Information Links
SPEAKERS:
KEYNOTE: Justin Skala, president, North America and global sustainability, Colgate-Palmolive Company 
Justin Skala is President, North America for the Colgate-Palmolive Company. He also has Global responsibility for the corporation’s Sustainability strategies and initiatives.
Justin joined Colgate in the Global Marketing Development Program in 1982 in New York. He has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility in marketing, sales and general management over the subsequent years including assignments with Colgate in France, UK, Thailand, Canada and the US. He joined the Hill’s Pet Nutrition division in 1994 as International Marketing Director and in 1995 was promoted to General Manager, Hill’s UK/Ireland. In 1997, Justin became Vice President, Customer Development for Hill’s Europe and in 2000 was promoted to Vice President/General Manager for Hill’s Europe.
In 2005 Justin became President, Hill’s North America, where the business grew double-digit in net sales and recorded notable market share gains. He also led Hill’s International, 2003-2005, to record levels of sales and profits with a strong, centrally driven organization focused on growing the important businesses in Europe, Japan and the emerging markets.
In 2007, Justin became President of Colgate’s Greater Asia Division based in Hong Kong where sales, profits and cash generation reached new high levels in a challenging economic and competitive environment. He was elected a Corporate Officer in 2008. Justin and his family returned to New York in 2010 to assume the role of President of the Latin America division.
As President of Latin America sales, profits and market shares across the region reached new high levels in an intensely competitive macro environment. The division was responsible for a number of global innovations and numerous Best Practices across the commercial and supply chain enterprise.
Justin holds a BA degree from Northwestern University and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He sits on the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Greater New York City and the Northwestern University Regional Alumni Council. He spends his free time running, reading, traveling and enjoying his family.
Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Schein
Since 1989, Stanley M. Bergman has been Chairman of the Board and CEO of Henry Schein, Inc., a Fortune 500® company and the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners, with more than 17,000 Team Schein Members and operations or affiliates in 27 countries. The Company’s 2013 sales reached a record $9.6 billion. Henry Schein is ranked #1 in its industry on Fortune’s 2014 World’s Most Admired Companies List, and #1 in each of the list’s nine categories of corporate success. Henry Schein has been a Fortune World’s Most Admired company for 13 consecutive years.
Mr. Bergman serves as a board member or advisor for numerous institutions including New York University College of Dentistry; the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; the Columbia University Medical Center; Hebrew University; Tel Aviv University; the University of Witwatersrand Fund; World Economic Forum's Health Care Governors; the Forsyth Institute; the Business Council for International Understanding; and the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Bergman is an honorary member of the American Dental Association and the Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity. His awards include being the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the CR Magazine Corporate Responsibility Lifetime Achievement Award; a Doctor of Humane Letters from A.T. Still University's Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health; and Honorary Fellowship of King’s College London.
Stan and Marion Bergman and their family are active supporters of organizations fostering the arts, higher education, cultural diversity and grassroots health care and sustainable entrepreneurial economic development initiatives in the United States, Africa and other developing regions of the world.
Mr. Bergman is a graduate of the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and is a South African Charted Accountant and a NYS Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Audrey Choi, CEO, Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing
The Institute seeks to mobilize capital to global sustainability issues at scale through product innovation, thought leadership and capacity building initiatives. Ms. Choi is also Managing Director and Head of Morgan Stanley's Global Sustainable Finance group, where she is a driving force in the firm's efforts to support resilient communities, economic opportunity and global sustainability through the capital markets.
In a career spanning the public, private and non-profit sectors, Ms. Choi has become a thought leader on how finance can be harnessed to address public policy challenges. She served in the Clinton Administration in several senior policy positions, including as Chief of Staff of the Council of Economic Advisers and Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore. Prior to her time in the White House, Ms. Choi was a foreign correspondent and bureau chief at the Wall Street Journal, covering German reunification and a wide range of industry beats. She currently serves on President Obama’s U.S. Community Development Advisory Board and the boards of several national non-profits focused on education, conservation, and impact investing.
Ms. Choi graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and was a Fulbright scholar in 1988 and 1989 at Georg-August University in Gottingen, Germany, where she studied East and West German feminist literature.
KEYNOTE: Neal Shapiro, president and CEO, WNET
Neal Shapiro is an award-winning producer and media executive with a 25-year career spanning print, broadcast, cable and online media. As CEO of WNET, he oversees the operations of THIRTEEN, WLIW21 and NJTV, reaching an audience of more than 5 million monthly.
WNET produces such acclaimed PBS series as Great Performances , American Masters , Nature , and the recently launched PBS NewsHour Weekend , and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online.
NBC News: Before joining WNET in 2007, Shapiro was President of NBC News, leading its top-rated news programs, including Today, NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press, as well as Dateline NBC . Shapiro was executive producer of Dateline NBC from 1993 to 2001, which became a cornerstone of NBC’s primetime programming and the first primetime multi-night newsmagazine.
ABC News: Before working at NBC, Shapiro spent 13 years at ABC News, where he was a writer and producer for PrimeTime Live and World News Tonight . He served as broadcast producer of PrimeTime Live , where he wrote and produced over 30 stories, including breaking news, profiles, and investigative reports.
Shapiro has won numerous awards, including 32 Emmys, 31 Edward R. Murrow Awards and 3 Columbia DuPont awards.
He serves on the Boards of Tufts University, Gannett Company, the Investigative News Network (INN) and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
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KEYNOTE: David Simnick, CEO and co-founder, SoapBox
David Simnick is CEO and co-founder of SoapBox, a for-purpose company with a strong social mission at its core. SoapBox empowers its consumers to make the world a better place through simple, everyday purchases. SoapBox products provide soap, water development, and vitamins for children all over the world and are sold at Target, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, The Fresh Market, Giant Eagle, and thousands of other stores across the country.
As an Eagle Scout, David’s dream was to found for-profit companies with a social mission at their core. Since then, he has worked as either an intern or consultant to USAID, the US Army, Michelle Rhee, the US Senate, and was a Teach for America educator in Northern Philadelphia.
Margarette Purvis, president and CEO, Food Bank For New York City
Margarette Purvis leads Food Bank For New York City, the country’s largest food bank serving one out of every five New Yorkers. In this role, Ms. Purvis leads and oversees the strategic vision for all of Food Bank’s operations, philanthropy and programming, including the organization’s citywide food distribution system and member network of over 1,000 charities and schools. In addition, Ms. Purvis, who has more than 20 years of experience in services to our nation’s most vulnerable, was selected by Governor Andrew Cuomo to chair the New York State Anti-Hunger Task Force, where she’s leading the drafting of recommendations for better coordination of hunger relief services and policy throughout the state. Ms. Purvis was also recently appointed to the Community Schools Advisory Board by Mayor Bill de Blasio. She was recently named to the NonProfit Times’ 2014 Power and Influence Top 50, a national list of leaders in the nonprofit sector.
Prior to becoming Food Bank President and CEO in 2011, Ms. Purvis was CEO and Principal of PCG Services, an Atlanta-based firm. PCG developed and implemented social and philanthropic programming and branding strategies for businesses, notables, nonprofits and government agencies.
Before founding PCG Services, Ms. Purvis was Vice President of National Programming at Points of Light Foundation, leading the launch and implementation of its multimillion dollar programs and civic engagement units while overseeing large-scale disaster initiatives in response to Hurricane Katrina. Prior to that Ms. Purvis served her first term at Food Bank as the organization’s Vice President of Programs and Services where for five years she developed national award-winning programs, including the Education Institute and Kids Café programs. Ms. Purvis’ leadership also includes director and management level positions with our country’s oldest HIV/AIDS program (Bailey’s House) and government programs including USDA’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and City of New York’s HRA.
Ms. Purvis is an alumnus of Dillard University where she studied Urban Studies and Public Policy. She also studied Nonprofit Management in the BA/MS program at the Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at The New School.
Ms. Purvis is a board member of the Food Bank Association of New York State and a proud member of Links, Incorporated.
Robert Tuchman, board of directors and chair of the development committee at the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter
Robert Tuchman is an active board member of the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter who also heads up its development committee. In addition, he sits on the Sports and Arts in School Foundation Speakers Board.
A frequent guest on TV programs on networks such as CNN and Fox News Channel, Robert is the current president of Goviva, a leading company in the experiential industry that he joined in 2011. A well-respected entrepreneur, he founded TSE Sports & Entertainment in 1997, a sports and entertainment marketing company with operating divisions focused on athlete marketing, event management, promotion, and hospitality.
His companies have been named on the prestigious Inc. 500, Promotion 100, and Special Event 50 lists. Tuchman, who resides in New York City, is the author of two best-selling sports and business books, a frequent contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine, and has counseled more than 50 Fortune 500 clients such as Anheuser-Busch, Microsoft, and Pepsi, as well as numerous athletes, celebrities, and professional sports teams.
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Michael D. Rouse, vice president, diversity, philanthropy and community affairs, Toyota; president, Toyota U.S.A. Foundation
Michael Rouse is vice president, diversity, philanthropy and community affairs and president, Toyota U.S.A. Foundation for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. He is responsible for corporate diversity and inclusion, philanthropy, community relations, department strategic and long-range planning, the Toyota Vehicle Museum, and the Toyota Video Production Center.
Specifically, Rouse’s philanthropic responsibilities include the oversight of Toyota’s key national programs focusing on education, the environment and safety including: the Toyota International Teacher program, a professional development, overseas study program for secondary school educators; Toyota Driving Expectations, a safe-driving program aimed at young teen drivers and their parents; significant scholarship program support for organizations such as UNCF, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the American Indian College Fund. Also he is responsible for Toyota’s very successful social media-based 100 Cars for Good initiative. Additionally, he manages the company’s diversity and inclusion staff which focuses on internal development, business partnering groups, diversifying the dealer organization for Toyota and Lexus, and ensuring accountability for diversity and inclusion among all of the officers of TMS.
Since joining Toyota in 1981, Rouse has held management positions in service administration and planning, product planning, market research, long-range strategic planning, communications planning and product public relations. In addition, he served as communications process team leader for the new era business initiative, corporate manager for customer relationship management in the Office of the Web, corporate manager for customer information management in the Center for Customer Knowledge. Prior to joining Toyota, he was an elementary school teacher and also served as west coast manager for Joseph Markovits, Inc., a New York-based importing company.
Rouse earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California Los Angeles, a teaching credential from the University of California Berkeley and a master's degree in business administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Currently, he serves on the boards of trustees of the California Science Center Foundation, the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation, the Torrance Memorial Medical Center Foundation, Stop Cancer, California State University, Dominguez Hills Foundation, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and the advisory boards of the Torrance Education Foundation, the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, and the Executive Leadership Team of the American Heart Association. Rouse lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., with his wife, Nancy. The Rouses have a son, Jeremy, who has graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara and a daughter, Rebecca, who is attending the University of Maryland.
KEYNOTE: Gary Sheffer, vice president, communications and public affairs, General Electric Company
Sheffer oversees external and internal communications and provides strategic communications advice to GE executives on issues related to culture, reputation and strategy. He also works with external groups and individuals to foster understanding of GE policies and businesses.
Sheffer joined GE in 1999 after 17 years in journalism and government communications, including serving as a press aide to two New York governors. Before working in government, Sheffer was a reporter and editor at several newspapers winning several awards for his reporting.
Sheffer is chairman of the board of the Arthur W. Page Society, a membership organization for senior public relations and corporate communications executives. He also serves on the board of the Institute for Public Relations and is a member of the boards of the GE Foundation and the GE-Reagan Scholarship Program.
He earned a bachelor's of arts degree in English from Siena College in Loudonville, New York.
KEYNOTE: Mike Fernandez, corporate vice president, corporate affairs, Cargill
Mike Fernandez has served as the chief communications officer for five large U.S. based companies and been one of the leading voices for transparent communications in the PR industry. Today he is a Corporate Vice President at Cargill overseeing communications, brand and marketing, government relations and corporate social responsibility for one of the largest companies in the global food industry. Having spent the early part of his career in government and politics with a passion for environmental sustainability, Mike and his team have worked closely with Cargill customers, NGOs and public policy makers to drive shared understanding and belief on key issues in ways that prompt many to think that the role of public relations is changing in important ways.
Reidar Gjærum, senior vice president, corporate communication, Statoil ASA
Reidar Gjærum is SVP Corporate Communication and holds group responsibility including media relations, internal communication, public affairs and brand communication on a global basis. Gjærum is advising the group’s Board, CEO and the Corporate Executive Committee on strategic and operational communication and reputation issues.
Gjærum has held his position with Statoil since 2005. Prior to joining Statoil, Gjærum has earned a long career in communication, holding a number of positions with companies and organisations like Norwegian telecom-incumbent Telenor, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprises and the Conservative Party.
Statoil is a technology focused upstream Oil and Gas Company listed on New York and Oslo Stock Exchanges. The group’s total production is close to 2 million barrels of oil equivalents pr. day, with around two thirds coming from the Norwegian Continental Shelf. For the remaining global operations Angola, Azerbajdsjan, Brazil, Nigeria and USA represents the core producing areas. In the USA, Statoil has substantial operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and onshore in the Bakken, Eagleford and Marcellus shale basins.
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Catherine Mathis, SVP, marketing and communications, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services
Catherine J. Mathis was named Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services in September 2009. Catherine’s responsibilities include global branding, public relations and employee communications. She is a member of the Standard & Poor’s Executive Committee.
Previously, Catherine had been Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for The New York Times Company since 2007. Before that, Catherine had been Vice President of Corporate Communications for The New York Times Company since 2000 and Director, Investor Relations since 1997.
In 2006, Catherine was named Communicator of the Year by the New York chapter of International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The award is the chapter's highest award, recognizing integrity and excellence in everyday communications or in response to specific crises or challenges. In 2002, the YWCA of New York City selected her as one of its Women Achievers.
Catherine graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Marketing and Management Information Systems.
Aaron Sherinian, VP of comms and PR, UN Foundation
Aaron Sherinian is the VP of communications and PR for the United Nations Foundation, which leads efforts on behalf of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. He has led the foundation’s PR efforts, media relationships, strategic outreach, and online presence since 2009, managing an award-winning team of communicators and digital pioneers who believe that innovative communications can help change the world.
He has helped build some of the most talked about milestones in digital global engagement around causes and UN issues over the last few years, including the Social Good Summit, #GivingTuesday, Rio+Social, and the Momentum1000 global social media rally. He is a passionate supporter of efforts to build a new era of global activism and philanthropy among a younger generation that is emerging on the global scene.
Before joining the UN Foundation, Sherinian served as MD of public affairs for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US government development assistance agency administering $7 billion in poverty reduction grants in 40 partner countries. He oversaw the agency’s strategic communications portfolio, media relationships, public relations agenda and a global re-branding.
Past stints include a decade of service as a foreign service officer for the US Department of State. Before returning to Washington, his diplomatic service included tours at US embassies in Ecuador, Armenia, Costa Rica, Colombia, and in Washington serving two Assistant Secretaries of State.
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Amy Hargroves, director, corporate responsibility, Sprint
Ms. Hargroves leads the Corporate Responsibility (CR) efforts for Sprint. Her role includes developing environmental and social programming strategies, establishing organizational governance and infrastructure, and helping to embed a more socially conscious culture across Sprint’s employee body. Ms. Hargroves also acts as Sprint’s resident expert on emission reduction initiatives, sustainable product standards and certifications, while also helping drive a more environmentally responsible supply chain. Under her leadership, Sprint has been named sector leader for mobile telecommunications in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America the past three years, included in the Carbon Disclosure Index Leadership Index the past two years, and was recently named the most “Eco Focused” wireless carrier by Compass Intelligence.
Milinda Martin, VP, community investment, corporate brand & reputation, Time Warner Cable
Milinda Martin, currently Vice President, Community Investment, oversees all community investment efforts for Time Warner Cable nationally, supporting organizations in 29 states in support of 14 million customers. She also manages the company’s volunteer program.
Time Warner Cable is focused on four funding focus areas: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, based around the corporate initiative Connect a Million Minds; digital literacy, the environment; and diversity and inclusion. Milinda oversees a team of 20 grant makers, investing in the communities served by TWC.
Prior to this role, Milinda oversaw Communications for the Pacific West region, handling media relations, community investment, and local internal communications and volunteer opportunities. Milinda joined Time Warner Cable in May 2011.
From 2006 to early 2011, Milinda was Vice President, Media Relations and Cause Marketing for Macy’s. Milinda oversaw the Southwest and South Central regions for Macy’s, stretching from New Orleans to Guam, handling all public relations and community involvement. Prior to Macy’s, Milinda held the position of Vice President, Special Events and Public Relations for Robinsons-May since 1998. Responsibilities included in-store events, public relations, and administering the May Department Stores Foundation.
Milinda was born in Pasadena, CA, and attended Tufts University and the London School of Economics. She has a B.Sc. in Economics. Milinda began her career with Phyllis Walters Public Relations agency in London, England. On returning to California, Milinda moved into public relations with the Bullocks Wilshire specialty store chain, before moving on to I. Magnin. She joined Robinsons-May in 1994.
Milinda has served or is currently serving as a member of the following organizations and nonprofit boards: the Los Angeles Urban League, Women in Cable and Television, the Association of Cable Communicators, Southern California Grantmakers, and the City Scholars Foundation.
Paulette Frank, vice president, sustainability, Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies
Paulette Frank currently serves in the role of Vice President, Sustainability for the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies. In her role, she provides thought leadership and strategic direction to advance the organization’s sustainability mission across the breadth of its brands and product portfolio. She represents the company in external forums, partnerships and engagement efforts, providing a voice for the company’s values and commitment to help create a healthy future for people, our communities, and the planet.
Paulette has been working in the fields of environmental stewardship, employee health & safety and sustainability for over 22 years. In 1997, she joined the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies where she has served in a number of roles within Environment, Health & Safety, Sustainability and Operations across the enterprise.
Paulette earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Duke University and her Master of Environmental Studies degree from Yale University’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She serves as an advisory council member for the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale. She is on the Board of Directors for Net Impact and a member of the Leadership Council for the Corporate Eco-Forum.
She resides in the quiet countryside of Tewksbury, NJ with her husband, Scott, and her two young sons, Zach & Luke, who inspire her passion for asking why and challenging the status quo.
Lenore Feder, director, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, Viacom
Lenore Feder works to connect media, communications, internal engagement and social impact.
As the Director of Communications & Corporate Responsibility at Viacom, Lenore is responsible for communications around all of Viacom’s social responsibility efforts, as well as the development of initiatives to impact both internal and external audiences. She also develops and executes the strategic marketing communications plan to further the business priorities of Viacommunity, Viacom's company-wide commitment to social responsibility and impact.address t
Recent projects include Viacom’s partnership with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actress Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation to support the NO MORE movement against domestic abuse through the creation of public service announcements across Viacom’s networks and employee programs; work with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation as lead media partner and the 9/11 “I Will” Tribute Campaign.
Prior to Viacom, Lenore held roles in corporate communications at Barnes & Noble and Bricker & Associates.
Lenore holds a Master of Science degree from Columbia University’s Strategic Communications program and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University.
Lenore lives in New York City, and is a self proclaimed coffee aficionado and pure barre obsessive.
Rob Imig, SVP, global communications & public relations, Kiehl’s
Rob Imig, Kiehl’s Senior Vice President of Global Communications first discovered the brand when he moved to New York in 1999 in search of a facial moisturizer. Soon thereafter, his appreciation for Kiehl’s innovative formulas was matched only by his personal connection to the company’s core values. Today, after eight years as part of the Kiehl’s family, Rob continues to be inspired by the company’s central focus on the customer as well as its rich heritage and commitment to giving back to the community.
Known for his creative energy and passion, Rob possesses a keen ability to conceptualize and execute a compelling 360-degree brand vision and story that successfully connects global customers to Kiehl’s in an authentic way. His understanding of the ever-changing media landscape and expertise in the beauty industry has resulted in the development of dynamic and engaging communications programs that have helped build Kiehl’s global image, increased the company’s visibility worldwide and generated high social media buzz.
In addition, Rob has spearheaded many of Kiehl’s high-profile collaborations with world-renowned influencers like artists Jeff Koons and Kenny Scharf, fashion designer Derek Lam and West Coast Chopper’s Founder Jesse James. He has also demonstrated success in devising Public Relations and Social Media strategy that drives both consumer awareness and traffic to the Kiehl’s points of sale. Rob has spearheaded successful initiatives that support Kiehl’s three philanthropic platforms -- the Environment, Children’s well-being and HIV/AIDS Awareness – and has reputation for growing and maximizing both internal and external talent. In 2010, Rob developed the Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR – a multi-city annual charity motorcycle ride to raise funds and awareness for amfAR – The American Foundation for AIDS Research which to date has raised over three billion media impressions and over $1 Million dollars for the cause.
Rob is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and holds a Master’s of Science degree in Public Relations & Corporate Communications from New York University. He serves as a Board Member of the Boy Scouts of America, Greater Manhattan Council, and currently resides in Manhattan with his wife, Shirley and two children, Lucy and Jake.
Anastasia Khoo, marketing director, Human Rights Campaign
Anastasia Khoo is the Marketing Director for the Human Rights Campaign. In this capacity, Khoo has overseen consistently innovative organizational marketing strategies--driving forward HRC's work in the areas of digital media, advertising and public relations.
Nowhere has this leadership been more notable than in the record-breaking "red equal sign" campaign in 2013. As historic marriage equality cases reached the United States Supreme Court, Khoo developed a strategic campaign to give HRC supporters an opportunity to show their support for marriage and be a part of history by changing their Facebook profile picture to a red-and-pink version of the HRC logo. In just a few short days, as many as 10 million people used the image on social media--including celebrities, major corporations and leading politicians. The logo was named 2013's "Symbol of the Year" and Facebook declared the campaign the most successful viral effort in the site's history.
Khoo is a widely-sought commentator on marketing and digital media issues giving interviews in a wide variety of publications including The New Yorker, Washington Post, Stanford Social Innovation Review and Marketing Power. She’s given celebrated presentations at conferences like The Guardian’s Activate London Summit, Mashable Social Good and SXSW. And she continues to volunteer her time to share what she’s learned with other socially-minded nonprofits and brands.
Her work has garnered top honors including Mashable's "Best Social Media Campaign", PR Week's Best Digital Campaign, SXSW "Best Digital Campaign", "Best Social Media Campaign" and the highly-coveted "Best in Show." Khoo was also named "Digital Innovator of the Year."
Prior to joining HRC, Khoo spent six years in the environmental movement with Greenpeace developing its communications and brand strategy as well as collaborating on a variety of high-profile corporate and grassroots campaigns. She has a bachelor's degree from Dickinson College.
Jeffrey Dalin DDS, secretary-treasurer, St. Louis Give Kids A Smile; chairperson, National Advisory Board for Give Kids A Smile for the American Dental Association
St. Louis native Jeffrey Dalin, DDS, has been in private practice in his hometown for the past 34 years.
In fall 2001, Dalin, along with a committee of dentists from the Greater St. Louis Dental Society, planned and implemented Give Kids A Smile, a program designed to deliver full service dental care to children who do not have access to dentistry. In February 2002, his dream became reality with the first Give Kids A Smile Clinic, which runs for two days each in February and October. More than 10,000 St. Louis-area children have received $5 million-plus worth of dental care in the 22 clinics that have taken place. Dalin took the concept of Give Kids A Smile to the American Dental Association and the organization adopted it as a national children’s access day. In February 2003, more than 1 million children were seen in over 5,000 sites and $100 million worth of dental care was delivered. The first Friday of February has since been adopted by the American Dental Association as National Give Kids A Smile Dental Access Day.
Dalin is the secretary-treasurer of St. Louis Give Kids A Smile and chairperson of the National Advisory Board for Give Kids A Smile for the American Dental Association. In addition, he has won numerous dental journalism awards from the International College of Dentists, as well as Awards of Merit and Distinguished Service and the Gold Medal Award from the Greater St. Louis Dental Society.
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Dan Solomon, managing director, Litton Entertainment
Dan Solomon serves as Managing Director of Litton Entertainment and is part of the team producing family-oriented, pro-social television programs appearing on ABC, CBS and the CW (premiering this Fall). The programs, which include Game Changers with Kevin Frazier, Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown, All In with Laila Ali, Innovation Nation with Mo Rocca, Rock The Park, Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin and Recipe Rehab, have received 21 Emmy Nominations in 3 years and collectively attract over 15 million viewers weekly. The programs are produced in partnership with brands and non-profit organizations such as the Georgia Aquarium, Nationwide Insurance, Sea World, Subaru, The Henry Ford Museum and EA Sports.
Prior to joining Litton, Dan served as CEO of Virilion, a full-service digital agency. The firm helped brands and institutions such as Anheuser Busch, Abbott Labs, St. Luke’s Hospital System, PhRMA, eBay, National Restaurant Association, and UNICEF and was named for three consecutive years to INC Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies. Virilion was sold to RepEquity at the end of 2010.
Dan was publisher of nationaljournal.com, National Journal Group’s subscription Web site and general manager of National Journal’s Daily Briefings Group, which then included The Hotline, Technology Daily, American Health Line and Greenwire.
Dan has served on several corporate and non-profit boards including the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. He co-authored Media Rules!: Mastering Today’s Technology to Connect with and Keep Your Audience, published by Wiley and has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, where he taught digital strategy and the business of marketing communications.
Kris Balderston, general manager, Washington office, FleishmanHillard
Kris Balderston is General Manager of the FleishmanHillard Washington, D.C. office. His 30 year career in Washington includes leadership positions dealing with state, federal, and international public affairs.
Most recently, Mr. Balderston served as Special Representative for Global Partnerships under Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. In that position he helped to create the Global Partnership Initiative and launched a number of innovative public-private partnerships to address global problems. Mr. Balderston specialized in forming market-driven collaborations involving private companies, NGOs, and governments that achieved success by creatively leveraging the interests of multiple organizations toward a common goal. Under his leadership, the Global Partnership Initiative brokered alliances and relationships with more than 300 partners and secured more than $350 million in capital from private investors, investment banks, NGOs foundations, and governments around the world to fund early stage projects.
Mr. Balderston also served as Senator Clinton’s first Legislative Director and then as Deputy Chief of Staff during her term as Senator from New York. He provided advice and counsel on a wide array of political and policy matters during the Senator’s eight years in office. He also promoted economic development in New York State, initiating and implementing dozens of high impact public-private projects.
Mark Kramer, senior fellow, CSR Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School of Government; MD, FSG
Mark is a senior fellow, CSR Initiative, at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and is cofounder and MD of FSG. He has authored numerous influential articles and publications on shared value, catalytic philanthropy, and collective impact.
Mark oversees FSG‘s consulting practice and helps drive the vision and growth of the firm. He has led consulting engagements across all of FSG’s impact areas, with particular emphasis on philanthropic strategy for private foundations, shared value initiatives, strategic evaluation, and impact investing. Mark also leads the research on many of FSG’s publications and publishes regularly in Harvard Business Review and Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Mark served for 12 years as president of Kramer Capital Management, a venture capital firm. Before that, he was an associate at the law firm of Ropes & Gray in Boston, and law clerk to Judge Alvin Rubin, Fifth Circuit, US Court of Appeals.
Matthew Bishop, globalization editor at The Economist; author of Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save The World
Matthew Bishop is the Globalisation Editor of The Economist. Mr. Bishop was previously the magazine's US Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief. Prior to that he was the London-based Business Editor.
“Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World”, his previous book (also with Green), on the new movement that brings together the business and social sectors to solve some of the world's most pressing problems, has been described as "terrific" by The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, and as "the definitive guide to a new generation of philanthropists who understand innovation and risk-taking, and who will play a crucial part in solving the biggest problems facing the world," by New York's Mayor and leading philanthropist Michael Bloomberg. According to former U.S President Bill Clinton, "This is an important book. Our interdependent world is too unequal, unstable, and, because of climate change, unsustainable. We have to transform it into one of shared responsibilities, shared opportunities, and a shared sense of community. Bishop and Green show us how to do it." Mr Bishop is also the author of “Essential Economics”, the official Economist guide to economics.
Mr. Bishop is the author of several of The Economist's special report supplements, including most recently The Great Mismatch, about the future of jobs; A Bigger World, which examines the opportunities and challenges of the rise of emerging economies and firms; The Business of Giving, which looks at the industrial revolution taking place in philanthropy; Kings of Capitalism, which anticipated and analyzed the boom in private equity; and Capitalism and its Troubles, an examination of the impact of problems such as the collapse of Enron. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Role of Business. He is on Twitter as @mattbish.
Ben Boyd, president, Practices, Sectors & Offerings, Edelman
Boyd has worked in corporate communications for two decades and has developed an expertise in PR, issues communications, and brand positioning, as well as corporate communications and marketing.
At Edelman, Boyd leads the firm’s global practices and sectors and helps advance core offerings, such as family business and foundations. He also oversees Edelman Square, the center for signature intellectual property studies, brandshare, and trust.
Boyd is recognized as an expert in the firm’s work on trust and its role in corporate positioning. He is also a thought leader on ethics and communications, as well as corporate reputation. Boyd serves on the Communications Advisory Board for the Ethisphere Institute, which annually recognizes the World’s Most Ethical Companies.
Previously, Boyd directed the agency’s global corporate practice specializing in reputation management, corporate communications, and issues management. Throughout his career, he has managed a diverse portfolio of clients across a number of different industries, including Citi, Tata, Business Roundtable, Pfizer, SAP, Schwab, Starbucks, HP, Bertelsmann AG, and GAP. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from Wake Forest University.
Aman Singh, VP, business and social purpose, Edelman; former editorial director, CSRwire
Aman Singh is the Editorial Director of CSRwire , a digital media platform for corporate social responsibility news, views and research, and leads content distribution, syndication, social media strategy, CSR/sustainability reporting services and other editorial functions, including leading CSRwire's exemplary blog: Talkback . She has worked with Fortune 500 companies as well as the country's leading nonprofits and academic institutions on creating and implementing communication strategies focused on stakeholder engagement and behavior change, including Unilever, Verizon, Aramark, SAP, Campbell Soup, Nestle Waters, McDonald's, General Mills, Sodexo, EarthShare, Points of Light and others.
She is a prolific speaker on CSR, HR, communication and social media strategies, an IEMA-certified CSR Practitioner and the founder of Singh Solutions , a research and advisory firm offering CSR strategy, reporting and communications services.
Singh was named among 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010’s Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America and ranked No. 4 in HRExaminer’s Top 25 HR Digital Influencers for 2011. She has been recognized on rankings by both Guardian Sustainable Business and Triple Pundit for her work and leadership in CSR and social media, and is a firm believer that only informed professionals can lead business and the global economy into the next century.
Prior to founding Singh Solutions, she served as the Senior Corporate Responsibility Editor with Vault.com, where she created, designed and managed the recruitment and hiring industry's first multimedia CSR portal for practitioners, HR professionals, students and thought leaders.
Formerly with The Wall Street Journal , Singh is a New York University alumnus. Her published work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal , Forbes.com, CNBC, Bloomberg, Ethical Performance, GreenBiz, Triple Pundit, the American Bar Association's CSR Journal, the Boston College Center's The Corporate Citizen and other online and print publications.
Scott Beaudoin, global practice director, corporate and brand citizenship, MSLGroup
Beaudoin oversees MSLGroup’s purpose-inspired brand-building work across the globe. He works with tomorrow’s leaders to co-create platforms, programs, and partnerships that not only deliver on purpose, but also drive consumer participation and action.
An award-winning industry veteran with nearly 20 years' experience in CSR, sustainability, and cause marketing, Beaudoin specializes in identifying and building upon the intersection of consumers' passion and a brand’s functional and emotional benefits to drive its affinity, equity, sales, and “soul.”
He has created and supported several signature PR platforms, including Sodexo’s A Better Tomorrow Plan; Tampax’s Protecting Futures; Crest Healthy Smiles; the Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives campaign; General Mills’ Box Tops for Education initiative; ConAgra Foods’ Feeding Children Better program, and CVS' All Kids Can program, which is the largest corporate initiative focused solely on supporting children with disabilities in the US.
A former Rocky Mountain Emmy award-winning reporter, anchor, and producer early in his career, Beaudoin's accolades in the PR industry include a Cause Marketing Forum Best Social Service/Education Campaign award, a Crystal Obelisk Award for Social Responsibility, and a PRWeek Campaign of the Year award.
Heather Harder, national president, Public Relations Student Society of America
Heather Harder is the 2014-2015 National President of the Public Relations Student Society of America, an 11,570-member organization that seeks to advance the public relations profession and its future professionals. In this role, she acts as chief administrative officer, serves as an ex-officio member on the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations Board of Advisers, and organizes agendas and programs for national PRSSA events.
Prior to serving as National President, Heather served as PRSSA national vice president of member services. She was also honored at the Arthur W. Page Society 2014 Spring Seminar for winning grand prize in the case study in corporate communications.
Heather spent this past summer as a public and government affairs intern at ExxonMobil’s headquarters in Irving, TX, where she worked with the executive communications team. In December, she will graduate from Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in strategic communications.