​The Moment

​Let’s not sugarcoat it: the climate movement in the U.S. is in a tough place. Access to capital is shrinking. Policy wins are under threat. And everywhere you look, the work feels harder than it did just a year ago.

​That’s why this moment demands more than new ideas or louder headlines — it requires resilience.

​Not the abstract kind. The kind earned through failure, endurance, and doing hard things again and again. The kind learned in the backcountry, where discomfort is constant and progress is slow.

​The Conversation

​Alex Honnold (professional rock climber and founder of the Honnold Foundation) joins Cambium CEO Ben Christensen for a candid conversation on what the climate movement can learn from the world of endurance.

​Together, they’ll unpack:

• ​How we manage fear and uncertainty

• ​What it looks like to push through when momentum stalls

• ​The mindset required to keep going — mentally, emotionally, and strategically

• ​How the Honnold Foundation is navigating this moment

​Timing:

• ​Doors (7:00 PM)

• ​Conversation (7:30-8:30 PM)

• ​Late Night Salon (8:30-10:30 PM)

​The Speakers

​Alex Honnold is a professional rock climber best known for becoming the first—and only—person to free solo Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan, a feat captured in the Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo. Heralded as one of the greatest climbers of all time, Alex has pushed the limits of the sport through bold ascents and cutting-edge expeditions across Antarctica, Greenland, and beyond.

​He’s also the founder of the Honnold Foundation, which supports community-based solar energy projects around the world. Whether scaling cliffs or advancing climate resilience, Alex brings a rare perspective on risk, purpose, and pushing forward when it matters most.

​Whether scaling cliffs or pushing for climate equity, Alex brings a unique lens on risk, resilience, and purpose—and uses his platform to inspire action far beyond the wall.

​

​Ben Christensen is the founder and CEO of Cambium, a climate-tech company transforming urban wood waste into traceable, carbon-smart materials—recognized by TIME as a Best Invention and by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies. He’s also an ultramarathoner who has completed grueling races like the 156-mile Marathon des Sables, Canyonlands 100, and Denali 135. As a lifelong endurance athlete, Ben’s fascination lies not just in the miles or mountains, but in the mindset: what the edge teaches us about resilience, focus, and our place in the world.

​The Honnold Foundation envisions a world where marginalized communities lead the transition to renewable energy, with the resources they need to adapt and thrive. They believe in solar as a proven, environmentally sound solution to global energy poverty, and award grants to community organizations whose projects are innovative, equity-focused, and have the potential to shift the narrative on what’s possible for energy access worldwide.