Leading voices powering our urban future
600+ urban innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders from around the world will take the stage at SCEWC26, bringing bold ideas, actionable insights, and real-world impact.
Meet the first confirmed speakers
This year’s lineup is coming together. Stay tuned —more speakers will be announced soon!
Big names joining SCEWC26
NIKOLAS BADMINTON
Chief Futurist & Hope Engineer
NIKOLAS BADMINTON
Nikolas has spent three decades working with leaders at over 600 organizations at the forefront of futures, strategy, and disruption, including NASA, Google, Microsoft, and the United Nations. He is the bestselling author of The Hope Engineer’s Playbook and was a key advisor on the Age of AI series with Robert Downey Jr. His research has been featured in leading global media.
SOPHIA KIANNI
Co-Founder of Phia and Co-Host of The Burnouts Podcast
SOPHIA KIANNI
Sophia is the founder of Phia, an AI alignment layer for commerce, and hosts The Burnouts, a business podcast with an audience of over 800K and more than 700 million views. She also launched Climate Cardinals, the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit. She has served on boards and advisory councils for the World Economic Forum, Ashoka, and the Reform Alliance, among others.
