Trust as a Catalyst: Driving the Climate Transition Forward

Mandi McReynolds is an award-winning author and practitioner with 15+ years of leadership experience building corporate responsibility and environment, social, and governance (ESG) divisions across four different industries.

Currently, serving as the VP, Global ESG and Chief Sustainability Officer at Workiva, Mandi helps companies and executives around the globe drive business value and societal impact through transparency, accountability, and innovation.  Mandi is the host and executive producer for the video podcast series ESG Talk. Subscribe to ESG Talk wherever you get your podcasts and follow @ESGTalk on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Tafadzwa is a Climate Activist and Humanitarian from Zimbabwe.

She is the co-founder of Emerald Climate Hub, a youth-led organization that seeks to amplify Zimbabwean voices and find sustainable solutions to climate change through innovation and technology.

Hi there! I am a senior from Houston studying Economics, Environmental Science Public Policy, & Chinese.

I have prior experience working with startups, think tanks, multi-lateral agencies, nonprofits, and consulting firms. In the future, I hope to pursue a career working on decarbonization.

Sara Rajabli is a business psychologist (MBA) pioneering the digitalization of corporate psychology in Azerbaijan.

‍As a social entrepreneur, she founded "BUTA Art & Sweets," becoming the first Azerbaijani social entrepreneur to represent her country at the United Nations. Sara launched "BUTA Art & Sweets" with just 85 Euros, aiming to reduce unemployment among women with special needs by selling homemade vegan sweets. The initiative quickly engaged 20 women, collaborated with over 70 companies, and expanded its reach to 17 countries. Notably, BUTA Art & Sweets was the first Azerbaijani social brand represented at the UNCTAD Youth Forum 2018 in Geneva.

In 2018, Sara co-founded the Social Business Youth Center (SBYC) to promote and educate young people in Azerbaijan about social entrepreneurship. Under her leadership, SBYC organized impactful events and launched the largest online mentorship program on social entrepreneurship in the region, attracting over 5,500 participants and reviewing more than 7,500 applications.

Sara's academic journey includes studying tourism and hospitality at Azerbaijan Tourism and Management University and the economics of tourism in Germany through a DAAD Scholarship. She has actively participated in international fellowship and scholarship programs with prestigious organizations such as DAAD, Erasmus+, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, Yunus & Youth, and the U.S. Department of State.

As a consultant, Sara has worked on social entrepreneurship projects with UNDP Azerbaijan, GIZ Azerbaijan, and the National Democratic Institute. She co-authored the first book on social entrepreneurship in Azerbaijani and has been recognized as a trainer, consultant, and speaker. Her accolades include the Global Startup Awards, The Diana Award, and a Presidential Award.

Sara earned her MBA in Psychological Guidance & Counselling from the Open European Academy of Economics and Politics in Prague. She also shares her insights on business psychology with a dedicated following of 17,000 on Instagram.