Rachel Hodgdon

Rachel Hodgdon is the president and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute, a public benefit corporation recognized as a global authority in advancing health and well-being in buildings, organizations, and communities. Since joining the organization, Hodgdon has progressed from chief product officer to president and CEO, playing a significant role in the healthy buildings movement. Under her leadership, the institute has expanded to include more than 2 billion square feet of registered, rated, or certified space across nearly 100 countries, with its evidence-based programs supporting a global network of solutions for healthier indoor environments.

Prior to her role at the International WELL Building Institute, Hodgdon spent nearly a decade at the U.S. Green Building Council, where she served as senior vice president of knowledge and was the founding director of the Center for Green Schools. During her tenure, the center facilitated more than $275 billion in investments in LEED-certified educational facilities, mobilized over 750,000 volunteers in 73 countries, and published more than 1,000 pages of technical guides and original research. Hodgdon also established a comprehensive knowledge network for more than 200,000 LEED Accredited Professionals, supporting the growth of LEED as a leading green building rating system.

At the International WELL Building Institute, Hodgdon has led the development and expansion of the WELL Building Standard, guiding the introduction of new versions and shaping research and education platforms to accelerate market transformation in healthy building practices. She also developed the WELL Portfolio program and the institute's membership platform, extending WELL's application to diverse building types, districts, and communities. Her work has fostered partnerships with global corporations such as CBRE, Cisco, Citigroup, JLL, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Uber, all of which have implemented WELL strategies to enhance health and well-being across their portfolios.

Hodgdon's expertise in sustainable building and public health has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, FOX News, and CNN, as well as in industry publications including Fast Company and GreenBIZ. She frequently lectures at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Center for Health and the Global Environment and has delivered keynote addresses at international forums such as the Aspen Ideas: Health conference and the International Conference of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate in Singapore. Hodgdon serves on several boards and advisory councils, including Second Nature, the Real Estate Pride Council, and the Urban Land Institute's Advisory for Health and Social Equity.