2021 Development Conference Agenda

December 7, 2021

  12:15 p.m.
Registration and Networking (Snacks provided)
  12:45 p.m.
Opening Remarks
 

1:00 p.m.
Keynote Speaker
Samantha Power, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
  1:30 p.m.
Congressional Keynote Speaker
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) – Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Development

1:45 p.m.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility – Moving Beyond the Rhetoric
President Biden and his Cabinet have reinforced the significance of DEIA issues in their policies, pronouncements, federal hiring initiatives and Executive Orders to an extent not seen in prior administrations. CIDC members have been equally focused on these issues at both the company and community level. Our panel will address how the Department of State, USAID, and the implementing partner community are approaching the myriad aspects of DEIA implementation in the development community.

  • Moderator: Sue Chodakewitz, CEO, Nathan
  • Erin Brown, Interim Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Coordinator, Office of the Administrator, USAID
  • Shiro Gnanaselvam, CEO, Social Impact 
  • Indira Ahluwalia, Founder and President, KAUR Strategies and Founder/Chair of the REE Task Force
  • Roman Napoli, Policy Director, U.S. Office of Foreign Assistance, U.S. Department of State
 

2:45 p.m. 
Networking Break
  3:00 p.m.
Scaling Private Sector Engagement to Ensure Sustainable International Development
USAID increasingly seeks to leverage private sector engagement as the only way to catalyse the investment, know-how and access to markets and services required to meet the daunting social and environmental challenges facing developing economies. Meanwhile, corporations are making increasingly bold commitments to sustainable development goals and mitigating climate change but find it challenging to structure and finance inclusive and people centric approaches that can unlock capital and achieve the needed scale. Despite many pilot partnerships, very few have been able to continue with commercial financing and scale to achieve the needed scale and replication effect needed to “move the needle”. This panel will provide an interchange of perspectives on how these types of partnerships can meet development and business objectives, while also better integrating community partners. Leading practitioners from corporate sustainability and USAID private sector engagement will be joined by a leading academic who has been instrumental in developing an Inclusive Growth Framework. They will share experiences on how to align around shared objectives in building new collaborative and transformative business models. achieve measurable business, social and environmental results. 
 
  • Moderator: Eduardo Tugendhat, Director, Thought Leadership, Palladium 
  • Robert Kaplan, Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development, Emeritus, Harvard Business School
  • Annie Kneedler, VP Corporate Sustainability, Cargill
  • Lisa Manley, VP, Sustainability, Mars
  • Michael Metzler, PSE Director, USAID
  4:00 p.m.
Networking Break
 

4:10 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
  4:25 p.m.

Views from the Hill: Congress and International Development
Congressional oversight and funding of international development has waxed and waned over the years. The Biden administration signaled its intent to reverse recent lower budget requests for foreign operations at both the State Department and USAID with a robust request. However, pressures from an evenly divided Senate and narrow majority in the House, coupled with domestic economic and foreign policy disagreements are beginning to make themselves felt. Our panel will examine what options are available for the White House as it seeks to navigate these increasingly turbulent political waters.

  • Moderator: Paul Foldi, Vice President, International Development Affairs, PSC
  • Les Munson, Principal, International Practice, BGR Group
  • Kate Eltrich, President, KAE Strategic, LLC
  4:55 p.m.
Wrap Up & Adjourn
  5-6 p.m. 
Networking Reception