Featured Speakers

Inspiration and insights from geodesign visionaries

Discover the latest advancements in ArcGIS

Learn about recent advancements and tools that support geodesign workflows across industries, from architecture and engineering to city planning. Experience demos of Esri technology, such as ArcGIS GeoBIM and ArcGIS Urban.
Explore new design and planning techniques

Find out how to connect data and design for holistic, place‑specific planning—ensuring every decision aligns with the realities of rapidly evolving built and natural landscapes. Create solutions that improve the world now and into the future.
See how geodesign is transforming communities

Complex challenges like population growth and globalization require collaborative solutions, informed by geographical context. Let real-world experts show you how they use geodesign to build safer, more sustainable communities.

Jack Dangermond, Esri President

Plenary Session Speaker | Tuesday, April 14

A landscape architect by training, Jack Dangermond founded Esri in 1969 with a vision that computer mapping and analysis could help design a better future.

Under Jack’s leadership, that vision has continued to guide Esri in creating cutting-edge geographic information system (GIS) and geodesign technologies that are used in every industry to make a difference worldwide.

James Dobbin, President and CEO of Dobbin International

Keynote Speaker | Wednesday, April 15

In 1976, James Dobbin founded Dobbin International, a land, coastal, and ocean planning firm. He has since completed over 300 projects in more than 106 countries. These projects often provide multisector action plans based on principles of sustainability and resilience.

James has worked with a wide range of clients, including multilateral banks, governments, research institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and corporations. He holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Harvard University and is a member of many professional organizations.

Special guest speakers

Stephen Bourne

Project Director and Fellow | AtkinsRéalis

Stephen is both a civil and software engineer. During his career, he has built a reputation for leading novel research projects and turning them into user-friendly software tools for shared vision planning among stakeholders.
Peter Droege

Founder | Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development

Peter cofounded the Global Climate Geodesign Challenge, jointly developed by the International Geodesign Collaboration and Esri. He taught and researched at MIT as well as the Universities of Tokyo, Sydney, and Liechtenstein.
Thomas Fisher

Professor, Director of GeoCommunities, and Director of the Minnesota Design Center | University of Minnesota

Thomas is one of the founders of the International Geodesign Collaboration. He is also the Chancellor of the ACSA’s College of Distinguished Professors and the 2025 winner of the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education.
John Houseal

Partner and Cofounder | Houseal Lavigne

John has worked with hundreds of cities globally to solve complex urban planning challenges. He has received many prestigious national and state-level awards, such as the National Excellence Award from the American Planning Association.
Daniel Khuat

Geodesign Coordinator | Design Workshop

Daniel has more than six years of GIS experience in the urban planning and design field. He holds a degree in urban and regional planning from Texas A&M University. He is passionate about streamlining project workflows by integrating geographic design needs across teams.
Lukas Mandrake

Program Manager, Earth Data Science & Technology | JPL

Lukas has been with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for 24 years, providing strategic research guidance, innovative new capabilities, and program management for AI, ML, and data science across earth, space, and planetary science and engineering domains.
Galen Newman

Professor and Head of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning | Texas A&M University

Galen Newman, PhD, FASLA, FCELA, has written more than 140 articles and four books, and contributed to securing roughly $76 million in funding. His research focuses on building resilient communities.
Breece Robertson

President | Breece Robertson Consulting

Breece is a global leader in geospatial strategy, conservation planning, and climate resilience with over 25 years’ experience advancing equitable, data-driven solutions at local, national, and global scales. She helps organizations align vision, strategy, and data to drive measurable, system-level impact.
Carl Steinitz

Professor, Landscape Architecture & Planning, Emeritus | Harvard Graduate School of Design

Carl is principal author of Alternative Futures for Changing Landscapes and author of A Framework for Geodesign. He has lectured and taught workshops at more than 180 universities, and is cofounder of the International Geodesign Collaboration. He is also an honorary professor at University College London.
Teresa Townsend

Founding Partner and CEO | Planning Communities

Teresa helped establish Planning Communities, a women-owned, certified B corporation advancing conservation, climate action and community resilience. With over 30 years of experience, she leads development of tools, strategies and frameworks that translate complex data into actionable, place-based solutions.
Aaron Vannoy

Planning and Development Services Director | City of San Angelo, Texas

Aaron guides community planning, development policy, and growth management for the City of San Angelo. Prior to his current role, he led vector control and animal services for the City of Abilene, where he advanced data-driven mapping for public health and animal-related operations.
Duane Waliser

Chief Scientist of Earth Science and Action | JPL

Duane has worked at JPL for 22 years. His recent focus involves working within NASA and across agencies and sectors to enable and enhance “Earth Science to Action” decision-support benefits from NASA’s growing understanding, observing and modeling capabilities of the Earth and our local urban and natural environments.