As brands navigate shifting consumer expectations and increasing sustainability accountability, trust, transparency, and measurable impact have become essential to effective partnerships. Yet many partnerships still struggle when funding is tied too tightly to specific projects—or when consumer priorities change faster than impact strategies can adapt.

Hilary Franz, CEO of American Forests, Michelle Waring, Steward for Sustainability and Everyday Good at Tom’s of Maine; and Ben Rushakoff, Senior Director of Restoration Partnerships & Innovation at American Forests will share how a purpose-aligned, mission-level partnership model is driving both credible impact and deeper consumer engagement. Speakers will walk through how embedding purpose into business strategy enabled the partnership to move beyond project-by-project funding toward a more flexible, mission-level approach, creating space for stronger collaboration, more authentic storytelling, and greater responsiveness to community and landscape needs. The session will also explore how both organizations are approaching transparency and impact measurement in more sophisticated ways, including addressing challenges around non-project-specific funding, evolving data expectations, and the limits of traditional climate models.

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to:

• Design purpose-driven partnerships that balance transparency, science-based measurement, and compelling storytelling
• Navigate impact reporting challenges when funding isn’t tied to a single project
• Invest in the right tools and frameworks to measure, communicate, and activate climate impact
• Build multi-year, mission-level partnerships that deepen consumer engagement while delivering credible, long-term climate benefits