Social Impact and Sustainability Professionals at a Crossroads: Profiles and Practical Steps to Build Workforce Resilience

July 10, 2026

Authors

Jen Stark

Director, Human Rights and Inclusive Business, BSR
Jen Stark

Director, Human Rights and Inclusive Business, BSR

New York

Jen serves as a director for BSR's Inclusive Business practice.

She is a strategy development and implementation expert at complex health and humanitarian organizations with 20+ years of experience. At BSR, she relaunched the Inclusive Business practice to meet the needs of companies navigating shifting regulation, policy, and litigation, alongside evolving business needs in the U.S. and around the globe.

Prior to joining BSR, Jen directed investments at the Tara Health Foundation to advance gender and racial equity through the private sector, including historic progress on paid family and medical leave, reproductive health, and other workplace protections. Before working in philanthropy, she founded the corporate relations program at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She also managed the disaster fundraising team at the American Red Cross, coordinating large scale efforts to responsibly raise and deploy hundreds of millions of dollars. She is frequently cited in business press on flashpoint topics and is an advisor to Gauge.ai, the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute, and GoFundMe’s Compassion Leadership Network. 

Jen holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is based in the greater Boston area with her family, where she also plays cello in a community orchestra.

Recent Insights From Jen Stark

Social Impact and Sustainability Professionals at a Crossroads: Profiles and Practical Steps to Build Workforce Resilience / July 10, 2026 / Reports

Reproductive Healthcare Access, Barriers, and Safeguards / January 21, 2026 / Reports

Reproductive and LGBTIQ+ Health Access / June 24, 2025 / Reports

Beyond International Women’s Day: Enduring Actions for Global Business in a Turbulent Time / March 5, 2025 / Blog

Six Actions for Business in 2025 Post-Roe America / January 16, 2025 / Blog

Full Bio
Alisha Thompson

Former Manager, Human Rights and Inclusive Business, BSR

Companies are navigating an operating environment defined by evolving global regulation, geopolitical uncertainty, and changing business priorities. As companies adapt, corporate social impact and sustainability professionals are playing an increasingly strategic role in sustaining business initiatives by anticipating emerging risks and responding to ongoing change.

BSR's latest research suggests that the effectiveness of these functions depends not only on individual expertise, but also on the organizational conditions that enable the work. Through four practitioner profiles, the findings examine how professionals experience their roles based on their ability to influence decisions, the organizational support available to them, and the demands placed on their work, providing insight into how companies can strengthen workforce and organizational resilience.

Drawing on quantitative and qualitative research from corporate professionals across global regions, the report provides actionable recommendations for companies to equip their social impact and sustainability professionals to succeed in their roles and position them to navigate an evolving business landscape.

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