Joel Makower

For more than 35 years, Joel Makower has been a well-respected voice on business, sustainability and innovation. An award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker and strategist on corporate sustainability practices, climate tech and the clean economy, he has advised a wide range of companies on how to align sustainability with business success.

Joel is chair and co-founder of Trellis Group (formerly GreenBiz), creator of Trellis.net along with events and business networks on corporate sustainability and climate tech. He also serves as Strategy Director and Industry Council Chair at the Music Sustainability Alliance, and advises both large and smaller companies (startups and scale-ups) on sustainability strategy and communications. Joel is a talented speaker and storyteller and a frequent keynoter, moderator and host at corporate events and conferences around the world. 

A former nationally syndicated columnist, Joel is author or co-author of more than a dozen books, including The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America's Prosperity, Security and Sustainability in the 21st Century (St. Martin's Press, 2016), about a business and investment plan for America, born at the Pentagon, that embeds sustainability as a national strategic imperative.

Joel brings a clear understanding of the real-world challenges and opportunities facing companies as they address social and environmental issues in a way that drives topline growth. He understands the convergence of sustainability, technology and innovation, and the vast business opportunities therein. He has watched firsthand the transformation of some of the world's biggest companies as they embrace sustainable, even regenerative, business practices.

The Associated Press has called Joel "The guru of green business practices." In 2012, he was awarded the Hutchens Medal by the American Society for Quality, which cited “his ability to tell compelling stories that both inform and inspire business leaders toward profitable action.” In 2014, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Institute of Sustainability Professionals.

"This is a moment filled with both promise and peril: an opportunity to reinvent our world to be resilient, regenerative and equitable in the face of multiple, cascading planetary crises. To meet the moment requires leaders willing and able to break the mold of linear, incremental thinking, who can inspire action across sectors and foster collaboration globally. It demands leaders who can drive systemic change that empowers communities, embraces diverse perspectives, and anticipates future challenges to create a thriving, abundant future for humanity and all living things."