SDGs, Design Thinking and Team Expansion - Newsletter #10

Welcome New Team Members

We entered 2019 at full-speed powered by amazing clients and a growing team. Over the past months, we were thrilled to welcome Cynthia McKinney Drayton and Samantha Kendall to our amazing new office overlooking the Boston Marathon Finish Line on Boylston Street.

Cynthia, a senior consultant, has dedicated her career to the social enterprise and impact arenas and brings extensive experience working at the intersection of the corporate and social sectors. After building her own apparel company, she spent 11 years leading public-private partnership creation at Ashoka, the world’s leading incubator of social entrepreneurs.

Samantha, our newest associate, joined us from the Rockport Group, a leading global footwear brand. She brings strong marketing, social media, account management and customer service expertise to advance our work.

Mark Feldman Provided Leadership Tips to Chicago Business Execs

During his recent keynote conversation with Chicago’s Executives Breakfast Club, Mark provided insight into his professional journey and the experiences that shaped his nearly three decades of work within the social impact field. From his childhood influences, to his perspective on the power of purpose and leadership, Mark did not shy away from the tough questions. View pictures

Nikki + Mark Led Interactive Design Thinking Learning Lab at ACCP 2019

Cause Consulting Principals participated in the annual Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) Conference where they co-taught a Design Thinking for Social Impact Learning Lab. Together, they inspired practitioners to think differently, build empathy and craft fresh ideas for their signature and issue leadership programs. Learn more or contact us to see how we can customize a workshop for your team.

Delaware North Applies Its Unique Skills for Families in Tampa, FL

Our team was honored to join over 200 Delaware North leaders from across the globe as they volunteered to support formerly homeless families in Tampa, FL. The company’s top executives and managers applied their hospitality and culinary expertise to produce thousands of meals, enhance educational and recreational spaces, and prepare rooms for families who live on campus. The volunteer event, part of their Global Leadership Meeting, was held at Metropolitan Ministries, a non-denominational nonprofit that provides diverse education, workforce and health services for homeless families that “alleviate suffering, promote dignity and instill self-sufficiency.” Watch the video

Three SDG Trends Shaping CSR Strategy

Feeling inspired after participating on her “Tech, Art & Design for Inclusion & Cultural Preservation” panel at Harvard’s 20th annual Social Enterprise Conference, Cynthia began jotting down her ideas. What began as a quick blog post regarding her takeaways, turned into an educational piece regarding three Sustainable Development Goal-related trends that are shaping CSR strategy. Read more

"Digital Presence for All" Announced by GoDaddy and AEO

As an extension of GoCommunities, the social impact program launched in 2017, GoDaddy and The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) recently announced a new partnership entitled “Digital Presence for All.” This initiative will help business owners in under-served communities build an effective online presence. AEO is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of a robust marketplace for under-served micro-businesses. Read more

Other Happenings

Congratulations to Chris Barr, Director of Community Investments at BAE Systems for receiving a First One Award presented by uAspire

Kudos to the GoDaddy GoCommunities program, named as a finalist for a 2019 Halo Award

Check out the College, Career and Life Readiness report recently released from the Boston Opportunity Agenda and the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education related to our ongoing work around connecting the high school experience with college and career outcomes

Thank you to Brandeis University’s Social Impact MBA program for hosting Mark as a recent guest lecturer

Networking with local professionals, Samantha participated in a Boston Conscious Capitalism global warming seminar

SDGs, Design Thinking and Team Expansion – Newsletter #10