The Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit is the premier event for CEOs, Presidents and Founders who are committed to Conscious Capitalism. This is an Invitation-Only event to maintain the peer to peer alignment of participants. If you have not participated before, but would like to nominate yourself or someone to be considered for an invitation, please visit here.
Whether you have been in the Conscious Capitalism community for years or recently discovered this framework that represents your philosophy, the CEO Summit will provide you with opportunities to learn, share and connect.
from fellow Conscious Capitalist business leaders.
your own insights in support of others.
with passionate, values aligned peers who are as dedicated as you are to elevating humanity through business.
The CEO Summit is comprised of dynamic keynote speakers, thought provoking fireside chats, and opportunities to walk away with tactical tools for yourself and your teams to integrate the tenets of Conscious Capitalism. But most uniquely, you’ll be surrounded by people who think and talk about business the way you do, who authentically want to support your endeavors and who are open to being supported themselves. These are your people.
Chief Executive Officer, Shipt
Kelly Caruso is the Chief Executive Officer at Shipt, a leading online same-day delivery service. Under Caruso’s direction, the Shipt team and its network of more than 350,000 Shipt Shoppers delivers to
millions of American households each week. She is a seasoned retail professional with vast experience
in retail merchandising, technology, and sourcing. She’s a purpose-driven leader, focused on the
company’s strategy and developing diverse talent.
Caruso’s experience in the retail sector spans 25 years with companies such as May Merchandising,
Abercrombie and Fitch, and Target. Prior to joining Shipt, Caruso was the Senior Vice President of
Merchandising for Hardlines at Target. During her time at Target, she led numerous merchandising
teams within Apparel, Accessories and Home. She also led a multi-national team responsible for the global sourcing of Target’s Owned Brands in Apparel, Accessories, Home and Hardlines. Respected for innovative thinking, courageous decision-making, and building long-lasting partnerships, she always earns her seat at the table. Kelly currently serves on several Boards of Directors including Prosper Birmingham and Birmingham Business Alliance. Kelly’s merchandising, operations, and sourcing background – paired with product and design expertise – uniquely enable her to drive innovative customer solutions that lead to revenue and profit growth.
Caruso is an alumnus of the Studio E Entrepreneurial Leadership program in the Twin Cities
and received her BA from the University of North Dakota. Kelly and her family live in Birmingham,
Alabama - the Magic City
President & CEO, Vital Farms
Russell believes it is possible to produce ethical food at scale, and year-by-year his efforts help prove it. Under his leadership, Vital Farms has expanded its product line to include butter and ghee and launched Egg Central Station, shell egg grading and packing facility. Prior to joining Vital Farms, Russell worked with McKinsey & Company, H-E-B Grocery, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
President, Banfield Pet Hospital
As president of the industry’s leading provider of preventive care, Brian’s top priority is creating a high-performing, inclusive culture for Banfield Pet Hospital’s 19,000+ associates at 1,000+ hospitals across the country. Since Brian became president in 2017, Banfield has achieved the lowest turnover in its history while simultaneously averaging double-digit year-over-year growth. Over Brian’s time with Banfield, the multi-billion organization has grown by over 50 percent.
Brian believes that pets, people and society are all connected and is passionate about ensuring Banfield is
making a positive impact on the world. This philosophy is behind the launch of the company’s Student Debt Relief Program, making Banfield one of only eight percent of organizations offering such a benefit. To date the program has contributed nearly $15M to pay-off debt for veterinary professionals while helping to refinance more than $16M in student loans. In addition, Banfield launched the first suicide prevention training designed specifically for veterinary professionals as part of its holistic commitment to the health and wellbeing of all Banfield associates. The training is also available for free to the entire veterinary profession. Brian joined Banfield in 2015 as chief operating officer, bringing more than 20 years of healthcare leadership to the organization. Prior to joining Banfield, Brian served as an area vice president at CVS Health where he was responsible for more than 600 stores covering 17 states with 15,000+ associates.
Beginning his career stocking store shelves at Walgreens, Brian has never sat in a corner office or followed a traditional trajectory. This unique path has pushed him to think differently, leading with empathy, impatience and impact.
Brian is committed to ensuring the voice of Banfield’s associates dictates the vision of the organization. With 75% of Banfield’s workforce being Millennial or Gen Z, Brian connects directly with associates on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to listen, engage and transform the organization.
CEO, CleanCraft
Ty Hookway is the founder and president of CleanCraft, a commercial cleaning company based in Rochester NY, and covering upstate NY. CleanCraft was founded in 1995 and currently employs over 300 people. The company’s guiding tenet is that there is infinite power, dignity, and healing provided by work and that gainful employment adds impressive and positive benefits to the human experience.
The mission of CleanCraft is to create quality of life and peace for all. Ty is certain that the mission statement and running a successful, profitable enterprise are not mutually exclusive. Ty, and CleanCraft, support a conscious capital model and continually strive for a win/win relationship with all stakeholders.
Ty is a serial entrepreneur with successful ventures in consulting and other small business enterprises. He is a member of various boards and active within his church. Ty has a math degree from Holy Cross College; he grew up in Rochester and resides there with his wife Elizabeth and their children. He enjoys golf, reading and is an ardent lifelong learner.
President, Jackson Healthcare
Shane Jackson serves as president of Jackson Healthcare and is the primary guiding force for its mission of improving the delivery of patient care and the lives of everyone it touches. Since assuming this role in 2014, he has consistently led the organization of 16 healthcare staffing, executive search and technology companies to growth of more than double the industry average, crossing the billion-dollar annual revenue mark in 2018. Prior to his current position, he was president of LocumTenens.com, Patient Placement Systems and NextStart Capital.
Shane is an advocate for the power of business leaders as a positive force for people and the community. He is a speaker on the conference circuit and frequently writes on the topic of intentionally nurturing a values-based culture. In 2018, he published Fostering Culture: A Leader’s Guide to Purposely Shaping Culture, his first book chronicling his philosophy on workplace culture.
Over the past four years, Shane has been recognized on Staffing Industry Analysts’ Staffing 100, a list of the top North American leaders shaping the industry and influencing the workforce solutions ecosystem. In 2020, he received the distinguished Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award from HERO, the Health Enhancement Research Organization, for his contributions in advancing employee health and wellbeing – as well as the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Corporate Citizenship Award.
At Jackson Healthcare, Shane also champions the organization’s LoveLifts community impact platform that focuses on improving access to healthcare and the wellbeing of young people. In 2016, he spearheaded the launch of the non-profit venture Connecting Kids With Care, aligning volunteer doctors and nurses to deliver free, tech-enabled healthcare to thousands of global orphans.
Shane serves on the boards of Junior Achievement of Georgia, 3DE and King’s Ridge Christian School. He also is chair of the Health and Wellness Policy Committee for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and vice chair of the leader-led goBeyondProfit business initiative that promotes the belief that giving back is good for business and good for Georgia. He earned an MBA from Emory University and BBA from Harding University.
Co-Founder & CEO, Life is Good
Bert is the co-founder of the $100 million lifestyle brand Life is Good. When he and his brother John started the company in 1994, they had $78 in their pockets, lived out of their van, and sold t-shirts on the streets of Boston. Was this their way of avoiding the “real world”? You betcha. Did it turn into something much bigger? Absolutely.
It has been 25 years since they sold their first t-shirt, but Bert and John champion the same mission: to spread the power of optimism. On their journey, they’ve been inspired by a vibrant community of resilient optimists—people from all walks of life who identify deeply with the brand and who constantly demonstrate the depth and meaning behind the three simple words “Life is Good.”
But here’s the thing: While Bert and John believe life is good, they also know life isn’t perfect, which is why Life is Good donates 10% of its annual net profits to the Life is Good Kids Foundation. Through its signature Playmaker Program, the Life is Good Kids Foundation helps over 1 million kids overcome the impact of poverty, violence, and illness each year. In making their company a fully integrated for-profit/ non-profit model, the brothers hope to use their business as a vehicle to do good in the world.
As the co-host of the Life is Good Ping Podcast, Bert interviews some of the world’s most influential thought leaders about using optimism as a practical way to overcome adversity and lead a fulfilling life—all over a game of ping pong. Naturally. Guests include Ringo Starr, Katie Couric, Scott Avett, and more.
Because of his unique perspective that ties rational optimism to business, Bert has been asked to share his transformative message at a wide range of corporate and thought leadership conferences including Inc 5000, Morgan Stanley, SAP Sapphire, Discover, and more. He and John have been featured in Forbes, NPR’s How I Built This, CNNMoney, CNBC’s Business Nation, ABC News’ Nightline, NBC’s The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Men’s Health Magazine, among others.
President & CEO, Greyston
Joe Kenner was named president and CEO of Greyston in April 2020. His innovative leadership, experience, and expertise in collaborating with diverse stakeholders ensures our ability to deliver the best services possible to our neighbors in Southwest Yonkers (NY).
Joe joined our executive team in 2018 as the vice president of programs and partnerships, responsible for directing Greyston Workforce Development and Community Wellness strategies and activities. Since then, Greyston has delivered millions of dollars in economic impact through job placements, and expanded employer and service provider relationships.
Kenner previously served as deputy commissioner at the Westchester County (NY) Department of Social Services, and spent 14 years in corporate America, working in insurance underwriting/risk management, capital markets, and sales strategy. He holds an MBA (financial management) from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business, is a graduate of Williams College (MA), and attended Oxford University (Exeter College). As leader of one of the country’s most well-known social enterprises, Joe frequently shares his expertise on purpose- driven business, and building a more inclusive economy through employment, workforce development, and social service. He also has been featured in a variety of media, including CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Forbes, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Quartz.
CEO, Scribe Media
JeVon McCormick was born the son of a black pimp father and a white orphan mother. Today, he’s the CEO of a multi-million dollar publishing company that was recently ranked the #1 Top Company Culture in America by Entrepreneur Magazine.
He’s made millions in the stock market (even though he didn’t go to college), he was the President of a software company (even though he can’t code) and he’s currently the CEO of a publishing company (even though he can’t spell).
JeVon is the President and CEO of Scribe Media, a publishing company that helps individuals from a variety of backgrounds write, publish, and market their books. Scribe Media has worked with more than 1700 authors, including members of The Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Nassim Taleb and David Goggins, whose blockbuster book Can’t Hurt Me has sold over 2 million copies.
In addition to his role at Scribe, JeVon is an author and highly sought after keynote speaker, delivering the message that “Everyone Has A Story” to enthusiastic audiences across the country. His book, I Got There: How a Mixed-Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty, and Abuse to Achieve the American Dream, tells the harrowing story of his struggle to succeed despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him.
JeVon is passionate about conscious entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for at-risk youth. He has mentored young men and women in the juvenile justice system, as well as those in lower economic communities.
JeVon currently serves as a board member for Conscious Capitalism and the StartEdUp Foundation. His story and work have been featured on CNBC, and in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Inc. magazines. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Megan, and their four children Ava, Jaxon, Elle and Jace.
Impact Entrepreneur, CEO, Investor and Former Chairman & CEO of Ashley Stewart
James Rhee is an impact investor, founder, CEO and educator who empowers people, brands and organizations to fulfill their true potential by marrying capital with purpose and truth across multiple systems. The acclaimed story of the remarkable transformation and re-imagination of Ashley Stewart, one of the country’s largest brands serving Black women, under his leadership as chairman, CEO and investor (2013-2020) has served as proof to millions of people, as well as the world’s leading businesses and organizations, that one can do better by being better. The reinvention of Ashley Stewart, which was facing almost certain liquidation in 2013, is proof of how trust and joy, grounded in math and amplified through digital excellence, can overcome impossible odds and fuel individual and enterprise-wide innovation. It is a tangible example of the power of diverse ecosystems, as well as a commentary on a potential way forward for achieving multi-stakeholder goals. At its core, it is also the story of an unlikely friendship between a son of Korean immigrants (who raised his hand to become the self-described “least qualified CEO”) and a predominantly Black female employee group who placed their mutual trust in each other, learned from one another, and then proceeded to quietly shock the world.
As a client of United Talent Agency, he is a frequent speaker on impact and ESG investing, multidimensional transformation, DEI operationalization through Kindness & Math™, principled leadership and the future co-existence of capitalism, humanism and technology. As a senior leader of two Boston-based private equity firms, Rhee helped manage billions of dollars of growth and distressed capital before ultimately founding FirePine Group, a platform that has stewarded the capital of some of the world’s most sophisticated investors.
Rhee is at the vanguard of making knowledge, opportunity and capital accessible to all. He holds appointments at both MIT Sloan School of Management and Duke Law School as a senior lecturer, where he teaches future leaders about organizational systems and deconstructed investment principles relating to money, life and joy. On March 31, 2021, Howard University announced that James would serve a three-year term as the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship, a Professor of Entrepreneurship and senior adviser to the newly endowed Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership, beginning with the 2021-22 academic year. Rhee is exploring the intersection of impact investing, ESG and financial literacy through a new venture called Red Helicopter.
Rhee connects seemingly disparate leaders and organizations that are unified in their goal to make investments and forge relationships that catalyze purposeful growth. He serves alongside global difference makers as an Advisory Council member of JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways, a member of the Governing Committee of the CEO Action for Racial Equity and a Board Director of Conscious Capitalism. He is also a former member of the board of the National Retail Federation, where he served as chairman of the Innovation Advisory Committee.
His inspirational story has been featured in media outlets such as the Good Business Issue of Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Harvard Business Review, Boston Globe, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Thrive Global, USA Today, Inc. Magazine, Forbes, Women’s Wear Daily, Morgan Stanley’s Access and Opportunity Podcast, ABC News, National Urban League’s State of Black America, and the Huffington Post.
Rhee is a regional winner of the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the winner of one of five 2016 Power Player Awards granted by the National Retail Federation, and the recipient of the 2017 Black Retail Action Group Business Achievement Award, the 2018 Temple Fox School of Business Information Technology Innovator Award, the 2018 Essex County Urban League Centennial William M. Ashby Award for community building and a 2019 One To World Fulbright Award.
Rhee received his A.B. with honors from Harvard College and his J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He lives outside Boston with his wife and three children. He is a former high school teacher. He is working on a book.
Founder & CEO, Fair Trade USA
Since launching the Fair Trade Certified™ label in 1998, Paul has helped establish Fair Trade as one of the fastest-growing segments of the food and apparel industries. To date, Fair Trade USA has partnered with over 1,400 leading companies, including Green Mountain, Nespresso, Whole Foods, Costco, Sam's Club, Kroger, Chobani and Target. Fair Trade USA now certifies coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, coconut, fresh produce and fish. Recently, through groundbreaking partnerships with Patagonia, Athleta, West Elm and J. Crew, Fair Trade has begun certifying apparel and home goods, improving the lives of factory workers.
In 2020 consumer recognition of the Fair Trade Certified label hit 63% and U.S. retail sales of Fair Trade products grew to $8 billion. As a result, to date, Fair Trade USA and its partners generated over $830 million in additional income for farmers and workers in 70 countries, allowing them to care for the environment and steadily improve their livelihoods.
Prior to founding Fair Trade USA, Paul worked for 11 years as a rural development specialist in the mountains of Nicaragua, where he founded and led the country's first Fair Trade, organic coffee export cooperative. Paul's rich, first-hand experience over the last 30 years in the fields of sustainable agriculture, grassroots economic development, global supply chain transparency and consumer activation is unique in the certification world. He is now a leading advocate of “impact sourcing” as a core strategy for both poverty alleviation and sustainable business.
Paul has been named Ethical Corporation’s 2019 Business Leader of the Year and is a four-time winner of Fast Company magazine’s Social Capitalist of the Year. Paul is also the recipient of the prestigious Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and has spoken at the World Economic Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, Skoll World Forum, TEDx and numerous universities and conferences around the world.
Chairman, Evolve
Mr. Shao is a co-founder and Chairman of Evolve, a philanthropic investment firm composed of a foundation, Evolve Foundation, and an impact investment firm, Evolve Ventures. With an initial capital of $100 million from the Shao family, Evolve aims to support organizations that relieve inner suffering and facilitate inner transformation.
Prior to Evolve, Mr. Shao was a founding partner of Matrix China, a leading technology venture capital firm in China, which manages over $7 billion dollars and has funded over 500 companies, 50 of which have become unicorns. Mr. Shao is also a serial entrepreneur and co-founded EachNet, BabyTree, NovaMed, Nuance Biotech, and Parent Lab. EachNet became the dominant consumer e-commerce company in China under his leadership and was acquired by eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) in 2003 in a landmark transaction. BabyTree (HKSE: 1761) was the leading parenting community in China with over 100 million monthly visitors.
Mr. Shao was born in China and was a winner of national mathematics competitions over a dozen times during high school. He left China when he was 17 years old for Harvard College on a full scholarship, one of the first such scholarships Harvard granted to a person from mainland China. After receiving a BA, summa cum laude, in physics and electrical engineering from Harvard College, he worked for the Boston Consulting Group and Goldman Sachs, and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Mr. Shao is a recognized young business leader in China and the recipient of awards in China and abroad, including Young Global Leaders 2005 of the World Economic Forum and Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 by Asian Venture Capital Journal.
CEO, J-Crew Group
Libby Wadle is the Chief Executive Officer of J.Crew Group, overseeing J.Crew and Madewell brands, as well as serving on the board of directors. She has a proven track record of leading companies through periods of significant growth with a focus on customer-centric retail and building purpose-driven brands.
With over 25-years of experience in the retail industry, during her tenure at the J.Crew Group, she has held executive leadership roles across each of the brands, J.Crew, Factory and, most recently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Madewell. As a member of the Madewell launch team, Wadle has been an integral part of the brand’s growth, bringing it from start-up to a leader in denim retail.
She has dedicated herself to ambitious sustainability and social impact strategy for the Group. She pioneered a partnership with Fair Trade USA partnership, working with them to certify their first denim product. Her commitment to sustainability and building responsible brands has been a key focus for her. This October Madewell launched its first sustainability report which detailed their work so far and plans for the future.
Wadle is often looked to as a thought leader in the industry. She was named Fortune 40 under 40, Rivet 50 for denim leadership and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. She graduated from Boston College with a degree in Literature and now lives in Brooklyn with her family and two dogs.
Founder & CEO, Bumble
Whitney Wolfe Herd is the Founder and CEO of Bumble, the parent company that operates Badoo and Bumble, two of the world’s highest-grossing dating apps with millions of users worldwide. Bumble has over 600 employees in offices in Austin, London, and Moscow.
In 2014, Wolfe Herd launched the Bumble app as the only connection platform where women make the first move and control the interaction. As the company has grown, Wolfe Herd has executed upon her vision of making Bumble the first social network where women make the first move to one that helps facilitate empowered connections across all areas of life. The company launched Bumble BFF in 2016 as a friend-finding feature and launched Bumble Bizz for professional networking in 2017. In January 2020, Wolfe Herd welcomed Blackstone as Bumble’s new majority owner with a shared vision of growth for Badoo and Bumble. In 2021, Wolfe Herd led Bumble’s IPO as the youngest woman CEO to ever take a company public. Prior to Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd co-founded Tinder, where she served as the Vice President of Marketing.
In 2018, Wolfe Herd was named to TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Forbes “30 Under 30” list, the Bloomberg 50 and InStyle’s 50 Women Who Are Changing the World. Wolfe Herd has been on the cover of Fast Company, Forbes and WIRED magazines. Currently, Wolfe Herd serves on the Board of Directors of Imagine Entertainment as well as the Executive Board at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, where she graduated with a degree in International Studies.
