Building Business Partnerships to Strengthen Our Future through Early Childhood Development (ECD)
Insights from the Center for Business Champions
The Center for Business Champions (CBC) at Childhood Education International is pleased to host a dynamic side event program on September 16, 2024, that aligns with the Summit of the Future during the United Nations General Assembly.
Building Business Partnerships to Strengthen Our Future through Early Childhood Development (ECD)
Insights from the Center for Business Champions
The event will showcase the pivotal role of the private sector in building a more sustainable world for a thriving future workforce. A panel of leaders from the business and ECD sectors will highlight real-world examples of effective partnerships that are advancing child wellbeing and ensuring that children’s education, healthcare, and protection build a skilled, productive workforce, now and in the future.
The event will feature a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and virtual participation and ensuring global accessibility for a diverse audience of stakeholders.
*This event has passed. Watch the recording here, or contact us for more information.
Attend In Person
Date: 16 September 2024
Time: 9:30am-12:30pm Eastern Time (New York)
Program:
9:30-10am – Coffee & Networking
10am-12pm – Panel Discussion
12-12:30pm – Conversation with the CBC
In-Person Location:
Scandinavia House, Volvo Hall, 2nd Floor
58 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Map Location
Distance from UNHQ: 0.7 miles (~17 min walk)
There is limited space at the in-person venue. Please RSVP using the link below, and we will email you with confirmation. If we reach capacity in the room, we will invite participants to attend virtually.
Attend Online
Date: 16 September 2024
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm Eastern Time (New York) / 14:00-16:00 UTC
Program:
10am-12pm – Panel Discussion
Location:
Zoom
Please RSVP using the link below to attend the event virtually.
Confirmed Speakers
Aaron Merchen
Senior Director of Policy & Programs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Aaron Merchen is Senior Director of Policy and Programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Mr. Merchen works on the Chamber Foundation’s early childhood education portfolio, leading efforts to educate policy makers, state and local chambers, and early education advocates on business’ role in early education to promote investments in the workforce of today and tomorrow.
Before joining the Chamber Foundation, Mr. Merchen worked at the National Association for the Education of Young Children as assistant director of federal policy. There he led the association’s engagement with Congress and efforts to elevate the voices and needs of the early childhood workforce during the COVID 19 pandemic. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and two sons.
Carmen Lica
Director of Step by Step Center for Education and Professional Development (CEDP) Romania; Co-Founder, ReadyNation Romania
Carmen Lica is the Director of Step by Step Center for Education and Professional Development (CEDP) Romania, an association founded in 1998, when she took over the Step by Step program from The Soros Foundation Romania. Since then, Ms. Lica and her team have continued to expand the Step by Step network of public preschools and schools that still promote the initial Step by Step values making a difference in over 500 000 children’s lives in these 25 years.
In 2016, Ms. Lica and several businesspeople founded ReadyNation Romania as part of ReadyNation International, a business network advocating for increased public and private investments in ECD in Romania. She also represented Centrul Step by Step in the American Chamber of Commerce, among Romanian Business Leaders, and in the ECD Working Group at the President’s Office.
Diane Whitehead
President & CEO, Childhood Education International
Diane Whitehead has dedicated her career to issues that affect the lives of children and families. She specializes in global education, children’s education and learning, the human right to education, nonprofit leadership, management, strategic direction-setting, and program development.
Ms. Whitehead is the creator of Education Diplomacy and co-author of the Education Diplomacy Professional Standards. She also co-authored the International Principles of Practice for Educators to guide and inspire practitioners and to elevate the education profession by highlighting the incredible service that educators provide to both international and human development. Ms. Whitehead has spent her career advocating for improved economic outcomes and social change that promotes equity and social justice.
Godwin Othieno
Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Goldstone Consulting
Godwin Othieno is a seasoned development professional and business champion for ECD, with 22 years combined experience in the public, private and, development sector. He is currently the Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Goldstone Consulting, a regional multi-sectoral firm that aims at alleviating poverty through enterprise development. Goldstone Consulting is based in Kampala, Uganda, with a presence in Tanzania and Malawi.
Mr. Othieno has previously worked with Private Sector Foundation Uganda and UNICEF Uganda. His expertise lies in crafting and implementing private sector solutions to drive social change. He has practical experience in advocating for business leaders to invest in early childhood development and in engaging companies to adopt child friendly corporate behavior
Sara Watson
Director of the Center for Business Champions at Childhood Education International
Dr. Sara Watson is Director of CE International’s Center for Business Champions. She founded and was the National and then Global Director of ReadyNation/ReadyNation International, designing, fundraising for, and leading the joint organization for 14 years. Her hands-on work included personally persuading more than a thousand executives to join campaigns for early childhood investments, and supporting them to take action.
Dr. Watson led the organization of more than a dozen national (U.S.) and two Global Business Summits on Early Childhood and the first European Business Forum on Early Childhood for audiences of business executives. She also co-chaired ECDAN’s Advocacy Task Force in 2016-2018.
Jim Spurlino
CEO, Spurlino Materials
Jim Spurlino is the founder of Spurlino Materials, a nationally recognized supplier of construction materials – he will tell you more about that. For more than a decade, he has been active on early childhood issues. He has served on the board of directors for several national and state organizations supporting early childhood and been an advocate for policy change at the state level in Ohio and working with the U.S. Congress through ReadyNation.
Mr. Spurlino has also been a candidate for U.S. Congress and has written two books, Business Bullesye, a book about business leadership, and Losing our Elections: What I learned Running for Congress.
Victor Graça
Superintendent,Fundação Abrinq
With more than 25 years of experience in the social sector, Victor Graça is the Superintendent at Fundação Abrinq, a leading nonprofit organization that advocates for and promotes the rights and well-being of children and adolescents in Brazil. As the Superintendent, he oversees the strategic planning, fundraising, partnership development, and program implementation of Fundação Abrinq, working with a diverse and dedicated team of professionals and volunteers.
Mr. Graça has a certification in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) from Exame Academy, and a degree in Publicity from Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. He is skilled in corporate social responsibility, corporate communications, and social responsibility, and he is passionate about creating positive social impact and empowering the next generation of leaders and citizens.
Event Outcomes
Attendees will walk away with practical advice on how to design, start, and sustain a network of business-ECD champions in any country, shared by an expert who has created such a network and helped other leaders do so. They will gain:
- Understanding how partnerships between business leaders and childhood development experts have transformative potential for society and future workforce.
- Practical steps and strategies for fostering and scaling similar partnerships in a variety of social, economic, and cultural contexts.
- Greater insight into the value of integrating early childhood initiatives into corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development agendas.
- New connections among attendees, fostering a global network committed to advancing ECD through innovative partnerships with business.
Questions
Please contact Yvette Murphy, Senior Technical Advisor for Global Education at CE International, at ymurphy@ceinternational1892.org with any questions.