With one week to go before we kick off the 2026 National Disaster Resilience Conference (NDRC26), I can’t contain my excitement.

And as I plan for NDRC26 and the opportunity to lean into big thinking, I often return to this inspirational story.

In the late 1870s, French obstetrician Stéphane Tarnier visited the Paris Zoo, taking a break from the heartbreaking challenges of steadily rising infant mortality at the Paris Hospital. While there, he became intrigued by boxes full of baby chickens. The boxes had water bottles underneath to keep the tiny chicks warm.

He immediately recognized how this clever practice could help overcome one of the greatest challenges for premature infants—staying warm. He hired the zoo’s poultry keeper to build a similar device for human babies.

The resulting infant incubator created a heated enclosure to help premature babies maintain their body temperature. It worked. After implementation, the Paris maternity hospital reported a 42% reduction in deaths between 1879 and 1882 among babies weighing under 4.4 pounds. This marked the beginning of a landmark medical solution still used today.

You can read more about this incredible leap of imagination by Dr. Tarnier and much more in the excellent book by Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation.

For me, the “baby chicks” lesson is that to innovate, we should create environments where imagination and diverse thinking can flourish. And we should never overlook serendipity.

That is why the NDRC brings together a diverse group of professionals and has earned the nickname “idea incubator.”

So what happens when you bring a scientist, a homebuilder, an insurer, a meteorologist, an engineer, and a communicator together to solve a problem?

Sometimes, you get an idea that leads to a one-of-a-kind project at Walt Disney World.

Sometimes, you get a tool that makes building code information accessible to anyone with an address.

Always, we learn anew that powerful solutions often come from nontraditional partners imagining the future.

This year’s NDRC theme, Delivering the D.R.E.A.M.—Durable, Resilient, Energy-efficient, Affordable, and Modern homes, defines our aspiration as we come together to make resilient housing attainable for more families.

We have an extraordinary lineup to help us.

• Broadcast Meteorology Trends: National Weather Service Office of Future Readiness Director Mike Coyne and Dr. Rick Knabb of The Weather Channel will lead a dialogue sharing new trends in how weather pros communicate risk.
• Housing affordability: University of Alabama researchers Dr. Lars Powell and Dr. Shane Crawford will share their landmark study on building codes and home prices.
• Severe-storm science: IBHS Chief Engineer Dr. Anne Cope will detail research and engineering insights into the top catastrophe loss driver—severe convective storms.
• Breakthrough thinking: Oregon State University engineering dean Dr. Forrest Masters will deliver a “Mind Stretch” to explore ideas that could reshape resilient construction.
• Resilience at scale: Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple will highlight how he is leading resilience policies to deliver mitigation, insurance incentives, and a steadily improving market.
• Building and selling stronger homes: Builder Jason Meadows and Realtor Andrea Meadows will join The Weather Channel’s Dr. Rick Knabb and share what these critical professionals need to advance resilience.
• Resilient recovery: FLASH Executive Vice President Eric Vaughn will lead a discussion featuring nonprofit recovery leaders joining the Strong Homes program.
• The MVP Protective Feature: NIST’s Dr. Marc Levitan, DASMA’s David Monsour, and Haas Door’s Kent Nafziger will examine wind-rated garage doors.

The program also connects earthquake resilience, wildfire prevention, financing, flood-risk communication, and building-code advancement. Hearing these perspectives together creates a unique opportunity for breakthrough thinking.

Our record reflects ambitious NDRC ideas that have become reality.

Twenty years ago, an idea took shape at NDRC2006: What if we could bring disaster safety into one of the world’s most imaginative and fun learning environments?

The 2006 gathering became the incubator for the award-winning StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes at Epcot. What began as an ambitious notion became an interactive experience that brought resilient homebuilding to life for more than 5.8 million Disney guests. Engineering, storytelling, private-sector support, and a shared commitment to protecting families made it possible.

StormStruck demonstrated something we continue to believe: when people with different expertise work toward a common purpose, they can break down barriers and achieve outcomes they could never reach alone.

Our landmark Inspect2Protect.org tool reflects that same commitment to connecting knowledge with action. It makes information about building codes, disaster history, and ways to strengthen homes accessible to the people who need it. Its Strong Homes Scale helps consumers explore potential resilience features and improvements based on model building codes.

The NDRC gathering itself is part of the solution.

A resilient home requires many decisions, made by many people.

Researchers establish what works. Engineers and architects translate evidence into design. Manufacturers supply solutions. Builders and skilled trades install them. Public officials establish and uphold protections. Insurers, lenders, and real estate professionals help shape how homes are financed, insured, understood, and valued. Communicators help people recognize the benefits and know what to do next.

Nonprofits, philanthropies, volunteers, and recovery organizations help bring those opportunities to families who might otherwise be left behind.

NDRC brings that community into the same room.

The challenge before us is substantial: deliver homes that protect families while addressing durability, energy efficiency, affordability, and insurability over time. Meeting it will take everyone and every profession that touches housing.

It takes curiosity, evidence, and the willingness to build something together.

We have seen what can grow from this gathering. This year, we will create the conditions for the next breakthrough.

That is why I hope you will join us to connect, engage, learn, share, and imagine. Bring your expertise, your questions, and your most ambitious ideas.

Join us at NDRC26 November 17–19 at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, because the next idea that helps a family live more safely may begin with you.