Washington, D.C. | Athens, Greece — WGES Global™, the U.S.-based, convening platform founded in 2009, formally announced its 2026 international symposium in Athens, Greece, following a successful invitation-only press launch breakfast held at the National Press Club.
WGES Global™ was invited to convene in Athens in recognition of its more than fifteen-year track record as a trusted U.S. platform for serious, execution-focused dialogue at the intersection of sustainability, infrastructure, public health, advanced technology, and investment. The symposium will take place May 19–21, 2026, marking WGES Global first convening in Greece and a significant milestone in its international expansion.
The National Press Club briefing introduced WGES Global™ Athens 2026 to U.S. media, business leaders, institutional partners, and invited stakeholders, outlining the rationale for Greece as the host country and the opportunity this convening represents for U.S. organizations seeking credible, market-ready international collaboration.
Greece Extends an Invitation to a Proven U.S. Platform
Greek national media, including Today Press, characterized the invitation as the extension of a long-standing American institutional model into a broader Greek and European context — positioning WGES Global™ as a bridge between U.S. expertise and Europe’s accelerating sustainability, infrastructure, and public-sector investment landscape.
Greek coverage can be read here:
https://Todaypress.gr/2026/02/01/to-afigima-apo-enan-amerikaniko-thesmo-se-mia-elliniki-kai-evropaiki-ypothesi/
The invitation reflects Greece’s strategic interest in engaging U.S. companies, investors, institutions, and innovators — not only to support domestic initiatives, but to establish reciprocal partnerships that extend into U.S.-based projects, supply chains, and capital markets.
Why This Matters to U.S. Business
WGES Global™ leadership emphasized that Athens 2026 is not a symbolic international event. It is a business-relevant convening designed to support two-way market expansion.
For U.S. companies, the Athens symposium offers:
- Direct access to Greek and European firms actively seeking U.S. partners
- Opportunities to expand into new markets while maintaining a U.S. operational base
- Engagement with organizations pursuing joint ventures, U.S. project participation, and export collaboration
- Exposure to deployment-ready infrastructure, energy, public health, and technology initiatives
- A neutral environment for relationship-driven deal formation, not transactional promotion
For Greek companies, participation provides:
- Structured access to U.S. expertise, operators, and investors
- Pathways into U.S. infrastructure, sustainability, public health, and technology projects
- Opportunities to collaborate with American firms on innovation, scaling, and capital alignment
WGES Global™ serves as the trusted platform where these interests converge — grounded in credibility, discipline, and execution.
Why Greece, Why Now
Greece is executing one of the most ambitious public investment cycles in the region.
According to eKathimerini, Greece’s 2026 national budget increases public investment to €16.7 billion, up from €14.6 billion in 2025, with a strong focus on green energy, sustainable infrastructure, and resilience-driven systems. Through 2030, Greece is targeting:
- Approximately €35 billion in green energy investments
- Over €30 billion in new energy production and infrastructure
These commitments represent active capital deployment, creating tangible demand for U.S. expertise in sustainable construction, advanced materials, AI and climate intelligence, public health informatics, biotechnology, energy systems, ports, water infrastructure, and integrated resilience solutions — while simultaneously opening channels for Greek firms to participate in U.S.-based initiatives.
Speakers Featured at the National Press Club Launch
The press launch at the National Press Club in the United States featured senior leaders whose expertise reflects the depth and credibility of WGES Global™ and previews the substance of the Athens 2026 program.
Dr. Sabine O’Hara — Founding Dean of the University of the District of Columbia’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences — is a distinguished professor, author, and internationally recognized expert in urban sustainability and the circular economy. Her most recent book, Food Justice in American Cities: Stories of Health and Resilience, received first prize in the food security category at the Gourmand Global Awards during the World Food Summit 2025 in Portugal. A long-time WGES Global™ partner, Dr. O’Hara has hosted multiple WGES forums at UDC and will join the Athens symposium as a keynote speaker.
Stephen Ambrose — A leading expert in climate intelligence and operational AI — brings extensive experience in climate science, Earth observation, and advanced analytics. His career includes service as a Program Executive for Disaster Programs at NASA Headquarters, Physical Scientist at NOAA, Chief Climate Scientist at SAIC, and his current work through Earth Intelligence. His perspective aligns closely with WGES Global™’ focus on real-world systems integration and resilience.
Jean Robert (J.R.) Baguidy — Former U.S. Department of Commerce official and Senior Advisor in capital access, global markets, export trade finance, venture capital, blockchain, and emerging financial systems — discussed the role of aligned capital in enabling sustainable infrastructure and cross-border growth. Mr. Baguidy has participated in past WGES programs and will again contribute to the Athens symposium.
Kevin Kampschroer — Recently retired from the U.S. General Services Administration after more than 50 years of public service — was recognized as a founding WGES Global™ participant and long-time partner. As GSA’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of the Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings, he oversaw a portfolio generating approximately $9 billion in annual revenue. Mr. Kampschroer will join Athens 2026 as a keynote speaker, contributing expertise in sustainable and healthy buildings.
Dr. Ashish Joshi — Dean and Distinguished Professor of the University of Memphis School of Public Health — is a leading expert in public health informatics and AI. He developed the SMAART Labs (Sustainable Model for Applied Affordable Research and Training), applying human-centered design and data-driven decision-making to address social, economic, and health challenges. Dr. Joshi received recognition from New York City for his extraordinary COVID-19 response work and is the author of the first textbook Population Health Informatics: Driving Evidence-Based Solutions into Practice.
Ronald Uba — Retired U.S. Department of Commerce Business Development Specialist, WGES Global™ Board Member and U.S. Ambassador — has decades of experience supporting U.S. companies in international markets. His background spans federal service, education, chemistry, biopsychology, and computer-based statistical analysis. Mr. Uba has served as a liaison to WGES Global™ since approximately 2012 and continues to support U.S. business engagement and export collaboration through the platform.
Leadership Perspective
Professor Robert J. Gallagher, President and Executive Chairman of WGES Global™, Chair of the WGES Global™ 2026 Symposium, and longtime architect of the organization’s convening model, emphasized the significance of the Athens invitation:
“WGES Global was founded in the United States with a simple but disciplined purpose — to bring the right expertise into the same room and focus on outcomes. Being invited to convene in Athens reflects trust built over fifteen years. Greece is not asking for theory; it is inviting collaboration. Athens 2026 will be about execution, partnership, and building systems that matter — together.”
A Business-Centered International Convening
WGES Global™ Athens 2026 is not a trade show or promotional forum. It is an invitation-based environment designed to foster serious business dialogue, joint venture development, market entry strategy, and long-term collaboration.
The symposium will focus on five strategic sectors where U.S. expertise is globally competitive:
- Sustainable building technologies and infrastructure performance
- Public health, biotechnology, and AI-enabled resilience
- Reliable and integrated energy systems
- Growth capital aligned with deployment
- Blue economy technologies, including ports, shipping, water systems, and logistics
“WGES Global has earned trust over time by consistently bringing the right people into the same room and creating an environment where meaningful work continues well beyond the program itself,” said Daisy Gallagher, CEO of Gallagher & Gallagher Worldwide, Inc., strategic communications firm for WGES Global. “The Athens platform expands that mission internationally while keeping a clear focus on U.S. business relevance and two-way economic opportunity.”
Looking Ahead to Athens 2026
WGES Global™ 2026 will be hosted in Athens under the distinguished hospitality of Greek institutional partners, with participation from senior leaders across U.S. and Greek government, academia, industry, and investment communities.
As sustainability, infrastructure, and public health initiatives increasingly move from policy to execution, WGES Global™ Athens 2026 positions Greece as a strategic gateway — and U.S. business as a central partner in shaping what comes next. This interested in partnering with this global premiere symposium should visit www.WGESglobal.com or contact professor@wgesglobal.com
For more information, visit: www.WGESglobal.com
Media Contact
On behalf of WGES Global – US/Greece Team
Daisy Gallagher, Chief Public Relations Officer
GGW, Inc. (National Press Club DC – Member)
Newsroom@gallagherworldwide.com
Text 202-465-0009
WGES Global, Inc.
Professor Robert – President, Executive Director
WGES Global, Inc.
direct +1-570-994-5222
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite 700
Washington DC 20004
Join Us on May 19-21, 2026
WGES Global 2026 Symposium
Athens, Greece
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