As planetary crises intensify – from accelerating climate change to mass biodiversity loss – we are increasingly recognizing the need to learn from the more-than-human intelligences of the natural world. At the same time, artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how knowledge is created, decisions are made, and futures are imagined. In this context, education can no longer be understood merely as preparation for an individual future. We must recognize it instead as practice for navigating a world of interwoven intelligences, and as a powerful driver of systemic change for both people and planet.
This session explores the role education can play in addressing our planetary crises, equipping students with the mindsets and skills to navigate – and help govern – a world where human and more-than-human interests intersect with rapidly advancing technologies.
This event brings together educators, innovators, and students to ask:
- What knowledge and skills are essential in an age of planetary crisis and AI?
- What innovative models and tools are shaping the future of education and learning?
- What systemic barriers continue to hold back transformation in education?
Drawing on science-based diplomacy, digital learning, and systems thinking, participants will consider how schools and lifelong learning models can foster planetary stewards: citizens prepared not only to thrive within planetary boundaries, but also help restore balance between humanity, technology, and the living world.
Program
- 9:00am – Doors open
- 9:30am – Welcome remarks
- 9:40am – Panel discussion
- 10:45am – Coffee exchange
- 11:30am – End of event
iCal / Outlook
Event start time
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New York
9:00AM
Speakers
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Bio
Emma Benameur
Director of Leadership and Learning
Villars InstituteEmma Benameur is Director of Leadership and Learning at the Villars Institute, a Swiss foundation driving systems change for a healthier planet through intergenerational collaboration. With a background in business, sustainability and humanities, Emma has over 20 years’ experience with the World Economic Forum in senior executive roles including Chief HR Officer, head of program design for the Davos Annual Meeting and other major events, partner engagement and leadership development and learning. She holds a BA (Hons) from University College London and an Executive MBA from Imperial College Business School. A Certified Facilitator, she is deeply committed to unlocking human potential and the power of design and systems thinking as an agent of change.
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Bio
Taniya Mishra
Founder & CEO
SureStartDr. Taniya Mishra is the founder & CEO of SureStart, a NYC-based AI education company offering mentoring-centered curricula and programs for K–12 students. Through collaborations with tech universities such as MIT and Carnegie Mellon University, and leading schools worldwide, SureStart equips students with AI skills, leadership and innovation competencies, and standout portfolios that open doors to top universities, internships, and future careers.
With over 15 years of experience in AI, including technical and leadership roles at AT&T Research and best-in-class startups such as Affectiva and Interactions, Taniya is recognized as a global AI leader. She has published extensively, holds 50+ AI patents, and her work has been featured in Fortune, MIT Technology Review, NBC Learn, and The Atlantic.
A frequent speaker on AI advancements, ethics and inclusion, and future-readiness, Taniya has addressed audiences at CES, the New York Academy of Sciences, and other major forums. Her leadership and mentorship have earned numerous honors, including the WomenTech Global AI Inclusion Award (2021), VentureBeat Woman in AI (2022), Women in AI North America (2023), NASDAQ’s 25 Leading Women in AI (2023), and the ASU+GSV Innovator of Color Award (2025).
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Bio
Lesa Wang
Global Spark Programs Director
and Head of Design
Dwight SchoolLesa Wang is the Global Spark Programs Director and Head of Design at Dwight School—an international network of schools across North America, Europe, and Asia. A maker educator and experience curator with 28 years in education, Lesa is celebrated for “bringing the outside in”—inviting distinguished practitioners into classrooms and offering students authentic audiences for their work. She has led large-scale collaborative projects that integrate creativity, design, and systems thinking to address complex, sustainability-oriented challenges.
Prior to her career in education, Lesa worked in the nonprofit sector, as well as branding and marketing—experiences that shape her thoughtful approach to communication, identity, and social change. At Dwight, she has launched Spark Labs—makerspaces and creative hubs where students prototype, experiment, and bring their ideas to life—and programs like Spark Tank and Sparkathons, enabling cross‑campus student teams to co‑create solutions to global challenges, from food systems to climate resilience.
Lesa’s work emphasizes systems thinking, ethical engagement, and creative leadership in fostering a more sustainable and interconnected future. She believes that education should do more than prepare students for tomorrow—it should empower them to actively shape it.
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Bio
Zachary Lehr
Student
Dwight SchoolZachary Lehr has lived in New York City his entire life and is currently in his Senior year of high school at the Dwight School, NY. Zachary has participated in a variety of climate events, ranging from his first Fridays for Futures protest in sixth grade to planning multi-day environmental justice and sustainability conferences with hundreds of attendees. More recently, Zachary became a Villars Institute Fellow and is working on several sustainability focussed projects. Zachary is the co-founder and physical prototyper for GreenVision, a machine-vision powered waste and recycling sorter and also the co-founder and designer for TerraCube, a shipping container based mobile and scalable hydroponic system. In the future, Zachary hopes to plans to study industrial design and start his own firm.
Planetary Embassy
This event is part of the Planetary Embassy at Climate Week NYC, a pop-up venue hosted by Swissnex from September 23 to 25 in the East Village dedicated to international, interdisciplinary, and interspecies collaboration. The Planetary Embassy explores how we can work with the more-than-human world to address urgent and interconnected planetary crises through conversations, installations, film screenings, and more, with contributions from Switzerland, New York, and beyond.
