​Redefining Environmental Leadership: Wawa Gatheru Brings Climate Justice to Champions Retreat 2026

Starting April 21, beneath the iconic Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee, attendees at the Champions Retreat 2026 will feel a palpable energy: business leaders committing to purpose, climate changemakers gathering from across the U.S. and Canada, and emerging voices pushing for justice not just in policy, but in everyday climate work. At the center of that energy is Wawa Gatheru, the Kenyan-American climate activist and founder of Black Girl Environmentalist (BGE), speaking to why this moment, and this gathering, matters.

Wawa’s journey into environmental leadership began long before BGE’s rise. Growing up the daughter of Kenyan immigrants in rural Connecticut, her earliest lessons about land and care came in gardens tended with her mother and grandmother. But it wasn’t until she took an environmental science class at age 15 that she realized climate justice was environmentalism. Today, she’s recognized as a Rhodes Scholar, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and a leading voice calling for an inclusive, equitable movement.

From Climate Storyteller to Movement Builder

For Wawa, environmentalism isn’t an abstract concept or a checklist of eco-friendly actions, it’s a lived experience shaped by justice, community, identity, and access. Her organization, Black Girl Environmentalist, tackles what she calls the “pathway and retention problem”, the fact that Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people are often closest to the impacts of environmental injustice yet least represented in climate leadership. BGE fosters community empowerment, green workforce development, and narrative change to ensure a climate movement that looks like all of us.

At Champions Retreat, the marquee gathering for B Lab U.S. & Canada and the B Corp movement that brings together founders, innovators, and mission-driven businesses, Wawa sees the potential for a powerful shift driven by the intersection of values-driven business and justice-rooted activism. 

Connecting Movements: Environmentalism, B Corps & Shared Responsibility

Wawa believes climate solutions don’t happen in silos. Environmental justice is deeply tied to economic systems. And if businesses can lean into climate responsibility alongside race and equity, the outcomes are profound.

“Business has a role beyond compliance, it has a role in culture,” says Wawa. “When companies prioritize both people and planet, they help shape what’s possible in the world around them.”

This sentiment aligns seamlessly with the voices joining her at the Retreat. Among them is Leah Thomas (also known as Green Girl Leah)—a renowned environmental justice advocate and author whose work centers intersectional environmentalism, a framework explicitly designed to link climate action with racial and social justice. Her presence highlights what the movement can look like when activism and actionable business strategies aren’t separate paths, but collaborative ones.

Likewise, travel companies such as Intrepid Travel, known for sustainable and ethical adventures, underscore another layer of shared responsibility. These companies are leading the way in how industries connected to exploration, culture, and travel can foster stewardship rather than extraction.

Businesses that care about their carbon footprint, partnerships with local communities, and meaningful engagement with climate solutions reinforce what many climate leaders like Wawa have long said: true sustainability includes both people and planet.

Hope, Action & What’s Next

Wawa’s message at Champions Retreat will be hopeful without glossing over urgency. The climate crisis intensifies inequities daily, but that same pressure makes inclusive leadership non-negotiable.

At a time when narratives around climate often veer toward “doom-ism,” Wawa and BGE choose optimism rooted in community and action, infused with the belief that environmentalism thrives when everyone has a seat at the table.

As businesses gather in Milwaukee this year, and as activists, founders, and leaders converge, Wawa’s presence is a powerful reminder that climate leadership reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. And in that diversity lies the innovation, resilience, and commitment required to safeguard not just our planet, but our collective future.

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Join Wawa Gatheru and a community of purpose-driven leaders shaping the future of business and climate in Milwaukee on April 21 – 23 for Champions Retreat 2026! If you’ve already got your ticket, we’ve made a handy guide to help you build a schedule of activities and handle key logistics, like booking a room. We can’t wait to see everyone there as we learn from people like Wawa to stay grounded, focused on achieving change, and ready to amplify our impact!