Main Summit

Andrew Heyes is a GB International distance runner and current doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham in sport and exercise psychology. A British Champion in the 3000m indoors, Andrew is currently the chair-elect at the UKA Athletes’ Commission and sits on the Athlete Commission at UKAD as well as the Social Science Research Expert Advisory Group at WADA. In addition to his current PhD research, Andrew has an MSc in Psychology, an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, an MBA, and an MA in Medical Sciences.

Sofi Armenakian currently works for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena as the Director of Operations and Sustainability. In this role, she is responsible for the conversion, uniform, housekeeping department as well as the venue’s sustainability operation with a special focus on zero-waste operations. Most recently, she was instrumental in delivering the first-ever zero-waste NBA All-Star Game.
Sofi Armenakian currently works for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena as the Director of Operations and Sustainability. In this role, she is responsible for the conversion, uniform, housekeeping department as well as the venue’s sustainability operation with a special focus on zero-waste operations. Most recently, she was instrumental in delivering the first-ever zero-waste NBA All-Star Game.

Prior to joining the Hawks, she worked as the Conversion and Sustainability Manager for Mercedes-Benz Stadium as part of AMB Sports & Entertainment. During her time with AMB Sports & Entertainment, she was responsible for managing the operations budget of both the conversion department and the sustainability department. In 2018, she created the sustainability department to help start the venue’s journey to becoming zero waste. Part of the journey was the creation and implantation of “Recycle & Win”, a surprise-and-delight engagement with fans who were seen in the act of recycling while attending the venue. ‘Recycle and Win’ was implemented into all events hosted at Mercedes-Benz Stadium from 2018-2020. These events included Super Bowl LIII, the 2018 MLS Cup and MLS All-Star Games, the 2018 College Football National Championship, all Atlanta Falcons games and all Atlanta United games. In addition, the venue hosted various collegiate bowl games and various concerts.

Sofi is a board member at CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) and volunteers with Trees Atlanta and participates in the Green Sports Alliance. Earlier in her career, she worked for ESSEX Consulting Group Inc. as a business development and marketing director, focusing on data-driven sustainability solutions. Prior to energy consulting, she worked in retail as a general manager, district trainer and recruiter.

Sofi recently hosted the 1st certified TRUE Zero Waste event in the world.

She is also trilingual and speaks English, German and Armenian. She graduated from Georgia State University and is originally from Armenia but calls Atlanta home.

Former professional football player and now co-founder of Hylo Athletics. Hylo is a movement of Athletes for Planet, using materials science to make performance products in a better way.

Dave Lockwood is BBC Sport’s first Editorial Lead for Sustainability, a role responsible for increasing BBC’s audiences engagement and understanding of Environmental issues through sport. Recent projects include: Publication of Premier League Sustainability Tables in partnership with Sport Positive Summit and “Sport 2050” which looked at possible climate impacts on sport 3 decades from now, as well as efforts going on in the here and now to avert them. Prior to this Dave has 25 years experience in the industry, most recently as a Senior Producer with BBC Sport and before that as a Journalist working for BBC News, ITV News and Freelance.

CHARLES DIMMLER is the co-founder and CEO of Checkerspot. Checkerspot designs performance materials at a molecular level. It does this by optimizing microbes to biomanufacture unique structural oils produced in nature, but not previously accessible at a commercial scale. The company is currently commercializing three materials: a light-weight urethane-based composite (Algal Core) and a cast urethane (Algal Wall), both commercialized initially through the brand WNDR® Alpine, as well as algal oil formulated into MiDori® BioWick and sold in partnership with Beyond Surface Technologies to clothing brands worldwide. Checkerspot empowers product designers and innovators, including Beyond Surface Technologies, Gore, and WNDR® Alpine, with better materials to develop improved consumer and B2B applications for a post-petroleum future.

Charles’s career has focused on building and leading teams at emerging growth companies in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors. He has deep expertise in general management and leading strategic transactions, with over $1 billion of completed transactions ranging from public and private financings to joint ventures, licensing, and M&A. From 2008 to 2016, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Solazyme, Inc. where he led financings and a range of other strategic transactions, including two venture capital rounds, the initial public offering, two public convertible debt issuances, and project financing for the construction of a commercial scale manufacturing facility in Brazil. In addition to his corporate development responsibilities, he served as Acting General Manager of Solazyme’s personal care business in 2009.