Save the Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025, New Location: Cintas Center
Morning Keynote
Mahesh Ramanujam
Driven by his belief in a brighter future, the Global Network for Zero Co-Founder, President, and CEO Mahesh Ramanujam convenes a coalition of leaders dedicated to progressing society toward greater ESG compliance and ultimately a zero greenhouse gas economy. An investor, convener and unifier with decades of experience leading global technology platforms, Ramanujam focuses on integration and interoperability for optimal results in the sustainability sector.
As President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and the global technology platform, Arc. Mahesh led the movement for transforming green building standards to ensure public health, equity and environmental sustainability in communities across the world. At USGBC, along with Network co-founders Sarah Merricks and Scot Horst, Mahesh set the gold standard for global green building certification and credentialing.
A respected thought leader, Mahesh regularly delivers keynotes at large events like Greenbuild, where he has secured and interviewed high-profile guests like former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Amal Clooney, Dan Levy and renowned architect Bjarke Ingels. Mahesh’s writing has been featured in international media outlets and publications, and includes opinion pieces on climate change, ESG and investment, technology and policy.
Lunch Keynote
Douglas Farr
Douglas Farr FAIA leads Chicago-based Farr Associates identified by the New York Times as "the most prominent of the city's growing cadre of ecologically sensitive architects." The award-winning firm has designed many of the Chicago regions most sustainable buildings including 13 LEED-Platinum-Certified projects and several net-zero buildings. In 2023, Planetizen readers named Doug one of "the 100 most influential urbanists of all time."
Doug Co-Chaired the creation of LEED-Neighborhood Development and authored two books: Sustainable Urbanism (2008) and Sustainable Nation (2018). In 2020 he started Carbon Free Chicago, a thirty-year campaign for the timely and equitable transition to a fossil-free region. In 2023 he co-founded the Climate Action Museum, the world’s eighth museum devoted to climate.
Afternoon Keynote
Kristy M. Walson, PE, LEED Fellow, BEMP
Kristy M. Walson is a mechanical engineer by trade who focuses on decarbonization strategy and sustainable design with the built environment. Over the last 15 years, Kristy has provided decarbonization strategy and sustainability consulting, LEED and other sustainable rating system facilitation, energy modeling, energy auditing, and commissioning on projects throughout the US. A graduate of Virginia Tech (BS) and the University of Michigan (MS), Kristy has extensive experience in IES VE-Pro, Equest, and Visual DOE energy modeling software and uses these tools to accurately model energy use, carbon emissions, and to analyze reduction strategies.
She has served in multiple volunteer roles over the years, including as an MEP2040 Steering Committee Member, chair and board member for the University of Florida’s Green Building Learning Collaborative that supports the “Sustainability in the Built Environment” degree program, advisory board member for the Florida Solar Energy Center, and AIA COTE Top 10 Juror for the Energy and Discovery categories. She has served in multiple roles with the US Green Building Council, including as a member of the Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group, the Women in Green National Committee, and as a member of the Central Florida Chapter Board of Directors. Kristy has also spent much of her career supporting the City of Orlando’s sustainability efforts by serving as the Energy and Water advocate for many of the City’s stakeholder engagement panels.