Ali Mize is the Senior Director of ESG, Belonging, & Corporate Philanthropy at Neiman Marcus Group. There, she leads the company’s 2025 ESG strategy to revolutionise luxury experiences by advancing sustainable products and services, cultivating a culture of Belonging, and leading with love in its communities. She holds a Master of International Business degree from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and the Fundamentals in Sustainability Accounting (FSA) credential from the IFRS Foundation.

Alice Roberta Taylor is Chief of Staff at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) which is a non-profit organisation that mobilises, educates and inspires the industry to improve its sustainability performance. In her role she works closely with the leadership team on strategic project delivery and stakeholder management. She also leads communications for GFA - working to raise awareness about the organisation’s initiatives and communicate its vision of a net positive fashion industry. Taylor has a combination of in-house and agency communications experience related to fashion, sustainability, media and retail. She first joined GFA in 2019. Prior to this, she managed the publicity for Hearst UK in London for established media brands including ELLE UK and Harper’s Bazaar. She also managed the PR for multiple retail and hospitality clients at Stripe Communications and led the PR for the renowned fundraising campaign Run For Heroes. She holds an MA (Hons) in History from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Andy Ruben is the founder and executive chairman of Trove, the market leader in branded resale. Ruben, Walmart’s first-ever chief sustainability officer, founded Trove to promote sustainable, circular models that support brand growth while reducing dependence on new manufacturing. Ruben has testified on climate before the US House and the US Senate, and serves on the Zevia Board of Directors, chairs Zevia’s ESG committee, and sits on the Competitive Council at Cerberus Capital Management.

Beth Esponnette founded unspun, building the future of fashion manufacturing that is automated, on-demand, and circular. She previously worked at Mountain Hardwear, TechShop, Ekso Bionics, and the University of Oregon as an Assistant Professor of Product Design. Vogue Business has named Esponnette a Sustainability Thought Leader as part of 100 Innovators and MIT Tech Review named her a 35 Innovator under 35. She has a BS in Fiber Science & Apparel Design from Cornell and an MFA in Design from Stanford University.

Chelsea Murtha serves as AAFA’s advocate and spokesperson on matters of sustainability and product safety. She engages with Congress, the Executive Branch, independent agencies, as well as state and local legislatures and agencies and foreign governments on sustainability, product safety, and chemical management issues. Murtha previously held roles at a D.C.-based government affairs firm and the U.S. Fashion Industry Association. She earned a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University.

Christina Iskov is Head of Innovation & Academy at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), where she manages the innovation team. She has oversight of several GFA programmes within the Global Partnerships function, including: Innovation Forum, Design Studio, Matchmaking and Next Gen Assembly. Iskov has worked in the fashion industry for several years, both for Copenhagen Fashion Week and Danish Fashion Institute. She addresses sustainability issues by working with innovative and emerging solutions covering the supply chain. Iskov holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and Commercial Law from Copenhagen Business School and a Master in Design Management from the Danish Design School Kolding, where she wrote her thesis about GFA’s position in the fashion industry.

Dominique Drakeford is a mother of 2, an environmental justice educator and global creative storyteller that has been a leader in reimagining sustainability for the past 15+ years. With a masters from NYU in Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Fashion, Drakeford has redefined the landscape of conscious living and systems theory. As a sustainable street style maven, she works at the intersection of community development, ancestral homage and hip-hop culture to heal our relationship with Earth and inspire well-being.

Franck Gbaguidi leads Eurasia Group’s research and advisory work in biodiversity policy, water resources, and environmental litigation. In this role, he helps public- and private-sector organizations understand evolving sustainability trends and supports them in the design of solutions that turn political risks into opportunities. Prior to joining Eurasia Group, Gbaguidi held several energy and climate-related positions with the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the European Investment Bank, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the Centre on Global Energy Policy, and the Earth Institute. Gbaguidi holds three bachelor’s degrees and four master’s degrees, including a Master of Public Policy (Energy, Resources & Sustainability) from Sciences Po Paris and a Master of Public Administration (Energy & Environment) from Columbia University. Gbaguidi has been quoted by various media outlets, including Bloomberg, the New York Times, Reuters, and the Business Telegraph.

Gemma Jennings is Global Director of Programme Partnerships at BBC StoryWorks. She is responsible for the organisation’s international partnerships strategy, managing a talented team to create meaningful and memorable content campaigns that win audiences, awards and valued partners. Since joining the organisation in 2017, Jennings has led the creation of solutions-focused series across the fashion, health, development, education, consumer goods, science and technology sectors, combining the BBC’s storytelling heritage with industry expertise to look deeper into the issues shaping society.

Holly Syrett is the Impact Programmes & Sustainability Director at Global Fashion Agenda. Her responsibilities include contributing to the strategic mission and sustainability agenda, driving GFA’s impact programmes such as the Circular Fashion Partnership and ensuring strategic engagement with key stakeholders and partners. Holly Syrett joined Global Fashion Agenda as Senior Sustainability Manager in May 2020 to mobilise and guide the fashion industry to take bold action on sustainability by researching, project leading and writing new and existing GFA publications, commitments and reports such as the CEO Agenda. Syrett brings 10 years of experience working on sustainability and transparency programmes in the fashion industry for both public and professional audiences. Syrett is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Climate Reality Leader and she holds a BA in Fashion and Branding from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. As part of the Global Shapers’ Community, she co-founded the Shaping Fashion movement that is now active in 50+ cities worldwide.

Jasmin Malik Chua is the Sourcing and Labor Editor at Sourcing Journal, where she writes about the apparel and footwear industry through the lens of sustainability and human rights. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, The Business of Fashion, Vogue Business, Vox, Women's Wear Daily, and others. Chua received an M.S. in biomedical journalism from New York University and a B.S. in animal biology from the National University of Singapore.

Jason Judd’s work focuses on improving global labour practices. He previously led the Ship to Shore Rights Project at the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Bangkok and served as Vice President of the Fair Labor Association in Washington, D.C. He has worked in senior roles for the ILO’s Better Work program, Demos (New York), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the AFL-CIO, the Solidarity Center, and the Industrial Areas Foundation. He is a former Fulbright Fellow, and holds an A.B. in Economics from Duke University and an M.P.A. from l’École Nationale d’Administration (ENA/RULE).

Jeremy Lardeau is the VP of the Higg Index at the SAC. As part of the leadership team, he oversees the strategic direction and development of the Higg Index suite of tools. Lardeau is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Before joining the SAC team, Lardeau was Senior Director of Sustainability Analytics, at Nike, Inc. where he led sustainability reporting, performance management, data products, and reporting. Prior to Nike, Lardeau was a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers’ sustainability practice, successively working out of the Paris, Mexico City, and San Francisco offices.

Lardeau holds a Masters in Industrial Engineering from the Ecole Centrale Paris. In his free time, he is known to love travelling, running and alpine climbing, but actually enjoys most horseplaying with his three young boys.

Joël Mertens is the Director of Higg Product Tools at the SAC. He is responsible for managing the Higg Product Tools, including the Higg Product Module, Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI), and MSI Contributor. He is based in British Columbia, Canada.

J.R. Siegel is the Senior Director of Product Innovation at Worldly. He is a sustainability strategist, writer, and business leader whose work focuses on helping companies understand, measure, and take action on their biggest climate risks and opportunities. Siegel is a proud graduate of Yale University and The Fletcher School at Tufts University. He lives in Seattle with his wife, three children, and a very odd dog. He writes Bright Spots, a sustainability newsletter, in his free time.

Ken Pucker is a Professor of Practice at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and serves at Berkshire Partners as an Advisory Director. Pucker is a published author in periodicals such as the Harvard Business Review. He also is an investor and board member at Rag & Bone and serves on the boards of the King Arthur Baking, Commonwealth School, Mighty Earth, and The High Meadows Institute. Pucker spent most of his professional career working at Timberland serving as chief operating officer from 2000 to 2007.

Bhasin is a reporter covering celebrity business deals and sportswear at Bloomberg. He formerly led coverage on luxury goods in the US and hosted a show about high-end shopping.

Krishna Manda has worked for 15 years with various stakeholders in the value chain. He is passionate about embedding sustainability in the core business and functions to nurture culture change anchored in values. He is responsible for sustainability & ESG strategy, targets, governance, incentives and strategic engagements with stakeholders and policy makers for orchestrating systemic change in the industry.

Manda has a Ph.D. in Sustainability. He has worked and lived in five countries and currently lives in Austria with his wife and daughter who are a continuous inspiration.

Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle, the visionary founder behind Thunder Voice Hat, and a trailblazer in sustainable fashion. With 95% of creations crafted from reclaimed materials, he pioneers eco-conscious design. Rooted in the Diné tradition, his ethos revolves around honoring the tenth generation, while respecting Mother Earth; a wisdom passed down through generations. This cultural compass guides Thunder Voice Hat, making it a paragon of sustainability that intertwines heritage and responsibility into every stitch and thread.

Maxine Bédat is the founder and director of New Standard Institute, a think and do tank using data to drive accountability in industry. She is also the author of the book, UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment, a Financial Times Book of the Year, which has been translated into several languages. Prior to NSI, Bédat co-founded and was the CEO of Zady, a fashion brand and lifestyle destination creating a transparent and sustainable future for the apparel industry. Bédat has been recognised by Fast Company in its Most Creative in Business, Business of Fashion’s BoF 500, the definitive index of people shaping the global fashion industry, and Oprah’s Super Soul 100, for leaders elevating humanity. Bédat began her career in international law working at the Rwandan Criminal Tribunal and Allen & Overy, and received a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School.

Mumit Hasan is a seasoned professional renowned for promoting sustainable fashion practices. Formerly engaged with LI & FUNG, H&M, and key Bangladeshi manufacturers, he's a driving force in global circularity projects. Hasan excels in circular supply chain creation for stakeholder benefit, while also spearheading Reverse Resources' expansion. His adeptness in training stakeholders to implement eco-conscious strategies, aligned with diverse international experience, underscores his commitment to sustainable initiatives, showcasing a remarkable fusion of business acumen and environmental consciousness.

Naresh Tyagi  is a dynamic leader with three decade rich experience in the Textile, Apparel and Retail Industries. He has a robust expertise in Retail Business, Innovation Evangelism, Strategic Initiatives, Research and Development, Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility, Global Sourcing, Vendor Development, Greenfield Projects, Mentoring and Building Leadership Teams to enhance organisational value and growth.

Nemanthie describes herself as a ‘product specialist with a passion for sustainable business.’ Today she leads the execution of the MAS Plan for Change in her role as Director – Group Sustainable Business at MAS Holdings. She has over 20 years of experience in the apparel industry, providing leadership to business development and marketing initiatives, including leading the PVH business for MAS, and most recently being the Director of Product Creation and Sustainable Business for MAS’s largest strategic business unit.

Patricia Zurita is Conservation International’s Chief Strategy Officer, steering the organization through partnerships, fieldwork and scientific research toward securing the benefits that nature provides to humanity. Zurita first joined CI in 2003, working for seven years in the Andes region and the Conservation Stewards programme. She returned to CI in 2023 in this new strategic leadership position. Prior to Conservation International, Zurita was director of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and served as the Chief Executive Officer for BirdLife International.

Quinn Buchwald is the Director of the Indigenous and Traditional Peoples Program at Conservation International. He has held positions at the National Congress of American Indians, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and Administration for Native Americans. Buchwald is an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, and a dual US-German citizen. He is dedicated to improving the lives of Indigenous Peoples and elevating their efforts, advocacy, and voices in environmental and conservation spaces.

Rachel Kibbe founded one of the first ethical fashion retailers and one of the largest used clothing collectors in the Northeast U.S. Kibbe leads Circular Services Group, an advisory firm working with the fashion industry on circularity and sustainability strategy, coalition building and policy. CSG also leads the first domestic fashion circularity policy coalition, American Circular Textiles group, a collective of fashion retailers and circular services providers advocating for public policy solutions for textile waste in the U.S.

Building on an early career as a curator, arts administrator, and educator, supported by years spent cutting patterns and samples in the studio of a boutique women’s clothing label in Chicago, Sarah Coulter has spent the last decade creating successful sustainability programmes from the ground up. She specialises in programme design and development, research and writing, sustainability standards and certifications, building hybrid business models, technical design and management, and forging strategic partnerships. Coulter has shared her deep knowledge of supply chain sustainability, voluntary sustainability standards, claims and labelling, and non-profit entrepreneurship with diverse audiences worldwide. She brings this experience to her role as the Director of Operations and Special Projects at Accelerating Circularity, supporting all aspects of Accelerating Circularity’s programmes and leading its work on Spent Textile Feedstock development in the US. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History from the University of Kansas and a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Tsui Yuen-Pappas is a fashion executive with a focus on sustainable sourcing. Her background spans 25 years of apparel, accessories & footwear development, and production. Her mission in the past decade has been sourcing and working with sustainable suppliers worldwide, assisting companies in the development of ethical products focusing on recycled, regenerative, and renewable materials and practices. Her extensive knowledge in manufacturing and logistics has also enabled her to create strategies for zero waste, the reduction of carbon footprint, and traceability in the supply chain.

Dr. Yuly Fuentes-Medel is a catalyst of creative ideas and ecosystem builder, Program Director at Climate Grand Challenges at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and manager of the MIT Fabric Innovation Hub and Venture Partner at Closed Loop partners. As founder of Value of Science LLC she created DESCIENCE, a global collective of designers, scientists & technologists, connecting the world of science and Design as one. She was selected as Human of the year by motherhood Magazine in 2018 and received the 2015 Boston Business Magazine “Woman to Watch” Award. She graduated with a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Postdoctoral trained at the MIT Sloan School in Technology Innovation & entrepreneurship (TIE). She currently serves as President of the board of the Chile-Massachusetts Alliance to support international exchange of investment, technological business, talent and social impact. She is a past board member of FIT DeTechLab.

As a member of Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (WEST), she received a Volunteer Giving back award. She is also an advisor to MIT Delta students’ start-ups. During her time as a Ph.D. student, she helped pioneer the international workshop called “Small Brains Big Ideas”. So far, this initiative has successfully trained almost a hundred Latin-American students. Trained as a biochemist at University of Concepcion in her native Chile, she is constantly in search of opportunities to support young talent and technologies to make an impact in global markets.