• Katie Rothenberg has been executing sustainability initiatives in the built environment for nearly 15 years, and has held multiple sustainability roles on the construction, operations, consulting, and non-profit sides of commercial real estate. As Vice President of ESG for AvalonBay Communities, Katie is responsible for leading their best-in-class ESG platform and directing strategy and stakeholder engagement. Significant focus areas include environmental initiatives such as carbon reduction targets (SBTi), renewables, climate related risk management, material health and building efficiency, in addition to guiding inclusion & diversity programs and strategic philanthropy for the organization.

Katie earned an MBA from The University of Denver, with a focus in Real Estate; and holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is a LEED Fellow and holds a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship Leadership from Boston College.

Nora Rizzo, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, LFA is Grace Farms Foundation’s Ethical Materials Director, advancing the groundbreaking Design for Freedom movement to eliminate forced and child labor from the building materials supply chain. As a sustainable construction professional, Nora focuses on the intersection between climate impact, material health, and human rights due diligence.

Nora led the development of the Design for Freedom Toolkit, a comprehensive resource for design and construction professionals to implement ethical material sourcing strategies into their practice.

Nora currently serves on the Board of Directors for mindfulMATERIALS and BuildGreenCT. She founded the CT Living Future Collaborative and serves on the LEED Equity Working Group.