Our keynote speakers are:

Lester Brown, founder and President of the Earth Policy Institute, has been described by the Washington Post as “one of the world’s most influential thinkers”. He's the author of numerous books, including Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, where he develops a vision for an environmentally sustainable economy. His principal research areas include food, population, water, climate change, and renewable energy. In 1974, he founded Worldwatch Institute, of which he was President for its first 26 years.

Dianne Dillon-Ridgley is an environmentalist, human rights activist and noted international speaker on Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, Population, Gender and Justice issues. She is a director at Interface, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, global manufacturer of commercial carpet, modular floor coverings, commercial fabrications and a leader in sustainable design. She was also a director at Green Mountain Energy (1999-2005), a leading retailer of renewably produced electricity in the United States.  She was commissioned by the White House to serve as an advisor and member of the US Delegation to the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, 1992. After the Earth Summit she was appointed national co-chair of the Citizen's Network for Sustainable Development in the U.S.

Stuart Hart is one of the world's top authorities on the implications of sustainable development and environmentalism for business strategy. Before coming to the Johnson School, he taught strategic management and founded both the Center for Sustainable Enterprise (CSE) at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, and the Corporate Environmental Management Program (CEMP) at the University of Michigan. He has consulted or served as management educator for many corporations and organizations throughout the world.

Brendan Owens is the U.S. Green Building Council, Director for LEED Design and Construction and will present "Adoption of Sustainable Building Practices - USGBC's Vision of the Future".  He is USGBC’s staff liaison for LEED Existing Buildings, LEED Core and Shell and primary contact for the LEED Application Guides for Retail, Laboratories and Healthcare Facilities. Prior to joining the USGBC, Owens worked for five years as an energy engineer designing, implementing and testing performance contract based energy conservation measures.