Biomimetics26 Agenda
Join the Future of Nature-Inspired Innovation During BiosVerse™ Week 2026
DAY 1: November 9, 2026
8:45 am
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9:00 am
9:00 am
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9:45am
Inside the Next Transition: Seeing Systemic Change Before Pathways Harden
Frank Diana
Managing Partner & Principal Futurist, Tata Consultancy Services
9:45am
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10:15am
Scaling to Meet Scale: Why We Are Here
Thomas Fisher
Professor of Architecture & Director of the Minnesota Design Center, University of Minnesota
10:15 am
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10:30 am
Break
10:30 am
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11:15 am
Satellite Session Sponsored by the International Institute for Biosensing
“The living Earth Interface: The Future of Living Intelligence" and "Can Technology Become Regenerative”
Dr. Patricia Khashayar
Director, International Institute for Biosensing, University of Minnesota
Dr. Kate Adamala
Associate Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development Lab, University of Minnesota
11:15 am
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11:45: am
Translating Nature's Strategies into Practical Tools
Carlos Dulanto
Director, Origgen Biomimicry Perú
11:45 am
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12:15 pm
Urban Resilience
Raphael Kay
Founder, Mireta Urban Dynamics
12:15 pm
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1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm
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1:30 pm
Sust_AI_nability
Peter Niewiarowski
Professor of Biology, The University of Akron
1:30 pm
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2:00 pm
Biomimicry 3.8
Nicole Bellisle
Chief Operating Officer, Biomimicry 3.8
2:00 pm
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2:15 pm
Break
2:15 pm
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3:45 pm
Panel: New to The World & Panel: What Makes Investors Pay Attention?
Co-Founder and Managing Director, Reuseful
Matt Saunders
Managing Partner, New Earth Ventures
Panelists: Sara Aly El Sayed, Director, The Biomimicry Center, Arizona State University; Peter Niewiarowski, Professor of Biology, University of Akron; Nicole Bellisle, Chief Operating Officer, Biomimicry 3.8
3:45 pm
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4:15 pm
Revolutionizing Packaging Supply
Matthew Wright
Founder, FOREST-PKG and Specright
4:15 pm
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4:30 pm
Terradigm
Stosh Cotler
CEO and Founder, Terradigm
4:30 pm
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5:00 pm
Infusing Biomimicry into R&D: How AI Scales Nature-Inspired Innovation
Eliot Graeff
CEO, Asteria
5:00 pm
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5:30pm
Wrap Up and Read Ahead: Biosverse Compatibility and the Generational Cost of Ownership
Michael Wright
Executive Director, Biomimetics International
5:30 pm
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7:00 pm
Reception Hosted by Expo2031
Wendy Meadley
CEO, Expo 2031 Minnesota
Remarks at 6:00 pm
DAY 2: November 10, 2026
8:30 am
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8:45 am
DAY 2 | Welcome Remarks
Prasad Boradkar
Dean of the College of Design, University of Minnesota
8:45 am
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9:30 am
From Mitigation to Regeneration: Applying Nature's Wisdom to Digital Infrastructure
Tabitha Scott,
Vice President and Executive Sustainability Officer, Gilbane
9:30 am
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10:00 am
Creating Sustainable Value
Troy Blizzard
Vice President and General Manager, Mortenson Construction
10:00 am
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10:15 am
Break
10:15 am
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10:45 am
Biomimetics and Managing Water Securely
T.J. Stroebl
Senior Professional at Kurita America, and Incoming President Elect of the American Water Works Association
10:45 am
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11:15 am
Sustainable Water Management and Biomimetics
Meghana Kharod
Senior Consultant - Sustainability, Energy & Climate Change, WSP
11:15 am
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12:00 pm
Building Community-First AI Infrastructure
Kaitlin Chuzi
Director of Global Land Strategy, Microsoft
12:00 pm
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1:00 pm
Lunch
12:15 pm
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1:00 pm
GROW EVERYTHING Podcast
Erum Azeez Khan
Partner at Messaginglab and Co-Host of the GROW EVERYTHING podcast
Karl Schmieder
Founder and CEO at Messaginglab and Co-Host of the GROW EVERYTHING podcast
1:00 pm
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1:45 pm
Materials Science and Biomimetics
Shu Yang,
Joseph Bordogna Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
1:45 pm
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2:15 pm
Biosverse Compatible Data Centers: Case Studies
Thomas Fisher
Professor of Architecture & Director of the Minnesota Design Center, University of Minnesota
2:15 pm
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2:30 pm
Break
2:30 pm
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2:45 pm
Biophilic Communities
Brian Wright
Founding Principal Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC)
2:45 pm
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3:30 pm
Panel: BiosVerse Compatibility, Stewardship & Generational Costs
Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Moderator
CEO, Stewardverse Strategies
Panelists: Jim Hovland, Mayor of Edina; Nicole Craanen, Founder of the Biophilic Design Institute; Marianne Alleyne, Assistant Professor of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and other symposium participants TBA
3:30 pm
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4:15 pm
Working Session: Governance and Decision-Making
Andrea Bonime-Blanc
Founder & CEO, GEC Risk Advisory
David Baltaxe
President and Chief Intelligence Officer, Unanimous AI
4:15
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4:45 pm
New Data Center Report Release: Policy Advocacy
John Pournoor
CEO, Government Analytica
4:45 pm
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5:15 pm
Simplify to Scale
Chris Campbell
CEO, Simplifi Automation
5:15 pm
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5:30 pm
Closing: A Consensus Statement and Call to Action
Michael Wright
Executive Director, Biomimetics International
Biomimetics International is a not-for-profit industry association dedicated to uniting and amplifying our nature-inspired solutions generated by institutions, businesses, and researchers to create a resilient, regenerative, and thriving planet.
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