Forge 2025: Social impact highlights

This year’s annual customer conference, Forge 2025, once again brought together passionate leaders, innovators, and advocates in Las Vegas. More than just a gathering, Forge celebrated the collective power of our community to drive meaningful change—through giving, sustainability, and opportunity.

From launching new programs to spotlighting customer impact stories, Braze continues to build a future where connection fuels purpose.

Celebrating customer impact

One of the most inspiring moments of Forge 2025 was the announcement of the Braze for Impact Torchie Award, which recognizes a customer using the Braze platform to spark meaningful social change. The 2025 winner was celebrated on stage and directed a $10,000 grant to a nonprofit of their choice through the Braze for Social Impact Fund.

This year, we’re proud to recognize iFood as the winner of our Braze for Social Impact Torchie Award. iFood, one of Latin America’s leading food delivery platforms, has long championed social innovation through technology. Using Braze, iFood helped thousands of drivers earn diplomas, boost income, and change the trajectory of their futures. This collaboration has not only empowered iFood's driver community but has also showcased the transformative potential of technology in education and community engagement.

We welcomed Natiele Bandeira (left) and Marilia Soares (right) on stage to accept the award!

iFood chose to direct their $10,000 grant to Fundação 1Bi, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing digital inclusion and education in Brazil.

“We believe technology should be a force for inclusion and opportunity,” shared Kelly Baptista, President of Fundação 1Bi. “This donation will help us expand our programs to empower even more people through digital skills.”

We welcomed Natiele Bandeira (left) and Marilia Soares (right) on stage to accept the award!

iFood chose to direct their $10,000 grant to Fundação 1Bi, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing digital inclusion and education in Brazil.

This year’s finalists also showcased outstanding examples of using Braze to support the community:

• Venmo - Venmo’s Small Business Grant initiative used Braze to generate over 150 million impressions, driving incremental business sign-ups and 50,000 grant applications to support small businesses from historically excluded communities.
• Boys and Girls Club of America - Boys and Girls Club of America completely reimagined their internal and external communications with Braze, helping them improve their CEO email open rate by 5% and drive a 61% increase in email revenue from critical fundraising campaigns.
• Volo Sports - Through Canvas flows, Volo introduced new players to its charitable arm, the Volo Kids Foundation, driving a 41% volunteer recruitment rate and helping provide free youth sports programs to over 70,000 kids.

Attendees giving back together

For the third consecutive year, Forge attendees helped decide how $50,000 from the Braze for Social Impact Fund would be distributed to nonprofits addressing urgent needs in the communities where we live and work. Right at the entrance to the conference, attendees found the Braze Cares Donation Station, where each person received a $25 token to donate to one of three incredible organizations:

The Just One Project's mission is to increase access to food, resources, and supportive services to build a stronger, healthier, and more connected community in Las Vegas.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is first to the frontlines, providing fresh meals in response to crises around the world.

Fountain House’s mission is to improve health, increase opportunity, and end social and economic isolation for people living with serious mental illness in the United States.

Tech for an Equitable Future

On stage, CEO Bill Magnuson announced the launch of Cohort 6 for Tech for an Equitable Future, a Braze program offering underrepresented founders 12 months of free access to Braze technology and services to help them grow and scale their businesses. Applications are open September 30 – January 16.

Acting sustainably

Sustainability remains foundational to all Braze events, including Forge. Braze offset 2,000 metric tons of CO₂, the equivalent of all attendee travel, through Terraset, supporting refrigerant destruction projects that are over 10,000 times more potent than CO₂.

On stage, Bill highlighted our VPPA renewable-energy program, including solar investments in Michigan.

And throughout the event, onsite signage reminded attendees to “Don’t Throw Away Plastic Cups,” part of a broader effort to reduce waste.

All of these efforts support our near-term science-based target to reduce our emissions by more than 50% by 2033.

Final thoughts

Forge 2025 was a powerful demonstration of how innovation and intention can seamlessly intertwine to create meaningful impact. The event highlighted the collective strength of our community in driving social change, from the inspiring stories of our Torchie Award winners to the contributions guided by our attendee’s chosen causes. By leveraging our technology and ecosystem, Braze and its partners are not only advancing business goals but also fostering a more inclusive, sustainable future. As we continue to build on these efforts, Forge 2025 serves as a reminder that every connection we make is an opportunity to contribute positively to the world, reinforcing our commitment to turning purpose into action.