Claudia Freed – Past President

President and CEO, EALgreen

 

Claudia is President & CEO of EALgreen, a nonprofit organization that converts surplus business inventory into college scholarships for students with financial need.  EALgreen believes in a global community in which all individuals can improve their lives through education. Whether to improve the management of excess inventory in the supply chain or to fulfill corporate responsibility goals, businesses and higher education partners benefit from EALgreen’s circular economy model and create constructive, lasting change.  For society, EAL empowers individuals to achieve their potential through education; For the environment, it reduces waste and extends the useful life of manufactured products; For the economy, EALgreen improves business efficiencies adding value to the bottom line.

Claudia, born and raised in Argentina, was the first student ever to receive an EAL Scholarship in 1982. She attended North Park University with the support of a scholarship generated from a donation by W.W. Grainger.  Both institutions remain active partners of EALgreen today. More than 16,600 students have received scholarships valued at more than $20 million as hundreds of thousands of pounds of surplus materials have been repurposed or recycled by the organization.

Claudia’s background is in corporate finance, business development, and fundraising.  Her experience includes leading pro-bono consulting teams under Mayor Richard M. Daley’s administration, managing corporate and institutional relationships for a privately-held investment company specializing in options trading and developing strategic partnerships in higher education and corporate philanthropy.  She served three terms as a Board Member of Chicago Public Media (WBEZ) and is a Trustee for Robert Morris University.  Claudia is a recipient of Crain’s 40 Under 40 (Class 1995).  Claudia is honored to be the CR Group’s first Latina President.

employee engagement: an overlooked advantage of cr

Date:


Thursday, June 20, 2019

 

Schedule:

8:00am-8:30am – Continental Breakfast and Networking
8:30am-9:30am – Program

Employee Engagement: An Overlooked Advantage of Corporate Responsibility

Is employee engagement the unsung benefit of Corporate Responsibility? In our daily work, we create numerous positive outcomes for society, as well as for our organizations. And one of those outcomes is improved employee engagement, which results from positive experiences and a sense of social good.

We invite you to join the CR Group on June 20th for a discussion about how to activate Corporate Responsibility to improve on and enhance employee engagement.

Moderator:

Jess Wollmuth, Partner, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, EY

Panel:

  • Lauren StoneSenior Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Walgreens Boots Alliance
  • Robert J. RizzoSenior Director Conagra Foundation
  • Molly E. CookUS Central Corporate Responsibility Leader, EY
  • Beth SpurgeonDivision Manager, Corporate Responsibility, ArcelorMittal

Location:

GR Group Member:

EY
155 North Upper Wacker Drive
Room 20.1009 ABC
Chicago, IL 60606

Follow The CR Group on Twitter and on Our LinkedIn Page!
@CRGChi
Corporate Responsibility Group of Chicago

project roi: roi from cr and sustainability

Date:

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Schedule:

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. – Continental Breakfast and Networking
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Program

Speaker:

Steve Rochlin, Co-CEO & Co-Founder IO Sustainability, LLC & Senior Fellow, US Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center

Project ROI: Defining the Financial and Wider Business ROI from Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

Join us for a presentation by Steve Rochlin, lead author of “Project ROI” and co-CEO of IO Sustainability. Forbes Magazine has described Project ROI as “a Godsend.”

For too long a debate has raged – should companies invest in corporate responsibility (CR) and sustainability initiatives and if so, how much? Does CR detract or enhance the bottom line? Project ROI finds that CR has the potential to deliver an attractive business case. The question is not whether to engage in CR programs, but how. Project ROI establishes the potential returns on investment CR can deliver. But it’s not enough to do CR, one must do it well. Project ROI defines a clear roadmap of essential practices for companies that want to improve the impact and value of their CR and sustainability performance.

Location:

William Blair & Co.
222 West Adams Street
Chicago, IL 60606

corporate responsibility as a profession

 Date:

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Schedule:

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. – Continental Breakfast and Networking
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Program

Moderator:

Laura Coy, Director of Community Engagement – William Blair & Co., LLC.

Panel:

Beth Gallagher, Director of Community Involvement – Aon

Kimberly Gnat, Staff Representative, Corporate and Community Affairs – United Airlines

Marcy Twete, Division Manager, Corporate Responsibility, Americas; Executive Director, USA Foundation – ArcelorMittal

Program:

Corporate Responsibility as a Profession: Who are we? Where will you find us? What lies ahead for us?

On June 21st, Laura Coy will moderate a panel of executive leaders to discuss how the profession is gaining influence and visibility within the corporate organizational structure.  The panelists will share highlights of their journey as CSR leaders and will talk about what they see as emerging trends, such as, how the field has evolved, where CR now lives within corporate organizational structures, who CR professional work and collaborate with, and what is on the horizon.

You don’t want to miss this valuable opportunity to hear from our expert panel.

Location:

Mesirow Financial
353 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654

cr group annual meeting

By Invitation Only

The Corporate Responsibility Group of Greater Chicago Annual Meeting

Welcome the new Officers and Board of Directors for the 2014-2015 year and celebrate an amazing 2013-2014 year of programming!

Tuesday, July 29, 2013
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
cocktails and hors d’oeuvres

The Cliff Dwellers Club
200 South Michigan Avenue
22nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60604

on the table: join the conversation

Please Note the Special Date:

Monday, May 12, 2014

Time:

Program: 8:00 a.m.
Adjourn:   9:30 a.m.

Join the CR Group and Cheryl Hughes as we joins The Chicago Community Trust, and 10,000 neighbors throughout our region on one day, Monday, May 12, in conversations about Chicago’s challenges, its strengths, its identity.

The Chicago Community Trust is marking its 99th anniversary with a community-wide, meal-time conversation, On The Table, about our collective future, and the CR Group is joining in that community-wide conversation.

We invite you to join us as we join thousands of others to generate new ideas, spark partnerships, and shape a public agenda to build and sustain strong, safe, and dynamic communities.

Please Note: The format for this meeting will not include the usual half-hour networking.  The meeting will start at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 9:30 a.m.  Seating is limited to 50 participants, and priority will be given to CR Group Member respresentatives and their guests.

Host:

Morningstar, Inc.
22 West Washington Street
Chicago, IL  60602

farm to table: sustainable foods

         March 18, 2014, hosted by Groupon.

Deann Bayless and breakfast from XOCO
Deann Bayless and breakfast from XOCO

Speaker: Deann Bayless, Co-Founder, Frontera Farmer Foundation; Proprietor, Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Xoco; Producer and Co-Executive Creative Director, PBS television series Mexico, “One Plate at a Time.”

13248717123_b3d0d35ca4

 

13248578175_e8fc8a4116

Deann gave generously of her time - personally bringing breakfast from XOCO and staying after to talk with members and guests.
Deann gave generously of her time – personally bringing breakfast from XOCO and staying after to talk with members and guests.

13248575735_2d281e04d5

13248717823_9623c8976d

13248718583_86799dfd5e

13248911034_4505c25236

13248911924_4bd644a83d13248717063_095788a8c7

Standing room only crowd!
Standing room only crowd!

old home page – parking to put back in later

Since 1973 the CR Group has promoted and celebrated strong, flexible partnerships between businesses and private, public and civil society participants that create a stronger civic culture.

The CR Group is unique among organizations addressing issues of ethical and socially responsible corporate conduct because it originated within and was created for the business community. The Public Affairs Council has called CR Group an excellent model of corporate public affairs initiative.

cr group annual meeting

By Invitation Only

The Corporate Responsibility Group of Greater Chicago Annual Meeting

Welcome the new Officers and Board of Directors for the 2013-2014 year and celebrate the 40th Anniversary Year of the CR Group!

Thursday, July 18, 2013
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
cocktails and hors d’oeuvres

The CLiff Dwellers Club
200 South Michigan Avenue
22nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60604

unique collaboration for creating exciting synergy

Date:

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Time:

Reception: 8:00 a.m.
Program: 8:30 a.m.
Adjourn: 9:30 a.m.

Speakers:

Desiree Vargas Wrigley, Co-Founder and CEO, GiveForward

Jonny Imerman, Founder and Chief Mission Officer, Imerman Angels

Desiree Vargas Wrigley and Jonny Imerman will explain how GiveForward and Imerman Angels can offer businesses and organizations with unique opportunities to not only provide assistance to employees and their family and friends facing major medical challenges, but also provide their employees with volunteer opportunities.

Imerman Angels provides free 1 on 1 mentoring; matching trained “Angels” who have survived cancer and want to help with people beginning their cancer fight or caregivers/family members of cancer fighters.

GiveForward, a mission-driven social venture, provides free online fundraising pages allowing friends and family to raise money directly for a loved one to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses and more.

So where do the volunteer opportunities come in?  The most obvious is the opportunity for employees to be “Angels.”  But there are more!  For example, employees can:

–       volunteer at Imerman Angels community outreach events.

–       host events to benefit Imerman Angels.

–       host fundraising events offline to enhance the online GiveForward campaign.

Are there more?  Join us as we explore the possibilities!

Host:

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)
One North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606

Please RSVP to Colleen Coughlin by Friday, February 15 at irishcdc@sbcglobal.net or at colleen@crgroup.org, or by calling 312-666-2776.

urban education and chicago’s workforce

 

Date:

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Time:

Reception: 7:30 a.m.
Program: 8:00 a.m.
Adjourn: 9:00 a.m.

Urban Education and Chicago’s Workforce

Welcome:

 Kate Coleman, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, YMCA of the USA

Host:

Jarrett Royster, National Director of Urban and Educational Development, YMCA of the USA

Presenters:

Timothy Knowles, John Dewey Director, Urban Education Institute, and Clinical Professor, Committee on Education, University of Chicago

 Veenu Verma, Career and Technical Education Director, CPS Office of Pathways to College and Career

Join Jarrett Royster for an engrossing conversation with Timothy Knowles and Veenu Verma concerning urban education and Chicago’s workforce.  News headlines have been full of stories about schools, education and jobs, e.g., the length of school days, school closings, school turn-arounds, students graduating who cannot read, and graduates who cannot get jobs.  Tim Knowles will bring us his perspective on policy, research and the challenges for developing tools and ideas to improve teaching and leadership in order to provide excellent schooling for children in urban environments.  Veenu Verma brings to the conversation her “on-the-ground” perspective on urban education design and implementation aimed at preparing Chicago students to enter the local workforce with the skills needed to gain entry to good-paying jobs and economic development.

Location:

YMCA of the USA
101 North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606

RSVP to Colleen Coughlin by Friday, June 15 at colleen@crgroup.org, or by calling 312-666-2776.

Rachel Bronson

 Vice President, Studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Rachel Bronson is the Vice President, Studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs where she is helping to create a nationally and internationally recognized foreign policy think tank in Chicago.  Her previous position, Vice President of Programs and Studies included overseeing the more than 150 programs The Chicago Council runs annually. Her shift in responsibilities is a testament to the increasing focus that the organization is placing on its research capacity and policy impact. Prior to that, she served as Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Earlier positions include Senior Fellow for International Security Affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University. Dr. Bronson’s book Thicker than Oil: America’s Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia (Oxford University Press, 2006), has been translated into Japanese and published in paperback in June 2008.

Her writings have appeared in publications such as Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Chicago Tribune. She has commented widely on foreign affairs in outlets such as NPR, CNN, The Lehrer News Hour, The Charlie Rose Show, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Dr. Bronson has served as a consultant to NBC News and the Center for Naval Analyses.  She has testified before the Congressional Anti-Terrorist Finance Task Force, Congress’ Joint Economic Committee and the 9/11 Commission.

In 2003, Dr. Bronson was named a Carnegie Corporation Scholar. She was named by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the 20 women to watch in 2008. She earned a B.A. in history at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University in 1997.

g8 and nato summits: the world turns its attention on us

Date:

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Time:

Reception: 7:30 a.m.
Program: 8:00 a.m.
Adjourn: 9:00 a.m.

Speakers:

Rachel Bronson, Vice President, Studies, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Richard C. Longworth, Senior Fellow, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

G8 and NATO Summits: The World Turns Its Attention on the United States

The May G8 and NATO Summits will center the world’s attention on the United States and Chicago.  We’ve invited The Chicago Council on Global Affairs to share their ideas about how these international meetings positively contribute to Chicago’s growing stature as a global city.  We’ll address the history and importance of the Summits, the agenda items and issues the heads of state and their ministers will discuss.  The discussion will help you go beyond the press coverage of protestors and learn about the substantive aims of these Summits.  Join Rachel Bronson, Vice President, Studies and Richard Longworth, Senior Fellow at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs for this timely discussion leading up to the May G8 and NATO Summits. For more information on The Chicago Council’s NATO and G8 activities, please visit 2012summits.org.

Host:

Quarles & Brady LLP
300 N. LaSalle Street
Suite 4000
Chicago, IL 606054

RSVP to Colleen Coughlin by Friday, April 13 at colleen@crgroup.org, or by calling 312-666-2776.

2011 Person of the Year Reception

Each December since 1991, The Corporate Responsibility Group of Greater Chicago has named an outstanding community leader as their Person of the Year in recognition of their accomplishments and longstanding commitment of their time, energy, imagination and inspiration in keeping the Chicago area a truly stellar place to live and work.

Members and Guests of the Corporate Responsibility Group of  Greater Chicago will gather at the spectacular Cliff Dwellers Club to honor its 2011 Person of  the Year, Richard Turner.  This is an invitation only event.  

Date:
Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Time:
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres

Location:
The Cliff Dwellers Club
200 South Michigan Avenue
22nd Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60604

Please RSVP to Colleen Coughlin by Friday, December 9 at colleen@crgroup.org or by calling 1312.666.2776

Amy Eshleman

Assistant Commissioner, Strategic Planning and Partnerships, The Chicago Public Library

As Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Planning and Partnerships, Amy Eshleman is responsible for the implementation of long-range planning and the public/private collaborations and resource sharing partnerships of the 76 locations of the Chicago Public Library.  She was appointed to this newly created position in 2006.  Prior to 2006, she served as the Library’s Director of Development and Outreach.  Amy joined the Library in March, 1994.

Amy was responsible for the development and implementation of the Library’s most recent five-year strategic plan – Chicago Public Library 2010 and is leading the Library’s current strategic planning effort. Working with her colleagues at CPL, she developed programs such as One Book, One Chicago; Chicago Book Festival; the Kraft Great Kids program; Computer Smarts @ CPL and CyberNavigators. Amy is currently leading the CPL team in the creation, implementation and expansion of YOUmedia, the Library’s innovative space for teens that is a national model for interest-driven, participatory learning.

Measuring Success

Thursday, June 23, 2011
Reception: 7:30 a.m.
Program: 8:00 a.m.
Adjourn: 9:00 a.m.

Speaker: Todd Lapin, President, Alliance Consulting Partners

Host: Quarles & Brady
300 North LaSalle Street
Suite 4000
Chicago, Illinois 60654


As the CR Group ends its 2010-2011 breakfast program series focused on Transformative CSR Leadership, we are pleased to welcome Todd Lapin to discuss some other key areas that need to be measured, evaluated and communicated to the various stakeholders.  Many grant makers put most of their effort into the front end of the process (evaluating the merits of proposals prior to approval) and not so much after the grant has been made.  If we consider grants as investments, it makes sense to evaluate success over time.  Looking at grants as investments, we should expect a reasonable return from the grantee in terms of human gain.  Program evaluation is generally viewed as being difficult to implement, but with today’s tools this process is now much more manageable for both the grantor and grantee.  Todd Lapin will discuss how corporations and nonprofits can work together to develop successful outcomes-based partnerships.

The second segment of today’s discussion will focus on tools for managing, tracking and measuring the success of employee giving programs and employee volunteer programs, which many corporations are emphasizing.  Todd will provide a brief overview of products that can help manage and streamline employee matching gifts and volunteerism programs, along with an update on some of the newer tools that are now available.  We also want members and guests to contribute to this discussion based on their own experiences.