By: Angela Betancourt, Founder & CEO, Betancourt Group
I just got home after two incredible days at EarthX. After years of hearing about it from Betancourt Group clients, friends, and other industry leaders, I finally had the opportunity to experience it for myself as a speaker. EarthX, one of the largest environmental gatherings in the world, attracts thousands of attendees each year, bringing together leaders across the policy, science, business, and culture spheres.
I am happy to share that I spoke on Monday, April 20th, in a fireside chat with Theo Wilson, where we discussed “Communications and storytelling as Climate Infrastructure”. In this session, I introduced the VOICE framework that I have been using for years, but which I felt was important to share now because climate communication is more important than ever.
Many people came up to thank me afterward, and I am truly honored that my words resonated with so many. The response to the VOICE framework reinforced something I’ve believed for years: communication is not just a supporting function in climate work, it is infrastructure.
Following my talk, I made my way across the conference – my goodness, the Hilton Anatole is massive – and was able to attend several other sessions and learn from the incredible speakers gathered there; I must say, EarthX was filled with legends.
Dr. Sylvia Earl gave what was, yet again, one of the most moving keynotes I have ever heard. She is one of the most incredible storytellers, weaving together history, humor, data, and images with her celebrated background and expertise to tell a compelling story about why we must protect the only home we have as humans. I was moved, inspired, and reinvigorated. It was another reminder of why the work I do with Betancourt Group, and the amazing work of everyone in attendance, is so important.
On the second day, I attended a session featuring Dr. Robert Ballard, a retired US Navy officer and professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. Recognized for his contributions to underwater archaeology and marine geology, Dr. Ballard is best known for his work discovering the wrecks of the RMS Titanic in 1985, the battleship Bismarck in 1989, and the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in 1998! His story blew my mind. I joked with another attendee that clearly neither one of us has done enough in our lives. Dr. Ballard’s story is remarkable, and, like that of Dr. Earle, his performance was a masterclass in storytelling.
This year’s EarthX Ambassador Award honored Ed Begley Jr., an award-winning actor and one of the most consistent voices in environmental advocacy. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, and his commitment to sustainability dates to the very first Earth Day in 1970. He is well-known for commuting by bike and public transportation and integrating solar panels in his home long before it was mainstream.
While I am deeply moved by these monumental figures, I was also inspired by the innovators, students, entrepreneurs, and creatives I met throughout the conference. From hemp farmers to chemists, financiers, and lawyers, I feel blessed to have been surrounded by so many wonderful people who care deeply about this planet. Not only did I meet potential collaborators, I made new friends!
Thanks to the receptions and after parties (and the karaoke session after the after party), I bonded with really great people. Forging these personal connections was one of the most rewarding parts of being there, and I applaud the EarthX team for bringing together so many different people, which leads me to my top takeaways from the conference:
The focus was on solutions and implementation. I was happy to see so many sessions address the actual things that need to happen to implement practical solutions. One example was the session with Ralph Chami, CEO & Co-Founder of Blue Green Future, LLC, and co-founder of Rebalance Earth, who presented a preview of their work on how “integrating natural capital into national accounting can strengthen economies, improve fiscal outcomes, and create long-term prosperity.” I was fascinated with this idea of adding Living Nature as an asset class on the balance sheet.
Bridging the partisan divide was highlighted. Participants emphasized the importance of bringing together voices from both sides of the island for respectful and constructive dialogue. Texas is an ideal setting for this. Regardless of the division in the US, it is going to take finding common ground to advance the policies and initiatives needed to protect the planet. As astronaut Christina Koch reminded us: “Planet Earth, you are a crew”.
Cross-sector collaboration is a pathway forward. The diversity of people in attendance and of businesses and exhibitions speaks to the importance of blending worlds and the through line of sustainability and climate action. There were several mini conferences within the EarthX space that focused on different areas of our lives. The invitation-only E-Capital Summit was held alongside the Circle America Summit and the Environmental Xperience, which featured sessions on sustainable fashion, alternative energy, impact funding, and more.
Moving from urgency to agency was emphasized. Connected to the focus on solutions, I did not, in the two days I was in attendance, encounter the dreaded countdown or calls to achieve something by a specific future date. The stakes are still high, but the tone was not doom and gloom. Many conversations focused on data, but connected it to what is possible and what can be done, to what is working, and how we can act. This is the tone the world needs. We are not out of time yet, and together we can move forward.
EarthX 2026 was a wonderful experience and reinforced what I believe at my core: the future of climate action depends not only on innovation, but on how we communicate that innovation. I am excited to continue building on these conversations, staying connected to my new friends, and shaping the narratives that will move this work forward.
