Democratic National Committee hires local sustainability firms for Chicago convention

Bright Beat and Purpose are two women-owned firms that will work to reduce the environmental impact during the August event.

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco
Stephanie Katsaros and Marley Finnegan
Stephanie Katsaros (left) is the founder of Bright Beat, a Chicago-based firm that develops high-impact resource management strategies to promote environmental protections. Marley Finnegan is a certified sustainable event professional. Finnegan founded Purpose to help organization scale sustainability objectives. Courtesy of Bright Beat and Natalie Walsh
Stephanie Katsaros and Marley Finnegan
Stephanie Katsaros (left) is the founder of Bright Beat, a Chicago-based firm that develops high-impact resource management strategies to promote environmental protections. Marley Finnegan is a certified sustainable event professional. Finnegan founded Purpose to help organization scale sustainability objectives. Courtesy of Bright Beat and Natalie Walsh

Democratic National Committee hires local sustainability firms for Chicago convention

Bright Beat and Purpose are two women-owned firms that will work to reduce the environmental impact during the August event.

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco
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This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

When Chicago hosts the Democratic National Convention this summer, 50,000 people are expected in town. Planners want the event to be mindful of how trash is discarded and the environmental footprint.

The Democratic National Convention Committee and Chicago 2024 Host Committee selected two Chicago-based firms, Bright Beat and Purpose, to help implement sustainability practices during the four-day, multimillion-dollar convention. Together, the two women-owned businesses will be responsible for cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.

“What we want to do is increase the awareness of decisions that can be made by those involved at every level to minimize their emissions impact,” said Stephanie Katsaros, founder of Bright Beat.

Marley Finnegan, the founder of Purpose, said large events inevitably produce emissions that can be traced back to travel, energy sourcing, food and waste. Finnegan’s firm also works on calculating travel emissions, which she said accounts for approximately 90% of event-related emissions.

The convention, which runs Aug. 19-22, will take place at the United Center during prime time and at McCormick Place Convention Center during the day. The local consultants are still brainstorming but say resource management is top of mind — especially food waste.

“Food in itself is such a powerhouse of a way to make a big impact,” Katsaros said.

Landfills are the third-largest source of methane — a greenhouse gas many times stronger than carbon dioxide for at least part of its life cycle — in the United States. Before composting is an option, the duo is interested in finding ways to reroute untouched food to help food insecurity in local communities.

The sustainability consultants will work to minimize more than just food waste. Katsaros and Finnegan also want to repurpose as many of the materials that go into putting on an event of this scale as possible.

President Joe Biden spent the past three years taking on the climate crisis, said Matt Hill, a spokesman for the DNC convention committee.

“We’re really excited to bring on local climate sustainability experts to figure out the best practices and tools that we can use to make sure that we deliver one of the most sustainable conventions in American history,” Hill said.

Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco covers climate change and the environment for WBEZ and Grist. Follow him on X at @__juanpab.