Cal Poly Initiative for Climate Leadership and Resilience, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA (2026)

02/27/2026

Introducing our final plenary speaker for the conference (2/23-2/27):
Dawn Addis, District 30 California State Assemblymember!

Her plenary talk, "California Climate Legislature with Dawn Addis, District 30 California State Assemblymember", will take place at 1:10pm PT on February 27th.

Assemblymember Dawn Addis will share insights on the following climate issues and associated state policy efforts, including the climate crisis at large (AB 1243, Climate Superfund Act), environmental safety (AB 3233, Local Environmental Choice, and Safety Act), and offshore oil drilling (AB 1536, Save Our Shores Act).

Dawn Addis, a former special education teacher, represents California’s coastal 30th Assembly District. She currently chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health, overseeing a $200 billion budget. She is also the inaugural chair of the California Legislative Central Coast Caucus. Assemblymember Addis helped craft the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024. Appointed by the Assembly Speaker to the Ocean Protection Council and National Conference of State Legislatures Natural Resources, she brings Central Coast priorities to statewide and national conversations. Her advocacy for education, healthcare, housing, and environmental protection earned her recognitions as a Reproductive Freedom Champion and California Ocean Champion. She is a proud mom of two adult kids and two rescue pets.

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02/26/2026

How does business sustainability coincide with climate solutions? Learn all about it from experts on the Business Sustainability track at Climate Solutions Now:

Janice Lao (Visiting Faculty, Bard College): “The Winning Playbook: How Top Companies Actually Make Sustainability Pay Off”

Andrew Collier (Director, Freedom to Invest at Ceres): “Freedom to Invest: Protecting Investors and Companies Ability to Invest and Operate Responsibly”

Alison Taylor (Clinical Professor, NYU Stern School of Business): “Tackling Sustainability's Elitism Problem”

Benjamin Arts (Founder and CEO of Mr. Turtle): “The Biggest Competitor to Climate Change is Convenience”

Diane Lee (Sustainability Partnerships at Charm Industrial): “Carbon Removal - Building the Net in Net Zero”

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02/26/2026

How does built environment coincide with climate solutions? Learn all about it from experts on the Built Environment track at Climate Solutions Now:

Noah Goldmann (Senior Manager, Rewiring America): “How Home Electrification Can Help the Planet, Your Health, and Your Electricity Bill”

Sam Shoemaker (Artist at OCHI Gallery): “Mushroom Boat Adventures and Mycelium material Technology Enhanced Weathering”

Michael Glenn (Commissioning Engineer for Guttmann & Blaevoet Consulting Engineers): “The Role of Building Commissioning in Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency”

Amanda Smith, PhD (Senior Scientist of Built Enviornment at Project Drawdown): “ Reimagining Buildings: How Climate-Friendly Buildings Must be Different, and How to Know Which Solutions Will Help”

Erlantz Lizundia (Associate professor at University of the Basque Country)“Woody Materials for Sustainable Development: Emerging Conatminant Remedation and Structural Applications”

Christopher Maurer (Founder of Redhouse Studio Architecture): “Regenerative Mycotecture: Using Fungi to Build and Repair Ecosystems”

Stephanie Cain (Compost Planning Manager for People, Food, and Land Foundation): “Compost is More than Waste Diversion!”

Carlos Hernandez (Home Energy Advising Program Manager for SLO Climate Coalition): “Home Energy Advising”

Travis McDaniel, PE, BCxP, HBDP (Associate Principal, Commissioning Teaming at LeadGuttman & Blaevoet): “Commissioning for Building Energy Reduction”

Ben Stapleton (CEO of USGBC Califorina) & Melanie Peck (Chief Programs Officer of USGBC California): “Why Buildings, and your Career, are the Keys to a More Sustainable California for All”

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02/25/2026

Introducing our plenary speaker for the conference (2/23-2/27):
Michael St. Clair, Chief Sustainability Officer for the Office of the President!

His plenary talk, "Scaling Climate and Sustainability Action Across the University of California System", will take place on February 26th at 1:05pm PT.

This talk will introduce the University of California (UC) system's sustainability priorities and how UC endeavors to scale up best practices in priority topics like decarbonization of buildings & transportation and phasing out single-use plastics. The talk will cover who is involved in developing and implementing systemwide sustainability goals and how UC tracks and reports on progress.

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02/25/2026

How do communications and carbon removal coincide with climate solutions? Learn all about it with today and tomorrow's talks from experts on the Communications and Carbon Removal tracks at Climate Solutions Now:

Amanda Taylor, PhD (Sr. Director of Global Communication and Marketing at ABET): “Empowering Change from Local Action to Global Impact: Communication Strategies for Sustainability”

Hannah Murnen (CTO of Graphyte): “Cost-effective and scalable carbon removable”

Xin Ran Liu (Research Fellow at The Univeristy of Edinburg): “Enhanced Weathering: Low Emmission Agriculture”

Diane Lee (Sustainability Partnerships at Charm Industrial): “Carbon Removal - Building the Net in Net Zero”

Dr. Anirudh Tiwathia (Director of Behavioral Science at Rare’s Entertainment Lab): “Primetime in a Warming World: Can Medical Dramas Save Lives?”

Eric Schwaab (Senior Fellow at Ocean Visions): “The Phytoplankton Carbon Solutions Research Framework”

David Resnik (Bioethicist at the NIHS): “A Pragmatic Perspective on the Climate Change Debate”

Alex Gagnon (CEO & Co-Founder of Banyu Carbon): “Low Energy Carbon Removal Powered By Sunlight”

Dr. Greg H. Rau (Co-Founder & Senior Scientist at Planetary Technologies): “Use of OAE to Help Reduce Atmospheric CO2 and Ocean Acidification”

Meredith Herr (Deputy Director at Climate Access): “How Can We Shift the Climate Narrative and Inspire Action?”

Chelsea Warren (Marketing Communications Manager at the City and County of Denver, Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency): “Closing the Perception Gap: Storytelling and Social Norms in Local Climate Action”

Zachary Labe (Climate Scientist at Climate Central Inc.): “The Urgency of Effectively Communicating Climate Data”

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02/24/2026

Introducing our plenary speaker for the conference (2/23-2/27):
Chelsea Warren, Marketing Communications Manager at the City and County of Denver Government , Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency!

Her plenary talk, "Closing the Perception Gap: Storytelling and Social Norms in Local Climate Action", will take place on February 26th at 8:10am PT.

Denver is the second city in the nation with a dedicated voter-approved fund for climate action, making millions of dollars available to residents, nonprofits, and businesses to electrify, reduce waste, and cut carbon pollution. Research shows the strongest predictor of climate action is not political identity or even belief in climate change - it’s whether people think others around them are taking action. We pair financial incentives with a communications strategy grounded in behavioral science, using social norming to make climate-friendly behaviors visible, achievable, and expected.

Last year, we launched the Denver Climate Project—a citywide behavior-change campaign built around a simple call to action: do more, do less, do something. Designed to close the perception gap and demonstrate that most Denverites support climate action, the campaign reached nearly every corner of the city. We purchased 89% of the city's bus shelters, installed a downtown wallscape, and used unexpected tactics, from limited-edition ice cream to free pedicab rides, to spark conversation. We also connected face-to-face with thousands of people at community events. Those exposed to the campaign overwhelmingly indicated intent to take new climate actions. At the center of it all are human stories: focused on lower bills, cleaner air, and protecting neighborhoods. Because small actions create social momentum, and momentum drives change.

View the conference agenda: https://whova.com/embedded/event/irrwSrJJy5XAc22gEkfnWYRb1vPpT9-PuSHRqVHslZU%3D/?refer=undefined&day=0
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02/24/2026

How do the rights of nature coincide with climate solutions? Learn all about it from experts on the Rights of Nature track at Climate Solutions Now:

Juliette A. Jackson (Indigenous Rights lawyer, enrolled member of The Klamath Tribes): “The Rights of Nature Movement in Indian Country”

Maya K. van Rossum (Founder/Leader, Green Amendments For The Generations): “Green Amendments: Taking Our Power Back to Protect People & Earth”

George Galvis (Founding Executive Director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice): “Building A Movement for Climate Abolition”

Amy Bowers Cordalis (Co-Founder, Executive Director of Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group): “The Water Remembers”

Grant Wilson (Executive Director of Earth Law Center): “Innovative Laws for the Planet”

Nikki Reisch (Director, Climate & Energy Program at Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)): “Climate Justice & Legal Accountability: The US in Global Perspective”

Ilaron Merculieff (President and Founder, Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways): “The Real Human Being and the Now”

Leah Mata-Fragua (Tribal Board Member at Large, yak titu titu Northern Chumash Tribe): “Grounded in Sovereignty: Why Rights of Nature Movements Are Strongest When Rooted in Tribal Governance”

Don Maruska (Author, Solve Climate Change Now): “Climate Is Sacred: Restoring Balance for the Benefit of All”

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02/23/2026

The all-virtual Climate Solutions Now conference has officially started! Take a look at our featured plenary keynote speakers for each day at 8:10am and 1:10pm.

Today through this Friday, join over 80 expert speakers from industries like business, energy, policy, and agriculture to learn about climate solutions and the work that they are doing at their organizations to combat climate change.

It's not too late to register now!

View the conference agenda: https://whova.com/embedded/event/irrwSrJJy5XAc22gEkfnWYRb1vPpT9-PuSHRqVHslZU%3D/?refer=undefined&day=0
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02/23/2026

How does energy coincide with climate solutions? Learn all about it from experts on the Energy track at Climate Solutions Now:

Noah Goldmann (Senior Manager, Rewiring America): “How Home Electrification Can Help the Planet, Your Health, and Your Electricity Bill”

Jennifer Klay (Professor and Chair of Physics at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo): “The Changing Landscape of Nuclear Energy in a Net-Zero World”

Miles Horton (Legislative Policy & Community Engagement Manager at Sonoma Clean Power): “GeoZone: A Local Path to 24/7 Renewable Power”

Anya Scuderi (Sr. Director, Strategic Finance at Deep Fission): “Deep Fission: Powering Humanity from a Mile Underground”

Anastasiya Poplavska (Senior Policy Advocate at Acadia Center): “Transmission and the Grid 101”

Bernadette Del Chiaro (Sr. Vice President of Environmental Working Group): “Small is Beautiful: “The Overlooked Value of Rooftop Solar in California”

Kathleen Nelson Romans (Head of Commercial Development, Aalo Atomics): “Advanced Nuclear and Aalo Atomics”

David Blekhman (Professor and Technical Director, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility at Cal State LA): “What is a Hydrogen Hub and How it Fits Our Energy Future?”

Jacob Jimenez (External Affairs Manager at Last Energy): “Inside a Nuclear Startup: Building the New Atomic Era”

Alex Gagnon (CEO & Co-Founder of Banyu Carbon): “Low Energy Carbon Removal Powered by Sunlight”

Carlos Hernandez (Home Energy Advising Program Manager at SLO Climate Coalition): “Home Energy Advising”

Jacqueline Samaniego (Associate Consultant at Motive Power): “From Report to Reality: Tracking How U.S. Utilities Are Powering the Net-Zero Future”

Steve Ansolabehere (Professor at Harvard University): “Energy Choices”

Kristin Parineh (Director of Sustainability at Stanford University): “Responsible Pathways to Net Zero Claims for Higher Education”

Dean Thomas: “The Wind Energy Revolution and Untapped Near-Ground Wind Resources in California”

Loretta Lynch (Former CA PUC President, Lawyer): “California's Policy Choices Preventing A Comprehensive Switch to Clean Energy”

View the conference agenda: https://whova.com/embedded/event/irrwSrJJy5XAc22gEkfnWYRb1vPpT9-PuSHRqVHslZU%3D/?refer=undefined&day=0
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02/23/2026

How do climate solutions coincide with agriculture and carbon farming? Learn all about it from experts on the Agriculture/Carbon Farming track at Climate Solutions Now:

Anthony Myint (Executive Director, Zero FoodPrint): “Collective Regeneration: A New Approach to Scale Agricultural Climate Solutions”
“Basics of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Accelerating its Implementation with a New Conservation Planning Software Tool”
Regenerative Action through community
Caine Thompson (General Manager, US Saga Robotics & The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation): “The Robert Hall Regenerative case study and RVF One Block Challenge”
Renata Brillinger (Executive Director, California Climate & Agriculture Network (CalCAN)): “Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Practice and Policy”
Rebecca Burgess (Executive Director, Fibershed): “It's the Plastic...and You're Covered In It!”
Lynette Niebrugge (Director of Education & Training, Carbon Cycle Institute): “Scaling Climate-Beneficial Agriculture through Carbon Farm Planning and Regional Partnerships”
Dorn Cox (Director & Ecosystem Steward, OpenTEAM): “Grassroots Innovation for Agroecology”
Kenzie Bushman, Jennifer Channin, Jessica Cohen (Education Manager, Executive Director, and Program Coordinator of Better Food Foundation, respectively) : "Transforming Campus Dining with Behavioral Science: Small Shifts with Massive Impact"
Michael Grunwald, Author of “We are Eating the Earth”
Xin Ran Liu (Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh): “Enhanced Weathering: Low Emission Agriculture”
Brian Keeley (Willow Creek Conservancy Steward, Upper Salinas-las Tablas Resource Conservation District): “Willow Creek Conservancy: A Landuse Conservation Initiative”
The Urban Agriculture Community-based Research Experience (U-ACRE) Project at CSUF
Sara Johnson (Professor of Anthropology, California State University Fullerton): “Building community food production resilience through student-faculty research”
Erika Foster, PhD (Director of Soil Research and Conservation, Point Blue Conservation Science): “Can rangeland conservation save California from climate stress?”
Jesse Trace (Land Steward, Traceland Organics): “Traceland Farm Drawdown Activities”

View the conference agenda: https://whova.com/embedded/event/irrwSrJJy5XAc22gEkfnWYRb1vPpT9-PuSHRqVHslZU%3D/?refer=undefined&day=0
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02/22/2026

How do climate solutions and campus sustainability coincide? Learn all about it from experts on the Campus Sustainability track at Climate Solutions Now:

- Bruce Riordan (Director of Berkeley Climate Change Network): "Why Campus Climate Networks Are Essential"
- Kelly Cooper (President of Open Source Ag): "Balancing Farm Productivity and Climate Commitment: Practical Regeneration for Small Farms"
- Jennifer Ray (Associate Director of Programs at University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute), Ciara Tennis (SIMAP Program Coordinator at University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute): "Action through Footprint Data: An Introduction to SIMAP"
- Hadley Willman (Assistant Director for Initiative for Climate Leadership and Resilience at Cal Poly SLO): "Bridging the Green Skills Gap: Engaging Undergraduate Students as Changemakers in Engineering Education"
- Jo Machesky & Kalan Guiley (Co-Chairs of Student Engineering Committee at Engineering for One Planet): "Charting Your Path to a Sustainability-Focused Engineering Career"
- Kenzie Bushman, Jennifer Channin, Jessica Cohen (Education Manager, Executive Director, and Program Coordinator of Better Food Foundation, respectively) : "Transforming Campus Dining with Behavioral Science: Small Shifts with Massive Impact"
- Nereida Herrera (Energy, Utilities and Sustainability Associate at the Cal Poly Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability): "Sustainability in Action: The Power of Student Led Change"
- Laura (Kai) Burrus (Training & Engagement Coordinator at NERR), Aritree Samanta, Autumn Thoyre (Co-Directors, Climate HQ San Francisco State University): “Preparing California's Climate Workforce: SFSU Climate HQ's Justice-focused Fellowship and Internships”
- Matthew St. Clair (Chief Sustainability Officer, University of California Office of the President): “Scaling Climate and Sustainability Action Across the University of California System”
- Chad Worth (Cal Poly SLO) & Nathan Jandl (UC Berkeley): “How a UC and CSU each tackle the different wedges of the emissions pie”
- Norma-Jean Knight (California Climate Action Corps Fellow): “Urban Greening In Communities: Homegrown Care Where It's Needed”
- Kristin Parineh (Director of Sustainability, Stanford University): “Responsible Pathways to Net Zero Claims for Higher Education”
- Katie Maynard (Director of Student Sustainability Initiatives, University of California, Santa Barbara): “Redefining What’s Possible: Student Interns Driving Bold Climate Action”

View the conference agenda: https://whova.com/embedded/event/irrwSrJJy5XAc22gEkfnWYRb1vPpT9-PuSHRqVHslZU%3D/?refer=undefined&day=0
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Cal Poly Initiative for Climate Leadership and Resilience

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