Meet the First Speakers Joining the SFF26 MainStage
How does consumer behavior translate into participation, adoption, demand, and measurable business outcomes?
That's the question at the center of SFF26. And answering it means widening the conversation, bringing behavioral scientists alongside sustainability leaders, consumer researchers alongside operators, and cultural strategists alongside experts in trust, communication, and implementation.
Today, we're excited to announce the first speakers joining the SFF26 MainStage, taking place October 28-30, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
Who's Joining the SFF26 MainStage
Matt Johnson | Consumer Neuroscientist · Best-Selling Author · Professor
Most sustainability strategies are built around the assumption that if consumers understand the problem, they'll act differently. They won't. Matt Johnson studies what actually happens inside the brain at the moment of choice and why awareness, education, and good intentions so reliably fail to produce behavior change. His work doesn't just explain the gap between values and action. It shows what closing it actually requires.
Katie Thomas | Lead, Kearney Consumer Institute
Sustainability leaders are increasingly being asked to prove their work has commercial value. Katie Thomas has the data to help make that case. Drawing on large-scale consumer research and retail strategy, she connects what consumers say they want, what they actually do, and what that means for brands trying to build sustainability into a growth strategy rather than a cost center.
Jasmine Bina | Cultural Futurist, Founder of Concept Bureau
Consumer behavior isn't driven by logic alone. It's shaped by identity, aspiration, belonging, and the cultural narratives people absorb over time. Jasmine Bina studies how those forces determine what gets adopted and what gets ignored, and what it takes for a behavior or idea to move from the margins into the mainstream.
Ashley Munro | Senior Claims and Integrity Manager, Better Cotton
At a time when brands are pulling back from sustainability communications out of fear of greenwashing accusations, the ability to communicate claims credibly has become a strategic asset. Ashley Munro works at the intersection of certification, policy, and sustainability integrity, bringing a grounded perspective on how brands can build the kind of trust that actually influences consumer decisions without putting themselves at legal or reputational risk.
Dana Davis | Founder, Dana Davis Consulting | Former Sustainability Leader, Mara Hoffman
Brand love doesn't always pay the bills. Dana Davis led sustainability and circularity strategy inside one of sustainable fashion's most admired brands and watched firsthand where the assumptions about consumer loyalty, values-based purchasing, and mission alignment break down in practice. Her perspective is one of the most honest in the industry about the distance between what consumers say they value and what actually drives their behavior.
Danielle Vermeer | Head of Product, ThredUp
Resale is one of the few sustainability-led behaviors that has genuinely reached mainstream consumers. Danielle Vermeer has been at the center of that shift, working across ThredUp, Amazon Fashion, and beyond. She brings an operator's perspective on what drove that adoption and what the broader industry can learn from it.
More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Join the Conversation at SFF26
Tickets are available now. Join sustainability leaders exploring how consumer behavior shapes whether sustainability initiatives gain traction, create business value, and continue earning investment.
