AI and Planetary Impact: The Business of Saving the Planet

Jerry L. Burgess, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and is the Director of Environmental Science and Studies Program. Dr. Burgess received his doctorate in Geoecology from Johns Hopkins University. His research interests are highly interdisciplinary utilizing the disciplines of biology, ecology, geology and soil science to explore community dynamics and invasive ecology in urban, rural and forested landscapes. Dr. Burgess has worked in a variety of academic, research, educational and consultant-based settings; his current projects include conservation threats to edaphic ecosystems and tectonics of the Appalachians. For more information on current research areas, please visit his personal research site.

Scott Atkinson is a Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry. As a member of Korn Ferry’s Board and Financial Officers Practices, Scott specializes in finding and developing transformational leaders, and managing succession planning for high-impact clients. Most importantly, he’s a Johns Hopkins alumnus, with an MS degree in Environmental Sciences & Policy from the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences.

Kate Brandt is Google's Chief Sustainability Officer, overseeing sustainability strategies across the company's global operations, products, and supply chains. Previously, she served as the United States' first Federal Chief Sustainability Officer, guiding sustainability efforts across 360,000 government buildings, 650,000 vehicles, and $445 billion in annual purchases. Her prior roles include Senior Advisor at the Department of Energy and Energy Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy, earning her the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award. Recognized by Fortune’s "40 Under 40" and Outside Magazine’s influential women list, Kate holds a master's from Cambridge University as a Gates Scholar and graduated with honors from Brown University.

Diego Saez Gil is the founder and CEO of Pachama, a tech company leveraging AI and satellite data to verify and monitor carbon sequestration in natural ecosystems, mobilizing funding for global conservation and forest restoration. Pachama has secured over $90M from prominent investors and supports projects protecting millions of hectares of tropical forests worldwide. Previously, Diego co-founded innovative startups Bluesmart and WeHostels, both successfully acquired. Born and raised in Argentina, he studied entrepreneurship at Stanford GSB and has lived internationally, driven by his mission to restore nature and tackle climate change—a passion deepened by losing his home in California wildfires.

National Geographic Explorer Malaika Vaz is the cofounder and CEO of Untamed Planet, an award-winning production house in New York City and India specializing in natural history and environmental programming for global broadcast. As a filmmaker, she directs, produces and hosts documentaries for numerous television networks—including the BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Asia and Al Jazeera. Through her work, Malaika hopes to shine a light on pivotal subjects like wildlife conservation, trafficking, climate change and human migration.