Positive Impact Podcast

Edua Dickerson is a distinguished tech executive who currently serves as VP, ESG and Finance Strategy at ServiceNow. Her role includes leading and scaling ServiceNow's ESG strategy and program throughout the enterprise, embedding it into the ServiceNow operations and culture; driving strategic initiatives that help shape and amplify the CFO’s vision, leadership and voice; and spearheading key initiatives that enable the finance organization to operate effectively and at scale.

In this episode, Edua and Kevin discuss how to build an ESG program that goes beyond checking boxes and instead becomes baked into an organization's culture and DNA. Edua also shares her thoughts on the ESG profession at large and how to get involved in the space. 

Check out ServiceNow's 2022 Global Impact Report: https://bit.ly/3f50lBz

Also see ServiceNow's 2022 DE&I Report: https://bit.ly/3SgGHRt

Katherine is a seasoned social impact expert and sustainability architect who has worked in diverse industries such as retail, tech, government, and travel, and with organizations like Starbucks, Microsoft, and UNESCO. Most recently serving as the Head of Global and Community Impact at Expedia, Katherine excels at connecting the dots between business, community, and the environment. 

In this episode, Katherine and Kevin discuss how organizations can go beyond just checking the box on social impact, instead making sure that justice and equity are core to what they do.

Check out Expedia's 2020 Global Impact Report: https://bit.ly/3ykWNTt

Learn more about the Our Stories Are Your Stories initiative: https://bit.ly/3OXhQl1

Sign up for SBC's monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JVEeIq

Mellissa Nguyen is the Senior Program Manager of Environmentally Preferred Sourcing at Vizient, the country's largest member-owned health care services company. Under her leadership, Vizient developed and deployed an environmentally preferred sourcing program, representing the largest portfolio of products with environmentally preferred attributes in the healthcare supply chain spend, serving more than half the nation’s health care organizations. Through her work, Vizient has partnered with suppliers across every hospital purchasing sector including food, medical commodities, and furniture, creating sustainability standards that make today’s healthcare systems more resilient.

Mellissa and Kevin discuss the future of healthcare and sustainability coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of sustainable procurement practices in driving positive impact.

Learn more about Vizient's Environmentally Preferred Sourcing program: https://bit.ly/3K9zKhL

Stay up to date with Vizient: https://bit.ly/3tShZ0x

Sign up for SBC's monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JVEeIq

Sybil Ackerman is a philanthropy professional who has helped to contribute over $45M in large and small donations. For over two decades, she has worked closely with individuals, charities, and donors to ensure they make a true impact with their money and avoid costly mistakes. 

In her 20+ years of offering advice to entrepreneurs and businesses seeking social responsibility - they’ve raised capital, become profitable, and want to do good in the world - but where to start? Sybil is here to tell us how.

Marianella Franklin is the Director for Sustainability Programs at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. In 2009, she has founded the Office for Sustainability and now is the UTRGV Chief Sustainability Officer.  Under her leadership, UTRGV (and its legacy institution, UTPA) has forged forward in creating a sustainable development platform for the University and the region it serves, influencing partnerships nationally and globally. 

Marianella and Kevin discuss how community partnerships can be an impactful catalyst for lasting change, in academics and beyond. 

Ben Packard serves as the Executive Director of EarthLab at the University of Washington, an initiative to tackle environmental challenges including climate change, ocean health, natural hazards and healthy ecosystems. Ben is responsible for promoting new learning and action to building relationships between the University and public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Before coming to EarthLab, Ben served as the Global Managing Director of Corporate Engagement at The Nature Conservancy and the Vice President of Global Responsibility at Starbucks.

Ben and Kevin discuss using multiple disciplines to solve real-world problems, engaging and supporting faculty that work on sustainability, and integrating social justice into environmental work. 

Emily Powell is a Solutions Manager on the THESIS Impact Team helping companies improve the ease of their ESG reporting. She is an expert in how businesses can gain transparency in their supply chain and operations, uncover risks created by environmental and social impact, and take initiative to improve their sustainability in anticipation of an uncertain future. Emily believes that global changes, including climate change and an evolving middle class, create a pivotal opportunity for businesses to become drivers of profitable, sustainable development. With experience assisting in program management on the sustainability team at Sprouts Farmers Market and in sustainability communication at various green-minded magazines and websites, Emily joins the Implementation team to help industry members put TSC’s sustainability measurement and reporting tools to good use in their supply chain transparency efforts.

Gina Macllwraith, General Manager of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and Kevin Wilhelm, CEO of Sustainable Business Consulting, discusses the skills sustainability professionals need in this new normal. 

She previously worked as a consultant working to jumpstart the circular economy mindset through strategic education initiatives and led environmental, health and safety at Vail Resorts. She has cross-sector experience building collaborative partnerships and developing strong networks with sustainability professionals.

ISSP is the world’s leading professional association for sustainability professionals, empowering environmental and social impact professionals to drive positive change in organizations and communities around the globe. We establish professional excellence within the quickly changing field of sustainability by providing online and in-person professional development programs, networking opportunities, and developing the profession’s body of knowledge.

Natasha Lamb, Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager at Arjuna Capital, and Kevin Wilhelm, CEO of Sustainable Business Consulting, discuss gender equality progress and what's new in the sustainable finance sector. 

Natasha integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into Arjuna’s investment process while engaging major corporations to improve their performance through shareholder advocacy. Previously, Natasha was Vice President, Shareholder Advocacy and Corporate Engagement, and an Equity Analyst at Trillium Asset Management. Natasha has been profiled on the cover of Bloomberg Businessweek, and in Forbes, Fast Company, and the Boston Globe, while her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, as well as on NPR and CNN.

In 2016, Natasha received the Upstart Business Journal Upstart 100 Award and the Aiming High Award from Legal Momentum for pioneering a shareholder campaign on gender pay equity. Her 2014 landmark negotiation with Exxon Mobil led to the company’s first public report on global warming and carbon asset risk. Natasha is a trustee of The Food Project and Chair of the Crane Institute of Sustainability, host to the Intentionally Designed Endowments Network. She teaches sustainable investing at Presidio Graduate School and holds an M.B.A in Sustainable Business from Presidio. Natasha received her B.A. cum laude from Mount Holyoke College.

In this conversation, Austin Whitman, CEO of Climate Neutral, and Isabella Todaro, Certification Manager, discuss the importance of partnership and collaboration for sustainability and the hope spots they're seeing in the Climate Neutral network. 

Austin Whitman has worked in technology, climate and clean energy for two decades and is the CEO of Climate Neutral, a non-profit that is advocating for and enabling a net zero future. Climate Neutral is a community of certified brands that believe all companies should remove and reduce all of their carbon emissions immediately.

Isabella Todaro is a Certification Manager at Climate Neutral, and was previously a Corporate Development Associate at Pawame.