DCCW Opening Ceremony
The second annual DC Climate Week will kick off with a vibrant gathering of climate leaders, investors, policymakers, founders, advocates, and community members.
Together, we'll explore the challenges of the climate crisis and discover the solutions that give us hope.
Join us to learn, connect, and celebrate the growing DMV communities that are driving climate action.
[SOLD OUT]: Tickets are free, first-come, first-served for seats. We have opened a waitlist to attend.
Consider making a donation to support DC Climate Week's work.
ROOTS
1:30pm - 1:32pm Welcome
1:32pm - 1:38pm Welcome
C'pher Gresham - Co-Lead Organizer, DC Climate Week
1:39pm - 1:44pm Johns Hopkins ROSEI Welcome
Ben Schafer - Hackerman Professor of Engineering and Founding Director, ROSEI, Johns Hopkins University.
1:45pm - 1:47pm City Trees, Bay Benefits
Andrew Schichtel - Executive Director, Casey Trees.
1:47pm - 1:57pm Chesapeake Bay: What Winning Looks Like
Hilary Harp Falk - President and CEO, Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
1:58pm - 2:08pm Keynote | The Science and What It Demands
Brandon Jones - President, American Geophysical Union (AGU).
2:09pm - 2:12pm Rising Star Award Presentation
Presented by C'pher Gresham
2:13pm - 2:17pm Three Millimeters - Connecting Science to Humanity
Greg Kahn - Documentary and Fine Art Photographer.
2:18pm - 2:31pm Keynote | This Is the Climate Economy
Nelson Switzer - Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Climate Innovation Capital. Author of The Gigacorn Hunter
2:32pm - 2:38pm Lightning Talk | Circular Textile Recycling in Action
Zahlen Titcomb - CEO and Co-Founder, Ravel.
2:41pm - 2:56pm Fireside | Federal Climate Policy and the Road Ahead
Dave Turk - Former Deputy Secretary of Energy. Program Director, Environment, Hewlett Foundation
Brenda Mallory - Former Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality.
2:56pm - 3:21pm Networking Break
CANOPY
3:21pm - 3:23pm Welcome Back
Justin Brodie-Kommit
3:24pm - 3:34pm What is Happening With Climate Today?
Eric Wesoff - Executive Director and Co-Founder, Canary Media
3:35pm - 3:45pm The Demand Signal: Corporate Clean Energy at Scale
Rich Powell - CEO, CEBA, Corporate Energy Buyers Association
3:47pm - 3:51pm Enough: Eco-Poetry of Climate Action
Neha Misra - Board Member, Intersectional Environmentalist. Climate justice advocate, poet, and eco-folk artist.
3:52pm - 4:05pm Funding True Breakthroughs: What Catalytic Capital Does That Mainstream Finance Won't
Matthew Nordan - Co-Founder and General Partner, Azolla Ventures
4:06pm - 4:08pm Exelon 2c2i Introduces Keeling Curve Prize
Faith Davis - Lead, Exelon's Climate Change Investment Initiative (2c2i)
4:08pm - 4:23pm Keeling Curve Prize | 2026 Finalists Announcement
Jacquelyn Francis - Founder and Executive Director, Climate Curve (Keeling Curve Prize)
Justin Worland - Senior Climate Correspondent, TIME Magazine
4:25pm - 4:31pm Our Changing Food System in Our Changing Climate
Chef Spike Mendelsohn - Founder, PLNT Burger and Just Ice Tea.
4:32pm - 4:38pm Sustaining Business Momentum on Climate Action
Neal Kemkar - Chief Network Officer, Ceres.
5:03pm - 5:05pm Welcome Back
Shelby Luzzi - Senior Manager, Sustainability, Destination DC.
5:06pm - 5:08pm Enduring Planet, Climate Finance
Erin Davis - Co-Founder and COO, Enduring Planet.
5:10pm - 5:30pm Affordable Energy: The Case for Climate Solutions That Already Work
Jigar Shah - Co-Managing Partner, Multiplier. Co-host, Energy Empire and Open Circuit podcasts.
Jamie Nolan - Principal, Nolan Strategic Communications. Co-host, Energy Empire podcast
5:32pm - 5:36pm Creatives for the Climate
Dr. Mel Michelle Lewis - Executive Curator, Root to Flourish Collective. Board Chair, Orion Magazine. Environmental Humanities Faculty, Maryland Institute College of Art. Author of Biomythography Bayou.
5:38pm - 5:40pm Introducing Victoria Herrmann and Andrew Courtney
Cedric Craig - DCCW Advisory Board
5:40pm - 5:56pm Fireside | Protecting and Preserving Natural and Cultural Legacy
Victoria Herrmann - Executive Director, Preserving Legacies
Andrew Courtney - Deputy Chief Science and Innovation Officer and VP of Programs, National Geographic
5:59pm - 6:17pm Climate Generations: B to Z
Dan Delurey - Senior Fellow for Climate and Energy, Vermont Law and Graduate School. Former White House Director for Clean Energy. (Boomer)
Sage Lenier - Founder, Futureline. TIME Magazine Next Generation Leader. (Gen Z)
Tracy Wholf - Founder, WereWHOLF Media. Formerly head of climate at CBS News and ABC News. (Gen Y)
How do the different generations think about and act on climate change and the impact it will have on the future? Roundtable discussion with representatives from each generation, from Boomers on down to Gen Z.
6:18pm - 6:20pm The Week Ahead
Justin Brodie-Kommit
6:21pm - 6:26pm Thank You and Close
Naamal De Silva - Vice President, Together for Birds, American Bird Conservancy.
The speakers and organizations participating during the DC Climate Week event do not represent the views of the event space hosts or DC Climate Week.