Future 500 Corporate Working Group
May 20-21, 2026 | San Francisco, CA
Where: The Hotel Kabuki, 1625 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115. Make your reservations here for our special group rate.
When: May 20-21, 2026
We begin with a casual dinner on the 19th for out-of-town corporate participants arriving the night before. The formal meeting begins with breakfast on the 20th and concludes on the 21st by 1pm.
Registration: Register here(free for CAN members). The price will increase on April 8th. Complimentary for Future 500 CAN members.
Who: Senior corporate leaders interested in constructive cross-sectoral engagement across a host of environmental and social issues.
What: Future 500 has been conducting this intimate working group for over 10 years. Our discussions are confidential, facilitated under the Chatham House Rule, and designed to foster constructive engagement and mutual understanding between companies and advocates. We cultivate mutual understanding by illuminating important issue trends and best practices, and reducing barriers to potential collaboration between companies and their stakeholders.
We seek to empower our delegates to actively engage by speaking up, teaching others, respectfully disagreeing, and asking tough questions. We welcome your ideas and challenges, so come prepared to participate.
Dress code: Business casual–emphasis on the casual!
Planned Sessions
Kate Gordon on Industrial Policy, Carbon Management, and the Energy Transition
Kate Gordon was the Senior Advisor to former US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, former Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Senior Climate Policy Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, and founding director of the Risky Business Project. Now, as the CEO of California Forward (CA FWD), she is pioneering initiatives to reinvigorate industrial and manufacturing policy, carbon management, the energy transition, and regional economic resilience. Kate will lead a dialogue exploring emerging opportunities and risks related to these topics, and seek input from our participants to help shape her organizational priorities to achieve the greatest positive impact for business and society.
Framing the Nature Positive Agenda for Business
Dr. Jennifer McGowan last joined our Corporate Affinity Network meeting in 2022, where she unpacked emerging developments in how companies invest in stewarding nature. Highly regarded by participants, she will be joining us again to update us on the movement, including the latest guidance on framing the Nature Positive agenda for business. She’ll also share insights on guiding internal leaders to move beyond disclosure and get nature on the balance sheet and into the boardroom. Jennifer bridges the gap between industry and conservation as a Research Professor at ASU Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and the Director of Landscape Planning and Science at the Nature Positive Landscapes Initiative, and her work with Nature Matters is transforming how companies integrate nature into their core strategies. Previously at the Nature Conservancy, she has spent 15 years helping countries and NGOs worldwide integrate decision-support tools into their biodiversity and conservation strategies.
Additional sessions TBA
Reach out to Gleeson Ryan (gryan@future500.org) with any questions.