Peer-Led Vendor* Clinic

ESG and CSR vendors: What are we using, what works, and what doesn’t?

*We are a vendor-free community, so these “vendor clinics” are a special opportunity to dig-in, ask tough questions, and get candid feedback — not a sales pitch.

Open, peer-led discussions where you can find workarounds and share successes (and frustrations) with the ESG & CSR tool integral to your program’s success. If you aren’t a customer but are considering an investment in a particular vendor, you can get an honest assessment from other brands who use the tool. In this clinic, we’ll focus on:

Panel

Leading ESG & CSR in a polarized, politicized environment

John Mulcahy at Georgia-Pacific and Elizabeth Okey at Wintrust

Both traditional corporate responsibility and environmental sustainability functions have faced new stresses as regulations, expectations, and risks shift rapidly with the political environment. How are we adjusting and keeping our work safe for the future? Join a panel of veteran ESG & CSR Board members in a private, off-the-record discussion about best practices and biggest concerns for the future.

Following our afternoon of conversations and case studies, we’ll all go out for a fantastic dinner together. It’s a perfect opportunity to connect with your fellow members before a big day of brainstorming, discussion, and collaboration.

The conversations over coffee and eggs at this event are often more lively than any other conference’s happy hour. You’ll want to be here bright and early (and on time). 

Workshop

Understanding ESG regulations for your company and your team

Stacy Cline, GitLab

As if we didn’t already have enough on our plates, now ESG and sustainability leaders are expected to understand environmental regulations in dozens of countries around the world. How are we keeping up with this work and organizing our teams to keep our companies out of trouble? Join Stacy Cline, Senior Director of Sustainability at GitLab, to talk about managing this high-risk responsibility with your peers.

Workshop

A truly “impactful” gift, or just more corporate hype?

Patrice Withers, Fifth Third Bank

We don’t just want our companies to look good, we want them to actually do good. But from landing on the right partner, mission-focus, and even dollar amount, figuring out how to aim each grant at making a real impact is not as easy as it sounds. Join Patrice Withers, Vice President & Director of Giving at Fifth Third Bank, to talk through the complex calculus involved in chasing that elusive goal of a truly “impactful” corporate gift.

Workshop

Leading CSR through major corporate change

Amanda Schmitt, CenterPoint Energy

Whether it’s an acquisition, a CEO switch, a spin-off, or other major corporate upheaval, keeping your programs focused when everything is up in the air is no easy task. Join Amanda Schmitt, Foundation Manager at CenterPoint Energy, to talk out best practices and learned lessons for navigating these changes.

Workshop

Can AI make ESG easier?

Jeff Rangel, Intuit

AI is rapidly changing almost every job, but its applications for ESG work remain at an early stage. What are we trying, what’s making a difference, and what has turned out to be mostly hype? Join Jeff Rangel, Director of ESG Strategy & Reporting at Intuit, as we share it all with a confidential group of leaders doing the work just like you.

Workshop

Gen Z and authentic engagement: How do you get it right?

Brandon Ruffin, CDW

Workforces are changing. So are the ways we need to reach them, especially when it comes to our company’s volunteering and giving programs. Join Brandon Ruffin, CDW’s Senior Program Manager of Global Social Impact, to talk through connecting with Gen Z colleagues and what creating authentic engagement means for CSR programs, priorities, and communication strategies.

Workshop

Coming soon!

Workshop

The future of voluntary ESG reporting

Maren Stunes, Amgen

With ESG increasingly becoming a compliance function, the voluntary disclosures that used to set us apart now often feel like a challenge. How are companies planning to approach reporting to the “alphabet soup” of sustainability frameworks in the future? Join Maren Stunes, Senior Manager of Corporate Sustainability at Amgen, to hear how they have organized this work and to share what makes sense for a rapidly changing landscape.

Workshop

Communicating social impact with clarity and credibility

Jacqueline Boas, New Balance

The way companies talk about their social impact is under more scrutiny than ever. How do you tell the story in a way that’s honest, strategic, and aligned across teams? Join Global Philanthropy Communications Manager Jacqueline Boas from New Balance as we work through how we approach impact storytelling in ways that build trust and what that could look like inside your company too.

Workshop

Coming soon!

Workshop

Building sustainability teams that can win

Lorie Mills & Corey Clark, Toyota

How do you divide and conquer building a new sustainability strategy for an enterprise covering tens of thousands of employees and hundreds of facilities? Join Director of NA and Global Sustainability Lorie Mills and General Manager of Enterprise Sustainability Corey Clark at Toyota to talk about how sustainability teams can organize their roles and responsibilities to reach big goals without burning out.

Workshop

Collaborating as corporate funders: Doing more with more

Kate Barrett, The Campbell’s Company

Many of us are interested in partnering with other funders to pool resources, reach more communities, and maximize impact. But we also know that every company has its own funding parameters, goals, and ways of working. So how do we come together to drive change on the big social issues we care about? Join Kate Barrett, President of The Campbell’s Foundation, to talk through the challenges and opportunities offered by more companies working together to serve our communities.

Workshop

Coming soon!

During lunch, the tables will be divided into industries so leaders can pick where they want to sit and connect with others who are leading ESG and CSR in the same space:

EXAMPLE TOPICS:

• ESG team structures
• Climate goal road mapping
• Supplier engagement strategies
• ESG regulatory readiness

EXAMPLE TOPICS:

• ESG executive education
• Water sustainability strategies
• Enterprise risk management and ESG: Coming together without clashing
• CSRD preparation

• Maintaining buy-in and momentum for social impact during economic uncertainty
• Innovating your social impact measurement
• Navigating a changing regulatory landscape as a global company
• Volunteer ambassador programs