The Breakout Sessions at #BCConf24 | Explore Your Options
Breakouts offer an opportunity for you to choose the sessions that are most interesting and relevant to your work. We categorize each session with icons to indicate its content and session type (or format). Use the key below to follow the icons. Breakout sessions happen at four intervals throughout the Conference agenda. NO PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. But some rooms may fill up on a first-come, first-served basis. Conference attendees will need to choose their preferred breakouts on site; session locations will be included in the #BCConf24 app, which is still in development.
REVIEW THE SESSION OPTIONS for MON @ 10:45 | MON @ 2:00 | TUE @ 9:45 | TUE @ 11:45
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It’s Who We Are: Community Involvement as a Critical Part of Company Culture
It’s Who We Are: Community Involvement as a Critical Part of Company Culture
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 10:45 AM
Job seekers want to work for purpose-driven brands, employees are more likely to stay at a company that aligns with their values, customers are more positively inclined to purchase from values-aligned brands. This means community involvement offers much more than doing good for the community; it's also about fostering a company culture that inspires employee commitment and deepens customer loyalty. In this session hear how companies are building strategic alignment between community involvement and business goals/expertise and engaging employees in these efforts.
Rita Ortiz, Senior Director, Community Relations, Assistant Vice President, Travelers Foundation, Travelers
Namkyu Go, Manager, CSR Group, Corporate Citizenship Office, POSCO
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Recession-proofing Your Corporate Citizenship Commitments
Recession-proofing Your Corporate Citizenship Commitments
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 10:45 AM
What happens to corporate citizenship when a company downsizes? Maybe it’s budgets or staff, but you no longer have the same resources to work with. Join this session to hear how companies are engaging colleagues across the business to support corporate culture and reinforce values; how companies keep corporate citizenship efforts going with a smaller team; and how to prioritize during challenging times.
Kathleen Ryan Mufson, VP of Global Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy at Pitney Bowes and President of the Pitney Bowes Foundation
Emma Chambers, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Air Liquide USA
Suzanne Quigley, Director, Global Corporate Responsibility, Qurate Retail Group
Liz Bowen, Associate Director of Corporate Citizenship & Strategic Philanthropy, Charles River Labs
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CASE STUDY | Strategic Giving & Volunteerism
BMO FINANCIAL GROUP CASE STUDY | Putting People First, Designing A Stakeholder-Centric Strategic Giving & Volunteerism Program
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 10:45 AM
Are you seeking inspiration and ideas about how your company can be more intentional and strategic with its community giving? Are you looking for opportunities to invest in programming that aligns with your company’s core purpose and takes a deeper dive into a community issue with many layers of engagement? These strategic programs allow companies to innovate and drive social impact, co-create with grantees, and involve employees. Learn how the Uplift Agency and BMO Financial Group approached the development of a strategic Giving and Volunteerism Program. One that offers an opportunity for distinction and measurable impact within a relevant sustainability topic. In this session, you will discover practical tools and frameworks to help you design impactful programming. Our speakers will walk through the framework and step-by-step process they used to build this program, including research and identification methods to engage stakeholders, how to collect credible data and gather insights, how to narrow your list of potential social or environmental issues, how to gain buy-in; and perhaps most importantly, what to do when you hit a roadblock.
Corinne Graper, CEO, The Uplift Agency LLC
Helen Seibel, North American Employee and Community Giving, BMO Financial Group
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WORKSHOP | Strategic Clarity: The Diamond Framework for Corporate Citizenship
WORKSHOP | Strategic Clarity: The Diamond Framework for Corporate Citizenship
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 10:45 AM
Dive into the Diamond Framework as the foundation for crafting effective corporate citizenship strategies. This session will guide you through aligning your citizenship initiatives with broader business goals, ensuring every effort drives impact where it counts. Learn to pinpoint critical impact areas and prioritize them within your corporate strategy. You'll acquire practical tools for developing a corporate citizenship strategy that creates a social value profile that upholds social responsibility while enhancing your company’s competitive edge in the marketplace.
WORKSHOP FACILITATOR:
Christopher Lloyd, Executive Advisor and Teaching Fellow, Boston College Center for Coporate Citizenship
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Harmonizing Global ESG Reporting
Harmonizing Global ESG Reporting: Multinational Corporations’ Approaches to Streamlining Reporting Across Regulatory Landscapes
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 10:45 AM
This panel explores the intricate landscape of ESG legislation at state and federal levels, examining the challenges faced by multinational corporations in harmonizing their reporting standards across diverse regulatory environments. Discussions will focus on strategies employed by companies to manage varied disclosure requirements, mitigate risks, and align with evolving global standards, considering the experiences of European firms and their responses to regulatory shifts.
Pooja Knight, ESG Controller & Sustainability Strategy Vice President, Gallagher
Perrin Crews, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, FedEx
Evan Harvey, Audit & Assurance Managing Director, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Amanda Warschak, ESG Director, Teradata Corp
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Delivering Health Justice for All
Delivering Health Justice for All
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 2:00 PM
The healthcare industry plays a primary role in the push toward equitable health outcomes for all. However, health justice is bigger than any one industry. Expanding access to healthy food options, safe, affordable housing, quality educational opportunities, fresh air, and clean water will require an ongoing, cross-sector effort wherein every kind of company can play a role. Join this session to explore the different ways social determinants of health affect your stakeholders—from suppliers to employees to consumers and their communities. You'll come away with ideas for meeting them where they need you most.
Christy Reeves, Vice President, Community Engagement & Sustainability, Ochsner Health
Jessica Lindholm, Vice President, Senior Program Officer, Northern Trust
Leslie Platt Zolov, Executive Director, Public Affairs, Novo Nordisk, Inc.
Brandi Newman, SVP, CSI Strategic Operations Community & Social Impact Executive Leadership, Community & Social Impact Division, Advocate Health
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The Art of Effective Partnerships
The Art of Effective Partnerships: Giving Partners a Say in Their Own Solutions
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 2:00 PM
One of the top reasons why partnerships fail—including community partnerships and internal corporate collaboration—is power imbalance: who really owns the solution? Some CSR teams look to help their partners without doing the work of asking, listening, understanding, and ultimately compromising on the solution. This session explores how CSR teams can work to establish trust and respect ahead of program strategy and goals. Panelists will discuss common pitfalls and solutions for anyone tasked with building strong partnerships.
Midori Morikawa, Head of Corporate Citizenship, Managing Director, State Street
Diane Shelton, Community Initiatives and Philanthropy Manager, DPR Construction
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Corporate Citizenship Is Everyone's Department Now
Corporate Citizenship Is Everyone's Department Now: Lessons on Working Together, Across the Organization
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 2:00 PM
The world does not assess your company’s social impact or sustainability through the lens of your departmental structure, budget or performance. As new regulations raise the overall minimum standards of performance, how can you work to coordinate with colleagues across departments to deliver bigger results and more cohesive, strategic, values-aligned outcomes for your business and the world it operates in?
Nora Moreno Cargie, President of the Foundation and Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, Point32Health
Ava Vitali, Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility, Scholastic Inc.
Sejoo Min, Senior Researcher, POSCO Research Institute
Justin Schmitt, President, USAA Foundation
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CASE STUDY | Affordable Housing Solutions
FIFTH THIRD BANK CASE STUDY | Fostering Economic Development through Affordable Housing Solutions
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 2:00 PM
Embark on a journey with Fifth Third Bank and the Fifth Third CDC as they navigate the intersection of economic development and affordable housing. Explore strategic investments, impactful collaborations with CDFIs, and efforts to dismantle barriers for BIPOC and women-owned developers. Learn how these initiatives address housing challenges and become integral to a robust economic development strategy. Elevate your corporate citizenship approach by gaining practical insights in this session, where professionals across industries will uncover the keys to sustainable community development and set you on a path to positively impact the lives of your employees and the communities you serve.
Susan E. Thomas, President, Fifth Third Community Development Corporation
Christopher Herrmann, EVP, Chief Investment Officer & Fund Manager, Real Estate Equity at Enterprise Community Investment, Inc.
Joshua Ghena, Senior Vice President, Equity Operations, Cinnaire
Joel Dixon - Co-Founder and Principal,Urban Oasis Development
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WORKSHOP | Mastering Message & Method in CSR/ESG Communication
WORKSHOP | Mastering Message & Method in CSR/ESG Communication
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 2:00 PM
Effective CSR/ESG communication is not just about what you say but how you say it. This session will equip you with rhetorical strategies to enhance your messaging, supporting consistency, strength, and adaptability across various platforms and audiences. Learn to build message packages that maintain core messaging while flexibly catering to diverse stakeholders. We'll also focus on aligning verbal and nonverbal cues to reinforce your narrative, amplifying the impact of your communication. Walk away with the skills to craft messages that resonate deeply and drive your CSR/ESG initiatives forward.
Nancy Dunbar, Executive Advisor and Teaching Fellow, Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
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The Path to Net Zero
The Path to Net Zero
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 2:00PM
When companies commit to achieving carbon neutrality they can implement a myriad of strategies and initiatives. How do they decide what will help them meet their goal? Will they adopt renewable energy, carbon offsetting, sustainable supply chain practices, or implement science based targets? Perhaps all of the above and others? Who are internal partners? How do you work with suppliers, customers and employees? How will assurance requirements challenge some Discuss all of these questions and learn from companies making this commitment in this session.
Niki King, Vice President & Head of Sustainability, The Clorox Company
Byeongsoo Kong, Senior Manager, ESG Group, POSCO Holdings
Dermot Murray, Director of Sustainability & Climate Strategy, Constellation Energy
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Access to Opportunity for Employees and Communities
Access to Opportunity for Employees and Communities
MONDAY, APRIL 29 | 2:00 PM
The digital divide refers to the gap between those who can access and fully take advantage of computers and the Internet and those who cannot. The reasons for the gap range from lack of access to devices or the Internet to lack of training. With AI and other disruptive technological innovations on the horizon, the nature of work and access to opportunity promises to be changed radically. Join this panel to learn about corporate citizenship strategies to upskill and mentor employees and community members to success during our next technological industrial revolution.
Barb Short, Senior Director Corporate Social Responsibility, Sanofi
Kathy O'Donnell, Senior Vice President, Head of Public Affairs, Citizens Bank
Jana Schwering, Communications Manager, Corporate Social Responsiblity and Signature Programs, UScellular
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How to Boost Employee Giving and Volunteering
Back at the Office, But Are They Engaged? How to Boost Post-Pandemic Employee Giving & Volunteering
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 9:45 AM
They may be back in the office, but has employee motivation fully returned? If your company mirrors most others, your team members' participation in volunteer and giving programs hovers around 35%. That's according to our 2023 Community Involvement Study, and it indicates a trend in the wrong direction, post-pandemic. Join this session to hear from CSR leaders who are getting creative in order to re-engage their volunteers and reinvigorate their team’s sense of purpose.
Michael Tipton, President, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation
Audri Coffer, Second Vice President, Corporate Philanthropy Program Officer, Northern Trust
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DEI Under Fire: How Corporate Citizenship Programs Can Keep Inclusion Goals on Track
DEI Under Fire: How Corporate Citizenship Programs Can Keep Inclusion Goals on Track
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 9:45 AM
Corporate citizenship professionals have an essential part to play in elevating discussions of equity and inclusion, building inclusive programs, and engaging stakeholders to understand where inequity exists and how equity can be achieved. Join this session to discuss how to increase internal collaboration with other departments that have a stake in CSR and building relationships with DEI teams; how to respond to potential pushback over diversity programs and how to contribute to DEI efforts through your corporate citizenship practices.
Okeatta Brown, Managing Director, Chief DEI, Culture and Philanthropy (DCP) Officer of MUFG Americas & Global Co-Head of DEI, MUFG
Matt Blakely, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Reinsurance Group of America
Roselle Gonsalves, Head of Inclusion and Reconciliation, ATB Financial
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CASE STUDY | The Impact of Place-Based Grantmaking
MASSMUTUAL CASE STUDY | Unlocking Community Transformation: Exploring the Impact of Place-Based Grantmaking
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 9:45 AM
Place-based grantmaking focuses on addressing community-identified challenges within a particular geographic area and engages residents in the design and direction of solutions. Discover the power of this approach through a case study featuring Frayser Connect - a community-driven collaborative model in Memphis, TN catalyzed through strategic multi-year funding from the MassMutual Foundation. This session introduces the concept of place-based grantmaking, explores its significance, and identifies key elements for success, as well as potential pitfalls. Hear directly from the MassMutual Foundation and community representatives leading Frayser Connect, gaining insight into what it takes to drive meaningful community impact. Join us to become inspired and equipped with key learnings that can inform your own investment strategies.
Meredith Hennessy, Principal and Practice Leader, Consilience Group, LLC
Alison Mathias, Vice President, MassMutual Foundation
Dr. Nicole Gates, Director, Frayser Connect, Frayser Community Development Corporation
Fayre Crossley, Chief Grants and Compliance Officer, Epicenter
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What Gets Measured Gets Managed: Herding Your ESG Cats
What Gets Measured Gets Managed: Herding Your ESG Cats
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 9:45 AM
Though reporting regulation is driving much of the discussion about ESG, the purpose of reporting is often overlooked. Disclosures are prioritized to understand (and improve) performance on those matters. What can you be doing right now to get your company prepared to develop a comprehensive ESG management approach as the foundation for your reporting narrative. Whether you are in purchasing, finance, marketing, HR or community involvement or sustainability, your department may have a role to play. How can corporate citizenship offices help the company frame all of the organization’s commitments as a single cohesive narrative and position?
Jennifer Leitsch, Managing Director, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young LLP
Darren McGann, Sr. Director, Environmental Sustainability Leader, KPMG
Jill Magruder, ESG Senior Advisor, The Cigna Group
Kendall Schaffner, Senior Account Executive, Corporate Social Responsiblity, Edelman
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WORKSHOP | Solving the Mental Health Crisis
WORKSHOP | We Can Solve the Mental Health Crisis ... One Connection, One Community, One Person at a Time.
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 9:45 AM
Step into a workshop designed to empower CSR professionals with practical tools and insights for tackling mental health challenges. Learn to navigate a First Aid toolkit for Mental Health aimed at enhancing wellbeing across personal, professional, and community spheres. This session promises an in-depth look at how Mental Health intersects with DE&I, Recruitment, and Talent Development, offering strategies for fostering environments that support mental health awareness and action. Gain the expertise to create a significant impact, leveraging the potential of personal dedication and the collaborative spirit of community action.
Rob Vallentine, Executive Advisor and Teaching Fellow, Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
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"Greenhushing" and the Anti-ESG Agenda
"Greenhushing" in 2024: Exploring the Anti-ESG Agenda and Its Effect on Corporate Sustainability Strategies
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 11:15 AM
As the anti-ESG movement has grown louder, many business leaders have grown quieter about their sustainability practices. How can companies that care about environmental and social issues avoid pushback from investors and other stakeholders who oppose progressive or so-called "woke" policies? This session will focus on how anti-ESG sentiment influences company strategies, exploring how businesses navigate ideological opposition to ESG principles. Conversations will delve into the potential shifts in sustainability practices and decision-making frameworks.
Pat McLaughlin, Chief Sustainability Officer, Verisk
Katie Fleming, Chief Sustainability Officer & Director of Strategic Planning and Communications, Black Hills Energy
Stephanie Regan, Director of Corporate Citizenship, AAON
David Hackett, Senior Counsel, Baker McKenzie
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The Next Generation of CSR Communication
Next Generation CSR Communication: Talking to Future Stakeholders
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 11:15 AM
Born between 1997 and 2012 and now representing one-third of the global population, Gen Z is uniquely concerned about climate change and social issues. They are also dedicated consumers of digital content. How are you connecting with this demographic to communicate individual CSR efforts and, more broadly, create a socially conscious presence for your brand? Are you showing up on the most strategic digital channels? Are you tailoring content to speak to different audiences on their terms? Join this session to hear from experienced marcom/CSR professionals about how they are engaging this next-gen group of stakeholders.
Stephanie Lomibao-Parra, Philanthropy Program Executive, Corporate Social Responsibility, Bank of America
Abbey Fuster, Assistant Vice President, Partnership Activation & Business Development; Americas ESG Committee Lead, Gallagher
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WORKSHOP | Beyond Metrics: How Do We Measure Impact
WORKSHOP | Beyond Metrics: How Do We Measure Impact?
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 11:15 AM
Effective measurement in corporate citizenship begins with setting the right scope. The session aims to equip participants with a nuanced understanding of how to align their impact measurement practices with their organization’s circumstances and goals. We’ll examine how impact, influenced by various internal and external variables, fits within different spheres of influence and interest. Building on this understanding, we’ll showcase how the logic model can be used as a potent tool for linking your activities to tangible outcomes. Equip yourself with the knowledge to not just chase metrics but to measure what truly matters - showing your impact's real breadth and depth.
Shyam R. Gadwal, Director of Executive Education & Advisory Services, Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
Raina HeeJung Sim, Associate Director of Education, Advisory Services & Online Programs, Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
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Strategies for Hyper-Local Community Involvement
Making a Difference in Your Own Backyard: Strategies for Hyper-Local Community Involvement
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 11:15 AM
Many companies strive to make positive impacts on communities where employees live and work. In this session you'll hear from companies with a small geographic footprint, as well as from global companies, about how they invest in social impact programs around their specific geographic locations. Learn how companies identify critical local issues and move the needle by building community relationships and engaging through corporate and employee giving and volunteering programs.
Barjouth Aguilar, Head of Global Sustainability Program, Foundation Officer, Flex
Esra Elshafey, Associate Manager, Global Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, Pitney Bowes
Melodie Knowlton, Senior Director of Community Affairs, Executive Director, Vertex Foundation & Global Head of STEAM Education, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Heather Falck, Executive Director, Independence Blue Cross Foundation
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Environmental Justice: Showing Up for Vulnerable Communities
Environmental Justice: How Your Company Shows Up for Vulnerable Communities
TUESDAY, APRIL 30 | 11:15 AM
Climate change and pollution have an impact on everyone but history has shown that there is a disproportionate negative impact on communities of color, low wealth communities, and other historically marginalized communities. Join us to discuss what companies are doing to increase and strengthen community resilience around sustainability issues.
Yamini Dixit, Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, Nielsen
Jeff Bellows, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Alanna Russo, Director of Strategic Engagement and Partnerships, National Grid Ventures
Denisse Blanca-Amores, Global Social Impact Head, CEMEX
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