Arctic Encounter — Anchorage, AK, USA — April 15-17, 2026

the 2026 flagship will be PRODUCED & DIRECTED AT THE DENA’INA CONVENTION CENTER & The anchorage museum


 
 

- confirmed 2026 summit speakers -

  • U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, United States Senator R-AK, United States Senate (United States)

  • U.S. Senator Peter Welch, United States Senator D-VT, United States Senate (United States)

  • Ambassador Svanhildur Hólm Valsdóttir, Ambassador of Iceland to the United States (Iceland)

  • Ambassador Petra Schneebauer, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States (Austria)

  • Ambassador Iztok Mirošič, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United States (Slovenia)

  • Ambassador Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary to the United States (Hungary)

  • Ambassador Kenneth Høegh, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council (Denmark/Greenland)

  • Ambassador Piotr Rychlik, Ambassador for Arctic and Antarctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Poland (Poland)

  • Ambassador Katsuhiko Takahashi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Arctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)

  • Ambassador Virginia Mearns, Senior Arctic Official and Arctic Ambassador for Canada (Canada)

  • Ambassador Mike Sfraga (ret), PhD, Former U.S. Ambassador for Arctic Affairs (United States)

  • Ambassador David Balton (ret), Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School (United States)

  • Ms. Ruth Bajada, Deputy Chief of Mission, Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America (European Union)

  • Ms. Sara Cohen, Deputy Head of Mission, Foreign Policy & National Security, Embassy of Canada in the United States (Canada)

  • Dr. Bjørn Kunoy, Head of Representation of the Faroe Islands to the United States (Faroe Islands)

  • Dr. Sara Olsvig, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (2022-2026) (Greenland)

  • Dr. Ruth L. Perry, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State (United States)

  • Ms. Vivian Korthuis, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Village Council Presidents (United States)

  • Ms. Melanie Bahnke, President & CEO, Kawerak, Inc. (United States)

  • Ms. Vernae Angnaboogok, Inuit Arctic Policy Director, Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska (United States)

  • Mr. James Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Davie Shipbuilding (Canada)

  • Mr. Michael Perkinson, Managing Partner, Autilus Partners (United States)

  • Mr. Paul Barrett, Chief Communications Officer, Davie (Canada)

  • Ms. Umji Kim, Director, Polar Strategy Research Division, Korea Maritime Institute (South Korea)

  • Mr. Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, President & CEO, Contango Ore, Inc. (United States)

  • Mr. Douglas Vincent-Lang, Commissioner, Department of Alaska Fish and Game, State of Alaska (United States)

  • Mr. Aaron Leggett, President & Chair, Native Village of Eklutna (United States)

  • Mr. Simen Ekblom, Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington (Norway)

  • Ms. Emilie Åsberg, Chief Executive Officer, Havguard AS (Norway)

  • Mr. Matt Beck, VP of Operations, Quartermaster (United States)

  • Mr. Ethan Tyler, Sr. Director, Public Policy and Lands, Aleut (United States)

  • Dr. Edward Blanchard-Wrigglesworth, Research Associate Professor, University of Washington’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences (United States)

  • Mr. Cyrus Harris, Co-Production Team Member, Drivers & Ecological Consequences of Arctic Change, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)

  • Ms. Vera Metcalf, Director of the Eskimo Walrus Commission, Kawerak, Inc. (United States)

  • Dr. Ginny Selz, Senior Program Director, Ocean Visions (United States)

  • Dr. Katrine Gorham, Deputy Director, Methane Removal, Spark Climate Solutions (United States)

  • Dr. Dwayne Menezes, Founder and Managing Director, Polar Research and Policy Initiative (United Kingdom)

  • Ms. Libby Casey, Award-Winning Journalist; NPR, former Washington Post and Alaska Public Media (United States)

  • Mr. Benjamin Kellie, CEO & Co-Founder, Applied Atomics; Arctic Encounter Board of Directors (United States)

  • Dr. Brendan P. Kelly, Chief Scientist, International Arctic Research Center (United States)

  • Ms. Marilyn Romano, Regional Vice President, Alaska Airlines; Board Chair, Arctic Encounter Board of Directors (United States)

  • President Pat Pitney, President, University of Alaska (United States)

  • Ms. Rachel Kallander, J.D., Founder & CEO, Arctic Encounter; Chief Strategist, Kallander & Associates; Owner & Publisher, The Cordova Times; Honorary Consul of Iceland for Alaska (United States)

  • Ms. Reed Davidson, Program Director, Arctic Encounter (United States)

  • Mr. Jackson Blackwell, Advisor, Arctic Encounter (United States)

  • Ms. Harmony Jade Sugaq Wayner, Northern Vision Fellowship Coordinator, Arctic Encounter (United States)

  • Ms. Rayna Paul, Environmental Director, Native Village of Kipnuk (United States)

  • Mr. Walter Nelson, Managed Retreat Coordinator, Native Village of Napakiak (United States)

  • Ms. Lucy Martin, Tribal Resilience Coordinator Assistant, Native Village of Kwigillingok (United States)

  • Mr. Dustin Evon, Tribal Resilience Coordinator, Native Village of Kwigillingok (United States)

  • Mr. Rick Thoman, Alaska Climate Specialist, International Arctic Research Center/University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Ms. Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, Director of Climate Initiatives, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (United States)

  • Ms. Teri Cothren, Associate Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs, University of Alaska (United States)

  • Mr. Adam Schwartz, State G3 Operations Noncommissioned Officer, Alaska Army National Guard (United States)

  • Ms. Nicole Wojciechowski, President, Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (United States)

  • Ms. Federica Eyja Scarpa, SATA 2.1 Executive Coordinator, UiT - Arctic University of Norway (Norway)

  • Ms. Leslie Canavera, Chief Executive Officer, PolArctic (United States)

  • Mr. Brian Rogers, Corporate Treasurer, UArctic Foundation; Former Alaskan House Representative; Former Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Ms. Margaret Williams, Senior Fellow, Arctic Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School (United States)

  • Mr. Ole Martin Brasøygård Flågan, Co-Founder, Capipro (Norway)

  • Captain Steve White, Executive Director, Marine Exchange of Alaska (United States)

  • Dr. David Schuster, Deputy Director, Arctic and Homeland Defense Center UARC, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute (United States)

  • Mayor Asisaun Toovak, Mayor, City of Utqiagvik (United States)

  • Ms. Morgan Dulian, Executive Director, UArctic Foundation US (United States)

  • Dr. Jessica Garron, Research Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Adjunct Professor, U.S. Army War College (United States)

  • Ms. Nicoline Thomsen, Chief Executive Officer, Aaveq Robotics Aps (Denmark)

  • Dr. Laura Conner, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Mr. James Gamble, Senior Director - Arctic Program, Pacific Environment (United States)

  • Ms. Jocelyn Fenton, Director, Denali Commission (United States)

  • Mr. Adam Low, Director, Teaching Through Technology (T3) Alaska Program (United States)

  • Ms. Rikke Østergaard, Phd Fellow, Ilisimatusarfik - University of Greenland (Greenland)

  • Ms. Penny Gage, Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer, Launch Alaska (United States)

  • Mr. Conrad Woodhead, CTE and Residential Director, Kusilvak Career Academy/Lower Yukon School District (United States)

  • Dr. Åsa Rennermalm, Professor of Geography, Rutgers University (United States)

  • Dr. Alexandra Middleton, Postdoctoral Researcher, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu (Finland)

  • Dr. Lars Smedsrud, Professor, University of Bergen (Norway)

  • Dr. Rachael Lorna Johnstone, Professor of Law, University of Akureyri (Iceland)

  • Dr. Anna Karlsdóttir, Associate Professor/Docent, University of Iceland (Iceland)

  • Dr. Brandon Boylan, Director of Arctic and Northern Studies; Chair and Professor of Political Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Ms. Jessica Veldstra, Executive Director, Aleut International Association (United States)

  • Dr. Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen, Professor of Northern Studies, Barents Chair in Politics, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway (Norway)

  • Ms. Hillary King, Community Manager, Reclaim CDO (Canada)

  • Mr. Hans Peder Kirkegaard, PhD Fellow, University of Greenland (Greenland)

  • Dr. Elizabeth Rink, Professor, Montana State University (United States)

  • Mr. Walter Sampson, Assembly Member, Northwest Arctic Borough (United States)

  • Governor Mike Dunleavy, Governor, State of Alaska (United States)

  • Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, Lieutenant Governor, State of Alaska (United States)

  • Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, Mayor of the City of Anchorage, Alaska (United States)

  • Mr. George Noll, Senior Arctic Official, U.S. Department of State (United States)

  • Dr. Franziska Hagedorn, Head of Division, Head of Arctic Policy, German Federal Foreign Office (Germany)

  • Mr. Agostino Pinna, Special Envoy for the Arctic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic (Italy)

  • Mr. Jacob Isbosethsen, Head of Representation to the United States and Canada (Greenland)

  • Mr. Torsten K. Nielsen, Senior Arctic Official, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)

  • Head Consul Joongsuk Park, Head Consul, The Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Anchorage (South Korea)

  • Mr. Stephen M. Carmel, Administrator of the Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation (United States)

  • Cabinet Minister Jamie Moses, Minister of Mining, Trade, and Job Creation, Government of Manitoba (Canada)

  • Ms. Eleanor Kiloh, Consul General of the United Kingdom in San Francisco, British Consulate-General in San Francisco, UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (United Kingdom)

  • Ms. Mary Davies, Counsellor Defense Policy and Strategy, British Embassy in Washington (United Kingdom)

  • Mr. Jean Lemire, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Nordic and Arctic Affairs, Government of Québec (Canada)

  • U.S. Senator Mark Begich (Fmr.), President & CEO, Northern Compass Group; Former United States Senator D-AK, United States Senate (United States)

  • Mr. Thomas Dans, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission (United States)

  • Mr. Paul Dziatkowiec, Director of Mediation and Peace Support, Geneva Center for Security Policy (Switzerland)

  • Dr. Julia Nesheiwat, Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; 10th U.S. Homeland Security Advisor to the President; Former Commissioner, U.S. Arctic Research Commission (United States)

  • Chief Bill Erasmus, International Chair, Arctic Athabaskan Council (Canada)

  • Mr. Hugh Short, CEO/Chairman, Pt Capital, LLC (United States)

  • Mr. Nagruk Harcharek, President, Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (United States)

  • Mr. Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Executive Director, Arctic Economic Council (Norway)

  • Mr. Steve Wackowski, President and CEO, Alaska Oil and Gas Association (United States)

  • Ms. Kasaŋnaaluk Marie Greene, President, Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska (United States)

  • Ms. Bridget Anderson, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (United States)

  • Ms. Mary David, Vice President of Strategy and Policy, Kawerak, Inc. (United States)

  • Mr. Michael Kituralria Ulroan, Operations Manager, ANTHC Climate Initiatives (United States)

  • Mr. Walter Sampson, Assembly Member, Northwest Arctic Borough (United States)

  • Dr. Kelsey Frazier, Affiliated Researcher, Alaska Center for Energy and Power (United States)

  • Mr. David Palmer, Arctic Security Development Strategist, KBR (United States)

  • Ms. Melanie Welsh, Executive Director, Alaska Unlimited (United States)

  • Ms. Kristi Swain, PhD Student, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Mr. James Stevens, Tribal Administrator, Native Village of Atka (United States)

  • Ms. Crystal Dushkin, President, Native Village of Atka (United States)

  • Mr. Ben Corwin, Director of Lands and Natural Resources, Aleut Corporation (United States)

  • Mr. Karlin Itchoak, Assistant Regional Director, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife (United States)

  • Ms. Bernice Glenn Kissinger, Managing Member, Kissinger Advisors (United States)

  • Ms. Gretchen Fauske, Director of Special Programs & Strategy, Alaska Small Business Development Center (United States)

  • Dr. Pearl K. Brower, President/CEO, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (United States)

  • Ms. Ruth Wolfe, Rural Center Director, Alaska Small Business Development Center (United States)

  • Mr. Miguel Roncero, Visiting International Professional Scholar – International Relations Officer, University of Washington – European Commission (European Union)

  • Ms. Sheyna Wisdom, Executive Director, Alaska Ocean Observing System (United States)

  • Ms. Lynn-Marie Church, Nalaquk LLC (United States)

  • Mr. Thomas Farrugia, Alaska Ocean Observing System (United States)

  • Ms. Karen Pletnikoff, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. (United States)

  • Ms. Adrienne Canino, Tetra Tech Inc. (United States)

  • Major General Torrence Saxe, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (United States)

  • Mr. Stanley Wright, Military and Veterans Adviser, Office of U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (United States)

  • Ms. Wanetta Ayers, Executive Director, Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (United States)

  • Mr. Clark Hill, Director of Marine Services, UIC Bowhead Transport (United States)

  • Dr. Diane Hirshberg, Director, University of Alaska Anchorage Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)

  • Lieutenant Commander Samuel Krakower, Coast Guard Arctic Fellow, Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (United States)

  • Dr. Nettie La Belle-Hamer, Deputy Director, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute (United States)

  • Dr. Robert McCoy, Director of the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Mr. Jeff Libby, Arctic Professor, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)

  • Mr. Peter Rybski, Writer, Sixty Degrees North Substack (Finland)

  • Mr. Oliver Peetook, Board Chairman, Olgoonik Corporation (United States)

  • Mr. Richard Marshall, Member of Board of Directors, Arctic Winter Games Team Alaska (United States)

  • Ms. Sarah Frampton, Executive Director, Arctic Winter Games (United States)

  • Mr. Kyle Worl, Wellness Administrator, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (United States)

  • Ms. Megan Cromarty, General Manager, 2026 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse (Canada)

  • Ms. Leanna Williams, PhD Candidate, Arctic & Northern Studies, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Mr. Dan Berriochoa, Logistics Manager, The Great Alaskan Bowl Company (United States)

  • Dr. James Crowell, Founder & CEO, Crow Industries (United States)

  • Ms. Katherine Keith, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Transportation, State of Alaska (United States)

  • Dr. Aaron Dotson, UAA Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Alaska Anchorage (United States)

  • Mr. William Bieber, Executive Director, UAF/CTC Mining and Petroleum Training Service (United States)

  • Ms. Jacelyn Keys, Director of Workforce Development, University of Alaska (United States)

  • Ms. Sara Taylor, Congressional Affairs & Policy Advisor, Alaska Region, U.S. Department of the Interior (United States)

  • Ms. Tami Fordham, Alaska Operations Office Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (United States)

  • Ms. Shirley Kelly, Economic Development Representative to Alaska, Economic Development Administration (United States)

  • Mr. Michael McEleney, Acting Director, Arctic Energy Office, U.S. Department of Energy (United States)

  • Ms. Xochitl Castaneda, Pacific Northwest and Alaska Gateway Director, Maritime Administration (United States)

  • Mr. Eric Koan, State Director of Alaska, Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture (United States)

  • Dr. Hyoung Rok Kim, Chief Principal Researcher, Agency for Defense Development (South Korea)

  • Ms. Jean Craciun, Sociologist and Senior Advisor, North Star Group (United States)

  • Ms. Amanda Loach, Director, Office of Emergency Management, Municipality of Anchorage (United States)

  • Ms. Lydia Ruddy, Managing Director, Mosaic North (United States)

  • Ms. Kelsey Wallace, President & CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center (United States)

  • Mr. Merle Apassingok, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)

  • Ms. Darlene Turner, Co-Production Team Member, Human Well Being, Study of Environmental Arctic Change (United States)

  • Mr. Ryan O'Donnell, Senior Advisor, Renaissance Philanthropy (United States)

  • Dr. Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon, Owner and Principal Consultant, Sauyaq Solutions (United States)

  • Dr. Sappho Gilbert, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (United States)

  • Dr. Wayne Clark, Assistant Professor, University of Alberta (Canada)

  • Ms. Jennie Kellie, PhD Student, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

  • Dr. Lill Rastad Bjørst, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen (Denmark)


2026 platinum sponsors & strategic co-hosts

2026 GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS

2026 SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS

2026 bronze level sponsors

2026 community partners

2026 EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS