Regional Connect Chicago

The SPLC Regional Connects are intentionally designed as intimate, place-based gatherings for sustainable procurement professionals to connect, share real-world strategies, and engage in focused peer exchange. Each event will feature curated sessions, regional perspectives, and a live Peer Learning Circle to foster deeper conversation and collaboration.

Procurement at the Front Line:
Responsible Sourcing as an Enterprise Risk Lever

Agenda At-A-Glance

(subject to change)

9:00 – 9:45 AM | Registration

9:45 – 10:00 AM | Welcome

10:00 – 11:00 AM | Keynotes

• Intersectional Sustainable Procurement Initiatives at Rush University System for Health

  Rush is leveraging its purchasing power to create positive change upstream and downstream of its facilities and in the process, across its value chain. It is estimated that over 70% of healthcare’s greenhouse gas emissions come from our supply chain. Rush purchases and uses thousands of products to deliver award-winning care, with products coming from all around the world. This can also come with significant environmental impact from manufacturing and delivery. The organization is building processes to measure and address this impact with dedicated, collaborative partnerships both internally and externally. Presented by Ian Hughes, Director of Environmental Sustainability; Jinia Sarkar, Sustainability Manager; and Allison Watson, Sustainability Coordinator.

11:00 – 11:15 AM | Coffee + Connect Break

11:15 – 12:00 PM | Sessions

• From Design to Delivery: Aligning Services and Products for Sustainable Procurement Impact

  What does it look like when both services and goods providers align around the same sustainable procurement goals? In this session, IA and Steelcase will share how their ESG journey is shaping a more responsible, transparent, and actionable procurement approach across the value chain.

  Through real-world examples, the session will explore how design services, material specifications, and product decisions can work together to reduce Scope 3 emissions while also advancing climate, equity, and ethical sourcing standards. Attendees will gain insight into how organizations are responding to evolving RFP requirements, engaging suppliers in science-based targets, and leveraging tools and resources to drive measurable progress.

  This conversation brings together two complementary perspectives, services and goods, to demonstrate how integrated approaches can better support clients in meeting their sustainability goals and embedding sustainable procurement practices into everyday decision-making. Presented by Brett Gardner, Senior Director of Sustainability, IA (Interior Architects) and Kaila Bryzgalski, Portfolio Manager, Product Sustainability Marketing, Steelcase.

• Local Purchasing: Leveraging Supply Chain to Support a Resilient Local Economy

  Sustainable procurement can take on many different forms. One effective method to engage in building a resilient, local and sustainable supply chain is through exploring contracting with local suppliers. In this workshop, participants will explore successful methods to build a local purchasing strategy including identifying local suppliers, obtaining buy-in from key purchasing leaders and methodology to integrate local purchasing practices into the supply chain. Sustainability and procurement professionals will walk away with a deeper understanding of the value of local purchasing and practical next steps to bring back to their organization. Presented by Sarah Chartier, MBA, PMP, Founder, Yoop Consulting LLC.

12:00 – 1:30 PM | Shared Table Lunch & Peer Networking

1:30 – 1:45 PM | SPLC Community Showcase

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM | Peer Learning Circles

2:30 – 2:45 PM | Coffee + Connect Break

2:45 – 3:30 PM | Sessions

• Strategic Purchasing to Reduce Scope 3 Emissions and Transform Global Transport: Decarbonizing Supply Chain Transport with Freight Forwarders, Buyers Alliances, and Book & Claim

  Organizations that procure logistics services for international freight transport, long-distance domestic trucking, or time-critical air shipments likely have material Scope 3 Category 4 Upstream Transportation emissions, but may not have access to good data or relationships to quantify, report, and reduce these emissions. By partnering with a multimodal freight forwarder focused on sustainability, logistics purchasers of all sizes can simplify the collection and reporting of high-quality Scope 3 transport emissions data; achieve immediate reductions through data-driven shipment planning; and leverage the power of demand aggregation to accelerate transport decarbonization with high-quality, reportable sustainable transport certificates. Presented by Anne Shudy Palmer, Director of Sustainability, Green Worldwide Shipping.

3:30 – 3:45 PM | Closing Reflections & Community Connections

4:00 PM | Networking Reception (On-site)

Speaker Topics Announced

Attendees can expect sessions focused on:

Scope 3 Emissions & Transportation Decarbonization
Learn how organizations are working with freight forwarders, buyers alliances, and logistics partners to better measure, report, and reduce transportation-related emissions.

Aligning Suppliers, Service Providers, and Sustainability Goals
Discover how organizations are collaborating across the value chain to address supplier engagement, ESG expectations, reporting requirements, and responsible sourcing objectives.

Emerging Topics Shaping Procurement
Participate in conversations on AI, human rights, sustainable travel, small business engagement, and other evolving areas influencing procurement decision-making.

Building More Resilient Supply Chains Through Local Purchasing
Explore how organizations are strengthening supplier networks, supporting local economies, and integrating local purchasing strategies into procurement practices.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Interested in increasing your visibility with sustainable procurement leaders and practitioners? A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available for the Chicago Regional Connect, offering meaningful ways to engage with attendees in this intimate, highly collaborative setting. 

Sponsorship Prospectus

Registration Fees