Source: AH&LA

WASHINGTON – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the AHLA Foundation, and the BHN Group/Northstar Travel Group announced today that the co-founders of Procure Impact, the B2B marketplace for products that support workers in overlooked communities, have been named this year’s recipients of the Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award.

CEO Lauren McCann and President Jen Collins co-founded Procure Impact, which exclusively works with suppliers that employ trafficking survivors, veterans, refugees, people with disabilities, and people who face barriers to work such as poverty, homelessness, mental health and trauma, addiction, or a criminal history.

Their effort captures the spirit of the Arne Sorenson award, which is presented each year to a senior-level executive in the lodging industry who is committed to social responsibility, provides innovative solutions for social challenges, empowers underprivileged communities, and demonstrates results.

We are honored to present Lauren and Jen with an award that reflects how they are driving positive change every day by creating real opportunities for marginalized workers, said AHLA President & CEO Rosanna Maietta. They are so deserving of the esteemed Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award for their vision and leadership and unique approach and partnership with the hotel industry.

Lauren and Jen are richly deserving of this award, which celebrates people who care deeply about their communities, said The BHN Group by Northstar President Jeff Higley. Through Procure Impact, they have given thousands of hotels the means to support overlooked people and give them the dignity that comes from work.

The Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award was introduced in 2022 in honor of industry icon and former president & CEO of Marriott International, Arne Sorenson, who passed away in February 2021 and left a legacy of commitment to social impact, diversity, and sustainability. Lauren and Jen will be presented with the award during the AHLA Foundation’s annual Night of a Thousand Stars gala on Jan. 27 in Beverly Hills, California.

In 2024, Procure Impact and AHLA members teamed up to launch the Dignity of Work Pledge to source goods responsibility and create 100,000 hours of paid employment for people with barriers to work. Efforts to reach this goal were tracked on AHLA’s Responsible Stay website, and last October, Procure Impact and AHLA announced that this goal was reached thanks to 23 hospitality companies that pledged over $7.4 million in purchases.

About the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide – including iconic global brands, 80% of all franchised hotels, and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.