The WBUR Festival: Full Schedule

11:45am EDT

Work Rewired: How AI is Changing Jobs and Business

Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Enterprise AI leaders reveal how companies are deploying AI today, what roles will evolve or disappear and practical strategies for workers and managers to adapt — offering a roadmap for thriving in the AI-driven workplace of tomorrow.

Speakers

Ashley Maceli

VP of AI Solutions & Readiness, Eastern Bank

Ashley Maceli leads AI strategy at Eastern Bank, driving AI literacy and responsible adoption to support operations and improve customer experience. She joined the bank in 2017 as a Software Engineer and became Head of AI in 2025, where she oversees enterprise-wide AI strategy, governance, and i... Read More →

Jen Stave

Executive Director, HBS AI Institute

Jen Stave is the Executive Director of Harvard Business School's AI institute and a Partner at Keystone's AI Navigator Practice.

Dr. Stave’s work sits at the intersection of data, AI, change management, workforce transformation, and organizational effectiveness and her perspectives on the future of digital labor are featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. She has served on the st... Read More →

Andrew Hogue

VP, Head of AI, Duolingo

Andrew Hogue is VP, Head of AI at Duolingo, responsible for building an AI-first product, team, and brand. Previously, he was Director of AI Engineering at Google Workspace, where he led the development of frontier AI features across the product and platform. He also led engineering at Blue Apro... Read More →

Scott Kirsner

Columnist, MassLive & Tech Correspondent, WBUR Morning Edition

Scott Kirsner has spent more than 25 years working as a business journalist and contributing editor at the Boston Globe, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times, Variety, and other publications. His books include Innovation Economy: True Stories of Startups, Flame-Outs, and Inventing the... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Technology

1:00pm EDT

From the Lab to Low-Carbon: Is Climate Tech the Next Mass. Boom?

Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Massachusetts wants to recreate its biotech boom with “climate tech” — innovations that decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Entrepreneurs and a state expert look at whether climate tech can maintain momentum against a hostile federal administration, and what sustained innovation means for the state and the planet.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Barbara Moran

Correspondent, Climate and Environment, WBUR

Barbara Moran is a correspondent on WBUR’s climate and environmental team.

Moran grew up in Hudson, Mass., attended the University of Notre Dame, then got her master's in science journalism from BU. For 25 years, she has worked as a science journalist covering public health, environmental justice and the intersection of science and society. She has written... Read More →

Joey Fiore

Founder & CEO, PowerLabs

Joey Fiore founded PowerLabs mid-Covid lockdown, on the belief that energy security isn't a trend, it's an inevitability. The startup’s Roav solar generator enables control over your energy destiny, for the U.S. Navy, corporations, & homeowners alike. Prior to PL, Joey helped pioneer the So... Read More →

Ted Wiley

Co-founder, President & COO, Form Energy

Ted Wiley is the President and Chief Operating Officer at Form Energy. As one of the five co-founders of the company, Ted has played a pivotal role in developing its core business functions, including Finance, HR, Facilities, Business Development, and Policy. Today, he oversees Manufacturing... Read More →

Ben Downing

CEO, Mass Clean Energy Center

Ben Downing is the CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. He brings to the role more than two decades of leadership experience at the nexus of technology, economic development and policy.

Before his appointment, Ben served as the Chief Growth Officer at The Engine, an incubator and accelerator supporting early-stage academic spinouts in climate, biotech and advanced systems. At The Engine, he supported resident teams’ growth in Massachusetts, their engagement with... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

2:15pm EDT

Powering A.I.: The True Cost of the Data Center Boom

Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Policymakers, industry experts and journalists explore how the surge in AI infrastructure translates into jobs and investment. Their conversation also confronts why some state and local leaders are pushing back on proposed data centers among concerns including accompanying environmental challenges.

Speakers

Daniel Goetzel

Harvard Fellow & President, Chalant Strategies

Daniel Goetzel is a Fellow at Harvard and the president of a boutique innovation and economic development consulting firm that advises AI infrastructure companies, venture funds, universities and governments on economic development and innovation strategy. He has published extensively on how cities... Read More →

Ari Peskoe

Director, Harvard Electricity Law Initiative

Ari Peskoe is the Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School. He writes and teaches about the regulation of companies that generate, deliver, and sell electric power. With Eliza Martin, he co-wrote a report entitled Extracting Profits from the Public: How Utility Ratepa... Read More →

Ella Nilsen

Climate Reporter, CNN

Ella Nilsen covers climate-related policy from the White House, Congress, and agencies.

She joined CNN from Vox where she covered the White House and the Biden administration’s climate and infrastructure plan.

She also covered Congress and the 2018 and 2020 elections. Prior to Vox, she reported on Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in the 2016 primary at the Concord Monitor... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Technology

3:30pm EDT

Spark or Slowdown?: Creativity in the Age of AI

Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Writers and teachers explore how AI tools are reshaping creative work and deep thinking – but does our increased use of AI amplify human imagination or risk dulling our capacity for original thought?

Speakers

Sasha Stiles

Poet & Artist

Sasha Stiles is a Kalmyk-American poet and artist whose work uses language to explore what it means to be human in a more-than-human age. A pioneering voice of the generative era, she advances poetic intelligence – the synthesis of emotion and algorithm – as a vital artistic medium of our... Read More →

Cloe Axelson

Senior Editor, Cognoscenti

Cloe Axelson is the senior editor of WBUR’s opinion page, Cognoscenti.

Cloe first came to WBUR in 2015, as a contributor — her very first piece for Cog was an essay about women’s soccer. Two years later, in 2017, she joined Cog’s staff as an editor. Since then, she’s worked with hundreds of writers, produced dozens of pieces for radio, and written... Read More →

Jane Rosenzweig

Director, Harvard College Writing Center

Jane Rosenzweig is the director of the Harvard College Writing Center. She writes the newsletter Writing Hacks and publishes the newsletter The Important Work, which features reflections by educators about teaching in the era of generative AI. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Los... Read More →

Ann Handley

Bestselling Author & Entrepreneur

Ann Handley is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 3 books, including the forthcoming ASAP: As Slow As Possible. A writer, speaker, and entrepreneur, she explores creativity, communication, and human judgment in a culture obsessed with speed.

Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Technology

4:45pm EDT

Profit & Planet: Making Green and Going Greener

Friday May 29, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Corporate and environmental leaders discuss the bold investments companies must consider to align profit with true sustainability.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Stephen Lease

Co-founder & CEO, goodr

Stephen Lease is an entrepreneur, explorer, and professional disruptor. After playing it safe—and failing at his first five companies—he decided to change things up and has been challenging the status quo ever since.

As the CEO and co-founder of goodr, he has built the company into one of the world’s largest independent eyewear brands. goodr is anchored in fun, authenticity and accessibility, delivering classic, high-performance, and fashionable products at unapologetically affordable prices... Read More →

Kate Williams

CEO, 1% for the Planet

Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global movement of companies choosing environmental commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. In more than a decade of leadership at the organization, Kate has scaled 1% for the Planet’s network to span 100+ countries and 65 ind... Read More →

Miriam Wasser

Senior Reporter, Climate and Environment, WBUR

Miriam Wasser is a senior reporter with WBUR's climate and environment team.

Before coming to WBUR, she was a staff writer for the Phoenix New Times in Arizona. Her work has also appeared in Boston Magazine, The Atlantic, Narratively, DigBoston and The Big Roundtable.

Miriam holds... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

11:45am EDT

Joy, Creativity and New Beginnings in Midlife: A Conversation with Allison Aubrey

Saturday May 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

NPR’s health and science correspondent talks about her forthcoming book “Your Turn: How to Create a Midlife You Love."

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Melissa Block

Former Host & Correspondent, NPR

Melissa Block is one of NPR’s most familiar voices. For more than a decade, she anchored the network's flagship afternoon newsmagazine, “All Things Considered,” and she spent many years as a roving NPR correspondent. Her reporting took her from China during a massive earthquake, to the O... Read More →

Allison Aubrey

Health & Science Correspondent, NPR

Allison Aubrey is Health & Science Correspondent for NPR News focused on healthy aging and longevity and a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning. She is the recipient of several awards, including a Washington Press Club award for consumer reporting, two James Beard awards, and a New York Press Club... Read More →

Saturday May 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

1:30pm EDT

Meating Demand: The Future of Protein

Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Hear from a chef, a scientist and an industry leader about today's alternatives to meat — from plant-based foods on the market, to meat grown in labs using animal cells. What will it take to make meat alternatives accessible, and appetizing, to everyone?

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Nicole Tichenor Blackstone

Associate Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University

Nicole Tichenor Blackstone is a tenured Associate Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, where she leads research at the intersection of food systems sustainability, environmental impacts, and evidence‑based strategies for transforming modern food systems. Her w... Read More →

Joanne Molinaro

Founder, The Korean Vegan

With over 6 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author and James Beard Award winner Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a The Korean Vegan, has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, NPR, PBS, CNN, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She’s been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Food and Wine, and The Atlantic; and he... Read More →

Amory Sivertson

Host and Senior Producer, WBUR Podcasts

Amory Sivertson is the host/reporter of Beyond All Repair and the co-host and senior producer of Endless Thread. She's one of the founding producers of Modern Love: The Podcast and the former producer of Dear Sugar Radio (now called Dear Sugars).

Previously, Amory was the studio d... Read More →

Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

4:00pm EDT

Hope Takes Flight: Saving Birds and Ourselves

Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT

Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

The author of “The Return of the Oystercatcher” shares inspiring stories of how devoted scientists and bird lovers are restoring threatened avian populations — and how those efforts ripple outward to protect ecosystems and human communities.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR

Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition.

Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years.

Tiziana came to journalism after a career that spanned academia, nonprofits and for-profit management consulting. She taught graduate students at the Boston College School of Social Work and chaired its program in Social Innovation and Leadership. Tiziana ran a start-up foundation... Read More →

Scott Weidensaul

Author, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet

Scott Weidensaul is the author of nearly thirty books, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Living on the Wind and the New York Times bestseller A World on the Wing. A writer and researcher specializing in birds and bird migration, he is a native of Pennsylvania now living in New Hampshire... Read More →

Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Booth Theatre

Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

11:45am EDT

1:00pm EDT

2:15pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

4:45pm EDT

11:45am EDT

1:30pm EDT

4:00pm EDT

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