Speakers

Entrepreneur, sustainability professional, and now CEO of the Green Building Initiative (GBI), Vicki Worden has supported a myriad of industries, corporations, government agencies, and international nonprofits to advance sustainability goals while increasing return on investment. At GBI, Worden works with a 16-member Board of Directors and an international network of 20,000 individuals and corporations with a vision to provide sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings for all. GBI provides robust yet accessible green building standards and certification programs, such as its whole building, holistic certification programs called GBI Ascent™, Green Globes®, Journey to Net Zero. This year, GBI is celebrating having certified more than a billion square feet of space globally. GBI’s rating systems are globally recognized by governments and third parties, like GRESB, and its client base includes multi-national real estate investment trusts (REITs), corporations, and consultancies. In her previous role as President of Worden Associates, Inc., Worden provided sustainability consulting and strategic planning expertise for a diverse range of industries including solar, wind, parking, furniture, mattress, composites, wood products, and rainwater harvesting. In 2025, she was named Woman of the Year by GlobeSt.com in the consultant, advisor, independent professional category and she is a member of the U.S. Women Executives in Building and a former Chair of the U.S. National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council.