Month: February 2023

Originally published by The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Mai Thi Le Quyen is a lawyer and CEO at Finch Law in Vietnam. She felt confident in her legal knowledge but wanted to boost her entrepreneurship skills to strengthen her business. That’s when she discovered our award winning business skills app, HerVenture.

My name is Mai Thi Le Quyen, lawyer and CEO of Finch Law Limited. Finch Law provides legal consulting services for domestic and foreign businesses. In addition, we also provide FDI consulting services for businesses of food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment exporting to the US market.

I find the HerVenture app very useful because it’s very convenient. We can learn anytime, anywhere. I find that it builds the lessons in the form of games and I learn things through those games that motivate me to pursue the next lessons. I have learned strategic planning using SMART principles, the process of project management and some financial management skills from HerVenture.

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In the early 1970s, wolves were endangered across the U.S. and Mexico. Red wolves and Mexican gray wolves were extinct in the wild, and only about 300 gray wolves lived in northern Minnesota and Michigan. Since then, populations of all three species have grown through concerted efforts by government agencies and conservationists. 

Among those helping to boost these populations are scientists at the Wildlife Science Center in Minnesota. They raise gray wolves and are actively breeding both the red wolf and Mexican gray wolf to help increase numbers in wild populations. These scientists study wolves so they can better understand them – and a small Medtronic device is helping them do so.

Learn more about how Medtronic healthcare technology is changing wildlife conservation.

CNH Industrial has been included in the 2023 S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook with the highest score (87/100) in the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Industry. The Yearbook is produced by S&P Global, a world leading international finance and analytics company.

CNH Industrial placed in the top 1% of over 7,800 companies assessed by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. The annual Sustainability Yearbook identifies companies that have demonstrated strengths in corporate sustainability.

“We are extremely proud to be confirmed as a top scorer in this year’s S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook,” said Scott W. Wine, Chief Executive Officer, CNH Industrial. “Sustainability is one of our key strategic priorities and we create profitable growth through environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. We ensure our facilities, products, and processes incorporate sustainability principles to create value for our business, customers, stakeholders, and the wider world.”

Additional information on Sustainability at CNH Industrial:

cnhindustrial.com/sustainability/

About CNH Industrial 
CNH Industrial is a world-class equipment and services company. Driven by its purpose of Breaking New Ground, which centers on Innovation, Sustainability and Productivity, the Company provides the strategic direction, R&D capabilities, and investments that enable the success of its global and regional Brands. Globally, Case IH and New Holland Agriculture supply 360° agriculture applications from machines to implements and the digital technologies that enhance them; and CASE and New Holland Construction Equipment deliver a full lineup of construction products that make the industry more productive. The Company’s regionally focused Brands include: STEYR, for agricultural tractors; Raven, a leader in digital agriculture, precision technology and the development of autonomous systems; Flexi-Coil, specializing in tillage and seeding systems; Miller, manufacturing application equipment; Kongskilde, providing tillage, seeding and hay & forage implements; and Eurocomach, producing a wide range of mini and midi excavators for the construction sector, including electric solutions. Across a history spanning over two centuries, CNH Industrial has always been a pioneer in its sectors and continues to passionately innovate and drive customer efficiency and success. As a truly global company, CNH Industrial’s 37,000+ employees form part of a diverse and inclusive workplace, focused on empowering customers to grow, and build, a better world.

Qurate Retail GroupSM is proud to announce that 22 team members have received the BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leader award at the 37th Annual Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) STEM Conference.

The award is presented by the Career Communications Group’s U.S. Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine and the Council of Engineering Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to individuals who demonstrate outstanding performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This year’s BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leaders were announced during the 2023 BEYA STEM Conference on Friday, February 10.

“It’s an honor to congratulate all the Qurate Retail Group recipients of the BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leaders award. We’re proud to recognize our team members who exemplify the power of diversity, equity and inclusivity both in STEM careers and in business,” said Virginia Nguyen, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer at Qurate Retail Group. “Our awardees represent the importance of Qurate Retail Group’s ongoing commitment to supporting increased diversity in STEM. We look forward to continuing to celebrate their achievements and the immense value they bring to our brands and customers.”

Recipients of the 2023 BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leaders award work in Information Technology, Broadcast Engineering, Studio Operations, Fulfilment Center and Customer Service Experience across Qurate Retail Group brands which include QVC®, HSN®, Zulily®, Ballard Designs®, Frontgate®, Garnet Hill® and Grandin Road®. Each winner was nominated by their manager for their skills, commitment and excellence in their specialties. Awardees include:

Zach Barron, Senior Production Technician, HSNDerek Bennett, Technical Director, QVC**Gerald Bradley, Production Coordinator, QVCEullas Brinson, Manager, Customer Service, HSNHarold Brown, QA Engineer, Cornerstone Brands Inc. (Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Garnet Hill & Grandin Road)Chris Clay, Talent Service Coordinator, QVCKristen Hazel, Talent Operations Manager, QVC**Dominique House, Assistant Director, QVCAnthony Jones, Software Engineering Manager, Qurate Retail GroupCornell Keith, Systems Administrator, QVCBlaine King, Line Producer, QVC**Prince Lloyd, TD/Director, HSNAdekunle Mumuni, Senior Tech Product Manager, ZulilyJakia Nur, Senior Operations Manager, QVCAida Ndoye, Senior Tech Product Manager, ZulilyRafael Oquendo, Senior Process Improvement Engineer, QVCNanya Origbo, Senior Software Engineer, Zulily**Danae Richardson, Senior Product Manager, Qurate Retail GroupEbony Roberts, Senior Associate Producer, QVC**Lateef Scott, Manager, Broadcast Operations, QVC**John Skepple, IT Manager, Qurate Retail GroupMichel Washington, Project Manager, Qurate Retail Group

During the three-day forum at the 2023 BEYA STEM Conference, several team members presented learning sessions on behalf of Qurate Retail Group, including:

“Driving Innovation and the Live Shopping Experience through Video Commerce,” presented by Derek Bennett, Technical Director, QVC; Kristen Hazel, Talent Operations Manager; Ebony Roberts, Senior Associate Producer, QVC, and Lateef Scott, Manager, Broadcast Operations, QVC. Team members shared their experiences working in video commerce and the importance of storytelling, while also highlighting some of the different technical broadcast roles that bring the shopping experience to life at QVC and HSN.“Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) HBCU Student Design Challenge,” featured Michael Katz, Director CX/UX Research Design & Testing, Qurate Retail Group as Technical Advisor, and Ebony Roberts, Senior Associate Producer, QVC as Design Judge. Each year, the AMIE design challenge focuses on a new topic, and helps to engage students through collaboration with corporate, government and technical leaders. It also introduces them to new and emerging technologies and demonstrates how they’re used to solve real life problems.

Qurate Retail Group leaders also participated in seminar panel discussions, including Virginia Nguyen, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, who spoke in the “Diversity and Digital Transformation; Thinking Outside the Box Through Diversity of Thought” session; and Michael Parsons, Director, Cybersecurity, who spoke in the “The Corporate Ladder – What Blocks Success” session.

As part of Qurate Retail Group’s efforts to attract, retain and develop high-performing talent and build diverse, equitable and inclusive teams, the company served its second year as a sponsor of the BEYA STEM Conference and participated in the 2023 BEYA STEM Career Fair. The conference sponsorship was spearheaded by Qurate Retail Group’s Karen Etzkorn, Chief Information Officer and Sue Schick, SVP, Content & Broadcast Production, QVC US. Qurate Retail Group has launched a partnership with BEYA that will involve other opportunities to showcase STEM careers.

**Denotes 2022 BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leader award winners

Originally published in Southern Company’s 2021 Corporate Responsibility Executive Summary Report

Southern Company leads the U.S. utility industry in the development, funding and demonstration of innovative research necessary to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy. 

For more than a century, Southern Company has been building the future of energy and developing a diverse portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, advanced carbon capture technologies, natural gas, renewables, energy efficiency and storage technology. To accomplish this, we invest heavily in R&D and innovative energy solutions.We lead the U.S. utility industry in the development, funding and demonstration of innovative research necessary to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy. Our aim is to develop the customized energy solutions our customers and communities require to drive growth and prosperity.In addition to R&D, we invest in early-stage energy technology companies and solutions through entities such as our New Ventures organization and Energy Impact Partners (EIP).

Georgia Power, Mitsubishi Power, EPRI Complete World’s Largest Hydrogen Fuel Blending at Plant McDonough-Atkinson

In June 2022, Georgia Power and Mitsubishi Power, alongside EPRI, successfully validated fuel blending of hydrogen and natural gas at both partial and full load on an M501G natural gas turbine at Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson in Smyrna, Georgia. The demonstration project was the first to validate 20% hydrogen fuel blending on an advanced class gas turbine in North America, and the largest test of this kind to date, with the 20% blend providing an approximately 7% reduction in carbon emissions compared to natural gas.

Spotlight: R&D Strategy Roadmap

Southern Company’s R&D organization provides innovative energy solutions and creates value for customers in the evolving energy landscape. Our research is facilitating the transition to a net-zero future by exploring a full spectrum of solutions such as more cost-effective and efficient carbon capture, high-potential advanced nuclear technologies and nextgeneration power delivery and end-use innovations.

Southern Company has undertaken a systematic, comprehensive review of our R&D plan, including the identification of long-term objectives and aspirations and development of a refined strategy roadmap. Our roadmap prioritizes four primary objectives:

Develop a sustainable energy futureProvide delivery, storage and distributed generating solutionsSupport expanding customer needsAdvance the existing generating fleet

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Nothing brings people together like food.

The Feed The City Tour in Michigan is evidence of that, where the brainchild between the Saginaw Community Foundation and regional organization Bridge The Gap visits cities throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region to serve food and provide a place for bonding between community members.

“Bridge the Gap is all about forming positive relationships between law enforcement and the community,” says Ayiteh Sowah, a board member at Bridge The Gap. “Feed The City Tour is one of the many ways we aim to provide safe, fun, and family-friendly opportunities to strengthen local ties and relationships.”

“We offer a day for folks to come out and enjoy some free food with neighbors and police officers – everyone has a great time.”

In fall 2022, the tour visited Saginaw, Bay City and Midland, where local police officers handed out tens of thousands of servings of food purchased by Bridge The Gap for an afternoon. Meals are purchased mostly from local restauranteurs and in many cases offer a chance or families to experience a restaurant that may otherwise be unaffordable.

“We had every kind of cuisine imaginable—everything from Thai, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, and soul food to an order of a thousand McDonald’s burgers,” says Sowah. “It’s grown significantly since 2016 to 2018, when we used to only serve pizza.”

Sowah notes that some attendees and families visited all three of the food tour stops, getting exposure to other communities and restaurants beyond just their own.

“If the tour started at 1 p.m., we would see a lineup by 1:05 p.m. The community interest and attendance has grown significantly from 2021 to 2022.”

In recent months, Enbridge sponsored the Feed The City Tour through a $50,000 grant to Bridge The Gap as part of our commitment to building sustainable communities near our operations. Enbridge also supported the tour in 2021 with a $25,000 donation for Saginaw and Midland food tour stops.

Enbridge’s Candice Braddock, a Michigan-based community engagement advisor, was on hand to help serve food and observe the activity-filled day at the Saginaw stop of the tour in 2022.

Apart from hosting food tours and other activities like basketball games and face painting, Bridge The Gap supports enrolment into the Delta College Police Academy by offering scholarships throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region.

“Since 2018, we’ve sponsored 23 men and women to the Delta College Police Academy to become police officers,” says Sowah. “We have a diverse group in the academy, which ties right into the Feed The City Tour and reflects the extreme diversity in our communities, too.”

As for a 2023 edition of the Feed The City Tour, Sowah says the organization will have “people knocking on our door” if it is not on again. The tours are becoming a community staple.

“To see these families come out for a day and watch them eat, smile and be merry with each other and their local law enforcement is incredible—it reminds me of Thanksgiving.”

Alibaba Group is leveraging its platform power and joining forces with its ecosystem partners to promote carbon neutrality in the consumer industry.

The Hangzhou-based company is developing standards for low-carbon goods to improve the supply and quality of sustainable products while working with brand partners to increase consumer awareness.

“By leveraging the efforts and resources of the wider community, we have been able to address the consumer sector’s carbon footprint more effectively and innovatively,” said Alibaba’s Chief Marketing Officer Chris Tung at a virtual side event during the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s 2023 Partnership Forum in January.

Alibaba has vowed to slash 1.5 gigatons of carbon emissions across its digital ecosystem by 2035 with its pioneering “Scope 3+” concept that extends beyond its own operations and direct value chains.

Watch how Alibaba partners with leading companies to advocate for low-carbon consumption.

Key Quotes

“We are working with our ecosystem partners to promote decarbonization across the consumer sector,” said Alibaba’s Chris Tung.

“We are committed to reducing these emissions generated across our platforms but outside of our own operations and direct value chains,” said Tung.

Please refer to https://www.alizila.com/esg/ for additional information about Alibaba’s sustainability efforts.

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For more than a century, our people have been pushing the boundaries in products and technology, innovating to help solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, and shaping us into the Company we are today.

As Dow celebrates its 125th anniversary, we reflect on the thread that unites us across all those generations and continues to strengthen us for the future – our people and their unwavering spirit of innovation.

We invited members of Team Dow to share stories of how they Imagine Better for our people, our communities, and the planet. To date, more than 350 stories have been shared across the company to celebrate the progress we are making today and serve as a springboard for solving tomorrow’s challenges.

Here are a few of the ways our people are making a difference through trailblazing innovation, impactful partnerships, and transformative programs.

Empowering women with support and inclusion

An active member of Dow’s Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) in Central Europe, Senior Customer Manager Katarzyna Kaczorowska recalls feeling a sense of inspiration, awe and excitement while attending the company’s first EMERGE conference in 2019.

To keep the momentum going back home, she created a network for more than 70 colleagues across six Central European locations to take part in inclusion, diversity & equity (ID&E) efforts. The team soon set their sights on advancing a partnership with the Women’s Rights Centre (WRC), an organization dedicated to gender equality and women empowerment, providing legal, psychological, and educational support for survivors of violence and discrimination in Poland.

With support from Dow’s ALL IN ERG Fund, a competitive grant program that enables purpose-driven projects spearheaded by our ten employee resource groups, the team collaborated to establish the Women’s Academy of Power – a program designed to enhance offerings at the WRC and help women reclaim their voices in the face of gender-based violence and discrimination through empowering workshops and inclusive networking events.

The Women’s Academy of Power has facilitated legal counseling and workshops centered on self-esteem, professional development, self-defense, communication, anti-discrimination, the justice system, and activism, helping more than 300 women to date.

Katarzyna considers herself a lifelong volunteer and inclusion champion. She emphasizes, “I always take on a challenge when it arises. My inclusion efforts are my passion and a natural result of the spirit of volunteerism I already have. I’m inspired to see Dow’s support for team members around the world as we champion change in timely and meaningful ways.”

Building sustainability into an industry for local artisans in Kenya

In response to a widespread regional issue identified by Dow Public Affairs Lead Mumbi Keega, Dow Eastern Africa is partnering with nonprofit organization ChildFund International to narrow the skills gap in the local infrastructure industry – which is currently 25 percent skilled, 33 percent semi-skilled and 42 percent unskilled, according to the National Construction Authority (NCA).

To help solve this growing problem, Dow is collaborating with the Muguga Vocational Training Center to upskill 215 students in Kiambu, Kenya. These future artisans are learning sustainability-focused practices and gaining hands-on technical experience. In addition, learners will participate in professional development courses, internships and partner programs with construction companies to increase their employability and prepare them to take on leadership roles across the industry in the country.

The “Fundi Fiti” initiative, which means “Competent Artisan” in Kiswahili, aims to apply a long-term approach to expanding the facilities and training capacities of Kenya’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, creating centers of excellence to shape sustainable construction and infrastructure in East Africa.

Mumbi’s passion for the project shines bright and is an inspiring example of the work Team Dow is doing to make a difference. “We want this project to be a catalyst for change in the way we empower artisans throughout the region by bridging the disparity in career opportunities between high achievers in conventional education and those who thrive in modern vocational training,” Mumbi said. “Every person working to create a future for themselves or their family deserves an equal opportunity to thrive. By offering an inclusive career development program with comprehensive instruction and real-world experience, we Imagine Better for a future where artisans in Kenya can do just that.”

Innovating more resilient roadways in partnership with Mizzou Innovation Lab

Dow’s Packaging and Specialty Plastics (P&SP) Sr. TS&D Scientist C.J. DuBois and TS&D Fellow Cristina Serrat supported Dow in challenging the status quo of asphalt paving of roadways using science, innovation and ingenuity – testing how Dow’s ELVALOY™ RET could enable a recycled plastic to be added to the asphalt mixture by dry process addition, while improving longevity and lowering its lifecycle cost.

The P&SP team partnered with the Mizzou Asphalt Pavement and Innovation Lab (University of Missouri, Columbia) and the Missouri Department of Transportation to test how recycled plastic can help meet required performance parameters while also finding an effective second use of single-use plastic.

Following an extensive two-year development period, the new hybrid mixture is being used along a nearly two-mile stretch of the University’s Stadium Boulevard that averages 36,000 vehicles a day. The team is currently observing results, which will be ongoing, looking specifically in changes in the material over the summer and winter periods. They anticipate the new pavement should last for at least two decades.

Cristina emphasized the importance of working together to rethink what is possible to address unmet needs. “There are over 2 million miles of asphalt roads in the US, so if we could extend the life of these roads and lower the carbon footprint, and do so in repurposing plastics that would otherwise end up in a landfill, our impact to the environment could be substantial,” Cristina said. “Knowing that this work will contribute to further data generation by independent parties is the type of progress that we, as Dow scientists, strive to achieve. We love to Imagine Better!”

Washington, DC, February 16, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Pyxera Global is excited to announce the appointment of Rajesh Varghese as its new Country Director for India. Rajesh has work experience across India, Singapore, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Varghese has worked with over 100 nonprofits to build capacity and understands how social sector organizations are a powerful way to ignite positive, systemic change. He has worked with several populations in India and Asia, from young people to low-income families, social entrepreneurs, and non-profit and corporate foundation leaders.

Prior to joining, Varghese served as the Chief Transformation Officer of South Central Community Family Service Center and as the Country Director of Ashoka, both in Singapore. He also held a role with IBM in India for Ashoka’s Make a Difference campaign, where he initiated key partnerships with corporate and philanthropic foundations such as the IKEA Foundation, Porticus, and Oracle.

“We are living in a time where every business must create societal and environmental impact. In the next 10 years, India has a crucial role to play,” Varghese said. “Impact funding and commitment to strong outcomes are the bold steps we need in public, private, and social partnerships. I’m excited to bring Pyxera Global into an ambitious decade of improved conditions and equitable economic development in India.”

Pyxera Global India has made significant progress over the years in supporting communities to meet their needs and is especially excited about a new strategic partnership with the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), the largest cooperative union in the country. The purpose of this work is to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem in the public, private, and social sectors. Pyxera Global is also proud of the 3,000 or so organizations supported through their Global Pro Bono work and services delivered to thousands of people in India.

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About PYXERA Global

For over 30 years, PYXERA Global has facilitated mutually beneficial partnerships between the public, private, and social sectors worldwide to create social impact projects that enrich lives and livelihoods inclusively and sustainably.

Project HOPE is an international global health and humanitarian relief organization with decades of experience responding to crises around the world. Teams from Project HOPE help people overcome disease and empower health workers with the training and tools they need to save lives. As COVID-19 evolved into a pandemic in early 2020, Project HOPE expanded its support services to a network of healthcare workers and frontline responders as they fought to contain the virus and reduce its impacts around the globe and in the US.

Q4HE is providing COVID-19 testing to support Project HOPE’s targeted pandemic response in long-term care and residential facilities, with a focus on those that are most vulnerable and possess the fewest resources. In addition, Q4HE is providing funding to support Project HOPE’s crisis response program, which includes staffing, travel, materials, and more. Together, Project HOPE and Q4HE are working to improve COVID-19 testing access for vulnerable populations, reduce transmission in long-term care facilities, and address—and overcome—key health inequities in marginalized communities.

“Project HOPE served as a bridge between our organization and the Illinois Department of Public Health, which put us at ease in moving forward through the pandemic, especially when an outbreak hit our facility. The Project offered us many resources to comply with what was needed during that time and in the aftermath, including support, encouragement, and instruction that we otherwise would not have had, and without which, in the end, we may not have been so successful in pulling through. Having resources and a go-to with any question or trouble we experienced, with typically immediate response, allowed us to take care of our residents during the height of the outbreak, providing them with the best care possible.”
– Natalie Pekala OP, NHA, Rosary Hill Home, Justice, IL

“Everyone has a right to health, and everyone has a right to care, and if we don’t provide it and equip those in need with the tools to respond to the next emergency, the gap will continue to widen. Quest for Health Equity’s support is critical, allowing us to address the needs of these populations. If it wasn’t for Quest for Health Equity, we wouldn’t be able to do it. There is no one doing what Quest is doing, and it is greatly appreciated that they’re thinking of a market that isn’t getting a lot of funding and attention. They’re establishing their own path with Project HOPE to address these overlooked elderly populations.”
– Theresa Rhodes Associate Vice President, Project HOPE

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