General Sessions at the Conference
General Session One: SUNDAY | APRIL 6 | 6:45 - 7:45 PM
Leading Through Innovation: Culture, Brand & Impact
Travelers has been innovating as a corporate citizen for decades, and continues to be a leader in aligning company culture and mission to generate industry-leading returns and positive stakeholder impact. In this fireside chat with Travelers EVP and Chief Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Officer, Lisa Caputo, we’ll hear how achieving the Travelers Promise—taking care of customers, community and each other—has been supported with award-winning brand development, including initiatives such as SHE Travels, which is improving women’s opportunities in the property casualty insurance industry; the recently launched “Who Cares” advertising campaign; signature community programs aligned with the company’s interests; and an ongoing commitment to innovation that is driving business impact and providing a platform for long-term sustainability.
General Session Two: MONDAY | APRIL 7 | 8:45 - 9:45 AM
Join Forces: ‘Can YOUR Corporate Citizenship Better Support Military Families?’
Support for military families is vital to sustaining America’s all-volunteer force, a strong national defense, and healthy business environment. But many companies don’t fully consider how they can be a powerful ally to military families through the combination of their voice, business practices, and philanthropy. The next great frontier in CSR is cross-sector collaboration, with organizations working collaboratively to drive ecosystem change to address issues of critical importance to military families such as transition support, economic mobility, and mental health and wellbeing.
In this session hosted by USAA attendees will discover:
- How to transform military support from annual events into strategic year-round initiatives
- Ways to leverage cross-sector partnerships that amplify impact while sharing costs
- Methods for measuring and communicating program ROI to key stakeholders
- Strategies for aligning military support with broader DEI and workforce development goals
- Frameworks for building scalable programs that address systemic challenges
Let’s begin a national movement and “Join Forces” to elevate military causes. Through strategic advocacy and actions, companies can strengthen their brand while supporting those who have served our country with humble and selfless dedication.
General Session Three: MONDAY | APRIL 7 | 12:45 - 1:45 PM
Practicing Trust-Based Philanthropy: A Candid Conversation
Join us for an insightful panel discussion with The Allstate Foundation and its nonprofit partners as they reveal their journey to build trusting, authentic donor-grantee collaborations that drive greater impact. The conversation will explore:
- Core Principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy: Discover how shifting from traditional grantmaking to a more equitable, collaborative model can transform relationships between funders and grantees and lead to deeper impact.
- Debunking Myths: Clarify common misconceptions around trust-based philanthropy and gain actionable insights on securing leadership buy-in.
- Practical Implementation: Learn practical tips for streamlining processes, simplifying applications, and leveraging technology to enhance efficiency.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from real-world examples and engage in a thought-provoking discussion on the future of philanthropy.
General Session Five: MONDAY | APRIL 7 | 6:15 - 7:15 PM
The Power of Joining Forces
In this powerful 60-minute storytelling session sponsored by Gallagher, five story-tellers—senior leaders from corporate and nonprofit sectors will share deeply personal stories of how working across traditional boundaries transformed their understanding of leadership, impact, and human potential. Each carefully crafted 10-minute narrative will reveal a moment when crossing divides—whether between sectors, cultures, or ways of thinking—fundamentally shifted their approach to business and life.
These stories go beyond typical partnership case studies to explore the profound personal growth that emerges when we truly open ourselves to different perspectives and ways of working. Through authentic, personal narratives, speakers will reveal both the challenges and triumphs of understanding the world in different ways and how those experiences have changed them, demonstrating the profound potential unleashed when we “join forces."
General Session Six: TUESDAY | APRIL 8 | 8:30 - 9:30 AM
Serving Country and Community: Building Healthcare Talent Pathways through Strategic Cross-Sector Partnership
In an era of critical nursing shortages and untapped veteran talent, Independence Blue Cross Foundation has engineered an innovative solution that serves both community needs and business imperatives. Their groundbreaking Service Scholars Program demonstrates how strategic partnerships across healthcare, education, and veteran services can create powerful nursing workforce development pathways.
Working in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University and Student Veterans of America, this initiative goes beyond traditional scholarship models to provide comprehensive support, mentoring, and career development. The result? A scalable program that's creating meaningful career transitions while addressing critical healthcare staffing challenges.
Attendees will gain practical insights into:
- Designing multi-stakeholder initiatives that align community impact with industry needs
- Leveraging federal programs and local partnerships to maximize program impact
- Creating comprehensive support systems that ensure participant success
- Building scalable models that can be replicated across markets and industries
- Promoting solutions for effective policy changes