Earth Summit 2026
Join AILA’s 7th Earth Summit, to examine the technologies, policies, and ideas shaping our climate future. From artificial intelligence to breakthrough materials science, from state climate policy to investment strategies— explore the full spectrum of how we adapt to our changing planet. This year, we have teamed up with LA's Climate Week to be part of this network force.
Can we innovate our way to a sustainable future? Earth Summit brings real data and diverse perspectives about how California addresses climate challenges through policy and technology. What are the actual costs and benefits? Where are the greatest opportunities?
Earth Summit convenes 100-150 sustainability champions, technologists, policymakers, and investors for honest conversations about progress. With a keynote speech by California State’s climate leadership, lightning talks showcasing technical breakthroughs across multiple domains, and panels examining everything from AI's role in climate science to the business models funding our transition, you will gain a comprehensive view of the transformation.
This is a day for builders and pragmatists — people who want facts over hype, who see challenges as opportunity, and who are ready to make something happen, across technology, policy, and investment.
Agenda
2:30 PM Check In
3:00 PM Welcoming Remarks - Chris Pimentel, Mayor of El Segundo
3:15 PM Keynote - Michael Anderson, Climatologist, State of California
California has experienced warming temperatures and a wide array of extremes over the first quarter of the 21st century. As the average temperature warms, changes are expected in the way water arrives, is stored, and moves across California's landscape. In this presentation, California's observations of precipitation, temperature, snowpack, runoff, and sea level illustrate the change that has occurred relative to the 20th century. Dr. Anderson will discuss the challenges of collecting and processing these diverse data streams—from sensor networks to satellite observations—and how spatial and temporal considerations affect our ability to detect change and track critical thresholds. CalAdapt, California's climate data repository, serves as the platform where these datasets converge for accessible, actionable climate information.
3:45 PM Lightening Talks
Agency over Anxiety: Crafting the Stories about Planetary Health
Mark Warshaw: Producer | President, Bureau of Magic
Activating Battery Assets on the Grid
Erika Guerrero: Founder; Electric Goddess
Co-creating Satellite Infrastructure to Track Wildfire
Max Joshua: Director, Strategic Partnerships; Earth Fire Alliance
There IS a Planet B
Dr. Sailesh Rao: Founder and Executive Director; Climate Healers
4:15 PM Break
4:45 PM Panel 1: Impact of AI on California Climate
Facilitator: Shanti Rao, Investor
Panelists
Amir Mousavi: Founder; Greenlanders
Ryan Stonebraker: Senior Research Software Engineer; Space Science Institute
Daniel Howard: CEO; Quantum Energy
Isabelle von Lockner: AI Product Manager, Weather & Climate; Accenture
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we understand and respond to climate challenges—from satellite imagery analysis that tracks environmental change in real time, to predictive models that optimize energy systems, to tools that help organizations measure and reduce their carbon footprint. This panel brings together practitioners deploying AI across climate applications to discuss what's actually working, where the technology shows the most promise, and what the limitations are. Expect an honest conversation about AI's role in California's climate future: the breakthroughs, the hype, and the hard technical problems still to solve.
5:30 PM Panel 2: The Business of Progress
Facilitator: Shanti Rao, Investor
Panelists
Adrian Hightower: Strategic Sustainability Partnerships Program Manager; Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Welela Makonnen: Consultant; Formerly BSR & Disney
Josh Fisher: Professor of Environmental Science & Policy; Chapman University | Scientist; Hydrosat
Alena Solonina: Partner & Co-Founder; CurvePoint Capital
Progress on climate doesn't happen in a vacuum—it requires navigating competing priorities, building unlikely partnerships, and making difficult tradeoffs. This panel brings together leaders from water infrastructure, corporate sustainability, and climate science to discuss the real compromises behind meaningful action: balancing immediate needs with long-term goals, aligning incentives across sectors, and deciding what's worth fighting for when perfection isn't an option.
6:15 PM Dinner Reception
7:30 PM End
About AI LA
AI LA Community, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that's been building community around the responsible development and application of AI since 2016. We host over 100 events a year, including AI on the Lot, Earth Summit, Life Summit, Responsible AI Symposium, and monthly community meetups across various sectors.
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Disability Notice
Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event should contact [email protected] with their name and contact information. We request that individuals requiring accommodations notify us at least 7 days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.