2024 Power Players in Corporate Social Responsibility

Damien Dwin is the founder and CEO of Lafayette Square. Previously, Damien was co-founder and co-CEO of Brightwood Capital Advisors from 2010-2020. Damien began his career as a trader with Goldman Sachs, there earning the Michael P. Mortara Award for Innovation.  At Credit Suisse, he was co-founder and head of the North American special opportunities business until 2010. He is an active thought leader on place-based investing, mass incarceration, and the use of capitalism for good.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
Corporate social responsibility means accountability not only to our stakeholders and the businesses we finance, but also to the communities where we invest. I believe leveraged finance and private markets can be delivery mechanisms for capital to places that are overlooked and services to people who are underserved by traditional benefits. Lafayette Square uses data analytics to deliver capital and services to middle-market businesses, with the goal of stimulating economic growth and supporting working-class people.

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
We prioritize performance and transparency to build trust among our investors, portfolio companies, and their employees. Our goals are to support 100,000 working-class jobs, invest 50 percent of our capital with underserved communities, and curate benefits for 50 percent of our portfolio companies by 2030. We track and report our progress toward these goals on a quarterly basis.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
Of the 150 million workers in America, more than 50 million live paycheck-to-paycheck. Traditional benefits like 401(k) and healthcare are underutilized by working-class people who need to put food on the table. With private credit funding concentrated on big businesses in high-income places, I saw an opportunity to support overlooked smaller businesses and the working-class people they employ. I believe capitalism can be a positive force for communities.

As AYR’s head of corporate relations, Khari is responsible for providing strategic leadership and advancing AYR’s commitment toward being a force for good by creating a culture of inclusion and providing avenues of opportunity in the cannabis industry. During his 25 years of public service, Khari worked for several elected officials, nonprofit organizations, and city agencies with a dedicated focus on strengthening communities by advocating and addressing racial, health and civic disparities.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
Are you being a good neighbor? How are you making a difference in your community? This is my definition for corporations asking for customer or consumer support, but not bridging the needed relationships in the communities that they do business. The work we do, needs to set a high bar of engagement.

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
We are from the community and are part of the community. We are your neighborhood stores, hiring and operated by people in your neighborhood. We want the investment we make in our community to be a multiplier of economic and social success. AYR believes in being a Force for Good in our community.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
I chose a career in public service. I was raised with a mantra of paying it forward and a responsibility of creating opportunities for others. That has followed me throughout my days in public and private sector work.

C.D. Glin is president of the PepsiCo Foundation and global head of social impact for PepsiCo. Glin leads PepsiCo’s global social impact strategy, employee community engagement and philanthropic programming to unlock equitable access to nutritious food, safe water, and economic opportunity. Glin’s career has spanned the non-profit and public sectors, serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa, associate director of The Rockefeller Foundation and president and CEO of the U.S. African Development Foundation.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
We define social impact as “the totality of the positive effects PepsiCo has on people and communities, empowering them to thrive and maximize their full potential, through intentional programs, partnerships and policies.”  PepsiCo’s social impact investments are designed to be local, leading and lasting while bringing about positive change for the planet and people – key drivers of the company’s PepsiCo Positive (pep+) ambition. 

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
pep+ is our strategy for creating growth and shared value with sustainability and human capital at the center. With a focus on positive agriculture, positive value chains and positive choices, we’re committed to sourcing our crops and ingredients in ways that restore the earth and strengthen farming communities, to helping to build a circular and inclusive value chain, and to inspiring people through our global and local brands.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
Service, opportunity and impact are the three things that have shaped who I am and every career move I’ve made from non-profit service, to public service to my current position in corporate social impact: Being of service to others, creating opportunities for others and having the greatest impact on the lives and livelihoods of others guide me every day.

Andrea is ABM’s senior program manager of sustainability and philanthropy. She manages the company’s sustainability strategy and its performance. She is a graduate student of the sustainability management program at Columbia University and an Environmental Defense Fund Corps fellow. She worked at Danone developing their carbon reduction strategy for Evian’s supply chain. Prior to that, she was a sustainability consultant for ATOS, a multinational leader in the IT sector where she built the subsidiary sustainability strategy.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
I would define corporate social responsibility as a license to operate a business. It is necessary to embed the company’s impacts on the environment and the community on the business strategy and make sure to identify its risks and opportunities.

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
ABM aims to advance its environmental goals by increasing the use of renewable energy for its operations, increasing the electrification of its vehicles and continuing its commitment to reduce emissions. In addition, the company is advancing on its supplier diversity strategy by making sure our clients have opportunities to impact minority owned and diverse small and medium enterprises.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
I’m passionate about the changing mindset challenge that CSR issues bring to companies. This topic transforms business operations and the business case behind it is fascinating to me.

Shané Harris is vice president of social responsibility and partnerships at Prudential and president of The Prudential Foundation. Her responsibilities include leading philanthropic strategy, overseeing the distribution of over $62 million in grants and charitable contributions, and managing volunteering and multicultural partnership programs. She is also a senior leadership team member for inclusive solutions, a Prudential function that harnesses the power of capital markets to drive financial and social mobility, inclusive economic opportunity, and sustainable growth.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
CSR starts with a company’s values and purpose and reflects commitment to stakeholders. Prudential’s corporate responsibility strategy has centered around community, influenced by our Newark, NJ headquarters. With nearly 150 years here, we are deeply connected to the city that has grappled with economic equality. Newark, my hometown, has influenced our focus on driving inclusive economic growth, shaping Prudential’s purpose: Make lives better by solving the financial challenges of our changing world.

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
We have two core strategies. The first is inclusive economic growth. Prudential, as an anchor institution in Newark, believes that a city’s economic growth should be done in a way that benefits everyone. Often, when cities benefit from investments it leads to residents being misplaced. Our strategies foster win-win outcomes for residents and investors. The second is expanding access to financial solutions. We want to ensure all communities have access to generational wealth-building opportunities.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
When I think about my family’s trajectory, our economic outcomes have been transformed generation by generation because of the wealth-building strategies Prudential promotes. As a Newark native, I’ve seen how the city has transformed over decades through Prudential’s impact. My CSR journey and working at Prudential has been personally and spiritually rewarding.

Jen Hensley leads Con Edison’s government and community relations, regulatory affairs, corporate communications, and philanthropy programs. Before joining Con Edison, Hensley headed government relations for Lyft. Prior to that, she served as president of Link for Intersection, executive director of the Association for a Better New York, senior adviser to the chairman at Empire State Development Corporation, and assistant vice president at the Alliance for Downtown New York.

How does Jen define corporate social responsibility?
Hensley believes that New Yorkers who are the most impacted by the effects of climate change should be at the center of shaping our clean energy future. Whether it’s working to provide renewable energy to historically disadvantaged communities or creating opportunities for diverse people to acquire the skills and training needed to succeed in green energy careers, she is dedicated to making sure that every New Yorker can benefit from the clean energy transition.

What are Jen’s CSR goals for Con Edison?
Hensley is committed to creating and maintaining strong community partnerships. Since joining Con Edison in 2022, Hensley has re-aligned the company’s philanthropy efforts by investing in nonprofits that address climate change and environmental stewardship; build clean energy and technology careers; and advance social justice in communities.

Why did Jen choose to pursue a career within CSR?
Whether it’s helping the city recover from the devastation of Sept. 11 at the Alliance for Downtown New York, or creating a blueprint for tapping into the city’s diverse talent pool for careers in technology, Hensley finds great satisfaction in producing outcomes that benefit New Yorkers. And now as a mom raising three girls, Hensley’s children are a constant source of inspiration to provide the next generation of New Yorkers with the brightest future possible.

Tia’s leadership at MetLife Foundation is marked by a commitment to enabling individuals and families to realize their full potential. She leads the strategic allocation of grants and impact investments focused on driving inclusive economic mobility globally. Tia is deeply engaged in the philanthropic sector as a board member for national and international non-profit organizations. She also is an adjunct professor at New York University, where she shares her knowledge with future leaders of philanthropy.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
At MetLife, we view it as managing business and responsibly delivering long-term value for all our stakeholders by improving the long-term sustainability of the company and our communities.

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
MetLife Foundation deploys its philanthropic capital through three strategic giving portfolios: Economic Inclusion, Financial Health and Resilient Communities. The breadth of our grantmaking allows us to not only tackle the growing income and wealth divide but also its root causes. These focus areas reflect our goal of helping all people realize their utmost potential, fostering prosperity and upholding lives with dignity.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
I chose a career in this sector because of my love for community. It’s an honor and privilege to lead MetLife Foundation and leverage our philanthropy to inspire, support and uplift communities around the globe.   

MaryAnne Hyland, Ph.D., is the dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. Prior to becoming dean, she was the associate dean for undergraduate programs and student success and a faculty member teaching management and human resource management courses. She is a Society for Human Resource Management certified HR Professional (SHRM-CP). MaryAnne holds M.H.R.M. and Ph.D degrees from Rutgers University and a B.B.A. from Loyola University Maryland.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
Corporate social responsibility is about creating a positive impact on society through one or more strategies or initiatives. It can involve minimizing environmental impact, improving the workplace, supporting community causes, charitable giving, and more. Ideally, an organization’s corporate social responsibility efforts are consistent with its mission. 

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
The business school is focused on two of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide our CSR efforts. First, in support of SDG 4, Quality Education, we focus on quality education that is inclusive and equitable. Second in support of SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities, we focus on increased access to educational opportunities for individuals from traditionally disadvantaged communities, as well as opportunities to have students work with not-for-profit organizations.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
Business schools have become increasingly focused on societal impact, and our business school even includes “developing socially responsible leaders” as part of our mission. As a leader, I have taken on CSR as an important cause due to my beliefs about its importance, as well as its focus in our mission statement.

As senior vice president of social responsibility for the National Football League, Anna is responsible for the league’s charitable and philanthropic endeavors and directs the NFL’s public response on various social issues, including domestic violence, sexual assault, social justice, and other critical areas. Anna oversees the development of education, training, and support programs relating to these topics, including how the NFL addresses sustainability, character education, and mental wellness to reach the NFL family and public.

Born in Argentina and raised in Toronto, Sabrina Macias has turned her passion for CSR into a successful PR career. As head of global communications at DraftKings, she leads all consumer-facing, corporate, and internal communications at a time in which sports betting operators are facing constant challenges in a new and evolving industry. Her scope includes sustainability efforts, the company’s philanthropy strategy, responsible gaming communications and advocacy including public affairs and grassroot initiatives.

How do you define corporate social responsibility?
CSR is a company’s dedication to making a positive impact beyond financial success. At DraftKings, it includes making an impact in the communities in which we live and operate. Our employees are very passionate about giving back and we work closely with them to determine the causes we support.

What are your organization’s CSR goals?
DraftKings strives to embody a culture of corporate social responsibility in everything we do. We offer opportunities for our customers to engage in contests that support our charitable partners, spreading awareness and increasing support for these local organizations. We’ve increased opportunities globally for our employees to engage with our CSR program, DK S.E.R.V.E.S. (Service, Equity, Responsibility, Vitality, Environment, Sports), through volunteer days, charitable rewards, and ongoing feedback opportunities.

Why did you choose to pursue a career within CSR?
I was drawn to a career in CSR because it allows me to align my professional endeavors with my values, fostering a strong sense of purpose in my work. I am passionate about driving positive change, and CSR provides a platform where businesses can integrate ethical practices, sustainability, and community engagement into their core strategies. It allows me to be a catalyst for meaningful transformations, creating a more sustainable and socially responsible business landscape.