The Social Impact Panel, featuring Eric Coleman, Stacy Bruce, and Derek Alley
Community describes a group of people that live in the same place or share similar characteristics. Every community is different, but one commonly shared theme is how businesses can impact their respective communities. Corporate philanthropy can spure great societal impact. But what causes are companies giving back to the communities they operate in and why?
On today’s special episode of the Deconstruction podcast series, host Gabrielle Bejarano chats with social impact panel guests Derek Alley, CEO of VCC, Stacy Bruce, President and Executive Director, Variety at the Children’s Charity of Texas, and Eric Coleman, Dallas Fort-Worth Regional Superintendent, KIPP DFW. The four examine:
- How large companies like VCC can give back to the community where they operate
- Why VCC has chosen Variety and KIPP DFW as two organizations to create social impact
- What particular missions drive Variety and KIPP DFW to continue serving the community
“Regardless of what industry you’re in, community drives everything in our world and if you’re not an active participant in that…I think you’re missing a great opportunity to not only fulfill a deeper mission but also, you know, do real good that can be very much aligned with your corporate goals,” said Alley.
As the CEO of VCC, Alley has worked to help grow the company for the past fourteen years. Prior to his role with VCC, Alley worked as an Analyst for companies such as BlackRock and DeutscheBank. Alley earned his B.S. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.
Stacy Bruce has been an active advocate within the child welfare system for over 25 years. She has served in various roles which include experiences in the direct delivery of services and administrative and agency leadership roles. Bruce is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Psychology and a MS in Social Work.
Coleman has worked for KIPP DFW for over twelve years. As the Head of Schools, Coleman works to encourage underserved youth and empower development in education. Coleman is a graduate of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge with a BS in Mathematics.
