BLD Southeast 2026: Full Schedule

9:25am EDT

Protecting the Mission: Practical Climate Risk Strategies for B Corps

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

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

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

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

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