Share Your Composting Success
Are you turning the challenge of organic waste into climate solutions? COOLNow is looking for speakers for the 2026 webinar season who are making real progress in diverting compostable organics from landfills, whether through innovative collection programs, farm-based processing systems, community partnerships, or policy initiatives that are creating measurable impact.
We’re particularly interested in practitioners who can share concrete results: entrepreneurs building successful composting businesses, farmers integrating compost into their operations, municipalities implementing effective programs, or researchers developing practical solutions. Present solo to dive deep into your work, or join forces with colleagues from different organizations to offer a panel discussion that explores multiple facets of a common challenge. If you’re doing the work and not just talking about it, and you have insights that can help others accelerate their efforts to keep methane-producing organics out of landfills, we want to hear from you!
Speaker Photo Guidelines
We want to showcase you in your best light, so please choose a photo that’s professional, clear, and recent. To help us maintain a consistent look across all speaker profiles, we ask that you follow these simple guidelines:
- Format: High-resolution JPG or PNG
- File name:
first_last_coolnow2026.jpgorfirst_last_coolnow2026.png(e.g.,alex_smith_coolnow2026.png) - Size: At least 1000 x 1000px
- Framing: Head, shoulders, and torso visible, with some space around you
- Lighting: Natural, flattering light (avoid harsh sun or dim indoor light)
- Style: Simple, professional photo — no filters, heavy editing, or stylized backgrounds. (We’ll handle any cropping or resizing for consistency.)
- Quality check: When zoomed in at 100%, your eye color and facial features should be crisp and in focus.
Tip: Ask a friend to snap a few photos of you in soft, flattering light—outdoors at dawn or dusk (the golden hour) or indoors with good natural light. Skip the selfies, since close-up shots can distort. A clean, simple background works best. We’ll make sure your photo displays beautifully—so keep it focused on just you, looking at the camera. Avoid action shots, group settings, pets, sports, or props. Think of it as a straightforward, polished portrait with a nice backdrop.
Important Notes
- If you are presenting a panel and your application is accepted, additional speakers will be asked to fill out a speaker form.
- Presentations will be recorded by COOLNow and Zero Waste USA and may be shared on YouTube or other platforms. Recordings are the property of COOLNow and Zero Waste USA.
- Accepted speakers will be asked to submit their slide decks to a designated shared folder by a specified deadline. All slides will be combined into a single conference deck.
