Celebrate Climate Week with BE-Ex’s Women in Sustainability & Energy (WISE) series!
This September, let’s talk trash (in the best way possible)! Join WISE for an inspiring conversation featuring women leaders from across the sustainability industry who are transforming how we think about waste—unlocking new opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and climate action.
From demolition materials to wastewater and food waste, our panelists will share how they’re uncovering value in overlooked resources and reshaping how we think about waste across the built environment. Through presentations and a moderated discussion, we’ll examine how to shift the perception of waste from an unavoidable cost to a valuable asset, what it will take to move circular solutions beyond pilot projects, and the conditions needed to drive broader adoption.
Together, we’ll explore how different stakeholders can begin creating more circular systems that are both economically viable and environmentally impactful.
The evening will conclude with an audience Q&A, followed by a networking session with refreshments!
Schedule
- 5:00 pm – Doors open
- 5:30 pm – Program begins
- 7:00 pm – Program ends; Networking session begins
Opening Remarks
Katie Schwamb, Managing Director, Building Energy Exchange
Presenters/Panelists
Jane Atkinson Gajwani, Director, Office of Energy and Resource Recovery Programs, NYC Department of Environmental Protection
Emily Gove Lekic, Vice President, Sustainability, Vornado Realty Trust
Ora Kemp, Senior Policy Advisor, NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy
Sydney Mainster, Vice President of Sustainability & Design Management, The Durst Organization
