Center for Social Innovation

Published: November 03, 2010 Download  46 minutes, 21.5mb, recorded 2010-04-29

Social enterprise is often strengthened by cross-sector collaboration. In this university podcast, panelists talk about how two organizations have turned the “buy local” motto into an evolving partnership that is making NGO and corporate cooperation in the supply chain arena work for both parties. Executive Director Diane Del Signore shares how Community Alliance with Family Farmers advocates for California farmers, helps them to become more organic, and finds markets for their food. VP Maisie Greenwalt explains how Bon Appétit Management Company buys that produce for use in its catering operations serving institutional settings. The panel was part of the fourth annual Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chain Conference hosted by the Global Supply Chain Management Forum and the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Diane Del Signore is the executive director of Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), the oldest and largest NGO advocating for family farmers and sustainable agriculture in the state of California. CAFF has pioneered many initiatives that have changed the face of farming and agriculture in the state through innovation and advocacy in the field (working directly with farmers to implement environmentally sound management practices), the market, the classroom, and the statehouse. To make local food more available to California consumers, the 30-year-old group launched a growers’ collaborative that has opened new markets for small farmers. Del Signore had a career in technology management before discovering her passion for food and agriculture. She holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Maisie Greenwalt is vice president of Bon Appétit Management Company. Greenwalt got her first restaurant job at 14, attended the Cornell Hotel School, and worked for several chains before coming to Bon Appétit Management Company. At Bon Appétit, Greenwalt oversees communications, culinary development, purchasing, and marketing. Her job includes shepherding the strategic initiative she was instrumental in creating — for Bon Appétit to be known as the most socially responsible company in the food service industry. Some of the issues Greenwalt has tackled include local purchasing, the overuse of antibiotics, sustainable seafood, cage-free eggs, food and climate change, and the plight of farm workers in the United States.

Kevin O’Marah is group vice president, supply chain research for AMR Research. During his 10 years with the firm, O’Marah has worked with hundreds of companies on manufacturing, product lifecycle management, and supply chain strategy. O’Marah launched AMR’s PLM practice, and is a seminal author on PLM, having been included in more than 100 articles defining the application’s footprint, business impact, and market dynamics. Prior to joining AMR Research, O’Marah worked on supply chain projects in a variety of industries including telecommunications, semiconductors, and chemicals. Previously, O’Marah worked at Oracle Corporation, Gemini Consulting (now part of Ernst & Young), Mercer Consulting in London, and Company Assistance Limited in Warsaw. He is a graduate of Boston College, Oxford University, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Resources

• Bon Appetit Management Company
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers
• Cultivating the Green Consumer, a Stanford Social Innovation Review article
• The Power of Strategic Mission Investing, a Stanford Social Innovation Review article