BLD Southeast 2026: Full Schedule

10:35am EDT

From Proof to Power: Building the Infrastructure for Systems Change

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

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

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

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 →

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