There is something special about getting a room full of EHS and sustainability professionals together. The conversations are candid, the ideas are practical, and the commitment to making workplaces safer is unmistakable.
This week, the Haven team had the pleasure of joining the NAEM EHS & Sustainability Management Forum in Minneapolis as an exhibitor, sponsor, and participant.
We came to share what we've been building at Haven. We left with new friendships, fresh perspectives, plenty of follow-up conversations, and a renewed appreciation for this community.
From the booth: More learning, less paperwork
Our booth was buzzing throughout the conference, and we enjoyed introducing attendees to the Haven Learning Loop and our approach to AI-native incident learning and prevention.
But the best part wasn't showing off the technology. It was hearing from EHS professionals about the real challenges they face: investigations that take too long, lessons that remain buried in reports, and the difficulty of translating findings into meaningful prevention.
These conversations reinforced something we believe strongly at Haven: the goal isn't simply to investigate incidents faster. It's to learn more from every incident and put that learning to work.
And judging by the conversations at our booth, we're not alone in that thinking.
AI readiness: Beyond the hype
Our co-founder and CEO, Joe Hanna, also had the opportunity to participate in the panel Ensuring AI Readiness from Strategy to Implementation, alongside Arianna Howard of Syncra Group and Adam Nicholson of Daltile, moderated by Nathaniel Miller of Rhythm Innovations.
The discussion explored what it really takes to move AI from experimentation to meaningful enterprise adoption.
A few themes stood out:
- Start with the problem, not the technology. A promising AI use case still needs a clear business problem, the right data, and an organization ready to act.
- Trust matters as much as capability. Particularly in safety-critical workflows, AI must support human judgment, with evidence, traceability, and accountability built into the process.
- Rethink the workflow. Adding AI to an inefficient process is not the same as transforming how work gets done.
- Measure what matters. Faster reporting is useful, but better investigations, stronger corrective actions, and improved organizational learning are where the real value lies.
Our takeaway? The conversation around AI in EHS is maturing. The interesting questions are increasingly about implementation, governance, and outcomes, not just what the technology can do.
That's progress worth celebrating.
Celebrating 32 years of leadership
One of the most meaningful moments of the week had nothing to do with technology.
The conference was also an opportunity to recognize Carol Singer Neuvelt, who is retiring after 32 years of extraordinary service to NAEM.
It was moving to see the appreciation and affection for Carol and everything she has done to build this organization and nurture its community.
Professional associations don't become trusted communities by accident. They become that way because people invest years in bringing others together, creating opportunities to learn, and building relationships that endure.
Carol's legacy is evident in the people, friendships, and spirit of collaboration that make NAEM special.
From all of us at Haven, thank you, Carol. Congratulations on a remarkable career and a very well-deserved next chapter!
The best part? The people.
Between booth conversations, panel discussions, and the spontaneous encounters that make conferences worthwhile, we met many new friends and caught up with familiar faces.
There was a lot of enthusiasm, some healthy skepticism, thoughtful questions about AI, and plenty of laughter along the way.
It's easy to get caught up in the pace of building a company and advancing new technology. Weeks like this remind us why we're doing it in the first place.
Behind every safety program, investigation, and improvement initiative are people who genuinely care about preventing harm and making work safer.
Technology can help accelerate that mission. Community is what keeps it moving forward.
A big thank you to the NAEM team, our fellow sponsors and exhibitors, everyone who stopped by our booth, and all those who made FORUM26 such a memorable experience.
Until next time!
The Haven Safety AI Team