Welcomes, Reflections, and Looking Forward - Fall 2025 Org Update
A special part of this edition is our celebration of 30 years of impact. Our CEO, Erik Wohlgemuth, sat down with our Founder, Bill Shireman, to share a heartfelt reflection on three decades of fostering collaboration between companies and civil society, navigating polarization, and driving meaningful change through stakeholder engagement. Discover the inspiring story behind our mission, the milestones we've achieved, and the vision guiding us into the future.
You’ll also meet Wynn Kwan, our newest team member, who has dedicated her career to amplifying marginalized voices. We’re so happy to have her a part of the team. Learn from some of the recent events we’ve taken part in—like Trellis Impact ‘25, where leadership emphasized the importance of making environmental and social issues central to business.
As the end of the year approaches, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the shifting landscape of environmental and sustainability trends through the lens of our Force for Good Forecast. This year has been marked by significant developments, from the rise of greenhushing and litigation to quiet collaboration on nature conservation and methane mitigation. In our latest scorecard, we evaluate how accurately we predicted these changes, share key lessons learned, and highlight what to watch for as we move into 2026.
Celebrating 30 Years of Impact: Reflecting on Future 500’s Legacy
Our CEO, Erik Wohlgemuth, shares a candid reflection on three decades of fostering collaboration between companies and civil society, navigating polarization, and driving sustainable change. Discover the story behind our mission, key achievements, and the path forward in this special anniversary post. Read Erik’s full blog here.
We’re excited to introduce the newest member of our team, Wynn Kwan!
Wynn’s passion for bringing people together for nature and environmental justice runs deep. Whether she’s discovering a hidden plant or advocating for equitable outdoor access, she’s committed to amplifying marginalized voices and creating meaningful change through stakeholder engagement. Before joining us, Wynn worked at the intersection of human and Indigenous rights and diversity and inclusion for Fortune 500 companies, including launching an Impact Department at a global company to foster more equitable relationships with artisans worldwide.
Outside of work, Wynn loves exploring her community and the Bay Area’s arts scene, immersing herself in stories, and spending time in nature, often advocating for making outdoor spaces more accessible for all. With her focus on challenging power dynamics and building inclusive connections, we’re thrilled to have her perspective and energy on board.
Welcome, Wynn!
FFGF 2025 Scorecard
Force for Good Forecast 2025: A Scorecard — Reflections on What We Got Right and Key Lessons Learned
As 2025 draws to a close, we’ve taken a step back to evaluate our Force for Good Forecast for this past year—reflecting on how well we predicted key environmental and sustainability trends and where we missed the mark. From climate advocacy and litigation to nature conservation and energy transitions, discover our insights, lessons learned, and what to watch as we head into 2026. Read the full post to see how your organization can stay ahead in this evolving landscape.
Read our full assessment here (link to copy - will add as a blog Friday)
Spotlight Series: Senior Fellow Richard Eidlin
In this latest installment of our spotlight series, we dive into the story of our Senior Fellow Richard Eidlin: exploring his journey, leadership philosophy, and what motivates him to create impact. Richard shares valuable insights on driving change, building meaningful partnerships, and inspiring others to make a difference. Read the full interview and get inspired by Richard’s experiences and vision for the future.
Understanding How Environmental Assessments Influence Corporate Climate Policy
As polarization increases, companies today are facing ever more political scrutiny in the US from all sides—including how the environmental community often views companies through assessments of their climate lobbying. Our VP, Brendon Steele, breaks down the dynamics, what they mean for businesses, and how companies can navigate this complex landscape. Read Brendon’s full blog to learn more.
Events - Past and Upcoming
Save the Date: Corporate Affinity Network (CAN) In-Person Working Group, Houston TX January 27-28
Navigating stakeholder engagement can be challenging in today’s charged environment. At Future 500, we believe progress depends on building genuine relationships with civil society, investors, and advocates. This January 27-28, 2026, in Houston, TX, our next Working Group is taking place. We will gather senior corporate and NGO leaders to learn from one another and work to enhance cross-sectoral engagement on the critical issues of methane pollution, corporate climate resilience, and plastics policy advocacy.
Would your company benefit from gaining insights from experts on environmental advocacy, grant funding, and social change, as well as connecting with peers in corporate sustainability? Want to learn more about how to engage more constructively, reduce conflict, and build trust? If so, we encourage you to learn more about our Corporate Affinity Network (CAN).
Trellis Impact 25
Erik Wohlgemuth and Wynn Kwan attended the Trellis Impact 25 conference in San Jose, where three major events converged, creating opportunities for idea-sharing across sustainable finance, climate tech, and nature-focused work. Among their key takeaways:
Leaders emphasized making environmental and social issues a core, non-partisan priority, with one noting that scaling back in the name of “derisking” may actually heighten long-term risk. They also highlighted the importance of shared language and explained that while terminology evolves, losing common definitions can hinder understanding and complicate collaboration with communities that hold different mental models.
Several speakers underscored the value of aligning with nature’s systems, emphasizing that diversity strengthens both ecosystems and organizations. Indigenous presenters offered meaningful insights on partnering with communities, particularly the role of Indigenous leaders as intermediaries supporting local needs.
Finally, speakers urged the private sector to act with courage, noting that these challenges affect not only communities but also long-term business performance, making meaningful action essential.
Reuters Sustainability Reporting USA & Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum
Our VP, Brendon Steele, had a busy October moderating two sessions each at the Reuters Sustainability Reporting USA conference in Boston and then the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum in Chicago. A couple of tidbits he took away from each conference:
At Sustainability Reporting USA, the sentiment among those attending was, “Make progress, not headlines.” Greenhushing may have many sides, but it was heartening to hear companies' ambitions to continue driving substantive, material sustainability reporting and transparency—and to build community with one another.
At the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum, he sat down with Novolex's Sarah Kircher to discuss how “governance creates confidence” and how credibility comes not from certainty but from transparency. Sarah shared how companies can engage their internal audit and finance teams to add confidence to their data, and when sustainable leaders encounter conflicting numbers, they shouldn’t treat them as problems to fix, but as feedback that shows where systems, relationships, and assumptions may need to mature.
This time of year is conference season for our team, and we’re glad to share some of our insights with you!
