Social Innovation Summit Jumpstarts Industry-Defining Initiatives and Partnerships in Los Angeles

The two-day event featured mainstage announcements from BlackRock, Cruise, Replate.org, PledgeLA, Justice Served Coffee, and more

NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Social Innovation Summit, an annual two-day flagship hosted by Landmark Ventures, concluded in Los Angeles on June 7 and served as the mainstage for several industry-defining initiatives and partnership announcements, such as leading autonomous vehicle company Cruise's first-of-its-kind partnership with Replate.org; investment management company BlackRock hitting $2 billion in savings for everyday Americans through its Emergency Savings Initiative; PledgeLA unveiled its ambitious new regional goal, called '50 in 5': in five years, 50% of all Los Angeles venture capital dollars will go to teams with women, Black, and Latinx founders; and artist, activist and author Halim Flowers launching his latest venture for giving back, Justice Served coffee, citing that the event's carefully curated attendee mix of social impact changemakers made it the perfect platform to launch new initiatives.

"Cruise for Good is proud to team up with Replate to launch a first-of-its-kind, driverless, all-electric food rescue initiative –– creating a sustainable cycle of food recovery that can scale as Cruise devotes a portion of our growing fleet to meet community needs everywhere we operate," Cruise's Director of Social Impact Amanda Lenaghan said. "Social Innovation Summit is all about making the types of cross-sector connections that lead to breakthroughs, and it was an honor to unveil this new partnership with the energetic audience."

The event also featured esteemed speakers, including will.i.am (Founder of FYI and i.am Angel Foundation); Steve Aoki (Grammy-Nominated DJ, Producer, Entrepreneur & Investor); Baratunde Thurston (Writer, Comedian & Activist); Kathy Carter (Chief Executive Officer for LA28); Jose Trevino (Managing Director, Forensics & Human Rights Co-Leader for KPMG US); Claire Chamberlain (Co-Head of Global Social Impact for BlackRock); Esther Speck (Senior Vice President, Global Sustainable Business & Impact for lululemon); Lauren Stovall (Head of Nonprofit Programs for Amazon Web Services); Dr. Marvin Carr (Director, Center of Racial Equity for Walmart); Zak Williams (Co-Founder & CEO of PYM) and many more.

The 2023 Social Innovation Summit Innovator of the Year was awarded to the Born This Way Foundation for its Be There Certificate, a free mental health resource created in partnership with Jack.org, that educates and empowers youth to recognize the signs of mental illness.  

The evolution of the Social Innovation Summit over the past 20 years has been essential as businesses and leaders continue to find ways to create impact. "It's our responsibility as business leaders not just to drive economic value but to leverage our leadership to effect change within our organizations and communities," said Landmark Ventures CEO and Social Innovation Summit Founder & Curator, Zeev Klein. "At Social Innovation Summit, we provide a platform for changemakers to build the connections that bring their ideas to life."

"The energy at Social Innovation Summit is terrific," said Guild's Chief People and Purpose Officer Dean Carter. "Whether you're passionate about equity or conservation, education or creating opportunity, you'll find the space to nurture that passion, and perhaps curate new ones, at SIS."

The 2023 Social Innovation Summit was produced with the support of its partners, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), KPMG, Comcast NBCUniversal, lululemon, BlackRock, AARP, Guild, UBS, Blackbaud, Horizon Therapeutics, Annenberg Foundation, Best Buy, Cruise, PwC, Caterpillar Foundation, Prison Fellowship, Blackstone, Lyft, Discovery Education, Citi, Walton Family Foundation, Liliʻuokalani Trust, Start-Up Nation Central, Deed, 18 Coffees, The Giving Back Fund, National Women's Law Center, and Upworthy.

For news and updates on future Social Innovation Summit events, visit the website. To continue to engage with Summit-related conversations, follow the event hashtag #SIS23 and the SIS social pages on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

About Social Innovation Summit 
Operating at the nexus of technology, philanthropy and business, Social Innovation Summit brings together the brightest minds – across industries, sectors and generations – to catalyze inspired partnerships that are disrupting social impact. Social Innovation Summit works diligently to curate and convene a social good community that is an influential and action-oriented agent for impact, and a unique platform in which the norm is challenged, the new is embraced and the unexpected is celebrated. For more information and for sponsorship inquiries, please visit socialinnovation.com.  

About Landmark Ventures 
With unparalleled market insights coupled with deep global perspectives and deal experience, Landmark Ventures convenes top executives through curated events of all sizes such as the Social Innovation Summit, provides targeted business advisory services to advance trusted relationships for its high-growth technology clients, and leads financial transactions through its in-house investment bank. Landmark has a particular focus on cross-border partnerships involving the U.S., Canada, Europe, China and Israel. To learn more, please visit landmarkventures.com.

Media Contact 
Elle Welch 
[email protected]
(423) 605-5553

SOURCE Social Innovation Summit