Summit: Designing for Resilience in an Era of Climate and Disaster Risk

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM · 7 hr. (US/Eastern)
Summit

Information

Climate risks are transforming how cities, communities, and businesses plan, invest, and build. This Summit will help you decode the demand signals driving resilience, understand how markets and institutions are responding, and anticipate how standards of care and professional practice are evolving.

Attendees will gain practical guidance on responding to the expanding landscape of resilience frameworks and tools, and learn from real-world case studies demonstrating integrated decarbonization and resilience strategies across new construction, retrofits, and post-disaster reconstruction.
Track
Summit
Learning Objective #1
Attendees will be able to identify and articulate the main factors driving climate resilience across cities, communities and businesses globally.
Learning Objective #2
Attendees will learn how the expectations for professional practice are shifting as physical climate risk management becomes a central priority.
Learning Objective #3
Attendees will have a better view of the landscape of resilience frameworks and tools and a greater understanding of how to leverage these tools in professional practice.
Learning Objective #4
Attendees will explore U.S. and international building projects that successfully integrate decarbonization and resilience, offering replicable lessons for future projects.

Resilience Summit Schedule

Welcome and Ice Breaker

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 8:45 AM to 9:00 AM

Resilient NYC: Making Progress

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 9:00 AM to 9:55 AM
Susanne DesRoches · NYSERDA
Carrie Grassi · WSP
Sarah Fisher Curtain · Battery Park City Authority
Melissa Targett · NY/NJ Port Authority

Global Priorities for Built Environment Resilience

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 9:55 AM to 10:45 AM
Bernardo Barona · Green Business Certification Inc.
Kay Killmann · GBCI Europe
Lie Ma · GBCI
Gopal Padmanabhan · Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)

Break

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 10:45 AM to 11:10 AM

Unlocking Investment for Adaptation and Resilience

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 11:10 AM to 12:00 PM
Marissa Aho · Scaling Resilience
Charlie Sidoti · Innsure
Laura Mondragón · Montgomery County Green Bank

Lunch (Networking Tables)

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

The Evolving Standard of Care for Resilient Design

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM
Chris Cerino · STV
Michael Donovan · AIA
Jessica Mederson · Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Robin Seidel · Weston & Sampson

Scalable Solutions to Adapt Existing Affordable Housing

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 1:50 PM to 2:35 PM
Susanne DesRoches · NYSERDA
Janiele Maffei · California Earthquake Authority
Jen Leone · NYC Dept Housing Preservation & Development

Break

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 2:35 PM to 2:50 PM

Design to Adapt: Interactive Workshop

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 2:50 PM to 4:20 PM
Ilana Judah · Arup
Siobahn Watson · NYC Housing Authority

Closing Remarks

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 4:20 PM to 4:30 PM