Dr. Kim Cobb is a Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Director of Georgia Tech’s Global Change Program. She is also the ADVANCE Professor in the College of Science, charged with furthering Georgia Tech’s goals in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kim’s research centers on climate change, spanning from impacts to solutions.

Molly Aeck is a Managing Director of Southern Company’s New Ventures organization, overseeing the company’s venture capital investing activity in emerging technologies and business model innovations that are transformative to the energy and utilities industry. She works with Southern’s operating businesses to integrate and commercialize these innovations and supports the origination and development of new business ventures. Molly played a key role in creating Energy Impact Partners, the $1B venture fund in which Southern is founding partner and chairman.

Dr. Michael E. Chang is the Deputy Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on the complexity of the urban and regional environment, and how nature, technology, economics, and culture lead to both environmental problems and solutions.  In the past, Dr.

John Heagy is a Senior Managing Director for Hines Southeast. He is responsible for the leasing and marketing of the office projects and for securing corporate services and mixed-use development assignments in the Southeast Region of the United States. John joined the firm in 1996 and has been active in Atlanta's commercial real estate market since 1977.

Dr. Jennifer Hirsch is an applied cultural anthropologist recognized internationally for fostering university and community engagement in sustainability and climate action. Since August 2015, she has served as the inaugural Director of the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLS) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. SLS is a campus-wide academic initiative preparing students to use their disciplinary expertise to “create sustainable communities” in partnership with community, nonprofit, business, and academic stakeholders.

Danny Johnson is the Manager of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, which is housed in the offices of the Atlanta Regional Commission. Danny works with over 100 jurisdictions across metro Atlanta on regional challenges involving water supply, wastewater, and stormwater management. Prior to taking this position in 2013, Danny worked in consulting for 11 years with CDM Smith and Hayes, James & Associates.

Danny graduated from UGA Engineering in 2002 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and an emphasis in Natural Resource Management.