Speakers & Sessions
Kellen (Kel) Moody
Alluvium Gatherings & B Lab U.S. & Canada
Keynote Session
Why We Gather: The Power of Intentional Convening
Gathering has been a key part of life and cultures since the beginning of humanity. Having shared experiences builds trust, sense of belonging, and momentum around a collective purpose. However, gatherings are only powerful when the people there are fully present and clear about their intentions and roles within the experience. Kel will share why gathering with intention is vital to the success of the movements and how we can all fell more reciprocity when we show up with clarity and purpose.
About Speaker
Kellen (Kel) Moody (they/them) is a community cultivator and placemaker. As founder of Alluvium Gatherings, they create and uplift movements through the design, planning, and implementation of gatherings. They have a passion for convening communities and leading teams to create meaningful experiences.
Deb McNamara
ClimateVoice
Breakout Session #1 — Climate Action Track
Why Companies Should Lobby for Climate and How Business Leaders Can Help
Join ClimateVoice for a dynamic conversation about the current U.S. policy landscape and how companies, business leaders, sustainability professionals and employees can speak up to raise the bar on corporate leadership and promote strong climate policy advocacy. One of the biggest and highest leverage opportunities to reduce emissions at speed and scale is the adoption of strong binding public policy by governments at all levels. While each individual company has unique abilities to help mitigate climate change, every company has the ability to influence public policy. Companies must step up to address fossil-fuel interests and large cross-sector trade associations that continue to inhibit progress on climate policy. Participants will identify obstruction by trade associations, and explore advocacy techniques to influence corporate leadership and shape more positive trade group advocacy.
About Speaker
Deborah McNamara is the executive director of ClimateVoice, a nonprofit working to leverage the power of corporate influence to win crucial policy battles.
She has worked for social change and environmental protection focused non-profits for over 20 years, most recently leading campaigns to fight pollution, protect public health, and enable strong local climate policy in Colorado. She also brings 12+ years of experience implementing cross-sector sustainability education and engagement programs, including in the corporate sustainability and employee engagement sphere. She studied Environmental Policy and Philosophy at Boston University and received a Master’s degree in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University.
Paul Lightfoot
General Manager of Patagonia Provisions
Breakout Session #1 — Collective Action Track
Regeneration is Our Job: How Business Can Heal Climate and Community Through Food
In a world on fire, food holds surprising power to cool the planet and restore ecosystems. Patagonia Provisions is showing how a business rooted in regeneration—not just sustainability—can drive real climate impact, nourish people, and revive rural communities. In this keynote, Paul Lightfoot will share hard-won lessons and hopeful momentum from building a food business designed to work with nature, not against it. You’ll leave with a vision of what’s possible when purpose and product are one and the same.
About Speaker
Paul Lightfoot is the General Manager of Patagonia Provisions, the food business of Patagonia, responsible for the leadership and management of the food business of Patagonia. Patagonia Provisions brings to market foods that help fight the environmental crises. Paul is the chair of the board of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, the non-profit that administers Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™). Paul is the founder, and was the long-time CEO of of BrightFarms, which builds and operates high-tech greenhouse farms to eliminate time, distance and costs from their produce supply chain.
Ryan Honeyman
LIFT Economy
Co-Author, “The B Corp Handbook”
Kevin Bayuk
LIFT Economy
Breakout Session #1 — New Standards Track
Exploring Alternative Ownership: Tools for B Corps and Beyond
What if ownership structures could actually reflect the values of justice, regeneration, and shared prosperity? In this interactive session, Ryan Honeyman and Kevin Bayuk from LIFT Economy (a worker-owned coop) invite participants to explore the edges and opportunities of alternative ownership—from employee ownership and steward ownership to land trusts, perpetual purpose trusts, and beyond. Using Open Space Technology, this session will create space for emergent conversations driven by the interests and questions of the group. Whether you're experimenting with new models, wrestling with the limits of traditional ownership, or just curious where to begin, you'll help shape a collaborative dialogue about broad based ownership. Come ready to share, learn, and imagine what’s possible when we reimagine ownership to serve the benefit of all life.
About Speakers
Ryan Honeyman is a Partner and worker-owner at LIFT Economy and coauthor of "The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good" and "The Next Economy MBA: Redesigning Business for the Benefit of All Life". He has helped over 100 companies—including Patagonia, Allbirds, Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Flour, and Thrive Market—achieve B Corp certification, recertification, and deeper impact from their certification. Ryan coaches social impact leaders in combining inner transformation with strategic rigor. He cohosts the "Next Economy Now" and "Beyond the B' podcasts, sharing transformations in business models and the B Corp movement. Kevin Bayuk is a co‑founder and partner at LIFT Economy whose work merges permaculture design, cooperative structures, and regenerative finance to build enterprises that serve people and planet in harmony. With nearly a decade of experience founding and scaling technology ventures, he shifted toward eco‑systemic design—leading him to roles such as Senior Financial Fellow at Project Drawdown and impact investment strategist for Riverstyx Foundation. Kevin also teaches regenerative design, and has helped numerous social enterprises create ownership, culture, and financial models that foster resilience and democratic stewardship.
Kevin Bayuk is a co‑founder and partner at LIFT Economy whose work merges permaculture design, cooperative structures, and regenerative finance to build enterprises that serve people and planet in harmony. With nearly a decade of experience founding and scaling technology ventures, he shifted toward eco‑systemic design—leading him to roles such as Senior Financial Fellow at Project Drawdown and impact investment strategist for Riverstyx Foundation. Kevin also teaches regenerative design, and has helped numerous social enterprises create ownership, culture, and financial models that foster resilience and democratic stewardship.
Brenda Kahler
Armanino
Breakout Session #1 — Beyond the B Track
Leading with Values During Uncertain Times
Being a B Corp is an extension of Armanino's purpose, values, and anchors and helps define how we show up and engage with our clients, communities, and each other. In this session we will share how we leverage 100+ people on committees throughout the firm to execute programs and volunteer opportunities that mobilize, educate, and constantly re-engage our staff with activities that help us make a positive impact on our communities, our clients, and our people.
About Speaker
Brenda Kahler is a Senior Director at Armanino and co-chairs the "B-Team". She is a member of the nonprofit and education leadership team and leads the Industry Strategy team at the firm. With over 25 years of accounting experience in both public accounting and industry (nonprofit), she especially enjoys sharing the mission of being a B-Corp. She is a frequent speaker at nonprofit, accounting, and technology events. Outside of work, Brenda enjoys making art, catering for music festivals, and exploring the world's culinary delights and best scuba spots.
Andrea Prebys-Williams
Fireweed Consulting
Breakout Session #1 — Wellness Track
Finding Your Path in the Ecosystem
Finding Your Path is an interactive practice lab for individuals navigating uncertainty in their roles and seeking clarity on how they fit within the broader movement ecosystem. Through mindfulness, journaling, and partner reflection, participants will engage the guiding question: How can I better understand and use my gifts to help build the movement infrastructure we need? Rather than a lecture, this session creates space for grounding, self-discovery, and shared connection, supporting participants to lead with greater clarity, intention, and care in times of change.
About Speaker
Andrea Prebys-Williams (she/her) is a leadership coach, educator, and founder of Fireweed Consulting, LLC. With 20 years of experience in leadership development, organizational change, and multi-sector project management, Andrea partners with mission-driven teams to clarify culture, build trust, and lead with integrity. She has trained and coached more than 1,000 leaders, students, and community members across sectors, specializing in conflict navigation, feedback, and power dynamics. At her core, Andrea is an organizer who thrives on bringing people together—a connector across organizations, people, ideas, and movements, all with the goal of advancing equity and justice. She has been a field director, waiter, union organizer, housekeeper, consultant, and faculty member—each role deepening her belief in the power of connection across difference. Throughout her career, she has worked with individuals, students, and organizations to deepen their commitment to social change, grounded in the belief that transformative systems require equity, compassion, and mutuality at their core. Relationships are at the heart of her practice, where trust-building, mindfulness, and accountability become pathways to purpose and transformation. Andrea lives on unceded Ohlone land in Oakland, CA with her partner and kiddo.
Elizabeth Doty
Third Side Strategies
Breakout Session #2 — Climate Action Track
Tools for developing your Responsible Lobbying Policy: Demystifying GACA 1
The new B Corp standards require companies to engage in responsible, strategic policy advocacy in line with their impact and sustainability goals. In this session with Elizabeth Doty from Third Side Strategies and Darnell Grisby of Beneficial State Foundation, you will explore prepare to develop your Responsible Lobbying Policy as part of GACA 1. We will explore the key elements and the decisions it should help you make -- then review 1-2 tangible examples and explore you how might adapt them. Come away from this session with tangible tools, next steps, and resources to help you implement GACA 1.
About Speakers
Elizabeth Doty leads Third Side Strategies, a non-profit think tank and advisory firm that helps companies strengthen the governance of their public affairs, to reduce risk and enable long-term value for business and society. Previously, she led the non-partisan Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce at the Erb Institute at the University of Michigan, which created the Erb Principles for Corporate Political Responsibility. She also serves as faculty with Ross Executive Education, taught at Presidio Graduate School of Business and conducted research as a Lab Fellow with the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. Elizabeth was a manager in the hotel and restaurant industry in the San Francisco Bay Area. For the past 30 years, her consultancy has helped leading companies align across functions and keep their promises and commitments.
Jonathan Storper is a seasoned corporate transactions attorney and Partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP, where he has led both the Corporate, Securities & Tax Department and the Sustainable Business Practice Group. With a distinguished track record advising boards and executive teams, Jonathan brings deep expertise in governance, strategic growth, and mission-aligned business models. He has served on multiple Boards of Directors and was honored as a California Attorney of the Year for his pioneering leadership in drafting and championing California’s benefit corporation legislation—the first legal framework in the U.S. to embed social and environmental accountability into corporate governance. This legislation has since been adopted in 36 states and several countries. Jonathan advises both for-profit and nonprofit organizations on corporate and other strategic transactions, governance, fiduciary duties, and intellectual property matters. His practice spans entity formation, financing, mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts and licensing, e-commerce, and technology law, and other business related work. He is also a recognized California Super Lawyer and a trusted advisor to directors and trustees navigating complex legal and strategic decisions. A passionate advocate for a more just and sustainable economy, Jonathan chaired the legal working group that developed California’s benefit corporation law and helped position Hanson Bridgett as the first law firm to become a certified B Corporation. Under his leadership, the firm earned the Real Leaders Top 100 Impact Companies Award, and Jonathan has been repeatedly named to the MO 100 Top Impact CEO list.
Renaud des Rosiers is Director of Sustainability at Amy's Kitchen where he drives resource efficiency, renewable energy procurement, and waste reduction in company operations while partnering with stakeholders across the retail food and ag value chain to optimize complex environmental systems. He also leads the company’s long term packaging transformation work focused on designing, qualifying, and commercializing functional, renewable packaging for Amy’s products while advocating for an effective regulatory landscape that facilitates the transition to a biobased circular economy for consumer packaged goods.
Darnell Grisby currently serves as a Senior Fellow for Economic Mobility. He is a national thought leader in transportation policy and the mobility justice movement. He has deep expertise in transportation policy and funding, anti-racist initiatives, housing affordability, transit-oriented development, and the intersection of transportation and housing finance. Darnell was recently appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve a four-year term on the California Transportation Commission, which programs and allocates funds for the construction of highway, passenger rail, transit, and active transportation improvements throughout California. Darnell is the former Director of Policy Development for the American Public Transportation Association, policy lead for a national smart-growth think tank, and a senior advisor in the California Legislature. He is the former Executive Director at TransForm, a leading advocate for equitable, sustainable transportation and land use policy in California. Darnell has been quoted or featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and Bloomberg. He has degrees from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and UCLA.
Jonathan Storper
Hanson Bridgett
Renaud de Rosier
Amy’s Kitchen
Darnell Grisby
Beneficial State Foundation
Kylie Nealis
B Lab U.S. & Canada
Breakout Session #2 — Climate Action Track
Climate Action Centered in Justice & Equity — B Corps Paving the Path Forward
Come to learn more about the Climate Action, Collective Action and Environmental Stewardship & Circularity Impact Topics of the new B Corp standards and how we as B Corps can collectively work to curb the climate crisis while advancing justice and equity. The new standards for B Corp Certification released in early 2025, place a sharper focus on climate action. It’s more important than ever for B Corps and all companies to understand their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and take meaningful steps toward reduction.
About Speaker
Kylie Nealis brings nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to B Lab U.S. & Canada (B Lab USCA). Her experience ranges from community organizing and engagement, local policy advocacy, program development, volunteer management, strategic partnerships and marketing & communications. Prior to coming to B Lab U.S. & Canada, she was at Fair Trade USA for 7 years where she led their national advocacy program, Fair Trade Campaigns, and consumer marketing efforts. In her current role as Senior Program Manager for Climate Justice, she leads a business focused program around climate justice that uplifts and learns from frontline communities most impacted by climate change. She also leads B Lab USCA's Business Climate Finance programming. Kylie thrives on collaborating, shifting power, and elevating the intersectionality between issues and movements. She lives in Oakland with her husband and five year old daughter.
Jennifer Harrity
Sensiba LLP
Governance Chair, B Local Bay Area
Grant Foad
Sensiba LLP
Breakout Session #2 — New Standards Track
Unpacking the New Standards
The new B Corp Standards are here — and they fundamentally reshape what it means to be a leading force for good in business. This session will take you on a guided tour through each of the core areas in the updated framework, exploring how the new requirements shift expectations for certified companies and why these changes matter. Along the way, you’ll gain a clear picture of the major themes running across the standards, learn how they reflect the evolving role of business in society, and discover the top three steps you can begin taking today to set your organization up for success. You’ll leave with a high-level understanding of the new terrain and the confidence to start mapping your path forward.
About Speakers
With more than 25 years of business and marketing experience, Jennifer Harrity serves as the ESG & Sustainability Director at Sensiba LLP. In this role, she oversees the firm’s internal sustainability initiatives and reporting, and she also founded Sensiba’s Sustainability and ESG practice, where she helps clients pursue holistic sustainable business transformations. Her areas of expertise include B Corp certification, EcoVadis assessments, DEI consulting, and impact reporting. She is also a member of WeTheChange, and serves as governance chair on the B Local Bay Area board of directors.
Bio for Grant Foad, coming soon.
Jonathan Will
GadellNet
Breakout Session #2 — Beyond the B Track
How to Leverage AI to Maximize Your Mission Securely and Ethically
Session description coming soon...
About Speaker
Jonathan Will is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for GadellNet, a B Corp. He is a Network Co-leader for B2B B Corp US & CAN and a Board member of B Local CO. He's moderated a panel on Ethical AI for BLD MW and has been a judge for CU Boulder Case Competition on how to power AI sustainability.
Speaker Name
Company
Breakout Session #2 — Wellness Track
Nervous System Regulation 101 and the Neuroscience Behind It
Session description coming soon...
About Speaker
Speak bio coming soon…
Breakout Session #3 — Collective Action Track
Equity Session
Session description coming soon...
About Speaker
Speak bio coming soon…
Speaker Name
Company
Alex Bede
Grove Collaborative
Breakout Session #3 — Climate Action Track
From Mission to Movement: How B Corps Can Set New Standards on Emerging Issues
Session description coming soon...
About Speaker
Alex Bede is the Director of Sustainability for Grove Collaborative, the leading brand and e-commerce platform for safe and sustainable home and personal care products. Grove is proud to be a B Corporation and the world’s first plastic neutral retailer. Alex has spent 7 years at Grove working towards their mission to transform the consumer products industry into a force for human and environmental health. At Grove, Alex manages Grove’s sustainability program, including its Beyond Plastic™ initiative, which aims to transition their product offerings with less plastic waste. Alex also manages Grove’s carbon strategy, sustainability reporting, and corporate giving. Alex holds a degree in Business Administration from University of Washington and previously has worked for other retail companies, such as New Balance. In her free time, Alex enjoys being outdoors in the Bay Area with her husband, kids and dog, spending time with her larger extended family, and exploring new cities and countries one meal at a time.
Sara Blenkhorn
Leverage Lab & Eileen Fisher
Breakout Session #3 — New Standards Track
Building B Corp Innovation Labs: From Competition to Collaboration in the New Impact Economy
Session description coming soon...
About Speaker
Sara Blenkhorn is a leading social innovation lab expert who recently served as Interim Managing Director of Social Venture Network, transforming a 600+ member social enterprise coalition. She founded Western Canada's first circular economy innovation lab, facilitating collaboration between competitors H&M, Lululemon, Arc'teryx, Value Village, Salvation Army, waste haulers, and policy makers - work that created a collaborative White Paper influencing provincial policy and generated $500K funding.
Susan Griffin-Black
EO Products
Breakout Session #3 — Beyond the B Track-A
Beyond Sustainability: Why Responsible Business is the Future of B Corps
After 30 years building EO Products as a family-owned B Corp, we've learned that sustainability isn't enough. This presentation explores the evolution from "sustainable business" (focused on environmental metrics) to "responsible business" (encompassing people, planet, and profit). Drawing from our zero-waste manufacturing, employee-first culture, and "one degree of difference" philosophy, we'll share practical frameworks for creating businesses that prioritize human relationships alongside environmental stewardship. Attendees will learn how to implement regenerative leadership practices, move beyond corporate conditioning, and build companies where values drive decisions, not just outcomes.
About Speaker
Susan Griffin-Black is a Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of EO Products, a 30-year-old family-owned B Corp manufacturing essential oil-based personal care products. As pioneers in the clean personal care movement, they've built one of the industry's first zero-waste manufacturing facilities, achieving 92% waste diversion from landfills while maintaining 91% post-consumer recycled packaging. Susan, a former fashion designer turned sustainability advocate, discovered essential oils in a London apothecary and transformed that inspiration into a business philosophy centered on "creating a company we wanted to work for." A Zen Buddhist practitioner for 30+ years, she brings mindful leadership to business decisions. Together, with her co-founder, Brad, they’ve proven that businesses can prioritize people and planet without sacrificing profitability.
Michelle Hirons
HigherRing
Maiya Holliday
Mangrove
Sandra Stewart
Thinkshift Communications
Breakout Session #3 — Beyond the B Track-B
Redefining Interdependence to Drive Impact: Insights from Women CEOs
Session description coming soon...
About Speakers
Bio for Michelle Hirons, coming soon.
Maiya Holliday is a creative leader and collaborator who crafts digital solutions to augment the impact of changemakers. In 2009 she founded Mangrove with the goal of building websites that help people do good in this world. Maiya aligns people toward actionable goals that help articulate and communicate their organization’s purpose and impact on the web, with people, planet, purpose and equity at the core. She has led over 200 website projects for changemakers and purpose-driven organizations. Maiya led Mangrove to become a Certified B Corp in 2016 and has since championed the cause of socially and environmentally conscious businesses deepening their impact.
Sandra Stewart is CEO and co-founder of San Francisco-based Thinkshift Communications, an award-winning B Corp PR firm focused on accelerating social and environmental innovation. Through savvy communications strategies, thought leadership, messaging and media outreach, the firm builds brand value, fuels growth and advances mission goals for impact-driven enterprises, climate tech companies and advocacy nonprofits.