Plenary Speakers
Sjors Witjes
Associate Professor of Organizational Sustainability and Circularity, Radboud University
A dynamic academic, entrepreneur, and consultant, this speaker brings decades of experience driving sustainability and innovation transformations across organizations in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. With a collaborative approach that unites ideas, knowledge, and people, they have supported the United Nations, governments, and standardization bodies on Organizational Sustainability at the highest levels.
Currently an Associate Professor of Organizational Sustainability and Circularity at Radboud University in the Netherlands, they also serve as Program Director of the Science for Sustainability master’s program. Their work bridges academia and practice, actively shaping how organizations embed sustainability and innovation into their culture and operations.
Beyond academia, they serve on the supervisory board of ARN, and are Past President of the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS).
David Perkins
Associate Professor of Geography and Sustainable Tourism, Missouri State University
Dr. David Perkins is a tenured Associate Professor and Sustainability Programs Director at Missouri State University’s School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability. He has been instrumental in developing multiple academic programs at MSU, including sustainability and sustainable tourism curricula at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
His research spans sustainable tourism for community development, sustainability strategy in the private sector, and human–weather interactions. Notable projects include developing Sustainable Community Development Goals for the Ozarks region, advising manufacturers on sustainability implementation, and designing participatory engagement strategies in the Brazilian Amazon and urban Japan. His work has been published in over a dozen interdisciplinary journals and presented at more than 30 conferences worldwide.
Dr. Perkins holds a Ph.D. in Geography from UNC–Greensboro, an MA in Geography from UNC–Chapel Hill, and a BSBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School. His professional background includes consulting with Deloitte, postdoctoral research at George Mason University, and founding Beyond Green Sustainability Consulting LLC. He serves as board member–elect for both the International Sustainable Development Research Society and the National Professional Science Master’s Association.
Caio Fanha
Graduated in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from CESUPA; holds a postgraduate degree in Marketing Management from ESPM–São Paulo; and a Professional Master’s dual degree in Management Science and International Management from the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, and the University of Sydney, Australia (Top 3 in the Financial Times Ranking).
He is the Coordinator of the International Office at CESUPA and the creator of the Amazon Experience, one of Brazil’s most innovative internationalization programs focused on the Amazon. With an emphasis on sustainability, bioeconomy, and cultural immersion, the Amazon Experience brings students and researchers from around the world to the Amazon for academic, technical, and community-based learning in the heart of the largest tropical rainforest on the planet.
