Social impact technology leaders Monoswita Saha (Kyndryl) and Stav Kashi (Deed) talk about employee engagement, ESG regulations, and more.

Introduction

As the world increasingly looks to businesses to lead in social and environmental change, Kyndryl stands out as a global leader in corporate responsibility. Renowned for its innovative and impactful initiatives, Kyndryl exemplifies how modern companies—and even legacy brands seeking to modernize their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies—can make a meaningful difference.

What sets Kyndryl apart? How can other companies emulate their success in creating a positive impact?

In an insightful discussion, Kyndryl’s Monoswita Saha and Deed’s Layle-Stav Kashi delve into the four cornerstones of responsible business:

• Prioritizing social impact: Ensuring that business operations benefit society at large.
• Leading on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG): Staying ahead of U.S. and E.U. regulations.
• Authentic, tangible approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB): Making DEIB a core business strategy.
• Employee engagement in workplace giving and volunteering: Fostering a culture of generosity and involvement.

Saha and Kashi recently took the virtual stage at Good Tech Fest to share their thoughts on these and a number of other related questions. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

In conversation: Monoswita Saha and Layle-Stav Kashi

Layle-Stav Kashi (SK): Welcome to our session on technology for global good, CSR outcomes, and enterprise companies, where we'll discuss what to expect after implementing social impact software. We'll start with short introductions and then dive into a conversation between myself and Monoswita. My name is Layle-Stav Kashi, and I'm the VP of Product. I've been with the company for over five years, leading our product and design team in the social impact space. I'm excited to discuss how we can use tech for social good with one of our amazing partners, Monoswita from Kyndryl, who has been doing incredible work leading their social impact program. Without further ado, I'll hand it over to you, Monoswita.

Monoswita Saha (MS): Thanks, Stav. I'm thrilled to be here. My name is Monoswita Saha, and I lead global employee engagement for social impact at Kyndryl. I also advise the Kyndryl Foundation. A little bit about Kyndryl: it's the world's largest provider of IT infrastructure services and is a relatively new company, having spun off from IBM to become an independent public company in November 2021. Thank you for having me.

LSK: Let's start with technology for good. Just to give a brief overview, we are a social impact platform in the corporate social responsibility space, partnering with amazing companies like Kyndryl to engage employees in volunteering and giving programs. So, what is Kyndryl's approach to social impact?

MS: Great question. Kyndryl is a purpose-driven, people-centric company, and social impact is embedded in our culture. For example, within a week of Kyndryl going public, we launched an employee survey to learn about our employees' social impact priorities. This feedback shaped our social impact strategy, focusing on climate action, future-forward education, and an inclusive economy. On our first anniversary, we launched a volunteer time-off policy to celebrate. On our second anniversary, we launched volunteer certificates with Deed. These initiatives reflect our commitment to keeping social impact central to our culture. We also customize our strategy to ensure it is locally relevant, which helps us achieve the greatest impact.

LSK: That's amazing. I know Kyndryl also started its own foundation. Could you share a bit about the foundation and your role there?

MS: Sure. The foundation is another example of our commitment to social impact. I played a critical role in launching the foundation within two years, which is quite unique. Most companies don't launch foundations so early, but we believed it was the right move to show our commitment to our communities. I continue to lead the foundation's operations, strategy, and advise our board on investments. Our foundation aims to make tangible impacts in the communities where Kyndryl operates.

LSK: What advice would you give to companies considering launching their own foundation or have already done so?

MS: My advice is to ensure that the mission and values of the foundation are authentic to the company's culture and DNA. This authenticity contributes to the foundation's longevity and sustainability. It's also crucial to build strong buy-in from senior leaders. Our foundation board consists of our senior leaders who have a vested interest in its success. Spending time articulating the mission, values, and approach carefully is essential for a successful foundation.

LSK: Thank you. Leading to my next question, what excites you about social impact technology?

MS: That's an interesting question. I'd love to hear your thoughts first on what you mean by social impact technology.

LSK:  Thank you. By social impact technology, I mean how technology can be used for good and how companies can activate around their social impact programs using tech.

How does Kyndryl view technology in this context, and how can it empower companies to do more good?

MS: As a technology services company, Kyndryl acknowledges that technology has a significant energy footprint. We focus on using technology for sustainability and ESG. For example, we partnered with Microsoft on the Sustainability Barometer project, which revealed that while 80% of companies see technology as critical to their sustainability goals, far fewer use it effectively. Technologies like AI can be energy-intensive, but they also offer predictive capabilities for managing energy use and planning for the future. We also focus on modernizing data management systems to set accurate baselines for future planning. In summary, technology can provide insights and tools for progressive and positive impact.

LSK: Kyndryl has done impressive work with technology. How have you leveraged technology for your social impact programs, specifically with Deed software?

MS: Without a partner like Deed, it would be challenging to bring together our global workforce. Deed's platform is essential for hosting campaigns, communicating, building communities, and leveraging data to inform future decisions. It allows us to engage employees at individual, community, and country levels, making our CSR initiatives more effective. The platform also enables us to run competitive and fun incentives, which we can discuss more later.

LSK: Kyndryl is a very global company with employees all over the world. What have you learned about coordinating various local efforts towards a shared goal?

MS: Being authentic and understanding what our employees care about is crucial. Our three pillars—climate action, future-forward education, and an inclusive economy—are customized to local markets. For example, in Latin America, we partnered with United Way to focus on STEM skills workshops for students, reaching 3,000 students and teachers across seven countries. In India, we committed to training 100,000 rural and remote women in cyber skills over three years. These examples show how we tailor our global strategy to local needs, ensuring relevance and impact.

LSK:  And I think you also do it really well because what you're touching upon is that being global doesn't mean creating one solution for everyone. It's about understanding that every location can have its own needs and adapting towards that through inclusivity. At Deed, we try to ensure that our platform is both global in scope but local at heart through features that encourage community-building. But I also really appreciate Kyndryl’s approach there. Could you tell me more about your approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and how that ties into your work?

MS: Absolutely. I mentioned those two initiatives as examples. When it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, it's also highly individual. We invest heavily in profiling and celebrating individual commitments. For example, we just launched a volunteer profiling series where we highlight individual volunteers for their community work, both internally and externally. This approach acknowledges that employee priorities in the community are also our priorities as a company. 

At the same time, we work closely with our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which we call "Kins" at Kyndryl. In our first year, a major focus was integrating our Kins into their communities so they could highlight the organizations and causes they cared about. This empowerment and enablement were key steps. We recently closed our first global Kin competition, where Kins who met a certain threshold of volunteer hours won grants for the organizations of their choice. We also profiled them at the end of the year. 

For us, it has to be employee-centric and authentic. We are intentional about spotlighting individual and community efforts because they reflect the diversity and priorities of our company. It's been amazing to see the engagement in Kin communities on Deed, and we love supporting that.

LSK:  Another topic I wanted to discuss is how Kyndryl balances commemorative months with unpredictable crises and urgent disaster relief.

MS: This is really challenging and becoming increasingly tough. Unfortunately, it feels like there's a crisis every week. It's hard to find the right balance and tone to show empathy without losing the message or our employees' focus. One of our main barometers is whether we have a presence in the affected area. This determines if we respond at the company, country, or global level. It's not a perfect system, but it's a starting point.

I'd love to hear how Deed approaches this challenge, as it must be something you've had to address quickly for your clients.

LSK: Definitely. It's a challenge, and the way people respond to disaster relief is evolving. On Deed, we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to set up campaigns quickly, and now our users can usually do so in minutes. Also, last year, we launched a new module called Actions, which are bite-sized ways of giving back. This has provided a more diverse way to react to crises. We're also very proactive in identifying the first nonprofits to respond effectively. This quick sourcing helps our partners react swiftly.

The balance depends on each company, but having tools to activate around commemorative months and create quick-response campaigns is crucial. There's no one-size-fits-all method. People want to send money directly to nonprofits, so we have a direct model for instantaneous donations, which is a great advantage for disaster relief.

MS:I must commend your nonprofit list. Even if we don't launch a company-wide response, employees often reach out proactively, and having those resources ready is helpful. Deed's own campaigns for disaster relief also provide a useful option, eliminating the need to create new campaigns for every disaster. Thank you for your kind words.

LSK: I'll jump into our last question before the Q&A. Both Kyndryl and Deed are young companies. What has that journey been like for you?

MS: It's been fun and interesting. I love a blank canvas and new opportunities. With Deed, we found a partner willing to experiment, innovate, and move quickly. For example, in our first year, we launched a global competition to register employees on Deed, achieving 25% registration in under eight months. This wouldn't have been possible without the data capabilities Deed provided.

In our second year, we focused on engagement. We launched the Kin competition and worked closely with Deed to enhance the community features. Deed's willingness to adapt and support our timelines has been invaluable. Our collaboration has felt like a true partnership, leading to significant engagement and impact.

LSK: If there are no more questions, could you share your goals for the rest of 2024 regarding your social impact programs?

MS: We're still a young company, but we've built solid foundational blocks with our social impact partner and critical programs. Now, we're thinking strategically about what works, what needs to evolve, and the impact we want to make. Our focus includes cybersecurity workforce development and nonprofit resiliency through our Kyndryl Foundation.

We'll continue to deepen our engagement and increase volunteer hours, reflecting our community impact. We're looking at scaling successful partnerships globally, particularly in regions with similar challenges. As we finalize our plans, we'll continue to prioritize skills development and innovative partnerships.

LSK: How do you see social impact evolving in the next 10 years, or maybe five years?

MS: One major trend is the increasing regulation around ESG, making social impact programs more mandatory. Companies will focus more on reporting capabilities and strategic social impact initiatives. With globalization, there will be a need for more localized and inclusive programs.

We also foresee more cross-collaboration between employees within companies and between different companies. This collaboration can lead to greater impact and resource sharing.

Social impact is becoming an integral part of business strategy, driven by employee expectations and ethical considerations. This focus leads to coordinated efforts and greater resources behind impactful initiatives. We also see the importance of engaging the broader community, including consumers, in social impact efforts. This trend will likely continue, promoting inclusivity and adaptability in social impact programs.

LSK: Thanks for those insights. I also think regulations will rise, requiring companies to meet strict sustainability and social standards. This will ensure businesses operate responsibly. We'll see more localization, with global companies providing tailored, inclusive solutions to employees based on location.

Transparency will become a cornerstone, with companies openly sharing their ethical supply chain practices and social impact initiatives. Green technology will continue to advance, helping companies reduce their environmental footprints. As Monoswita mentioned, this is crucial for sustainability.

We'll witness more cross-collaboration between companies on social impact programs, enhancing their effectiveness. Social impact strategies will become more innovative beyond traditional methods like donations and volunteer events. A bottom-up approach will democratize social impact, allowing employees at all levels to contribute to these efforts.

I see CSR becoming even more essential for employee engagement and retention. Employees will increasingly seek employers whose values align with their own, making strong CSR programs a critical aspect of business strategy. Overall, social impact will have an even greater role in the coming years.

Key Deed features for Kyndryl

Global Reach

At Deed, we pride ourselves on maintaining a global reach but always with a local sensibility. With a presence in over 170 countries, 37 currencies, 12 languages, and with over two million nonprofits available on the platform—and more of everything often available upon request—we help employees around the world make a meaningful impact anywhere and anyway they want to.   

Actions

Unplugging electronics. Switching to fair-trade coffee. Using inclusive language in the workplace. No matter how small, your employees’ good deeds all count toward your environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals. It’s time to encourage and reward small acts of kindness. 

User Experience 

Our design team devotes significant time and energy to making the platform as smooth and enjoyable as possible. From building out personal profiles with nonprofit affiliations and top cause areas, to helpful features like pledging and “Nominate a Nonprofit,” Deed is meant to make doing good as fun as it is meaningful.  

Website and Native App

Accessible, inclusive technology is a must-have when it comes to building authentic communities within a global team. Aside from our own native app, available online and on iOS/Android, Deed integrates seamlessly with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and other communications platforms to make sharing meaningful ideas and experiences a part of every day life. 

Data and Reporting 

Deed offers CSR program leads a wide range of self-service capabilities, many of which can be tailored to meet unique business needs. These include intuitive reporting and real-time dashboards, all accessible through one system by using the same login information. 

Vast Library of Nonprofits and Opportunities

Employees can browse over two million nonprofit organizations, offering countless opportunities  to share their time, money, and talent anywhere. Deed works with industry leaders like Goodera, VolunteerMatch, (coming soon) Idealist and Points of Light, and more to curate tailored feeds and experiences for our partners as well. But we never sacrifice quality for quantity. Our library is backed by our robust payment infrastructure, marked by our premiere partnership PayPal Giving Fund and other trusted names. Together, with daily screening cycles, we deliver the highest payment success rate and the most rigorous vetting process in the industry.

Communities

Communities is your new virtual home for employee resource groups (ERGs). Kyndryl uses Communities for all their KINs’ volunteering, fundraising, and social events management. Communities is as easy to use from the employee perspective as it is insightful for program leaders. 

How can social impact be integral to business strategy? 

Kyndryl exemplifies how modern companies can seamlessly integrate social impact into their core strategies. Through prioritizing individual employee commitments, fostering authentic diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), and leading proactive environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives, Kyndryl demonstrates the power of a people-centric approach. Their partnership with Deed showcases how collaborative efforts can enhance engagement, drive innovation, and respond swiftly to global crises. As Kyndryl continues to build on its foundational blocks and scale its impactful programs globally, other organizations can learn from their journey. 

By adopting flexible, localized, and strategic social impact initiatives, companies can not only comply with evolving regulations but also create lasting, positive change. Ultimately, the commitment to social responsibility, employee engagement, and continuous adaptation sets a precedent for future-focused, responsible business practices.

Deed is an enterprise social impact platform that makes it fun and easy for millions of employees to share their time, money, and talent with causes they care about. We started as a viral volunteering app, and today our platform gives the world’s most inspiring brands—from Kyndryl to Airbnb—one exceptionally-designed home for all of their purpose-driven activities. 

Corporate grantmaking, employee donations/matching, diversity & inclusion, and employee resource groups (ERGs) are only the beginning. Because over the past three to five years, everyone’s expectations for Fortune 500 corporate social responsibility have radically changed. But with our trusted integration partners like Workday and PayPal, hand-in-hand customer service, and a collaborative product team, Deed’s platform moves at the speed of work. 

Ready to bring social impact into your core business? Reach out now.