On September 9th, I had the chance to step into the Veronica Beard store on Madison Avenue for their VB Gives Back event with Delivering Good. It was one of those rare nights where fashion, philanthropy, and authenticity came together in a meaningful way.
The energy in the room was inspiring — not because of the space itself, but because of the people. A mix of leaders, founders, and changemakers all gathered to talk about how retail can be more than product — it can be purpose.
Conversations that Stuck with Me
The panel was led by Allie Egan, CEO of Veracity, and Lindsey Coffey, Miss Earth, and what struck me was how real they kept the conversation.
"For me, it's been the most giving is trying to... find what parts of giving back really actually help fill my cup, because then it's easier to make time for that kind of stuff."
"When you're deciding to even give your time to a certain cause or a platform, how do you continue to have that balance and choose which causes you're going to support now, which cause later, that align with those values and how you want to see yourself as a person."
As someone who spends my days thinking about what happens to excess inventory and returns, hearing these reflections hit close to home.
The People in the Room
Another highlight for me was the people I connected with in the audience. I had the chance to meet the CEO of Delivering Good, along with leaders from Another Tomorrow, Skip Returns, and Alternew — each approaching sustainability and retail from a different angle.
That kind of cross-pollination is rare. It felt like a community of people who might normally sit in separate silos — luxury fashion, returns management, circular services — all speaking the same language for one evening.
Shared Purpose
At the end of the night, it wasn’t just about Veronica Beard’s collection or the panel discussion. It was about the shared understanding in the room: that authenticity isn’t something you can fake.
You either build it into your DNA as a brand, or you don’t have it at all.
And gatherings like this — where conversation and action line up — remind me why I’m so committed to building systems that help retailers live their values, not just talk about.
