Impact-Led Purchasing: Scaling Impact, Not Budgets

Purchasing budgets are on average 645 times larger than CSR or social impact budgets. At the same time there are over 1.1 million impact-led enterprises spread across the country, however, impact-led purchasing is not commonly a core tool in the impact leader’s toolbox currently. At a time when impact budgets are consistently getting squeezed, impact-led purchasing presents an opportunity to leverage the spend we are already making to support community impact across the country simply by buying the goods and services we need to run our businesses.  

In this webinar we will share why impact-led purchasing is critical to embedding impact within core business and hear from both businesses that have launched impact-led purchasing initiatives, as well as impact-led suppliers who are leading the way.  You will come away with insights on tackling the challenges and clarity on how to leverage the opportunity, as well as a path forward to get started within your business.  

Presenters:

Chris Gale, Business Engagement Director, Purchasing with Purpose

Chris is a social impact and circular economy leader, who has worked across the NGO and business sectors for almost two decades. 

He is currently the Business Engagement Director at Purchasing with Purpose, working to grow the impact-led purchasing ecosystem in the US.  

Chris previously led eBay’s circular innovation and impact team, focusing on the role of e-commerce in empowering economic opportunity across under-served communities, as well as how recommerce can support the transition towards a circular economy. Prior to joining eBay in 2020, Chris spent several years on issues surrounding education and skills development in Ghana, India and South Africa. He then transitioned into working more closely on how business can drive social impact, spending time at Marks & Spencer and Ben & Jerry’s where he led their social mission strategy in Europe for 6 years, focusing on refugee and asylum rights. 

Chris is an alumni of The University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership, has a BA in Geography from The University of Manchester and a Masters in International Business and Development from The University of London.

Kellie Brownlow, Chief Mission Officer, First Step Staffing

Kellie Brownlow is the Chief Mission Officer at First Step Staffing, where she oversees fundraising, client programming, marketing, and communications. Under her leadership, First Step launched its first major capacity campaign, raising nearly $15 million and establishing two new departments: Marketing & Communications and Retention Services. Before joining First Step, Kellie served as Executive Director of the Georgia Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, managing a $32 million contract with the Georgia Department of Human Services and successfully lobbying for the creation of a Boys & Girls Clubs license plate. She was also Deputy Chief to the Chairman of Cobb County, playing a key role in the development of the Braves Stadium and Battery project.

Kellie began her career at the Atlanta Regional Commission, leading leadership development and strategic planning initiatives for local governments. She holds a bachelor's degree from Rhode Island College and a master's in public administration from the University of Georgia. She is a member of the State of Georgia Workforce Board and the Fulton County Technology & Energy Enhancement Authority.

Scott Henderson, Co-Founder, Doing Good Works

Scott believes businesses can improve community outcomes beyond just economic growth. For the last decade, he has built companies focused on systemic change for youth in foster care and marginalized communities.

As Co-Founder of Doing Good Works, he built a $10M+ enterprise focused on impact, investing over $4M directly through their nonprofit, Foster Greatness. They reimagined business as a vehicle for dignity, equity, and second chances.

Scott’s current focus is leading conversations on alternative ownership, values-aligned capitalism, and designing mission-first companies for system change. He is also a speaker, writer and consultant on:

• Building scalable, built-in-impact companies
• Reinvesting profits to empower excluded communities
• Using business for healing and liberation

Send an e-mail to webinars@sustainablepurchasing.org with any questions.