Speakers

Sumayyah Theron is the CEO and Founder of Avant-garde Sustainable Solutions and serves as Chair of the Green Building Initiative (GBI) Board of Directors for 2026. She brings a holistic, global perspective to her leadership, grounded in a deep commitment to volunteerism, performance, and accountability. With over 20 years of experience in sustainable building design, decarbonization strategy, and green building certifications, Sumayyah is a recognized leader in advancing climate-responsive, high-performance buildings. Her expertise spans Green Globes, WELL, Fitwel, and LEED, and she is an ASHRAE Certified Decarbonization Professional (CDP). Her industry leadership includes long-standing volunteer and governance roles with ASHRAE, board service with the Illinois Green Alliance, and two years as Chair of GBI’s ANSI/GBI 01 – Green Globes for New Construction Energy Subcommittee. Through Avant-garde Sustainable Solutions, she has advised global organizations on sustainability integration, climate strategy, and operational resilience. Sumayyah’s contributions have been widely recognized. She was named to Engineered Systems’ “20 to Watch: Women in HVAC” in 2024 and honoured as a Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Leader in Sustainability in both 2024 and 2025. In 2023, she received the GBI Advocacy Ambassador Award for her leadership and impact in advancing green building practices.