The Impact Lounge during Climate/UNGA Week 2026

Two days, One city, Unlimited possibilities for connection.

The Impact Lounge returns to New York City for two full days of inspiring programming during Climate Week and the UN General Assembly, bringing together leaders, changemakers, innovators, creators, and advocates driving progress across today's most pressing global issues.

Join us on September 22–23 as we take over the iconic 230 Fifth Empire Penthouse (just below the rooftop) for two days of thought-provoking conversations, engaging sessions, meaningful networking, and countless opportunities to build new relationships and spark collaboration.

September 22: Earth to Hollywood

A day about hope and who’s behind it - telling stories from different perspectives and taking their cause to the screen.

ACT 1: It’s All About Perspective – 10am - 1:30pm 

• Opening remarks from Josh Murphy, Co-Director of the Netflix documentary The Plastic Detox.

• The Heathers: Causing Good Trouble: Join three CEOs named Heather who saw something broken and decided they'd be the ones to fix it.

• A Talking Glacier, a Hells Angel, and a Republican Walk Into a Bar…: The people who move us to care about the natural world aren’t always the ones we expect. Through clips and conversation, Gladice, The Last Dive, and The [Conserv]atives explore how unexpected voices can change the conservation story, hosted by Random Good.

• LOAM: Building Climate Resilience through Travel and Impact Storytelling: Amplifying conservation in highly traveled tourist destinations through impact storytelling and funding to protect the places we love, by LOAM Travel.

• Forecasts from the Land: What Indigenous Knowledge Can Teach Us About Climate, Credibility, and the Future: A look at what happens when knowledge embedded in culture isn’t recognized as science, hosted by the Doris Duke Foundation.

And because good ideas deserve good fuel, we're kicking things off with coffee and donuts, and carrying you through to the finish with a light lunch and drinks worth sticking around for. 

ACT 2: Finding Solutions –  2pm - 4pm 

• Where Does Your RESET Begin? Food, Health & Planet: A session that explores the connections between personal and planetary health, before inviting participants to take the RESET Check In, identify where they have agency, and join the campaign. Hosted by Virsa Foundation.

• Beyond the Shift: The Hidden Impact of Mental Health Volunteers: During the UN’s International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, explore how volunteering builds skills that strengthen communities and scale impact. Featuring new insights from Crisis Text Line and Points of Light.

• Film Showcase – Solutions Inside Out: A first look at the newest award-winning films coming out of the Solutions Storytelling Project, presented by Video Consortium and the Skoll Foundation.

ACT 3: Conversing & Cocktails (or Mocktails!)  – 4pm  

• Cocktail Hour - meet some new friends, see some old (vintage!) ones.

September 23: The New MANuscript

Today, we're rewriting the story on masculinity, from the writer's room to the data room. We'll dig into what's actually happening in the numbers, what's changing in how men's stories get told on screen, and where culture is showing up in real time: sports, gaming, and the communities men are building around them. This day is for everyone in the room, not just the guys, because the story we tell about men shapes the society we all live in.

ACT 1: Shifting Scripts - 10am - 2pm

• Full Contact: The Double Life of Sports and Men's Mental Health: A deep dive look into how sports and exercise are often the most trusted coping tools for men and boys, yet the industries built around sports culture are increasingly linked to rising depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and financial collapse, hosted by Crisis Text Line.

• Sparking the Shift: Why we need to invest in moving the mindsets of young men: Discover why supporting narrative and cultural shifts around gender is the key to building safer, more connected communities.

• STORY: AI and Human Creativity for Enabling More Effective Communications: Governments amplify outcomes. Creators amplify stories. STORY helps connect the two. STORY is an AI-supported platform that brings together rapid behavioral diagnostics, entertainment-media analysis, evidence on what works, social listening, and survey data to help policymakers and creatives better understand their audiences, hosted by World Bank.

• Better Scripts for Men and Boys: How writers’ rooms are expanding stories of masculinity: Hosted by Equimundo, this panel brings together industry and advocates to explore how Hollywood can break free from outdated "Man Box" tropes.

Rewriting scripts takes energy, so we've got you covered - all day snacks to keep you sharp and a lite lunch to keep you going strong.

ACT 2: Building Foundations - 2:15pm - 5:45pm

• Turning Great Stories into Real-World Action: Breaking down how to take the inspiration from the screen and turn it into practical action—helping everyday viewers make a real difference in their communities.

• Entertaining Change: Investing in Stories That Change Lives: This session will explore how entertainment for social impact can be financed and scaled, and what it will take to build the partnerships needed to turn evidence into action, hosted by the World Bank.

• On Our Feed: Creator Spotlight on Modern Masculinity: Meet the digital storytellers using their platforms to redefine what it means to be a man today.

• Player 2 Has Joined: Building Real Connection in Virtual Worlds: A session looking at how digital spaces foster genuine belonging, destigmatize support, and provide a low-pressure environment for men to form meaningful bonds, hosted by Crisis Text Line and Equimundo.

Halfway through building foundations, we're pausing for our Power Hour - think healthy snacks and delicious beverages to keep the momentum (and the energy) going strong.

ACT 3: Meeting on the Field: Cocktails, Mocktails and Lite Bites - 5:45pm  

• Cocktail Hour - meet some new friends, see some old (vintage!) ones.

One registration provides access to both days of programming. Register today and invite your colleagues and community.

We look forward to welcoming you back for The Impact Lounge's third year at Climate Week and UNGA in New York City.

*Please note that while 230 Fifth is famous for it's rooftop, our programming will be indoors, so if it's raining, we quite literally have you covered.