Agenda

Morning sessions

8:30–9:00AM

Check-In

Light snacks and coffee will be provided

9:00–9:05AM

Opening Remarks

Managing Directors:
Saman Baghestani, MBA '24
Javad Mushtaq, SFMBA '24

Our Managing Directors will kick off the day with a welcome and overview of what's to come.

9:05–9:20AM

From Limits to Growth to Earth to All

Sandrine Dixson-Declève
President of the Club of Rome

Sandrine Dixson-Declève is an environmental scientist and an international climate change, sustainable development, sustainable finance, and complex system thought leader. She is Co-President of the Club of Rome—among many other accomplishments—and divides her time between leading the Club of Rome, advising on non-Executive corporate and academic Boards, lecturing, and facilitating difficult conversations.

9:25–9:50AM

The Decarbonizer's Dilemma

Michael Raynor
Managing Director, Deloitte

Decarbonizing the hard-to-abate (HTA) sector is crucial for overall emission reduction, yet companies within face significant constraints that often limit them to incremental innovations. Dr. Michael E. Raynor will discuss how renewable energy and electric vehicles exemplify market mechanisms that could be applied to HTA commodities, fostering large-scale disruptive innovation as a key solution to the decarbonization challenge.

10:00–10:50AM

Multiple Lenses

Kate Raworth
Economist, best known for “donut economics”

A Model for Sustainable Living

Carlos Alvarado Quesada
Former President of Costa Rica

Reviving Biodiversity: Costa Rica's Systemic Shift to Ensure Nature Conservation

Laurens Speelman
Principal, Rocky Mountain Institute

Visioning for a Different Future, Emergence Theory, Historical Example of Rapid Transformation

Peter Senge
Senior Lecturer, Leadership and Sustainability

10:50–11:05AM

Coffee Break

11:10AM–12:00PM

Track Previews

Joao Campari
Global Leader, Food Practice of WWF International

Track 1: Biodiversity and Agriculture

Diane Hoskins
Global Co-Chair of Gensler
MIT ‘79

Track 2: Built Environment

John Moavenzadeh
Executive Director, MIT Mobility Initiative

Track 3: Transportation

12:00–12:10PM

What Can One Person Do?

John Sterman
Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management, Director MIT System Dynamics Group, Founder and faculty director, MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative

Professor John Sterman, the current director of the MIT System Dynamics Group at the MIT Sloan School of Management, will provide reminders of the System Dynamics framework and key things to think about going into the second half of the day.

12:10–1:10PM

Lunch

Lunch will be provided. Vegan and gluten free options available.

Afternoon sessions

Inspired by MIT's role in the Apollo 11 mission, we're adopting a moonshot approach to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. Just as humanity's collective ingenuity made the moon landing possible, we believe that with a targeted vision and the right mix of collaborators, we can achieve transformative changes in critical sectors by 2040.

The afternoon allows attendees to engage with visionary leaders in expert panels, then apply these insights in interactive workshops to solve
3 proposed challenges. This collaborative effort aims to develop concrete strategies for a sustainable future, leveraging collective expertise to address pressing challenges.

3 Tracks

Biodiversity and agriculture

THE CHALLENGE: By 2040 we’ve succeeded in protecting biodiversity and have widespread regenerative agriculture techniques that align with planetary-wellbeing and “an earth for all”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

The challenge: By 2040 near-zero emission cement is the preferred choice in global markets, with efficient use and near-zero emissions cement production established and growing in every region.

TRANSPORTATION

The challenge: By 2040  we achieve net zero-emission in the supply chain of goods, they are the new normal and accessible, affordable, and sustainable in all regions.

1:20–2:05PM

Expert Context Panel

Biodiversity and agriculture

David Bennell
Managing Director, Transformational Investing in Food Systems (TIFS)

Dhanush Dinesh
Founder, Clim-Eat

Joao Campari
Global Leader, Food Practice of WWF International

Marina Piatto
Executive Director, Imaflora

Purvi Metha
Asia Lead, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Susy Yoshimura
Senior Sustainability Director, Carrefour Brazil

Tasso Azevedo
General Coordinator, MapBiomas

Built Environment

Ann Esbeck
Chief Innovation Officer, Bechtel

Andrew Minson
Concrete and Sustain-able Construction Director, GCCA

Erik Barth
Senior Associate, Gensler

Greg Williams
VP of Product, Sublime Systems, MIT MBA

Hessam AzariJafari
Deputy Director, MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub)

Jeremy Gregory
Executive Director, MIT MCSC

Kevin Deabler
Co-Founder, RODE Architects Inc.

Mike Gryniuk
Principal, Cora Structural

Pritesh Gandhi
Digital Transformation Lead, Holcim

Transportation

Brian Raspino
Associate Partner, McKinsey

Gayle Gibson
Senior Fellow, Mission Possible Partnerships

Heather Richardson
Community Planner, Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center

Jason Walter
Director, Prologis Mobility

Mazen Danaf
Economist, Uber Freight

Nate Valaik
Director of Sustainable Energy and Alternative Fleets, Vontier

Raj Jhaveri
CTO, Greenlane

Jamey Tesler
Executive Director, Mass Mobility Hub

2:10–2:55PM

Prototyping

Teams use the facts, frameworks, and rubrics provided to build a system-level solution.

2:55–3:15PM

Rotating Feedback

Learn from other teams within the track: share prototypes and get feedback from rotating members

3:15–3:30PM

Final Concepts

Make updates and finalize prototypes based on learnings

3:30–3:50PM

Showcase to Expert Panel

One person per table shares out their final concept

3:50–4:10PM

Coffee Break

Coffee break to recharge.

4:15–4:30PM

Notes From Experts

Expert panelists will highlight ideas from each track, including final insights.

4:30–4:40PM

Final Wrap

Jason Jay
Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Director of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan

Jason Jay teaches courses on leadership, strategy, and innovation for sustainable business. Jason’s research focuses on how people navigate the tensions inherent in the quest for sustainability, as they simultaneously pursue their own self-interest and the flourishing of human and other life.

4:40–5:40PM

Drinks & Networking