Greater Purpose Conference East: Toronto Business Summit

About the Conference

Agenda

Speakers

Are there sponsorship opportunities available?

What can I expect at the conference?

Are there two conferences?

Should I attend the Greater Purpose Conference?

If you’re working in the social impact or social purpose space and want to learn more about partnerships and purpose, this conference is for you. We welcome organizations of all sizes — from nonprofits and charities to small businesses and large corporations — looking to connect, be inspired, and explore how purpose can drive meaningful change.

If you’re curious about the social impact or purpose space, this is also a great opportunity to learn from leaders, discover emerging trends, and see how purpose is reshaping the future of business in Canada.

Are there speaking opportunities available?

Why does the conference exist?

27 Oct - Day 1

28 Oct - Day 2

The Story of Purpose: How Canada is Shaping a Purpose Economy

Setting the stage with reflections on the evolution of the Purpose Economy in Canada — from its precursors in the 1980s and 1990s to today. Coro Strandberg shares insights on the early challenges and breakthroughs that led to the creation of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project (CPEP) and the growing momentum behind it. Fellow CPEP founders Mike Rowlands and Maureen Young join her on stage for a special celebration of leadership and the momentum advancing Canada’s purpose economy.

Fireside Chat: Reframing Possibility – Building Futures Through Skilled Trades

Join Sarah Saso, Vice President of ESG & Social Impact at Meridian Credit Union, and Sebastian Clovis, HGTV personality, contractor, and official spokesperson for Meridian’s Reframe program, for an inspiring conversation. Together, they’ll explore how Meridian’s Reframe Skilled Trades Educations and Employment Program is transforming lives by equipping economically barriered individuals with the skills, confidence, and support needed to thrive in the skilled trades.

From Sebastian’s personal journey and mentorship to Meridian’s innovative wraparound supports—including financial coaching and employment readiness—this session will highlight the real work behind the program, share powerful impact stories, and invite attendees to consider how they can “reframe” their own role in building inclusive, purpose-driven communities.

What's Culture & Ownership Got To Do With It? How Your Company's Culture and Ownership Structure Anchor Purpose in Your Company

In the face of devastating attacks on DEI, ESG, and CSR, a company's culture and ownership structure can help lock-in a company's purpose for the long hual. Moderated by Laura Vaughan, Forum Chair and Regional Director for MacKay CEO Forums, co-panelists Lyn Currie, Managing Director at Waterstone Human Capital and Peter Deitz, Co-Founder at Unwrapit, will explore this topic using real-world examples. Get inspired to look under the hood of your own company's culture and ownership structure. If they are not rooted in purpose, then purpose may not be rooted in your company.

Building Resilience: Strengthening the Capacity of Canada’s Non-Profit Sector

Non-profit organizations are the heart of economic and community transformation in Canada. The non-profit sector is currently facing pressures and challenges of unprecedented scale, and organizations need support and resources to thrive in an increasingly complex world.

This panel will bring together social impact leaders to explore bold solutions for strengthening the capacity of Canada’s non-profit sector. Led by Jennifer Leach, Vice President - Operations and Engagement, Sustainability & Impact, RBC, the panel will feature participants from organizations CanadaHelps, LEAP Pecaut Centre for Social Impact, and EPIC Leadership to discuss the significant challenges faced by Canada’s non-profit sector, how funders can help organizations address urgent capacity gaps, and how RBC’s community investment approach aims to contribute to a stronger, more resilient Canada.

The Confidence Gap: Uncovering the Hidden Barriers to Effective Corporate Grantmaking

There is a lot of great work happening in corporate grantmaking. And yet, the majority of grantmaking teams don’t feel like their programs are having the impact they could. This is the confidence gap.

In this session, Benevity Chief Impact Officer, Sona Khosla, explores the confidence gap, and the new Benevity Impact Labs report that evaluates companies' approach to grantmaking. See how over 100 organizations rated their performance against the best practices that make up the most successful grantmaking programs.

Sona Khosla | Chief Impact Officer | Benevity

Bridging Sectors: Collaborative Approaches to Conservation Finance and Indigenous Perspectives

In this discussion, we will explore the importance of partnerships across private, public, and non-profit sectors in addressing today's pressing challenges. This session will feature an engaging conversation between speakers from EY Canada, Ivey Business School and the Carolinian Canada Coalition. We will dive into innovative strategies for collaboration, focusing on the integration of Indigenous worldviews into conservation finance. As we navigate the complexities of conservation finance in Canada, we will share how diverse perspectives can drive impactful solutions and foster a more inclusive approach to environmental stewardship, and how this collaboration helps each organization live their purpose.

Empowering Sustainability Narratives in the Age of Compliance

Conor Chell, Partner and National Leader of KPMG Law’s Sustainability, Environment and Regulatory Law practice, will dive into the implications of Bill C-59’s anti-greenwashing amendments for social sustainability communicators. With regulators cracking down on greenwashing, Conor will share practical strategies to help organizations avoid greenhushing and continue telling their sustainability stories while staying compliant. Drawing on his deep legal expertise and experience advising companies across numerous industries, including KPMG in Canada, he will highlight both risks and opportunities for communicators and executives alike.

Conor Chell | Partner, National Leader, Sustainability, Environment and Regulatory Law | KPMG Law LLP

Closing Keynote: Stories that Fill the Hope Gap – A New Playbook for Values-Driven Storytelling

How can stories become powerful tools for healing, uniting, and driving change?

In this inspiring keynote, Afdhel Aziz unveils a bold framework for values-driven storytelling, rooted in his work with global brands like The Gap, Sephora and Adidas—and his new Time Magazine docuseries, “The Solutionaries”.

Tailored for nonprofit and corporate leaders alike, this session explores the U.S. “Purpose Pivot,” its implications for Canada, and how to lead with clarity and courage in a divided world.

You’ll leave with actionable tools, fresh storytelling strategies, and renewed inspiration to turn purpose into powerful narratives that move people—and drive results.

Afdhel Aziz | Co-Founder & Chief Purpose Officer of Conspiracy of Love & Good is the New Cool

Fall in Love with the Problem (and find your purpose)

Nav Sawhney shares how The Washing Machine Project was born from a single moment of empathy; watching his friend Divya hand wash clothes for hours each week in rural India and asking 'What's the solution'. He invites the audience on a trip through The Washing Machine Project's story from a salad spinner prototype, to a global impact movement. With stories, data, and human insight, Nav shows how innovation begins not with a flashy solution, but with a deep commitment to the people affected, and falling in love with the problem.

Nav Chawney | Social Enterprise (CIC), The Washing Machine Project

What You Really Sponsor

Sponsorship is rarely about what’s on the surface. You’re not just sponsoring an event, a cause, or a logo—you’re sponsoring a feeling, a need, a human truth. This provocative talk unpacks what brands are really buying into when they partner with a property—and what properties are truly offering in return. Through real-world, client-side insight and behavioural thinking, this talk reveals how great partnerships tap into deeper drivers like identity, belonging, and personal growth. This session will challenge your thinking and sharpen your storytelling—so you can build partnerships that resonate deeper and matter more.

Deploying Core Competencies for Greater Social Impact

Discover how PayPal turns its payments expertise into social impact, going beyond traditional CSR to support causes and charities worldwide. Learn how PayPal Giving Fund, a key part of this approach, has raised billions for charities by generating new funds and connecting donors through integrations with major online platforms. PayPal Giving Fund provides a secure, trusted way for donors to give and for charities to receive funds, through expanding reach, connecting social engagement to fundraising, and activating supporters. You’ll hear directly from a charity about the importance of engaging people where they already spend time online, and how PayPal Giving Fund has helped advance its mission.

The Golden Era of Corporate Partnerships Is Over — But We’re Building a Better One

The days of easy money, giant checks, and feel-good photo ops are behind us. Corporate partnerships are under pressure: DEI and ESG budgets are shrinking, politics are reshaping boardroom priorities, and nonprofits are often left scrambling to adapt. But from this disruption, a better model is emerging.

Drawing on insights from The Halo Awards, which spotlight the most effective corporate–nonprofit partnerships each year, Engage for Good CEO Muneer Panjwani will explore what’s working now, and what’s not. With candor and humor, he’ll unpack the hard truths most people won’t say out loud, while sharing hopeful lessons from partnerships that are moving beyond transactions to true transformation.

This provocative session will help nonprofit and corporate leaders reimagine their corporate strategies, giving them fresh language, tangible examples, and a call to radical honesty that can reshape the future of partnership for good.

Muneer Panjwani | CEO | Engage for Good

Staying Ahead of the Curve: Leading Through the Next Wave of AI Innovation

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves from generative tools to autonomous agents and now toward interpretive systems, leaders across sectors face a pivotal moment. For mission-driven organizations, this transformation presents both a challenge and a call to action. This session explores how social impact leaders can stay ahead of the AI innovation curve by understanding the trajectory of AI development and preparing for its next wave. We’ll examine how AI is shifting from content creation to autonomous execution to structured understanding—and what that means for equity, ethics, and community-centered design. Attendees will gain insights into building AI-ready cultures, fostering ethical leadership, and leveraging cross-sector collaboration to navigate complexity and unlock opportunity.

Nathan Froelich | Head of YourCause | Blackbaud

How to Tell Stories That Mobilize Support and Shift Systems

Storytelling isn’t just for marketing; it’s one of the most powerful ways to drive change. Yet many purpose-driven leaders struggle to communicate the heart of their work in a way that moves people.

In this keynote, filmmaker and impact storyteller Inder Nirwan makes the case that if you’re not telling your story, someone else will control the narrative.

You’ll learn a simple, practical framework for identifying and sharing the three story types every changemaker needs: the story of one person you’ve helped, a pivotal moment that mattered, and a compelling vision of what’s possible.

This talk is designed leave you with tools you can use immediately, no marketing teams required.

Inder Nirwan | CEO | Kahani Pictures

The Impact Stories the World Needs in 2026

As the world becomes increasingly polarized and the social impact pendulum swings away from all of us, it is more difficult than ever to know what and how to communicate. Words and terms are being banned from corporate websites, social platforms and even internal communications. Promoting your issues and good work has never been fraught with so many challenges. So what can and should you say? Phil Haid of Public Inc will guide you through this quagmire by highlighting the impact stories that need to stay and the most effective ways to communicate them with compelling examples from around the world.

Phil Haid | CEO | Public Inc.

Partnership Fails….The Keys to an Unsuccessful Relationship

Successful partnerships are built on a foundation of trust and mutual benefit. That’s pretty clear. But what about the little things…the nuances. In this light-hearted presentation, Brad Offman will discuss some of these little things that have the potential to undermine partnerships….things that might seem obvious but are easily forgotten. By acknowledging these “fails”, we can pave the way to strong purpose-driven partnerships.

Brad Offman | CEO | Greater Purpose

Accelerating Purpose: The Role of Business in Society

Join us for a dynamic discussion on the evolving role of business in shaping society. While we celebrate progress on impact and sustainability, we’ll also ask the harder questions: what does leadership look like when companies are told to scale back their social and environmental commitments? How can businesses ensure that purpose is authentic and not simply a marketing tool? And what responsibility do companies today carry to tackle systemic challenges? Expect an honest, forward-looking conversation that challenges assumptions, calls out complacency, and inspires leaders to push business beyond business as usual.

Afdhel Aziz

Founder and Chief Purpose Officer, Conspiracy of Love

Andrea Donlan

Senior Vice President, McMillan Vantage

Brad Offman

Chief Executive Officer, Greater Purpose

Claire Elizabeth Williams

Chief Purpose Officer, Greater Purpose

Greater Purpose

Conference East

October 2026, Toronto, Ontario

2025 Highlights

October 2026 Conference

Conference Details

Whats Included:

Details on venue, nearby hotels, and transit will be shared when registration opens.

Registration & Pricing

Early Bird Registration: [Dates]

Regular Registration: [Dates]

Questions?

Amplify your impact. Shape the future.

Where & When

📍 The Carlu, Toronto, Ontario

October 27-28, 2025

About the Conference

Agenda

Speakers

The Greater Purpose Conference

Who Attends

The Conference?

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