Harpswood’s Post

Very proud today to be joining the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s Board. All about sustainability, collaboration and innovation - three of my favourite things! 😊 Looking forward to working with also newly appointed Ben Stone and Aled Williams, alongside Shaun McCarthy OBE, Graham Edgell, Julia Barrett, Dale Turner FCIPS, Dan Evans, Joanna Gilroy (MBA), Malcolm Dare FCIPS, and Marcus Bennett. Joining the Board has also made me reflect on my journey with the School to date 🤔 As a company we were first introduced to the School, probably 10 years ago now, by Morgan Sindall Group plc. At the time, we unfortunately viewed it mainly as a box we had to tick to keep working for our client; it wasn’t really until a few years later that we realised that engaging with the School mostly benefited our own company’s sustainability, and not just environmental, but social and economic sustainability too. Until a few years ago we were a relatively small family owned business, and whilst being a small company certainly has its benefits, such as agility, it can also have its challenges in terms of people, knowledge and resources - collaborating as an active partner in the School has certainly fast-tracked our learning 📚 Whilst our company ownership has since changed, day-to-day we are still very much an SME; I hope that my input on the Board will inspire other small companies to see the benefits the School can bring to their business, which will of course ultimately benefit their Clients and the built environment as a whole. So, here’s to sustainability, collaboration and innovation! 👏👏👏 Supply Chain Sustainability School Advanté - Oasis® Welfare #supplychainschool #sme #sustainability #collaboration #innovation

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜'𝗺 🤝 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 🍏 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗲𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲! As a finance 💼 professional, I'm constantly seeking ways to maximize the impact of my work. That's why I'm thrilled to be joining the 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 & 𝙒𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙚𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 🌎. This course isn't just about the latest academic insights (although that's definitely a perk!), it's about turning knowledge into action and driving real change within my organization. Here's what excites me most: • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 🤝 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 🌍 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: Learning alongside 800+ passionate professionals from diverse backgrounds – policymakers, development experts, NGOs, and other professionals. Imagine the collaborative power! • 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 the 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 🍎 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘀: Gaining a deeper understanding of how food production, consumption, and everything in between impact human health, social justice, economic prosperity, and the planet. This knowledge is 🔑 for making informed financial decisions. • 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 🚀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: Staying ahead of the curve with insights from the UN Food Systems Summits and COP28, and understanding how food systems are shaping global policy and practice. Talk about being future-proof! 🔮🌐 • 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Learning how to commission food systems analysis, inform interventions, and make our programs more relevant and impactful. This is where I can truly add value and contribute to positive change. 💪🔄 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Don't wait for the perfect course to fall in your lap. Take charge of your professional development! Explore eCourses relevant to your core program areas, connect with a global community of learners, and equip yourself with the knowledge to drive real change. 🚀💡 Remember, we all have a role to play in creating more sustainable and impactful organizations. Let's invest in learning, grow together, and make the world a better place, one eCourse at a time! 🌍🤝

This gentleman is the bald Fernando Torres (so he keeps telling me) his company are a sustainability platform that helps companies achieve their ESG goals whilst helping them to embed a culture of sustainability within their business. If you are looking for ways to change the way your company hits their ESG goals, then speak to Ste!

SHARE YOUR IMPACT F-UP! Have you experienced setbacks or failures in your sustainability journey? Are you ready to transform those mistakes into valuable lessons for others? Look no further than Impact F-Ups, a groundbreaking contest that celebrates the power of failure and the potential for growth in the pursuit of sustainability. We at Sustinere are happy and proud to be one of the co-organizers of the Impact Day (Oct 5.-6th, Tallinn Estonia) and F-Ups contest in it. Impact Day is obviously the biggest meeting place for current and future ESG and sustainability leaders in the Baltics. Impact F-Up contest is a unique opportunity to learn from each other, as designing and implementing ESG in the company is still a fresh challenge for many. So, if you’re a business that has encountered ESG-related challenges your experiences matter. Participate in the Impact F-Ups contest by submitting a captivating 3 to 5-minute speech that shares your sustainability journey, failures, and valuable insights. More info about the contest & applying   https://lnkd.in/dAiCDsHt 

Steps to Sustainability has been such a big part of my professional life over the last 3 years! It has been such an incredible opportunity to work with organisations the length and breadth of GB & NI. Thanks to Social Enterprise Academy and The National Lottery Heritage Fund https://lnkd.in/eGUgpph8

Attendance of this Supply Chain Sustainability School virtual conference last week was invaluable in helping me to think more about the strategic value of the social value component of #ESG. Emily Davies did a great job of explaining how the social and environmental elements are inextricably linked. She clearly demonstrated how Amey are focusing on investing in the wellbeing and inclusion of their people, removing barriers to participation so that each staff member can show up as their authentic selves and contribute fully. Ours is a sector that has a history of poor representation but they are moving towards addressing this by working with schools and colleges and improving recruitment and onboarding processes; as well as offering specific career progression support pathways for underrepresented groups. As well as being the right thing to do, improving the diversity of their workforce will be good for business. Their interventions now will ultimately increase productivity, reduce risk and create opportunities for growth. Rachel McCrystal

Business success today depends on being able to define the ‘right’ problem, having a deep understanding of who our stakeholders are and what is the most important to them, having the vision and insight to develop relevant and value-creating solutions, and being able to “sell” it on emotional and intellectual level. Seeing the existing problems, and in order to built a Greener Business Solution, my team and I created a business idea, solution through #JustKitting to solve the current foodwaste issues in United States. Two weeks ago, through this project, we had an increadible opportunity to introduce our Green Business concept at Hult International Business School to executives from various backgrounds Jennifer von Briesen, Katri Nousiainen, Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi, Kevin Fisher and Omar Benzit. Their insightful feedback and suggestions truly gave us new insights in developing our mission for a sustainable future. Behalf of my team, I also like to thank Professor Henrik Totterman, D.Sc. for mentoring and guiding us throughout all the process which also helped us in developing our business idea. Lastly, i want to thank my team Louis Engelbert, Fabián Ortíz Hernández, Megumu Maruoka for their hardwork and brought various invaluable insights, and ideas to the table on working for this project. #JustKitting for no more waste: https://lnkd.in/eA4djNmg #greenerbusiness #sustainability #sustainablefuture

#SocialValue in Action Last week Hatch held a round table with a diverse group of industry representatives to discuss what social value in action looks like and the approaches organisations are taking to delivering it. While social value continues to be an area of interest and important discussion, the best way to move from: “what is it” + “why do it” ➡️”HOW can we DO it” is learning from each other. Thank you to Dr Kelly Watson for sharing the lessons and experience gained from Hatch’s work in the UK, and thank you to everyone who attended and shared their perspectives. Alison Cleary Nick Arcaro Andrew Cairns Catherine Curry Jill Rossouw Danny Dracic Linda Smith David Ritter Gigi Yuen Melbourne Airport Christine Thornton Mike Day Ryan Darby Lola Bateman We definitely bit off more than we could chew in one session. This is just the start, please let me know🙋🏻♀️🙋🏽if you would like to join our next session. Headlines: Emerging best practice looks like 👇🏼 🏆A focus on process 🏆Intentionality 🏆Be evidence-based 🏆Reporting and assurance We’ll unpick these one by one in the coming weeks.

As I continue to forge my path in the #sustainability space, I find it incredibly valuable to connect with professionals who have been in the field for a while. Recently, I had an amazing conversation with Lara Applegate, and it was truly enlightening. Lara shared insights about the #corporate side of sustainability, including their #science-based #targets and various programs. It was fascinating to see how interconnected everything is and how these initiatives can bring about real impact. As an aspiring student in environmental sustainability, I believe it's crucial to understand both the on-the-ground realities and the #strategic implementation of sustainability efforts. Lara's insights into her role, the daily operations of Phillip Morris International and their long-term #goals were invaluable. What resonated most with me was her dedication to making a meaningful #impact—something I am deeply passionate about as well. Moving forward, I look forward to forming meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals in this field. Conversations like the one with Lara help me understand the industry's context and identify areas of interest for further development. I'm excited to continue learning and growing in this space, and I welcome any opportunities to connect with others who share my passion for sustainability. I hope to eventually support anyone interested in the field as I figure out what my areas of expertise are. #Sustainability #EnvironmentalImpact #CorporateSustainability #Networking #CareerGrowth

What we learned There are several important – and very #intentional – elements of W.K. Kellogg Foundation #strategy that we’d like to highlight:  A second key element of its strategy is their focus on #marketbuilding:  They want to help grow the #practice of #impactinvesting by backing new #industries and #businessmodels. One way they do this is by backing #newfundmanagers such as Invisible Heart Ventures’ (IHV2).  They invested $46 million (or 43% of $106 million total invested during the 5-year period) in first- or second-time fund managers. Example manager:  Harlem Capital Partners, #invests in #underrepresentedentrepreneurs, with a goal of reaching 1,000 diverse founders over 20 years. Currently, 91% of its portfolio companies are led by women and people of color. Sixty-one percent of its founders are Black or Latinx, and 43% are women. Thirdly, we make sure we are well-aligned with the foundation’s programmatic areas: In fact, all our recent investments have aligned with our program strategy, including 75% ($79 million) in job access and enterprise development.  Example manager: Founder’s First Capital Partners, provides underrepresented founders with revenue-based financing (RBF) and access to accelerator programs. Enhance impact management and measurement: Developing a distinct impact assessment framework for their #impactinvesting program – versus the programmatically aligned #framework they have used to date – would introduce MDI-specific taxonomy to articulate specific strategic goals for each investment. Additionally, WKKF provides several forms of value-add contributions tailored to each investee’s needs (differentiated capital, network building, strategic communications support and more). To strengthen these initiatives, W.K. Kellogg Foundation could adopt a “contribution framework” that would formalize strategies for 1. enhancing impact, 2. track value creation activities and 3. incorporate feedback from managers and founders.  W.K. Kellogg Foundation is incorporating more #rigor into their #impactmeasurementandmanagement (IMM), and streamlining their investment and operations processes to be less burdensome. Looking ahead, they’ll build upon what they’ve learned over the years, expand their #investments across more #assetclasses and share their #learnings with the field to promote greater #efficacy, #fidelity and #socialimpact. https://lnkd.in/eShZzkcc