At the 2025 Global Health & Purpose Summit, Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute, explores how organizations are strengthening resilience through the design and operation of healthier, performance-driven spaces. Under her leadership, IWBI has established the WELL Building Standard as a global framework for advancing human health and organizational effectiveness through the built environment.

Adopted across billions of square feet in more than 130 countries, WELL is rooted in evidence-based strategies that address everything from air and water quality to mental health and equity. Hodgdon’s work underscores the business case for investing in environments that support employee well-being, improve productivity, and build long-term organizational value.

This session highlights how health-centered design has evolved from a sustainability add-on to a core strategy for competitive advantage—driving measurable outcomes for people and contributing to a more regenerative relationship with the planet.

1businessworld.com/people-and-planet-united-global-health-purpose-summit/

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At the 2025 Global Health & Purpose Summit, Stephen Hammer, CEO of the New York Climate Exchange, explores how climate data can be translated into actionable public health outcomes. The session focuses on the role of cities as central actors in responding to climate-related health challenges—from air quality and heat exposure to water access and resilience infrastructure.

The New York Climate Exchange serves as a collaborative engine for developing and implementing practical climate solutions. Through an integrated approach that includes research, workforce development, education, policy design, and community engagement, the Exchange is accelerating efforts to confront the intersecting risks of climate change and public health inequity.

Hammer’s leadership reflects a growing demand for models that move beyond siloed strategies, offering cross-sector coordination grounded in equity and justice. His insights point to a future in which localized, data-driven innovation drives scalable impact—strengthening the capacity of communities to adapt and thrive.

By turning data into action, this work delivers measurable benefits to human health and environmental resilience—contributing to a more sustainable, equitable future for both people and the planet.

1businessworld.com/people-and-planet-united-global-health-purpose-summit/

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