Super South: Climate Week NYC 2026 | Rivian Space

Programming will explore some of the most consequential opportunities shaping the region and global economy—from the future of mobility and sustainable finance to AI data center infrastructure, corporate sustainability leadership and the commercialization of emerging technologies. A curated showcase of early-stage sustainable innovators will highlight emerging technologies from across the Southeast, while conversations with corporate and ecosystem leaders will examine how the region is building the infrastructure, capital networks and innovation platforms needed to move promising ideas from concept to commercial scale. The afternoon will conclude with a hosted reception connecting entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, researchers, investors and ecosystem builders from across the South with the broader Climate Week NYC community. Preliminary Program Schedule (Subject to Change) 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM Future of Mobility A conversation exploring the technologies, infrastructure and partnerships transforming transportation and accelerating the transition toward a more connected, electrified and sustainable mobility future. Gabrielle Pierre — Director for Strategy and Partnerships; Editor-in-Chief, Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM)Lucia Game — Senior Specialist, Con EdisonJason Powers — Senior Vice President, eVerged and CEO, ChargeSouthZinny Weli — Co-Founder and CEO, RoboDockChris Brown — Director of Architecture and Sustainability, Rivian 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Leadership at the Intersection of Capital and Sustainability A conversation exploring the relationship between investment, corporate leadership and sustainability - and how different stakeholders can help accelerate solutions that prioritize long-term resilience. Lisa Sachs — Columbia Center on Sustainable InvestmentSamara Rudolph — Senior Director of Sustainability, Rivian 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM The Next Wave of Sustainable Innovation Presentations from a curated group of early-stage sustainable innovators from across the Southeast, showcasing emerging technologies, business models and solutions with the potential to scale nationally and globally. Andy Marshall (Host) — Georgia Cleantech Innovation HubMiguel Granier (Host) — Poderus CapitalJude Davies — CEO, RevaTerraJoe Napier - CTO, RevaTerraHamed Soroush — CEO, EnEarthiaSaLisa Berrien — CEO, COI EnergyAlexander Olesen — CEO, BuckstopHilary Taylor — CEO, WattsUpKirtan Nagavarapu — CEO, Revco EnergyYiannis Lempidakis — Co-founder, Grid IntelligenceAva LeBron — Co-founder, Grid IntelligenceAlexis Carpenter — Chief Innovation Officer, AxNanoAmeet Pinto — Principal Scientist, Skopii 3:15 PM – 3:30 PM Break3:30 PM – 4:15 PM Women Leading Sustainability in the South A conversation among women leading sustainability across major Southern companies and institutions, exploring how they are translating ambitious goals into practical strategies, organizational change and measurable impact. Savannah Seydel — Sustaining Women, Founder and Vice President of Sustainability, Better Earth, ModeratorSandra Martinez — Head of Sustainability, CHEPJennifer Chirico — AVP of Sustainability, Georgia TechLiz Minné — Head of Global Sustainability, InterfaceMarissa Golison — Senior Director of Sustainability, Compass Group USA 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM Electrification and Powering the Future A panel discussion exploring how we meet growing energy demand more effectively and efficiently. The focus will be to name the challenges and problems and present the solutions and opportunities surrounding growing demand for energy supply. Panelists will discuss distributed capacity, behind-the-meter generation, innovative technologies and sustainable infrastructure development. Gareth Evans — CEO, VECKTAMatthew Plante — President, VoltusChris Pennington — Sr. Director of Energy & Sustainability, Iron MountainKaterina Yared — Advisor, EnEarthiaEmmanuel Lagarrigue — Partner, KKR 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM Building the Next Generation of Clean-Tech CompaniesInnovation Accelerators from the South A conversation with leaders from some of the South’s leading innovation and accelerator organizations exploring how regional ecosystems are helping entrepreneurs commercialize technologies, secure customers and capital, and scale the next generation of clean-tech companies. Bill Nussey — Engage, ModeratorHannah Turner — Cox Cleantech AcceleratorJudy Ledlee, PhD — Duke Climate Design ProgramRyan Rutledge — Joules AcceleratorJeremy Fritzhand — Embarc Collective 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM Super South Climate Week NYC Reception Connect with entrepreneurs, researchers, corporate leaders, investors and innovation ecosystem builders from across the South and the broader Climate Week NYC community. Super South Climate Week NYC 2026 showcases a region increasingly defined not simply by economic growth, but by its ability to build, commercialize and scale the technologies shaping our shared future.Learn more Super South at supersouth.org.