ATLANTA, Ga. – June 12, 2024 – The Ray, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing net-zero transportation and energy infrastructure, joins national environmental and civil rights leader Daniel Blackman in launching RENAISSANCE94 (Ren94) at the premier event in sports and entertainment sustainability.
Daniel Blackman, former Regional Administrator at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Senior Advisor for STEM recruitment and diversity, is a respected environmental regulator and statesman who skillfully blends policy, sports, and entertainment with cultural influence to redefine the creative economy and philanthropic landscapes. Infusing advocacy into everything he touches—from film production to narrative storytelling and climate initiatives—Blackman is a catalyst for social change.
The Green Sports Alliance Summit, presented by AEG, will be hosted at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 11-13, 2024. Blackman will share the stage with prominent sports, arts, and entertainment leaders, focusing on the environment and social sustainability.
Notable speakers include 12-time NBA All-Star and past president of the National Basketball Players Association Chris Paul, Chase Cain, NBC National Climate Reporter/Meteorologist, Utopia Hill, Chief Executive Officer at Reactivate, Mikayla Byfield, Sustainability Strategist + Environmental Justice Advocate, Columbia University, J.J. Huggins, Patagonia PR & Communications Manager, and Riley Nelson, NASCAR Head of Sustainability.
Additional representation will come from Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Soccer (MLS).
Blackman’s fireside conversation, “Intentional Conversations, Intentional Impact,” will be held on June 12, 2024, from 5:05 to 5:20 p.m. In discussion with Justine Lucas, the former Director of Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation and Founder and CEO of Q15 Impact, Blackman will illuminate how storytelling can drive systemic change and create equitable, sustainable futures. Curated by Lynne Filderman of Curation on Purpose, Blackman was selected for his role as an American environmentalist, civil rights advocate, and public servant.
As founder of RENAISSANCE94—a non-profit and global social impact consultancy that advises corporations and public figures on strategy, storytelling, and community engagement—Blackman was recently named one of the 200 most influential figures in Georgia’s creative industries by Georgia Entertainment. A Renaissance man himself, he also served as Director of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships for The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center) and author of the book “Nationalism without Compassion.” The son of immigrants from Barbados, Blackman is dedicated to economic opportunities for marginalized communities, environmental justice, social equity, and narrowing the wealth gap.
At the heart of RENAISSANCE94 is the essence of the ‘Nine Dots Four Lines’ puzzle (hence 94), a mathematical challenge to connect nine points with four straight lines without lifting the pen. It is possible to mark off the nine dots in four lines—to do so, one goes outside the confines of the square area defined by the nine dots themselves. Our approach mirrors this spirit, aiming to transcend boundaries and inspire partners and allies to embrace innovative thinking beyond conventional limits.
###
About RENAISSANCE94
RENAISSANCE94 (Ren94) is a global social impact consultancy advancing climate resilience and a just transition to a sustainable future for all people. Led by environmentalist and civil rights advocate Daniel Blackman, Ren94 advises corporations, nonprofits, philanthropists, and public figures on strategy, storytelling, and community engagement while also connecting cross-sector leaders to innovative initiatives that advance real, measurable, and permanent change for the planet and humanity.
About The Ray
The Ray is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and net-zero highway testbed, located on 18 miles of Interstate 85 between Lagrange, Georgia, and the Georgia-Alabama state line. This stretch of interstate is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue a zero environmental footprint. Our mission is to reimagine how we connect our communities, our lives, and the world in a way that is safer, more responsive to the climate, more regenerative to the environment, and more capable of creating economic opportunity through innovative ideas and technologies that will transform transportation infrastructure. The Ray Highway is paving the way for a zero carbon, zero waste, zero deaths highway system that will build a safer and more prosperous future for us all. Learn more at www.TheRay.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Dallen McLemore, Communications Specialist, The Ray
229.449.6168 | dallen@theray.org | @TheRayHighway