AI + Urban Heat Conference 2026

Lead Advisor for Urban Climate Action and Finance at the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)

Johanna Z. Granados Alcala is the Lead Advisor for Urban Climate Action and Finance at the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM). In this role, she supports local governments and city leaders worldwide in translating ambitious climate commitments into tangible, on-the-ground action through integrated urban planning, resilience, and climate finance. With extensive expertise in subnational climate governance, Ms. Granados works closely with international organizations, city networks, and development partners to strengthen urban resilience and accelerate climate action. Her work emphasizes building strategic partnerships and enabling cities to address growing climate risks through innovative, locally driven solutions.

Senior Coordinator of the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework (MTR SF) & Global Lead, Extreme Heat Risk Reduction

Marc Gordon serves as the Senior Coordinator of the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework (MTR SF) and Global Lead for Extreme Heat Risk Reduction at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). In these roles, he leads global initiatives to strengthen disaster risk governance and support national and local governments, investors, and businesses in adopting proactive, risk-informed approaches to reducing the impacts of extreme heat and other climate-related hazards.

Chief Executive Officer, HERA

Kathy Baughman McLeod is the Chief Executive Officer of HERA (formerly Climate Resilience For All), a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting the health, income, and dignity of women and vulnerable communities from the impacts of extreme heat. Under her leadership, HERA advances innovative policy, finance, insurance, and technology solutions that strengthen resilience to one of the world's fastest-growing climate risks. Previously, Kathy served as Senior Vice President and Founding Director of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council, where she established and led the Center's global extreme heat agenda. She spearheaded landmark initiatives including the appointment of Chief Heat Officers in cities worldwide, the global movement to name and categorize heat waves, the launch of the world's first extreme heat income insurance for women informal workers in India, and the creation of the Race to Resilience campaign and the Resilience Pavilion at COP26, COP27, and COP28. Before joining the Atlantic Council, Kathy was Senior Vice President, Global Environmental & Social Risk Executive at Bank of America, where she led climate-related financial risk, environmental and social risk policy, and enterprise-wide climate disclosure initiatives. Earlier, she held several leadership positions at The Nature Conservancy, including Managing Director for Climate Risk & Investment and Director for Climate Risk & Resilience, leading global efforts to advance nature-based solutions, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and innovative resilience financing. Earlier in her career, Kathy founded KBM Strategies, advising multinational corporations on sustainability, climate, energy, and resource productivity strategies. She also served as an appointed Energy & Climate Commissioner for the State of Florida, a Policy Fellow of the French Foreign Ministry, and as the first climate specialist on the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Advisory Council. An internationally recognized leader in climate resilience and adaptation finance, Kathy has been named a Reuters 2024 Trailblazing Woman in Climate and received Duke University's Leader of Consequence Award. She holds a Global MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, an M.S. in Geography and a B.S. in International Affairs from Florida State University, and a certification in Health Impact Assessment from the University of Liverpool.

Founder, Aeroswift Technologies.

Hrishikesh Heble is the Founder of Aeroswift Technologies, where he leads the development of advanced aerospace, unmanned systems, and next-generation aviation solutions. With over 21 years of professional experience, he has successfully delivered technology-driven projects across the defence, government, and industrial sectors, with a focus on integrating innovative UAV technologies into mission-critical operations.

Head of Secretariat, Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) | IPCC AR7 Lead Author | Research Fellow, University of Twente | Trustee, MapAction

Dr. Catalina Jaime is the Head of Secretariat at the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP), where she leads the Secretariat in providing strategic, operational, and technical support to the Partnership's governance bodies and Working Groups. She oversees coordination and communication across REAP's initiatives in line with the REAP 2030 Strategy and supports global advocacy on financing and policy integration to advance risk-informed approaches to climate resilience and anticipatory action. With more than twenty years of experience in humanitarian action, Dr. Jaime is internationally recognized for her expertise in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, anticipatory action, and early warning systems. Her work has spanned Colombia, Nepal, Haiti, Uganda, the Philippines, and numerous other countries, where she has strengthened systems that enable communities to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to climate and disaster risks before crises occur. Prior to joining REAP, Dr. Jaime led the Climate and Conflict portfolio at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, where she advanced innovative approaches to managing climate risks in fragile and conflict-affected settings. She played a pivotal role in shaping the global anticipatory action agenda, managing one of the first anticipatory action pilot projects in Uganda, supporting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in establishing its anticipatory action financing mechanism, and co-creating the Anticipation Hub, now a leading global platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration on anticipatory action. Throughout her career, Dr. Jaime has worked closely with governments, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and research institutions to develop risk-informed systems for disaster preparedness and early action. She has led strategic partnerships, including collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to integrate climate risk considerations into humanitarian operations and has also served as a Senior Consultant to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), contributing to the development of operational procedures for the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Dr. Jaime holds a PhD in Early Warning and Early Action in Conflict Settings and serves as a Research Fellow at the University of Twente. She is also a Trustee of MapAction and a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), contributing expertise on the intersections of climate change, poverty, livelihoods, mobility, and fragility. Earlier in her career, Dr. Jaime served as the Knowledge Broker for the UK-funded Science for Humanitarian Emergencies and Resilience (SHEAR) programme and led the information management team of the Shelter Cluster during the response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Her career reflects a longstanding commitment to bridging science, policy, and humanitarian practice, helping governments and organizations anticipate risks, strengthen resilience, and protect vulnerable communities through evidence-based and collaborative approaches.

Managing Director, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC)

Jono Anzalone is an economist, disaster response leader, governance strategist, and climate resilience expert with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of crisis management, climate risk, institutional resilience, and public engagement. He currently serves as Managing Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC), where he leads initiatives to advance research, public understanding, and strategic communication on climate change. Prior to joining Yale, Jono held senior leadership positions with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the American Red Cross, directing disaster preparedness, response, and recovery operations across the Americas and the Caribbean. He also served as Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern Maine, where he taught and conducted research on leadership, governance, and resilience. In addition to his role at Yale, Jono serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation and as a Board Member and Volunteer with the American Red Cross. Throughout his career, he has contributed to disaster response and resilience-building efforts in more than 30 countries, with a focus on strengthening institutional decision-making under uncertainty, integrating climate and social risk into policy and practice, and advancing responsible governance in complex crisis environments. Jono holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership, master's degrees in Economics and Accounting, and completed his undergraduate studies in Political Science. He is also a graduate of Harvard University's National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and was recognized with the Meta-Leader of the Year Award in 2017.