Ares Charitable Foundation Launches New Initiative Aiming to Strengthen Global Supply Chains Through Worker Reskilling

“Mapping, Matching and Money” Designed to Help Businesses Address Human Capital Vulnerabilities, Better Mitigate Disruptions and Support Bottom Lines

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Ares Charitable Foundation (the “Ares Foundation”), a 501(c)(3) qualifying organization sponsored by Ares Management Corporation, today announced “Mapping, Matching and Money: Philanthropy for People-Centered Supply Chains,” a new initiative designed to support the joint efforts of corporates and small- and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”) in strengthening global supply chains through worker reskilling.

The initiative is designed to help businesses address their human capital vulnerabilities in global supply chain efficiencies by identifying, analyzing and implementing strategies to help future-proof SME workers with in-demand skills. Doing so is intended to help companies reduce margin pressure and invest more in the people who maintain their supply chains, thus better mitigating potential disruptions, supporting bottom lines and achieving sustainability targets.

The Ares Foundation will collaborate with World Resources Institute (“WRI”), The Project on Workforce at Harvard and Pagitsas Advisors for the initiative, which builds on the findings of WRI’s 2025 technical paper, Elephant in the Boardroom: People Are Missing in Corporate Supply Chain Goals. The initiative also references the Ares Foundation’s 2025 article, “People-Centered Supply Chains for the Win.” Research finds that more than 4,000 large corporates increasingly look to their SME suppliers to help them achieve sustainability goals; however, gaps in SME workers’ skills and access to the funding needed to fill those voids often preclude their ability to meet requirements. Impacts to supplier contracts can disrupt global supply chains and affect jobs, both of which counter economic well-being.

“We are at a moment when the future of global supply chains will be defined not only by the efficiency of systems, but by the potential of people,” said Joel Holsinger, Co-Chairman of the Ares Foundation. “Our new initiative reflects our belief that when workers are equipped with the skills to adapt and lead through change, industries become more resilient, innovative and sustainable.”

“Mapping, Matching and Money” will address these challenges through a three-pronged approach:

1. Building and deploying diagnostic tools to help corporates and SMEs map their human capital vulnerabilities;
2. Designing and matching SMEs with the training needed to reskill their workers in best practices and policies, thereby driving greater resource efficiency and reducing environmental impact; and
3. Offering tactical guidance to corporates and SMEs on securing capital needed to reskill workers as well as financial opportunities a reskilled workforce can help SMEs access.

According to Eliot Metzger, Director of Sustainable Business & Innovation at World Resources Institute, “Economic transitions are happening now — and fast. Large and small businesses rely on each other to build sustainable and resilient global supply chains. But ultimately, they depend on people. This is a critical moment to test and prove innovative ways companies can invest in the people who will make economic transitions successful.”

Chike Aguh, Senior Advisor for The Project on Workforce at Harvard, agreed. “The future of work and the planet are inextricably linked through supply chains and the people who support them. This initiative will drive innovations, impact and insights that will strengthen the workers powering supply chains around the world.”

“Global companies are raising the bar for their supply chains’ resiliency and sustainability performance, but lack scalable, customized solutions that work for thousands of small- and medium-sized suppliers that are expertise- and capital-constrained,” said Chrissa Pagitsas, CEO of Pagitsas Advisors. “Our AI-enabled tools aim to provide a clear path for these suppliers to deliver on their customers’ expectations while reskilling their workers to meet – and exceed – the bar.”

The Ares Foundation also hosted a two-part panel event during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 to probe these topics. Joined by Metzger, Aguh and Pagitsas, discussions examined corporates’ reliance on SMEs to meet sustainability targets, the skills gaps that frequently prevent SME workers from doing so, and opportunities for corporates and SMEs to collaboratively manage these challenges through reskilling efforts that can help future-proof workers and better support their economic well-being. In addition, François-Ghislain Morillion, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Sourcing Director at Veja, highlighted the footwear company’s deep partnership with suppliers to achieve positive economic and environmental outcomes, and María Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, shared how the nonprofit provides resources, tools and support to help SMEs advance a modern-energy economy.

“Mapping, Matching and Money” complements the Ares Foundation’s longstanding commitment to prepare and reskill individuals for in-demand careers. Doing so is intended to help close the gap between the demand for a skilled workforce for jobs in emerging and high-growth industries and the number of people prepared for these opportunities.

“Our mission is to help reskill global supply chain workers in order to protect people, support prosperity and inspire progress,” said Michelle Armstrong, President of the Ares Foundation. “SME workers comprise an estimated 70 percent of the global workforce and are critical to ensure market stability, meet consumer demand and bolster the global economy. We believe that advancing efforts for corporates and SMEs to understand and proactively address their shared challenges will help strengthen workers’ talents as well as business performance, economic resilience and sustainable development.”

About the Ares Charitable Foundation

The Ares Charitable Foundation (the “Ares Foundation)” envisions a world in which people have access to the knowledge, resources and opportunities needed to help chart pathways to self-sufficiency and drive strong local economies. Established in 2021 as a 501(c)(3) qualifying organization of Ares Management Corporation (“Ares”), we strive to advance economic mobility by helping people prepare and reskill for quality jobs, launch and scale businesses, and build personal financial knowledge. We execute our philanthropy with the same rigor, discipline and entrepreneurial spirit that Ares brings to its investment activities and business operations. Furthermore, we aim to ensure that these efforts help demonstrate Ares’ core values—to be collaborative, responsible, entrepreneurial, self-aware and trustworthy—in action.

About World Resources Institute (WRI)

WRI works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage our data, expertise and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across systems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

About the Project on Workforce

The Project on Workforce is an interdisciplinary, collaborative project between the Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, the Harvard Business School Managing the Future of Work Project, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The Project produces basic and applied research at the intersection of the education and labor markets for leaders in business, education, and policy. Our mission is to chart the course for a postsecondary system of the future that creates better pathways to economic mobility.

About Pagitsas Advisors

Pagitsas Advisors is a trusted management consulting firm dedicated to growing business value and resilience through sustainability. Synthesizing macro insights into fit-for-purpose strategies, the firm delivers measurable outcomes backed by deep expertise, scalable tools, and hands-on execution. Pagitsas Advisors empowers business leaders to turn ambition into lasting impact at a global scale.

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