SPLC Regional Connect Chicago Recap

August 19, 2026

Posted By: Kristy Pickurel in Blog,

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

Sustainable procurement professionals gathered on Thursday, August 13 for connection, strategy sharing, and collaborative problem-solving at SPLC Regional Connect Chicago.

	The event kicked off on Wednesday evening with an exclusive tour of Patagonia’s historic Fulton Market location. Attendees explored Patagonia’s 2-in-1 retail and Worn Wear space, learning how product repair, resale, and circularity intersect with community-driven environmental action.The Worn Wear space allows shoppers to trade in their gear, buy used and repair what they've got to keep it in play.
	Thursday’s full-day program took place at the Steelcase WorkLife Center in Fulton Market, a space designed around an urban-planning-inspired community approach that goes beyond a traditional showroom to demonstrate how dynamic workplaces can enhance collaboration, wellbeing, and culture. Presentations featured cross-sector discussions focused on driving measurable value chain impact:
Systems Thinking in Healthcare & Aviation
	Keynotes from Rush University System for Health highlighted how environmental stewardship acts as preventative medicine through sustainable purchasing, while commercial climate executive Angela Foster-Rice broke down responsible sourcing as an essential lever for managing enterprise risk.
Aligning Products, Services, & Local Suppliers
	A joint session with IA (Interior Architects) and Steelcase demonstrated how service design and product manufacturing can align to reduce Scope 3 emissions. Additionally, Sarah Chartier of Yoop Consulting led a practical workshop on embedding local purchasing strategies to strengthen regional economic resilience.
Focused Peer Learning
	Attendees broke into small groups for Live Peer Learning Circles to share current challenges, lessons learned, and strategies on topics such as AI, human rights, small business, and foundational sustainability practices.
Energy & Logistics Decarbonization
	Afternoon sessions tackled complex Scope 2 and Scope 3 challenges, featuring Schneider Electric Advisory Services on collaborative renewable energy procurement and Green Worldwide Shipping on leveraging book-and-claim models to decarbonize freight transport.

“I find SPLC meetings to be incredibly valuable. I think this space where there are multiple different industries and thought leaders, the experts in sustainability as well as the end user operator all collaborating and sharing ideas is extremely important to drive sustainable procurement – sustainability as a whole – in every industry, and being in this room is incredibly valuable to learn from each other.”

Annie Steighner, VP of Growth and Partnerships, Aramark
SPLC Connect Chicago attendee