Put your money where your mouth is - impact-led purchasing; good for local people and the planet.

In this session, we will hear from 3 social impact-led network leaders, taking part in a wider initiative, collaborating to develop replicable place-based and sector-specific purchasing initiatives throughout the United States and the world.

Last year in the United States, around $ 8 billion was donated to environmental causes, and another $16 billion was donated to social causes. At the same time, across consumers, businesses, and government, we purchased more than $ 23 trillion in goods and services. Imagine a world in which every dollar spent helped to build a better life and a better future for every one of us, and our living planet.

There are enterprises throughout the world doing exactly that. They identify as social enterprises, cooperatives, benefit corporations, fair trade enterprises and more. When we buy from them, we enable job creation and workforce inclusion, community development, economic resilience, and skills development. We also reduce environmental degradation and our carbon footprint. When we collaborate as support networks, buyers, and sellers in cities and states, we drive local impact where it is most needed.