The Work: From DC to Delhi, A Week in the Life of PVBLIC's Global Mission
- pvblic
- May 2
- 6 min read
At PVBLIC Foundation, much of what the world sees are the moments that make headlines: high-level summits, landmark partnerships, and stunning visuals from global events. But behind every photo op and press release is a team working around the clock—often across continents and time zones—pushing toward a shared mission: designing and delivering the programs and systems that move resilience, justice, and prosperity forward.
Welcome to The Work, a new blog series where I’ll pull back the curtain to show you what goes into making PVBLIC Foundation’s mission a reality. In the past 10 days, PVBLIC has had team members on the ground in Washington, New York, Dallas, Madrid and New Delhi. You may have seen some of the posts and photos—but what are we doing there, and why?
Washington, DC
In Washington, our Executive Chairman, Sergio Fernandez de Cordova , the Executive Director of the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP) Dr Gene Leon, and PVBLIC’s Director of Government Affairs Ashaki Goodwin were out in full force at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings and the Bretton Woods Conference. They were there promoting the DBRP–the world’s first development bank focused on nature as an asset class and building resilience and prosperity in the most vulnerable countries–while also advancing our collective work to create solutions to global challenges with media, data, technology and finance.
They were active both on stage and behind the scenes, laying the groundwork for the new development bank and adding their voices to the push to reform how global finance and capital fund sustainable development—with a focus on the countries that are often left out of the conversation.
PVBLIC co-hosted a curated lunch meeting in partnership with the Government of Saint Lucia called “Financing a Resilient Future,” which served as a high-level conversation on the DBRP. The convening brought together signatory countries, institutional champions, and global stakeholders to advance resilient financing and explore the DBRP’s journey toward formal operationalization.
On social media, you’ll see a flurry of images and announcements in real time—but the team has been hard at work planning events, preparing presentations, refining remarks, setting up meetings, and supporting partners.
"We spent weeks organising meetings with countries and ministers of finance, preparing presentations to Central Bank Governors, and curating events like the luncheon with Saint Lucia. The momentum built quickly once on the ground: we deepened relationships with governments and institutions, secured new champions to join the DBRP, amplified the Bank’s visibility, and firmly positioned the DBRP as a bold new force in the future of development finance." Ashaki Goodwin
New York
At the United Nations headquarters in New York last week, PVBLIC Board President and Managing Director Kerry Bannigan participated in a series of events related to our sustainable fashion portfolio of programs.
As a co-founder of the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network, Kerry participated in several high-profile moments throughout the week. A major highlight was a fashion show at UN Headquarters, held in conjunction with Earth Day, unveiling sustainable designs for the new UN Tour Guide uniforms.
In a historic first, the UN commissioned The Swedish School of Textiles - University of Borås to design and produce the collection. The uniforms, co-created by twenty textile and fashion design students, were showcased through a fashion show and reception, highlighting a commitment to sustainability, functionality, and global cooperation.
"The week reflected months of strategic preparation to advance the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network’s mission of mobilizing collaboration for sustainable development. From the launch of the UN Tour Guide uniforms to speaking at the residence of the Consul General of Sweden in New York and being an Advocate for the Swarovski Foundation Creatives for Our Future cohort, each activation demonstrates the power of uniting creativity, innovation, and purpose. By bringing diverse partners together to support next-gen leaders in the creative economy, we are not just celebrating milestones—we are building a global movement that drives lasting change." Kerry Bannigan
The week illustrated a growing consciousness in fashion's role in advancing the SDGs.
Following the fashion showcase, a celebratory reception took place at the Swedish Residence in New York City, hosted by Erik Ullenhag, Consul General of Sweden in New York. The evening brought together leaders in fashion, education, and international affairs to honor the student designers and celebrate the project’s success. Kerry, who is also a Co-Founder of the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network, participated in a panel session highlighting the importance of empowering next-generation leaders in the creative economy.
Additionally, the SWAROVSKI Foundation—a member of the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network—together with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, hosted the official launch of Creatives for Our Future at UN Headquarters. As an Advocate for the Creatives for Our Future program, Kerry gave an interview on the vital role of supporting young creatives, highlighting the importance of providing funding and global visibility opportunities, and emphasizing how creativity drives the cultural shifts necessary for achieving a sustainable future.
Dallas
In Dallas, Texas, PVBLIC joined the EarthX2025 summit alongside our partners at the Family Office for Sustainable Development (FOSD), where a delegation of 20 leading family offices and PVBLIC collaborators engaged in a full week of programming with world leaders, ambassadors, and private sector innovators advancing global sustainability.
PVBLIC Senior Adviser Matt Trachin organized the Island Resilience Forum at EarthX, which brought together numerous ambassadors and government ministers from island nations to discuss environmental resilience and innovative financing.
Laurence Kalinsky, Executive Director of PVBLIC's Family Offices for Sustainable Development, organized and led a delegation of family office partners through a series of convenings.
"PVBLIC brought partners from the four corners of the world to participate in several days of workshops covering sustainable finance, real-world natural asset monetization, green innovation, and more." Laurence Kalinsky
Sergio, Gene, and Ashaki traveled from DC to Dallas to continue the momentum, culminating in the launch of the inaugural Digital Assets for Sustainable Development (DASD) Forum—a groundbreaking gathering focused on how blockchain and digital assets can be mobilized to finance the SDGs.
Madrid
Meanwhile in Madrid, Dr Greg Scott, Executive Director of PVBLIC’s SDG Data Alliance, was active at the Geospatial World Forum (GWF)—the premier convening for geospatial data and GIS leaders.
Greg gave a keynote address and participated in five additional sessions, sharing the SDG Data Alliance’s work across 30+ countries. He focused on communicating the importance of the data value chain—how raw data becomes usable insight that leads to action and measurable impact.
Greg also recorded an episode for the Mapping the Conversations podcast, where he explored the role of geospatial data in supporting resilience for Small Island Developing States and developing countries. 🎧 Listen here
Another proud moment was that two SDG Data Alliance participants—Yumi Nafe from Tonga and Elsy Chineros from Honduras—received Geospatial Rising Stars awards. Both young leaders have been mentored by Greg and the Data Alliance team, who’ve dedicated countless hours to building capacity in their home countries by supporting data hubs and advancing national information systems.
New Delhi
The global travel for Ashaki and Greg didn’t end there. Both are members of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Expert Group and traveled to New Delhi as part of in person meetings for CDRI’s Community of Practice on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that aims to be a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among leading infrastructure stakeholders and representatives from regional networks.
CDRI is an international partnership that promotes the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, ensuring sustainable development. It brings together countries, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and academic institutions to collaborate on research, knowledge sharing, and capacity building in infrastructure risk management and resilience.
Greg and Ashaki participated in Expert Group meetings focused on Data & Early Warning Systems and Access to Finance, respectively.
"The meetings in Delhi were really productive, they were a consultation of Expert Group Members under the CDRI CoP on SIDS, with 2 main aims. One, to develop a Call to Action to advance the agenda of disaster and climate resilient infrastructure. Two, to provide inputs into a thought piece on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Sure, the travel can be exhausting, but we really accomplished a lot being there in person. It was a very productive two days." Greg Scott
The expert groups will convene again on the sidelines of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) 2025, CDRI’s flagship international conference, in Nice, France on 7-8 June, 2025. We’re excited to be joining them there.
As you can see, the work happens in person, on the ground. It happens in closed-door meetings, on early-morning flights, in long days of prep and late-night debriefs. It’s fueled by mission and made real through collaboration—with governments, institutions, civil society, creatives, and communities alike.
From Washington to New York, Dallas to Madrid and New Delhi, our team is showing up—not just to be present, but to drive progress. Whether it’s launching a new development bank, championing sustainable fashion, convening family offices supporting nature-based solutions and investing in resilience, or strengthening national data ecosystems, every initiative is part of a larger tapestry: one that weaves together people, purpose, and possibility.
That’s what The Work is all about. It’s not just the glossy moments—it’s the grit behind the scenes, the relationships built over time, and the relentless push to reimagine what’s possible for people and planet.
Stay tuned for more dispatches from the field.
President at PVBLIC Foundation
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