Wednesday, September 16
Times and session blocks are subject to change. All times are EST. Please download the Conference App for room assignments and session information.
Registration Open
Continental Breakfast
Plenary Session: Evolving Your CSR Skillset for What’s Next
The role of the CSR practitioner is evolving, and quickly. Today’s leaders are expected to navigate complexity with confidence, from data fluency and AI adoption to cross-functional influence and strategic communication.
This plenary explores the capabilities CSR professionals need now – and what they’ll need next – to remain credible, effective, and equipped for tomorrow’s challenges. Panelists will share how they are developing these skills within their teams and themselves, and what it takes to lead in a function that is becoming more visible, more scrutinized, and more essential to business success. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of the skills that drive impact—and how to build them.
- Erica Williams, Moody’s Corporation
- Rachael Gibson, Crowe
- James Myers, Power Home Remodeling
- Andrea Bell, ACCP
Activity Zone & Coffee Break
Workshop Block 1
Ambassador programs unlock reach – but only if the role is clear, supported, and recognized. We’ll cover the ambassador journey from recruiting and onboarding to storytelling and recognition centered on equity and accessibility (e.g., remote roles, frontline schedules, neurodiverse contributors). Jewell and Jackie will combine real‑world lessons with cross‑industry patterns to show what actually sticks. Expect practical takeaways you can put into motion right away, from role clarity and recognition to a lightweight monthly rhythm.
Speakers:
- Jewell Willett, YourCause + Blackbaud
- Jacquelyn Hood, Crowe
Speakers:
- Kim Darby, Symetra
- Stacy Zaja, Northwestern Mutual
- Catherine Smith, Shaw Industries
- Jennifer Griffith, Northrop Grumman
You didn’t sign up to be an AI policy expert, but here you are. The business is racing ahead with AI adoption, your community partners are scrambling to show they can keep up while navigating a patchwork of policy constraints, and leadership wants efficiency gains yesterday. You need a plan for AI governance.
This session is for practitioners who are working through what responsible use looks like for their context. We’ll look at the governance challenges showing up most frequently across the field and share examples from organizations getting on their front foot. You’ll leave with a framework that’s practical enough to use now and flexible enough to evolve as the landscape (inevitably) shifts.
Speaker:
- Jennifer Holk, Deloitte
Speakers:
- Erin Sullivan, FSG
- Lakshmi Iyer, FSG
- John Paul Perez, ESL Federal Credit Union
The U.S. is in an affordability crisis, with nearly 1 in 4 households struggling to pay for heating and cooling. As an energy utility serving ~6 million customers across Massachusetts and New York, National Grid sees these hardships firsthand and has a responsibility to respond. Regulators are demanding immediate bill relief while signaling cuts to the very efficiency and affordability programs that ease long-term costs. Lost federal funding has further jeopardized clean energy projects for those who need them most.
In 2026, National Grid and the National Grid Foundation increased spending and launched a new strategic framework that positions social impact as an accelerator and gap-filler, reaching moderate-income households, partnering with new organizations, and braiding resources with public and private partners. This session will explore how funders and companies can build similar frameworks to drive social impact in times of need.
Speaker:
- Favio German, National Grid
Keeping CSR strategy aligned with evolving business priorities requires more than an occasional strategic plan—it requires a process for assessing what’s working, identifying gaps, and determining what needs to change. In this interactive session, participants will explore a practical four-phase framework for refreshing CSR strategy, from discovery and alignment through strategy design and implementation. Through guided exercises and peer discussion, attendees will assess their own strategic alignment and leave with a repeatable approach they can apply within their organizations.
Speaker:
- Tori Hay Lindahl, ACCP
Lunch
Closing Plenary Session: Collaboration Beyond Corporate Walls: The Power of Collective Impact
No organization can address today’s challenges alone. This closing plenary explores how cross-sector collaboration – across corporate, nonprofit, and public partners – is reshaping what’s possible for social impact.
Drawing on real-world examples of coalitions, place-based initiatives, and long-term partnerships, this conversation will highlight the role of trust, shared accountability, and community voice in driving meaningful, lasting change. You’ll hear how organizations are moving beyond transactional partnerships toward deeper, more strategic collaboration—and what it takes to make these efforts work.
Speakers:
- Robert Simmons, National Grid
- Katrina Shaw, Liberty Mutual
- Sharon Scott-Chandler, Action for Boston Community Development
- Maisha Moses, Young People’s Project
- Katie Stearns, ACCP