WELL 2026 Austin Summit

Join us for our inaugural WELL 2026 Austin Summit to connect with local thought leaders, innovators and experts focused on advancing healthy buildings and people-centered design. Each summit is uniquely crafted to address the specific needs of your region, while simultaneously integrating global perspectives from the WELL movement.

Expect engaging sessions focused on local trends, case studies and success stories that highlight the tangible impact of WELL in your community. You’ll gain actionable insights directly relevant to your work, while networking with key professionals shaping the future of health and well-being in your area.

Our summits are more than an event—they are a chance to drive change, expand your professional network and deepen your commitment to creating spaces that put people first.

Date: Thursday, November 5

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST

Location: The Austonian Club, 200 Congress Avenue, 55th Floor, Austin, TX 78701

Networking reception: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. CST a short walk away at CBRE

Agenda:

9:00 a.m. - Registration and morning refreshments

10:00 a.m. - Opening remarks

• Rick Fedrizzi, Executive Chairman, IWBI

10:05 a.m. - State of WELL: Updates & refresher

• Jessica Cooper, Chief Product Officer, IWBI

10:30 a.m. - Fireside chat

• Kelly Worden, VP, Social Sustainability, IWBI (Moderator)
• Gail Vittori , Co-Director, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems
• Rick Fedrizzi, Executive Chairman, IWBI

11:10 a.m. - Panel: WELL Executive

• Jessica Cooper, Chief Product Officer, IWBI (Moderator)
• Jules Lairson, Co-founder & COO, Work&
• Kendall Pretzer, Chief Strategy Officer, Grace Hill
• Zheng Yan, Chief Commercial Officer, WellStat

11:45 a.m. - Morning break

12:15 p.m. - Panel: Built to perform: The role of building materials in the occupant experience

• Clare Epke, Director, Performance Testing Lead, IWBI (Moderator)
• Jason Schwartz, Washington DC Experience Center Lead, Lutron
• Kate Sector Gregg, Design Performance Manager, Lake Flato Architects
• Rachel Berkin, Senior Sustainability Manager , Rockfon

12:55 p.m. - Networking lunch

2:05 p.m. - Panel: Scaling Health and Wellbeing Across the Built Environment

• Kelly Worden, VP, Social Sustainability, IWBI (Moderator)
• Lauren Martin, AVP | Senior Manager of Development, Epsten Group, A Salas O’Brien Company
• Lindsey Pierson, Director, Sustainability , Lincoln Property Company
• Melissa Berardi, Global Head Building Certifications , CBRE

2:50 p.m. - Fireside chat: Two Markets, One Standard: WELL for residential in Panama City and Houston

• Elizabeth Miles, VP, Residential, IWBI (Moderator)
• Daniel Ben-Avi, Founder, Áurea
• Haley Peck, Vice President of Marketing, Johnson Development

3:25 p.m. - Afternoon break

3:55 p.m. - Panel + Presentation: Investing in Health Pays Back

• Melanie Koch, Enterprise Coaching Lead, Client Success, IWBI (Presenter)
• Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic, Client Development Director, BranchPattern (Moderator)
• America Alva, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Stantec
• Lori Ajlouni, Senior Business Development Manager DNA Spaces, Cisco
• Tatinia Phinisee, Project Management Supervisor, Austin Energy
• Tim Simpson, Senior Director | Integrated Workplace Experience, Sodexo

4:50 p.m. - Closing remarks + award recognition

5:30- 7:00 p.m. - Networking reception hosted by CBRE

Info: The green building movement in the United States started here in Austin. In 1989, the City of Austin asked a small Austin non-profit for ideas and Gail Vittori's conceptual framework inspired the nation's first green building program, the only U.S. initiative recognized at the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio. A year later, Rick Fedrizzi co-founded the U.S. Green Building Council, which took green building from a local experiment to a global market. In this opening conversation, two of the movement's foundational leaders reflect on how health went from an unspoken benefit to an explicit priority and what today's climate realities ask of the industry next.

Info: Join influential leaders as they share lessons learned on driving business value from sustainability measures, emerging trends in integrative solutions for built environment challenges, and visionary strategies for policy and systemic interventions that are reshaping how we design, build and operate spaces. From sustainable finance innovation to policy frameworks to integrative design solutions, this session offers inspiration and actionable insights from those at the forefront of creating buildings that deliver measurable business value while advancing sustainable development goals through comprehensive environmental, social, and economic performance.

Info: How can buildings of tomorrow actively support how we feel, focus, and thrive? Across acoustics and lighting using material innovation, a new generation of design practices is redefining what a high-performing building actually means for occupants, owners and investors. Explore the innovations defining what's next for the built environment, and what it means to build spaces people don't just occupy, but flourish in.

Info: Healthy building investments are quickly becoming primary drivers of commercial asset value and long-term financial performance. By aligning institutional investment strategy, day-to-day facilities management, and specialized sustainability consulting, property leaders are turning health metrics into scalable, portfolio-wide standards. Discover the concrete financial returns, elevated tenant retention, and operational resilience that emerge when well-being sits at the heart of real estate strategy.

Info: This fireside chat brings together two very different applications of WELL for residential: a multifamily building in Panama and a master planned community of single family homes just outside Houston, Texas. Our speakers will compare how each team approached WELL, from setting goals and building scorecards to engaging residents and navigating local market expectations. Leave with practical insight into how WELL strategies scale from a single building to an entire community, how to make the business case to developers and buyers and what it takes to deliver measurable health and well-being outcomes in the places people live.

Info: While the benefits of people-centric practices have long been established in public health and building science research, recent studies outline a clear connection between these investments and enhanced business performance, increased asset value and higher financial returns. Discover how research-backed strategies strengthen the business case for health investments.

Info: While the benefits of people-centric practices have long been established in public health and building science research, recent studies outline a clear connection between these investments and enhanced business performance, increased asset value and higher financial returns. Discover how research-backed strategies strengthen the business case for health investments.

Event venue & nearby stays

The Austonian Club, 200 Congress Avenue, Austin, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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