactive workshop provides a practical, end-to-end walkthrough of the B Lab certification and audit process—from submitting evidence in the B Impact Assessment to certification decision and ongoing audit cycles.

The session goes beyond a traditional presentation by incorporating real-world scenarios and interactive breakouts. Participants will gain a clear understanding of what to expect at each stage of the audit, how audit findings are assessed, and how companies can prepare effectively.

Breakout sessions will be tailored to the audience:
• A session with B Lab consultants focusing on audit end to end process, evidence requested, and non-conformities (major vs. minor, corrective actions, timelines).
• A peer-learning work session for Medium to XXL companies focusing on multi-site audits, including sampling approaches, risk-based selection, and common challenges in implementation across locations.

Speakers

Cheryl Ross

Sr. Technical Specialist - B Lab, SCS Global Services

Cheryl is an auditor within the SCS B Lab certification program, responsible for conducting audits and evaluating company performance against B Lab requirements. She works closely with clients to assess evidence, identify non-conformities, and support the certification process through... Read More →

Bonnie Holman

To-Cert

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT
Room 301

Session, Breakout

Track Emerging Challenges

1:10pm EDT

One Team. Every Generation. Creating workplaces where people feel valued, connected, and inspired

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT

Room 302

Multi-generational friction starts when expectations go unspoken. This workshop gives leaders and employees the tools to communicate, set, and understand what they need from each other — so every generation can thrive.
It's an interactive, energetic, and fun workshop designed to spark real conversation, challenge assumptions, and create genuine connection across every generation in the room. Everyone leaves with tangible tools they can use with their own teams, starting Monday morning.

Speakers

Karina Muller

Founder, Maripossa Wellness

Founder of Maripossa Wellness, with extensive expertise in health, wellness, stress management, and leadership development. Respected corporate educator and facilitator.

Barb Agoglia

Founder, FreshEyesOn Consulting

Founder of FreshEyesOn Consulting with 18+ years in product, brand, and marketing leadership at American Express. Certified public speaker and facilitator.

Thursday September 17, 2026 1:10pm - 2:10pm EDT
Room 302

Session, Panel

Track People

3:30pm EDT

Conscious AI Adoption: People, Planet, Governance

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

Room 302

Most organizations are adopting AI faster than they are thinking about it. Tools arrive, teams experiment, workflows quietly reshape themselves—and the questions that matter get asked after the fact, if at all. This panel is an invitation to pause and ask them now, while the choices are still open.

We'll examine the impact AI is having on two fronts: on people and on the planet. On the people side, we'll explore how AI adoption affects employees mentally and emotionally, how AI is driving organizations toward a mission of productivity and
efficiency above all else regardless of the cost, and how it is changing the culture of the workplace — including what it means for a younger workforce entering an environment where entry-level tasks are increasingly being automated. We'll look honestly at the potential impact of that, and at how we can move forward intentionally to do the least harm possible.

We will examine what leadership is avoiding by this big AI adoption push, and what important issues are not being addressed properly as we rush forward. Also, we will explore the opportunities that AI is creating for doing good work, like
investing in our colleagues, mentoring up and coming professionals, and investing in our well-being.

On the planet side, we'll explore how the energy costs of running AI systems align with our values and our goals regarding environmental protection and sustainability. We will explore potential contradictions, where real costs are hidden, and how we can better account for our AI use as it pertains to energy costs. What are the real costs? How can
businesses do a better job of calculating them, given that much of the burden lives in integrated systems and is not necessarily obvious to those doing the calculations? And how should we respond once those costs reveal themselves?

This is an opportunity to pause long enough to think about how we use these tools intentionally and consciously, so that we do the least harm possible to the people using them and the planet supporting them. You'll hear from people managers, founders, advisors, and leaders with real-world experience who can offer practical guidance and concrete examples of intentional adoption in practice, potential issues at play, and the real costs. Through live polling, audience questions, and cross-panel discussion, we'll work toward a shared picture of conscious adoption — the road that makes us all feel clearer on the path forward, and a bit more optimistic about the future.

Speakers

Hazel Horvath

Founder & CEO, Ecolytics

Kaley Cross

Sustainability Manager, Grove Collaborative

David Shove-Brown

Partner, //3877

David Shove-Brown is the co-founder and partner of Washington D.C.-based, multidisciplinary architecture and design firm //3877. As co-founder of //3877—named in the Washington Business Journal's ‘Best Places to Work’ for three consecutive years, and the only D.C.-based architecture... Read More →

Jed Fiato

Principal Consultant, E4 Consulting

Jed Fiato is a Principal Consultant at E4 Consulting with expertise in organizational and
community resilience, focusing on preparedness, substance misuse prevention, mental
health, and employee well-being. Over his 15-year career spanning federal government,
consulting, and the non... Read More →

Whitney Hayes

Senior Market Research Strategist, Human8

Whitney Hayes is a trained sociologist with research experience in academia, nonprofit, and industry sectors. Her specialty is on identity and culture.

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Room 302

Session, Panel

Track Emerging Challenges/People/Planet

3:30pm EDT

From Proof to Power: Designing the Next Phase of the Movement

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

Room 301

Building on the themes from the panel earlier in the day titled From Proof to Power: Building the Infrastructure for Systems Change, this workshop, From Proof to Power: Designing the Next Phase of the Movement, will engage participants in helping identify and shape the infrastructure, leadership pathways, policy strategies, and collective action mechanisms needed to advance that work. The session is designed as a highly participatory working session and will generate recommendations that can inform future collaboration across the responsible business ecosystem.

Together with the panel above, the two sessions are intended to create a learning arc: understanding the challenge, exploring emerging solutions, and contributing to what comes next.

Speakers

Holly Ensign-Barstow

Co-Executive Director, B Lab U.S. & Canada

Shaibya Dalal

Senior Director, Policy Research & Development, PolicyLink

J. Dontrese Brown

Community Development Executive | Ecosystem Architect | Educator, Hidden in Plain Site (HiPS™)

Abby Maxwell

Policy & Advocacy Manager, ASBN

Holly Fowler

Director of Impact, Council Fire

Holly Fowler is the Director of Impact at Council Fire, a sustainability consulting firm and B Corp, where she brings big-picture strategy and sharp attention to detail to every project she touches. Driven by a lifelong love of nature and the ocean, Holly believes critical thinking... Read More →

Jeffrey Lue

Finance & Operations Manager, Council Fire

Jeff Lue is the Finance & Operations Manager at Council Fire, a sustainability consulting firm and B Corp. A sustainability-focused problem solver at heart, Jeff keeps Council Fire running smoothly while championing a fun, human-centered culture along the way. He brings six years... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Room 301

Session, Workshop

Track Emerging Challenges

3:30pm EDT

Money Talks: How Money Beliefs Shape Leadership, Culture, and Impact

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

Room 308

Every organization has a relationship with money. That relationship influences culture, leadership, employee wellbeing, decision-making, and long-term impact.

Yet many of the beliefs driving those outcomes remain unspoken.

In this interactive workshop, Brandon Hatton helps participants uncover the money beliefs shaping their organizations and explore how scarcity and abundance mindsets influence leadership and culture. Through guided reflection and practical exercises, attendees will learn frameworks for creating healthier conversations about money, purpose, and impact.

Participants will leave with practical tools they can immediately apply within their teams and organizations.

Speakers

Brandon Hatton

CEO, Chief Investment Officer, Conscious Wealth

Brandon Hatton is CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Conscious Wealth®, where he advises founders, business owners, executives, and multigenerational families on the intersection of wealth, leadership, purpose, and impact. He is the author of Conscious Wealth: Money, Investing... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Room 308

Session, Workshop

Track People

3:30pm EDT

Which Model of Employee Ownership Is Right for Your Business?

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

Room 307

Employee ownership offers business owners a powerful path for succession, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Join employee-owned business founder Miren Oca and our panel of employee ownership experts, Donna Sky, Sam Mazzeo, and Steve Storkan for a practical conversation about the different models available, including ESOPs, worker cooperatives, and Employee Ownership Trusts. Hear one company’s transition story and learn how to evaluate which model may be the right fit for your company, your employees, and the legacy you want to leave.

Speakers

Sam Mazzeo

Managing Attorney / Founder / Board Member, Better apc / Fervor & Zeal / B Local SD

Sam is the kind of attorney you actually want in the room. He can help you navigate B Corp certification, trademark law, business formation and securities, and contracts - but he's equally qualified to plan your Halloween party, teach you a standing backflip, and settle the "GIF... Read More →

Miren Oca

Founder and CEO, OcaQuatics

Miren Oca is the founder and CEO of Ocaquatics Swim School, the world’s first B Corp-certified swim school. Since 1994, Ocaquatics has been helping families love swimming and stay safer in the water. Now in its 31st year, the company teaches over 6,500 lessons each week during peak... Read More →

Donna Sky

Business Engagement & Strategic Partnerships, Project Equity

Donna Sky is a Business Engagement & Strategic Partnerships, Senior Manager at Project Equity, a national nonprofit that helps businesses transition to employee ownership. In her role, she collaborates with business owners and community partners to advance employee ownership as a... Read More →

Steve Storkan

Executive Director, Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX)

Steve Storkan is Executive Director of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX), a national nonprofit expanding employee ownership across the United States through a network of State Centers and national partnerships. Under Steve’s leadership, EOX has grown into a national... Read More →

Thursday September 17, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Room 307

Session, Breakout