Summit Emphasizes Human-Centric Sustainability
The Heart of a Just Transition Panel at the IWBI Social Sustainability Summit
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) hosted its inaugural Social Sustainability Summit on December 13 in New York City. Social sustainability focuses on managing and optimizing an organization’s impact on its people, the community, and broader societal systems. The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss innovative approaches to enhance well-being for people and the planet. The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise (CSGE) was a supporting partner for the event and sponsored registration costs for two MBA students. Read more about their experience at the event and how it enhanced and complemented their coursework.
The growing business case for social investments
Khoo: Sustainability is often framed in terms of carbon footprints, energy efficiency, and financial returns. But at the heart of every sustainable initiative are people—communities, workers, families, and future generations. After attending the Social Sustainability Summit, I was reminded that sustainability is not just about numbers: it’s about the lives those numbers impact.
As an MBA student at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, an Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Fellow, and an Infrastructure Policy Management and Finance Fellow, I had the privilege of attending this transformative event, which brought together some of the brightest minds in sustainability, finance, real estate, and social equity. The summit explored how businesses can prioritize people while driving meaningful change, and it left me with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity about the path forward.
Woolf: The IWBI Social Sustainability Summit highlighted a compelling theme: Social sustainability isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business. Investing in employee well-being, community engagement, and underserved markets directly impacts productivity, reduces turnover, and strengthens loyalty. The summit left me inspired. It reinforced the idea that social investments, whether in employee wellness, DEI, or underserved markets, drive measurable returns for businesses while creating positive societal change.
At Johnson, the Sustainable Business Fellows Program enables us to integrate sustainability into business strategies, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and stakeholder alignment. The lessons from the summit underscore how critical these skills are in today’s business landscape. By embracing social sustainability, companies can secure their future while building stronger, more equitable communities. The future of business depends on it.
Opening keynote: A call to action
Khoo: The summit kicked off with a thought-provoking keynote by Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO of IWBI, and Valerie Smith, chief sustainability officer at Citi. Hodgdon emphasized that social sustainability is not just nice to have; it’s necessary for businesses aiming to thrive in the 21st century. Smith echoed this sentiment, highlighting Citi’s commitment to embedding social equity within its core operations. “Sustainability is not just about the environment; it’s about creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Smith emphasized.
This is aligned with what I’ve learned in the course Leaders in Sustainable Global Enterprise, led by Mark Milstein, clinical professor and faculty director of SGE: Sustainability is about creating systems that uplift people and protect the planet.
Social sustainability as core to business strategy
Woolf: The first panel, moderated by Stephen Brown, senior vice president of global market development at IWBI, explored how companies integrate social sustainability into their business strategies. Harun Asad, senior director of sustainability at Genentech, shared how sustainability is now central to its corporate strategy, with a chief sustainability officer reporting directly to the head of strategy. Liam Bates, CEO of Kaiterra, emphasized the tangible business case for health and well-being, particularly through air quality. “If your employer provides a WELL-certified office with clean air, you’re far less likely to leave for a competitor offering a higher salary,” he noted. Casey Cullen-Woods, vice president of global sustainable design and operations at Barclays, highlighted Barclays’ efforts to align its 400-property portfolio with WELL standards. The panelists underscored that social sustainability is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic one, driving employee retention, brand trust, and long-term value.
An eye-opening exercise: Communicating the ‘why’
Woolf: One of the summit’s most memorable moments was a fireside chat with Chrissa Pagitsas, CEO of Pagitsas Advisors. She led a revealing exercise to highlight gaps in organizations’ alignment with social strategies.
She asked participants to rate, on a five-point scale, how well their organization’s revenue drivers (e.g., sales teams or fundraisers) understand social issues. Participants raised that number on one hand. Next, they rated how aligned these teams were with people-centric strategies and raised that number on the other hand. Adding the two numbers, those with totals of five or less sat down. About half the room sat. When the threshold rose to eight or less, only four of about 200 people remained standing—just 2 percent of the room.
Pagitsas concluded: “Throwing elbows is not just bursting in and saying, ‘We’ve got to think about people.’ It’s translating benefits into business terms.” She stressed that professionals often fail to connect social metrics like improved air quality to business outcomes. “Why does it matter? Because people won’t come into the office; they’ll get sick,” she said.
Empowering people: The heart of a just transition
Khoo: The most memorable session of the day was focused on the human element of sustainability, where panelists shared powerful insight on community-centric investment, ethical supply chains, and workforce upskilling. Kanika Singh, director of innovative finance at the Milken Institute, emphasized that “failure to include community in any investment framework can have very unintended consequences.” Nora Rizzo, ethical materials director at Grace Farms Foundation, highlighted the importance of education in eliminating forced labor in supply chains. Alicia Silva, a leader in green finance in Mexico, underscored the role of education in shaping future professionals for the green economy. The message was clear: A just transition requires collaboration, education, and a firm commitment to equity and inclusion.
Final thoughts: Sustainability is about people
Khoo: The IWBI Social Sustainability Summit was a powerful reminder that sustainability is about the people impacted by each decision made. From empowering communities to redefining corporate responsibility, the event showcased how businesses can drive meaningful change by putting people at the center of their strategies. Sustainability is not just a good business strategy; it’s a commitment to building a better world for everyone.
This event reinforced the lessons I’ve learned through CSGE at the Johnson School, where we are exposed to perspectives that view sustainability as a holistic endeavor that balances environmental, social, and economic goals. The summit was a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and leadership in driving meaningful change—and a reminder that at its core, sustainability is about people.
About the authors
Kaiser Khoo, MBA ’26, is an aspiring leader passionate about sustainability, social impact, the circular economy, and renewable energy. As a first-year MBA student, an Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Fellow, and an Infrastructure Policy Management and Finance Fellow, he is dedicated to driving innovative solutions for global challenges. Khoo is incoming treasurer of the Cornell Energy Club, co-president of the Southeast Asia Club, and an active member of the Sustainable Global Enterprise Club.
Jason Woolf, MBA ’26, is a first-year MBA student with a focus on sustainable business strategies. A dual citizen of the U.S. and South Africa, Woolf draws upon his entrepreneurial experience in underserved communities to inform his commitment of integrating equity and sustainability into business practices.