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Join us on April 5 at Leading for Good for an incredible day focused on “(Co) Creating a Future for All.” Engage with transformational leaders across sectors as they share real examples and deep conversations on working together in new ways as we strive to create a better future.


Keynote

Heather McGheeHeather McGhee, the best-selling author of The Sum of Us, will anchor to a day focused on inspirational and specific ways to create thriving communities, in an inclusive economy, on a healthy planet. Supported in partnership with the Institute for Racial Justice.

Speakers

This year’s conference will feature an exciting lineup of leaders who are at the forefront of business strategy and social purpose. Below is just a sample of who will be speaking with more to be announced in the coming weeks. Click the drop-down to view our current roster.

Andrea Saenz Stephanie Morimoto
Andrea Saenz
Chicago Community Trust
Stephanie Morimoto
Asutra
Tuan Huynh Joey Mak
Tuan Huynh
VietFive
Joey Mak
Chicago:Blend

See more speakers

Heather McGhee Heather McGhee
Best-selling Author
Andrea Saenz Andrea Saenz
President and CEO
The Chicago Community Trust
Stephanie Morimoto Stephanie Morimoto
Owner and CEO
Asutra 
Tuan Huynh Tuan Huynh
Founder
VietFive  
Joey Mak Joey Mak
Executive Director
Chicago:Blend  
Wendy Duboe Wendy DuBoe
Chair
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago   
Joanne Rodriguez Joanne Rodriguez
Founder and CEO
Mycocycle
Nancy Tuchman Nancy Tuchman
Founding Dean
School of Environmental Sustainability   
Daniel Cervantes Daniel Cervantes
SVP, National Expansion
Skills for America's Future  
Tonika Lewis Johnson Tonika Lewis Johnson
Photographer and Social Justice Artist
Folded Map Project  
Karen Freeman Wilson Karen Freeman-Wilson
President and CEO
Chicago Urban League 
Liam Donnelly Liam Donnelly
CEO
WasteNot    
Brandis Friedman Brandis Friedman
Anchor/Correspondent
WTTW  
Kim Evans Kim Evans
EVP, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Inclusion, and Social Impact
Northern Trust  
Mark C Reed Dr. Mark C. Reed
President
Loyola University Chicago
Cherita Evans Cherita Ellens
President & CEO
Women Employed
Erin Amico Erin Amico
President & CEO
Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Paige Graham Paige Graham
SVP, Social Impact & Sustainability
Edelman
 
 
Carl Jones Jr Carl Jones Jr.
VP of Government and External Affairs
Comcast

Agenda

Our agenda features a variety of timely and relevant topics that are sure to inspire deep conversations.

View the Agenda

9:00 a.m.
Welcome Remarks

  • Dr. Mark C. Reed, President, Loyola University Chicago
  • Wendy DuBoe, Advisory Board Member, Baumhart Center
  • Daniel Cervantes, SVP, National Expansion, Skill's for America's Future 

9:30 a.m.
Panel: Sustainability Leaps: Taking Action Together
At long last, it seems that everyone is talking about sustainability but how are organizations actually making the internal decisions and cultural shifts to deliver? How are we building bridges and opening more pathways to concrete climate action by and for allHear from leading practitioners on how and why things are getting done and the work still ahead.

  • Paige Graham, SVP, Social Impact & Sustainability, Edelman
  • Joanne Rodriguez, Founder & CEO, Mycocycle
  • Tonika Lewis Johnson, Photographer and Social Justice Artist, Folded Map Project
  • Erin Amico, President & CEO, Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
  • Moderator: Karen Weigert, Director, Baumhart Center 

10:30 a.m.
Innovation Pop-up: VietFive Coffee
Hear from the founder, Tuan Huynh, an award-winning creative director and community organizer based out of Chicago, Illinois, about the story behind VietFive Coffee. VietFive Coffee serves authentic Vietnamese coffee, grown and harvested in the place of his birth and roasted in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to serving coffee, VietFive provides access to marginalized communities and ex-felons by providing career opportunities through industry networking, creative workshops, community-centered events, and employment opportunities. 

10:45 a.m. - Break

11:00 a.m.
Impact in Action: Innovator Awards
The Innovator Awards is a nationally significant award series that recognizes companies who are at the forefront of social innovation in business. The awards celebrate companies across three categories of innovation: Purpose and Profit, Environmental Stewardship, and Social Impact.

  • Social Impact Award recipient: Kathleen Caliento, President and CEO, Cara Collective
  • Environmental Stewardship Award Recipient: Jimmy Samartzis, CEO, LanzaJet
  • Parkinson Award Recipient: Jeff Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer, Levi Strauss & Co.
  • Moderator: Megan Christenson, Sr. Portfolio Manager, REDF Impact Investing Fund

11:50 a.m.
Innovation Pop-up: WasteNot
WasteNot Compost is the nation’s only zero-emissions compost collection service for homes, businesses, and events. Liam Donnelly began WasteNot in 2015 out of a desire to do better. While lugging his sixth bag of trash to a cafe’s dumpster, he knew there was a simple solution: composting. Out of necessity, WasteNot started as a zero-emissions company, utilizing a bike and trailer to service members across the city. WasteNot went from operating on a bike to a 100% electric fleet, allowing all WasteNot members to Compost Without Compromise™. Liam is also an alum of Loyola University Chicago’s School of Environmental Sustainability.

12:15 p.m.
Keynote: The Sum of Us, featuring Heather McGhee

12:45 p.m.
Post Keynote Panel: An Economy for All

  • Moderator: Brandis Friedman, Anchor/Correspondent, WTTW
  • Andrea Sáenz, President & CEO, Chicago Community Trust
  • Karen Freeman Wilson, President & CEO, Urban League 
  • Carl Jones, Jr., VP, Government and External Affairs, Comcast

1:45 p.m. - Break

2:00 p.m.
Panel: Entrepreneurs and Intra-preneurs Needed: New Ways to Impact
Change is accelerating across the economy, both inside organizations and through new entities. Hear from impact leaders in multiple different roles – some they applied for and some they created – about the skills and approaches they use on the path to greater impact. Leave inspired to accelerate your path to impact.

  • Stephanie Morimoto, Owner & CEO, Asutra
  • Kimberly Evans, EVP, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Inclusion and Social Impact, Northern Trust
  • Joey Mak, Executive Director, Chicago:Blend
  • Moderator: Cherita Ellens, President & CEO, Women Employed 

2:45 p.m.
Closing Remarks

3:00 p.m.
Reception

Event Details & Registration

Date: April 5, 2023
Time: The event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Location: Loyola's Schreiber Center, 16 E. Pearson Steet, Chicago, IL 60611


Thanks to our sponsors

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