Leaders in climate science, social advocacy, and architecture to deliver keynotes at Greenbuild

Informa Connect and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today a new slate of speakers for the 2019 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. This year’s conference will take place Nov. 19-22 in Atlanta, Ga. at the LEED Gold Georgia World Congress Center. Registration is now open.

Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC, will deliver remarks each day of Greenbuild reflecting on this year’s theme “A New Living Standard” and the importance of challenging the status quo in order to create a better quality of life for each and every person. In addition to previously announced keynotes, the lineup includes:

• Tuesday Keynote: Dr. Bernice A. King; a global thought leader, orator, peace advocate, and Chief Executive Officer of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
• Tuesday Speaker Spotlight: Jasmine Crowe; an HBCU alumna and creator of Goodr, a tech-enabled sustainable food waste management company with the goal to eliminate hunger and reduce food waste. Speaker Spotlight, another new feature at Greenbuild 2019, brings attendees together at the end of each day to summarize and share key learnings.
• Wednesday Keynote: opening remarks to be delivered by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms; a lifelong public servant and the only Mayor in Atlanta’s history to have served in all three branches of government before being sworn in as Mayor.
• Expo Hall opening and confetti cannon: opening remarks to be delivered by Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan; he was elected in 2018 and previously authored several important pieces of legislation as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
• Thursday Keynote: Jeanne Gang, Int. FAIA; an Architect and MacArthur Fellow and the founding principal and partner of Studio Gang, an internationally renowned architecture and urban design practice.
• Thursday Speaker Spotlight: Peter Sorckoff; a brand strategist who leads organizations to anticipate behavior, shape opinion and create connections that will endure.
• Friday Keynote: A Climate Discussion with Jamie Margolin, Dr. Marshall Shepherd, and Stephen Leahy. Margolin, a 17-year-old climate activist and founder of an international youth climate justice movement called Zero Hour will be joined by Dr. Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate and Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. Leahy is set to moderate the discussion.

“It’s such an honor to have this diverse group of leaders on the Greenbuild stage,” said Sherida Sessa, Greenbuild brand director. “The Greenbuild audience will have a fantastic opportunity to learn and be inspired by these relevant and timely discussions. We’ve increased the number of speakers, without diminishing the quality of the lineup. These world-class, powerful, and daily keynote speakers will surely resonate with our audience.”

Previous Greenbuild keynote speakers have included Ret. Gen. Colin Powell, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, famed architect Bjarke Ingles, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, human rights activist Amal Clooney, and former Vice President and climate activist Al Gore.

“Since 2002, Greenbuild has been a platform for celebrating leadership and highlighting the voices that are shaping our communities and this year’s speakers exemplify that,” said Kim Heavner, vice president of conferences and events at USGBC. “Each year, we continue to be inspired by the stories from Greenbuild attendees who are actively working to improve our quality of life through better, more sustainable practices.”

Greenbuild, the largest green building conference and expo in the world, is produced by Informa Connect and features four days of networking, educational sessions, green building tours, keynote events, and a robust expo floor.

For more information and to register for Greenbuild, visit greenbuildexpo.org, follow @Greenbuild on Twitter, and use hashtag #Greenbuild19 to join the conversation.