What does it take to design a corporate–nonprofit partnership that truly centers the community it serves, while also creating meaningful employee connection?

In this session, corporate impact leader and Army veteran Glenda Oakley Cook + Martha Laughman, CEO and Co-Founder of Gold Star Gamers share the story behind the Gold Star Gamers’ Cup, a purpose-driven partnership co-created with Gold Star Gamers to support children and families who have lost a loved one in military service. Rather than leading with scale or visibility, the partnership prioritized dignity, joy, and co-creation, resulting in an experience that resonated deeply with the community and strengthened employee engagement.

Using the Gold Star Gamers’ Cup as a case study, Glenda and Martha will walk attendees through how to move from purpose to partnership, how to co-design employee experiences with intention and precision, and how to build systems that make meaningful moments repeatable without losing authenticity.

This session offers a practical blueprint for building corporate–nonprofit partnerships that honor community voice, elevate nonprofit missions, and create employee experiences across cause areas and organizational contexts.

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to:

• Design partnerships with the community in mind: How to select nonprofit partners and co-create experiences that center dignity, trust, and lived experience
• Build moments that matter: How to design employee engagement experiences with intention—balancing impact, authenticity, and connection
• Navigate tradeoffs and tough decisions: Lessons learned, missteps along the way, and how to adapt without compromising values