The Courage to Lead: Inclusion, Advancement, and Systemic Change in Sustainability
Location: LinkedIn Live
Date: June 16 | 8:30AM PT / 11:30AM ET / 4:30PM GMT
The sustainability sector is under pressure – from political headwinds, rollbacks of environmental regulations and DEI commitments, and an erosion of institutional trust. At the same time, the field faces a credibility problem of its own: it asks organizations to become more equitable while operating within a sector that has significant representation gaps at senior levels, particularly for professionals from racialized and working-class backgrounds.
So what does it actually take to lead with inclusion in this environment, and how do we build career pathways that work for everyone?
Join us for the launch of The Courage to Lead: Cultivating Inclusion in Sustainability, Diversity in Sustainability's 2026 research report. Heather Mak, co-founder of Diversity in Sustainability and author of the report, will host a conversation with senior leaders from across the sector (and contributors to the report!). Joining her are:
Michael Kobori, former Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks;
Julius Lindsay, climate and JEDDI leader and co-founder of the Black Environmentalist Alliance;
Darshana Myronidis, Global Sustainability Leader; and
Jennifer Taves, Senior Manager, Sustainable Communities at Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Together, they'll dig into the report's key findings and what they mean in practice:
What self-knowledge, confidence, and authenticity look like at different stages of a sustainability career
How to cultivate networks and relationships that are both genuine and purposeful – and why this matters as much as technical expertise for long-term advancement
What organizations need to do differently on hiring, pay equity, performance management, and talent development
How individuals and institutions can move from stated commitments to measurable systemic change
Register here to hold the time in your calendar, and submit your questions for our speakers in advance – we want to shape the conversation based on what's on your mind!