Discover how digital commerce can fuel social impact and boost business growth—insights from industry leaders at Forte DGTL and Procure Impact.
Did you know that 72% of B2B buyers prefer purchasing from socially responsible brands? For companies like Procure Impact—that raised $4.65M and boasts a 60% repeat customer rate, nearly double the industry average—integrating purpose with commerce has proven to drive both loyalty and growth.
At Forte DGTL, we recently hosted a round table discussion featuring Lauren McCann, CEO of Procure Impact, and our own CEO, Nadiya Kreynin, to explore how digital commerce can become a powerful tool for social good.
Lauren McCann is a social impact leader and co-founder of Procure Impact, a purpose-driven B2B marketplace connecting companies with products made by individuals facing barriers to employment. With thousands of products from categories like food, furniture, and art, Procure Impact is transforming everyday purchases into meaningful social impact. Lauren’s insights stem from her experience in philanthropy, where she directed large-scale poverty alleviation initiatives, and her personal journey of empowering people through work opportunities.
As CEO of Forte DGTL, Nadiya Kreynin brings a wealth of expertise in driving digital commerce transformations for B2B clients across industries. Forte DGTL, a leading Salesforce Commerce implementation partner, empowers companies to optimize business processes, enhance customer experience, and integrate social impact into their core operations. Nadiya is a trailblazer in tech and business, leading one of the most prominent women-owned companies in the digital transformation space. Her experience in fostering seamless digital solutions gives her a unique perspective on how technology can fuel social impact and growth.
As CTO of Forte DGTL, Alex Kolesnichenko brings over 20 years of expertise in digital commerce and consulting. He has overseen hundreds of successful B2B Commerce implementations, helping companies leverage Salesforce to streamline operations, boost revenue, and create impactful customer experiences. With a deep understanding of technology’s role in social responsibility, Alex guided the discussion with his insights on practical, scalable digital strategies for social enterprises.
Here are some of the top insights shared during the event.
Lauren McCann shared the journey of Procure Impact and her inspiration for creating a B2B marketplace that empowers individuals with barriers to employment. Lauren emphasized that connecting socially responsible businesses with corporate buyers allows every purchase to become a force for good, saying,
“I realized this huge opportunity to unleash their [enterprises that are employing people with barriers to work] impact by connecting them to corporate buyers who were looking for ways to align their purchasing power and social impact.”
The discussion then turned to the role of technology in enabling social impact at scale. Nadiya Kreynin, CEO of Forte DGTL, highlighted how technology can help businesses turn their values into actionable, measurable outcomes. Nadiya described how seamless digital experiences encourage engagement, simplify processes, and strengthen a company’s reputation.
“It’s a perfect blend of cause and commerce when technology becomes an enabler for real-world change,” Nadiya noted.
Lauren delved into the concept of “impact hours”—a unique feature of Procure Impact’s platform that quantifies social impact in real-time. Each purchase through the platform directly translates into shift hours for individuals who face employment barriers. This measurable impact has not only attracted customers but has also helped corporations reach their own social responsibility goals.
“In just eight months, we got twenty-three companies to commit to goals that equate to over one hundred thousand hours of work and over seven point three million in revenue that they've pledged through our platform,” Lauren shared.
Many social enterprises and nonprofits operate with constrained resources, which often limits their ability to pursue full-scale digital transformation. Alex Kolesnichenko, Forte DGTL’s CTO, shared practical advice on approaching digital transformation with a phased, strategic approach.
“It’s all about timing,” Alex explained. “You can take a phased approach, benefit from our accelerators to start this full-scale transformation on the Salesforce platform that will go further once it’s ready.”
The session closed with a discussion on the power of partnerships. Lauren reflected on Procure Impact’s collaboration with Forte DGTL, expressing gratitude for the support and expertise brought by Forte’s team.
“I felt like all of a sudden we gained, like, fifteen people on our team with the expertise we needed to tackle this big project at the time we were scaling and building in more customers and more complexity to our business,” Lauren said.
These highlights offer a glimpse into the insights shared during our round table, but there’s much more to explore. To hear the full discussion and gain deeper insights into how digital commerce can drive social impact, watch the event recording on demand here: The Power of Commerce to Uplift Underserved Communities.
If you’re exploring ways to harness digital commerce for social good, our team at Forte DGTL is here to help. Connect with our CTO, Alex Kolesnichenko, to discuss strategies tailored to your company’s goals and make meaningful impact possible.