Part 2: 🤝 People, Purpose & Progress – Activating the “S” in ESG

 📍 Hyatt Regency | September 16th

In a world where stakeholders expect more than profit, businesses must rise to the challenge of creating real, measurable social value. This thought-provoking session, hosted under the banner "The Journey to Sustainability – From Intention to Impact," is dedicated entirely to the often-underestimated Social pillar of ESG.
More than just a conference, “People, Purpose & Progress” is a hands-on, human-centered experience that brings together senior leaders, ESG professionals, community voices, and changemakers to explore how businesses can embed social impact into their DNA. Through immersive workshops, live storytelling and innovation labs, participants will move beyond dialogue—designing and committing to solutions that matter.
Together, we'll reframe ESG not just as a corporate responsibility, but as a competitive advantage, community-building tool, and a path to inclusive, sustainable growth. Together, we'll reframe ESG not just as a corporate responsibility, but as a competitive advantage, community-building tool, and a path to inclusive, sustainable growth

Panel Discussions

Facilitated panel sessions on the business case for social impact showcasing companies that have leveraged social initiatives to do well while doing good leading to improved brand visibility and loyalty, market penetration/access, employee engagement etc.

Fireside Chat

Voices of community leaders, social entrepreneurs, innovators providing unfiltered perspectives of what true value looks like. This will coincide with the SIM, a Social Impact Marketplace allowing local entrepreneurs creating sustainable social impact will be able to sell their items and promote their products.

Social Impact Assessment & Reporting

This is an insightful session where participants will discover how social impact assessment reporting can transform your organization's ESG strategy. With a focus on Frameworks and standards: GRI, SASB, CSRD social metrics, how to measure, monitor, and report social outcomes credibly, avoiding impact-washing and building trust through transparency.  Attendees will gain access to tools for measuring social return on investment (SROI), and techniques to communicate impact with credibility—positioning their brand as a socially responsible leader in a values-driven marketplace.

Innovation Lab

This is a dynamic hands-on session, creating a space where creativity meets purpose. Participants will be challenged to collaborate, design, and pitch practical ESG solutions that can be piloted in the real world. Small groups can brainstorm solutions to real-world ESG challenges (e.g., youth unemployment, digital inclusion, gender equity, supply chain fairness). In the end, groups can pitch ideas in a mini “Impact Shark Tank” format to a panel of Mentors.