Experiential visits to leading innovation and climate-tech sites, such as: 

• Harvard’s climate and energy initiatives 

• MIT Media Lab 

• The Engine (venture studio for tough-tech) 

Deep-dive convening for student leaders in the national ClimateCAP network. 

Topic: The Current Climate Landscape: Policy, Markets, and the Leadership Imperative

Speaker: Catherine Wolfram, William Barton Rogers Professor of Energy Economics at MIT Sloan

A candid fireside conversation grounding the Summit in: 

• Emerging geopolitical and market realities Shifts in U.S. climate policy and global investment flows 

• Corporate implications: risk, opportunity, and leadership under uncertainty 

Catherine is a globally influential voice in climate and energy policy. Her leadership spans academia, government, and international climate negotiations including serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate & Energy Economics at the U.S. Treasury, and most recently, as a member of the COP30 Ad Hoc Council of Economists, where she chaired a working group on climate coalitions.

Her research through the Global Climate Policy Project (a flagship project of the MIT Climate Policy Center, of which she is affiliated faculty) shaped the formation of the new Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets — a forum dedicated to accelerating coordination on carbon pricing and trade – with leaders from 18 countries representing ~40% of global emissions.

Hosted by The Engine

Topic: Breaking Through Gridlock: Navigating Tensions in Climate Leadership 

Speaker: Jason Jay, MIT Sloan Senior Lecturer & Sustainability Initiative Director

Led by an expert in systems thinking and dialogue across differences, this plenary will explore: 

• Core leadership tensions (long-term vs. short-term, equity vs. efficiency, policy vs. markets) 

• Tools for productive dialogue across political and organizational divides 

• Case examples of leaders overcoming polarization to advance climate action 

Interactive expo featuring MIT-founded climate-tech ventures in: 

• Energy generation & storage 

• Materials and industrial decarbonization 

• Carbon capture 

• Food, agriculture, and water innovation 

• Sensors, AI, controls, and modeling tools 

Students engage with founders during coffee breaks and lunch.

Participants will enjoy a long lunch to allow for time to visit the Climate Tech Startup Showcase and to learn about how we are achieving a carbon neutral conference.

Topic: Real-World Leadership in Action

Speaker: Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Mastercard

Named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential climate leaders, Ellen joins us at ClimateCAP 2026 to shed light on how CSOs navigate complexity in practice. Under her leadership, Mastercard returned to Newsweek’s ranking of America’s Most Responsible Companies. Drawing from such successes, Ellen will share real-world examples from her career of leading through uncertainty.

Topic: The Future of Climate Leadership: AI, Trade-Offs, and Transformation 

In this closing plenary, we will explore if AI can (or should) be part of the climate solution.