About The BSR Conference 2017
The Leading Event for Collaboration and Action on Sustainable Business
The BSR Conference is one of the most important annual gatherings dedicated to finding solutions to our most pressing global challenges. Every year, nearly 1,000 sustainable business experts from Fortune 500 companies, as well as leading foundations, nonprofit organizations, and government, gather for unparalleled networking experiences, powerful plenary addresses and breakout sessions, and interactive professional development opportunities.
Join us this October to be a part of innovative solutions to the world’s biggest sustainability challenges.
BSR Conference 2017 Theme
How Business Leads
It’s BSR’s 25th anniversary year, and profound change is shaping sustainable business.
Be Inspired
Spotlight on Speakers
Wei Dong Zhou
Executive Secretary-General, Alliance of Green Consumption and Green Supply Chain, China
Chief Representative, The Sustainability Consortium
Wei Dong Zhou
Executive Secretary-General, Alliance of Green Consumption and Green Supply Chain, China, Chief Representative, The Sustainability Consortium
Wei Dong Zhou is responsible for setting the strategic direction of all of The Sustainability Consortium's projects in China as chief representative. He has also been newly selected as executive secretary-general of the Alliance of Green Consumption and Green Supply Chain in China. Zhou has more than 20 years of experience in Chinese government, nonprofit organization management, CSR and sustainability strategy, philanthropy, the state owner sector, and multinational companies. Prior to joining The Sustainability Consortium, Zhou worked for a private foundation in China as general manager for one year, and for seven years prior to that, worked as BSR's China Country Director. At BSR, he founded offices in Beijing and Guangzhou and provided advice and counsel to BSR's member companies and their sustainable supply chain partners.
Neal Keny-Guyer
Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
Since 1994, Neal Keny-Guyer has served as chief executive officer of the global humanitarian organization Mercy Corps. Under his leadership, Mercy Corps has grown into one of the most respected international relief and development agencies in the world, with ongoing operations in more than 40 countries, a staff of nearly 5,000, and global revenue of roughly US$450 million. Fast Company ranked Mercy Corps one of the most innovative social-change organizations in the world and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof calls Mercy Corps “a first-rate aid group.” A former trustee of the Yale Corporation, Keny-Guyer remains very involved with the University, serving on the Yale President’s Council on International Affairs and the Board of Advisors of the Yale School of Management. He is chairman of the board of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international NGOs; a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Humanitarian System.
Kate E. Brandt
Lead for Sustainability, Google
Kate Brandt leads sustainability across Google’s worldwide operations and products. In this role, she works with Google’s data centers, real estate, supply chain, and product teams to ensure the company is capitalizing on opportunities to strategically advance sustainability and circular economy. Previously, Brandt served as the United States’ first federal chief sustainability officer. In this capacity, she was responsible for promoting sustainability across federal government operations, including 360,000 buildings, 650,000 vehicles, and US$445 billion annually in purchased goods and services. Prior to the White House, Brandt held several senior roles in U.S. federal government, including senior advisor at the Department of Energy, director for energy and environment in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, and energy advisor to the secretary of the Navy. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest award the U.S. Navy can give to a civilian, for her work helping the Navy go green. Outside Magazine also named her, in honor of the magazine’s 40-year anniversary, as one of 40 women who has made the biggest impact on our world.
Michael Kobori
Vice President, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.
Michael Kobori has led sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co. since 2001. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s sustainability vision and strategy across all business functions. Under Kobori’s tenure, Levi Strauss & Co. has been an industry leader in sustainability, pioneering initiatives such as the rollout of Water Less production techniques, reducing water use by more than 2 billion liters to date; growth of Better Cotton to 21 percent of all the company’s cotton usage; development of a hazard-based Screened Chemistry Framework; expansion of Worker Well-Being programs to more than 100,000 workers; and inclusion of Care for the Planet™ labels on all products. Previously, Kobori was a vice president at BSR and spent nearly 10 years at The Asia Foundation.
Why Attend
Connect with Global Business Leaders
Join an influential community of changemakers at more than 20 networking events over three days.
“A great group of people attend this conference—exactly the kind of people I want to meet and talk with … Definitely worth the time, effort, and money.”
Why Attend
Never Stop Learning
Get unrivaled access to more than 30 candid discussions offering practical solutions to build a better future.
“The quality of the content and the networking opportunities are the best I've seen in this field.”
Why Attend
Redefine Sustainable Business
A new approach and a new voice to build a better future.
“You are the sustainability conference. I always feel challenged and inspired.”