Month: April 2023

As the two generations that will be most impacted by the effects of climate change, Gen Z and Generation Alpha are bringing fresh passion and creativity to the climate fight.

To support and empower these emerging voices, The World Around, a nonprofit architecture forum, has created the Young Climate Prize, sponsored by Meta Open Arts. For its inaugural program, a cohort of 25 finalists, ages 13 to 25, were chosen to be paired with a The World Around’s Design Champion for one-on-one mentorship to help further their projects.

From this group, three winners (and one honorable mention) will be feted at The World Around Earth Day Summit 2023, to be held on Earth Day (April 22) at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The winners are:

Young Climate Voice

Pamela Elizarrarás Acitores, Mexico

Young Climate Designer

David Foday Kamara, Sierra Leone

Young Climate Visionary

Namra Khalid, Pakistan

Honorable Mention

Aziba Ekio, Nigeria

Participant projects were chosen to represent today’s climate landscape across five broad themes:

Words Matter: Projects amplifying the voices of those whose stories are key to the climate conversation, yet are often ignored.Creating Connections: Young people seeing into the future of community building.Innovators & Investors: Engineers, architects, designers exploring new ways to approach the changing landscape.All About Waste: Researchers and innovators sharing their solutions to help solve one of the growing climate challenges of today.Radical Reuse: Projects examining how the management of materials from the beginning of their lifespan to their eventual decay are vital to combat climate change.

“Meta Open Arts is pleased to partner with The World Around on the inaugural Young Climate Prize. This program celebrates the power of community-building through creativity and brings critical attention to emerging climate voices of today and their visions for the future.”

TINA VAZ, HEAD OF OPEN ARTS, META

Meet The Finalists

Words Matter

Alfonse Chiu, 24, Singapore 
Researcher examining neocolonial flows of tropical fruitsAziba Ekio, 24, Nigeria 
Poet working on a collection of writings called “The Color Green”Pamela Elizarrarás Acitores, 24, Mexico 
Photographer and writer creating an ongoing lexicon about climate changeMangaliso Ngcobo and Sam Harding, 22, South Africa 
Writers and editors from South Africa who founded their own magazineNastia Volynova, 24, Russia 
Researcher examining changes in forms of labor due to climate changeAida Namukose, 23, Uganda 
Photographer documenting women in the food industry affected by climate change

Creating Connections

Marilita Quintana Molina, 24, Chilé 
Artist and climate advocate collecting plastic waste in her region and seeking to use it to improve her communityShariffa Amolo Anguria, 25, Kenya 
Activist and community leader educating on the negative impacts of traditional gold miningRaihan Rabbannee Hendrawan, 17, Indonesia 
Facilitator committed to engaging young people in the fight against climate changeSophia Tabibian and Lulu Goulet-Hofsass, 14, USA 
Community leaders who founded an online climate hub for global activistsSahithi Radha, 15, India 
Student and activist pioneering an e-waste collection and recycling initiativeHannah Segerkranz, 25, Estonia 
Product designer championing the use of hemp as an eco-friendly building material through an open source design

Innovators & Inventions 

Jin Gao, 25, China 
Researcher and maker focusing on the survival of bees in volatile climate conditionsDavid Andrés Vega Monsalve, 23, Colombia 
Digital artist using VR to raise awareness about the effects of recent flooding in Pakistán.Ichor Joshua Keghnen, 22, Nigeria 
Mechanical engineer who created a device to monitor pollution in boreholes and water wells.Chris Vrettos, 26, Greece 
Clean energy advocate championing the nation’s first all-solar community.Esther Olalude, 20, Nigeria 
An inventor creating affordable sanitary towels from recycled waste.

All About Water

Namra Khalid, 25, Pakistan 
Researcher producing the region´s first socio-climatic map to facilitate addressing floods in Karachi.Anushuka Shahdadpuri, 26, India 
A designer working on a network of ways to accelerate clean water.Joseph Nguthiru, 24, Kenya 
A chemist who invented a biodegradable plastic made from water hyacinth.

Radical Reuse

Gabriela Angelina Bernal Ibáñez, 19, Mexico 
An architect and engineer whose research into recycled panels is on trial in MexicoFoday David Kamara, 23, Rwanda 
An entrepreneur whose Ecovironment project is recycling post-consumer plastic waste into everyday construction materials like eco-bricks and paving tilesMoemen Sobh, 22, Egypt 
An architect pioneering new materials, including Visenleer, a fish-skin leather that makes use of bi-product and allows fishermen to make more money per fish soldMohammed Dimma Mawejje, 22, Uganda 
A social entrepreneur using textile waste like fabric offcuts and second-hand clothes to create bags, earrings, dresses, and other fashion merchandiseStanley Anigbogu, 23, Nigeria 
A designer providing access to clean light and energy alternatives for students and refugees in his region

“The World Around is committed to focusing on what is happening now and how it can change the future. This group of inspiring young activists, inventors, entrepreneurs, writers and poets have shown us where the world’s attention should focus. Their generation has a vested interest in finding solutions to our biggest challenges.” — Beatrice Galilee, director, The World Around

To learn more about The World Around, follow them on Instagram. Follow Meta Open Arts at fb.com/metaopenarts and @MetaOpenArts on Instagram.

Since P&G helped start the United Way of Greater (UWGC) Cincinnati, our people have contributed meaningfully to communities and people in need, especially in our headquarters’ hometown.

Recently, the UWGC named P&G number one on its list of 2023 “Workplaces That Care.”

Our commitment goes back more than a hundred years. Our founder’s grandson William Cooper Procter helped start the first community fund that would evolve to be United Way today.

“Being a large company and being able to do such a thing (as help to create the United Way) is amazing and very humbling,” said Emily Hickey, Research Specialist in Products Research at P&G’s Mason Business Center.

Today, Emily is part of the team that leads P&G’s Young William Cooper Society, young professionals who are galvanizing support among their organizations to support the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. She first volunteered with the United Way after learning about its work during a presentation at P&G.

“That really struck a chord with me — to want to make the community better and help out as much as I possibly can,” Emily told PG Daily News.

P&G Brand teams also support this important work:

The Always Confidence Fund. Currently in its third year, the fund was originally launched to find a deeper shared purpose between UWGC initiatives and the Force for Good work that our P&G brands lead every day. It also established a sub-fund of the UWGC’s Black Empowerment Works Program. The Always Confidence Fund invests in work that tackles societal barriers to period stigma and gender inequality, supports confidence-building of puberty-aged people with periods and provides access to period products and education.The Closing the STEM Gap fund is P&G Beauty’s investment dedicated to unlocking the potential of youth and young adults through STEM. The fund invests in solutions that help young men who have less access to programs and resources that help unlock their potential via STEM opportunities.

READ MORE STORIES ON OUR BLOG

International Day of the Girl: How Do You See Girls?Doing the Right Thing: A Business Built on Trust.Driving Market Growth, Championing Equality, Creating Impact.

Whole Foods Market’s flagship store in Austin, Texas hosted an official SXSW event on March 17, 2023, to benefit Whole Planet Foundation, a Whole Foods Market non-profit dedicated to poverty alleviation through microcredit loans in the U.S. and around the world where the company sources products.

More than 2,000 attendees enjoyed a soul-nourishing convergence of music, technology, health-conscious gastronomy, connectivity and social engagement. The event was presented by Bitchin’ Sauce, KeVita, Andalou Naturals and Mineral Fusion and featured artists, brands and innovators converging to support an impactful cause.

“We are honored to support Whole Planet’s mission to alleviate poverty on a global scale. When we learned about John Mackey’s dedication and robust donations to the initiative, we were inspired by the authenticity that shines through one of our biggest partners and felt compelled to get involved” said Bitchin’ Sauce founder Starr Edwards. “Thank you, Whole Planet team and event producers for making a momentous initiative so incredibly inspiring and Bitchin’! We are eager to show support in 2024, and future years to come.”

Whole Planet Foundation funds microcredit – small loans with no formal contract or collateral – provided to microentrepreneurs who want to create or expand a small business to generate income for themselves and their families. Joy Stoddard, Director of Development and Outreach for Whole Planet Foundation, emphasized that, “These funds will support an additional 1,000 people – women entrepreneurs and their family members – with income-generating opportunities.” The current Whole Planet Foundation-supported average first loan size around the world is $180, with a 97% repayment rate, across its network of microfinance partners in Africa, Asia and the Americas, including the United States.

Presenting sponsor Mineral Fusion’s Brand Manager Stephanie Marks says, “Women’s empowerment is a core value at Mineral Fusion, which is why we are thrilled to sponsor organizations with like-minded missions like Whole Planet Foundation and support our long-standing partnership with Whole Foods Market.”

On the music front, this year featured a carefully curated lineup showcasing the depth and diversity of modern music. Getting things started was NYC singer-songwriter Jessica Carter Altman, then performances throughout the day by rising SoCal alt-rock trio L.A. Edwards, German dream-pop stylings of Philine Sonny to NYC-based hyper-pop duo Frost Children to Catalonian folk-pop composer Núria Graham to Alternative K-pop collective Balming Tiger (known for their collaboration with RM of BTS) to gregarious Canadian TikTok sensation TALK, acclaimed Filipino indie-pop duo Dream, Ivory and legendary alternative Southern rap group Nappy Roots (heralded for their infectious smash “Good Day”). Rounding up the eclectic lineup include SLC indie rockers Krooked Kings, esoteric AZ power popsters Ponderosa Grove, Gibson Guitars’ endorsed punk blues rocker Devon Thompson and nouveau disco rap prodigy Ric Wilson who just dropped the EW&F/Arrested Development-inspired heater “Pay It No Mind” featuring Chromeo and A-Trak.

Presenting sponsor Andalou Naturals’ Chandler Seed, Assistant Brand Manager, shared “Andalou Naturals is a proud supporter of women entrepreneurs every year with our Andalouminary scholarship, so we’re thrilled to join forces with Whole Planet Foundation and build on our joint mission of empowering women.”

The event was supported by more than forty brand partners sold in select Whole Foods Market stores including EVOLVE Plant-Based Protein, Gimme Seaweed, MaryRuth’s Organics, Nova Naturals, nutpods, ORIGIN Spring Water, RightRice® Veggie Rice and RXBAR.

Supporters sampling products at the event included Applegate, Betty Buzz, Bubbies Ice Cream, Cleveland Kitchen, Culture POP Soda, Death Wish Coffee, De Lune, FAGE, FLOW, Forager Project, GoGo Squeez, GoodPop, Grandy Organics, Honey Mama’s, lil’gourmets, LOVE CORN, Mauna Loa Macadamia Milk Ice Cream, Mayawell, Mother Kombucha, MUSH Overnight Oats, Oishii, Petit Pot, Repurpose, Shire’s, Spinster Sisters Co, Sunwink, Tia Lupita and WishGarden Herbs. Other supporters include ALO, Bluapple, Bossa Bars, D’Angelico Guitars, Health-Ade Kombucha, Hiyo, Lopaus Point, Mad Hippie, Saint James Tea, Seattle Gummy Company, SweetLeaf and Tea Botanics.

Event producers Allison Shaw of Manic Monkee and Mark Nguyen of Planet LA Records, among the original co-creators of the Quantum Collective which first organized the showcase in 2012, raised the most funds to date of any music showcase supporting the Foundation. They remarked, “So glad we were able to bring this SXSW Official Event back to the Whole Foods Market Lamar flagship store to benefit Whole Planet Foundation. As a collective group with a shared mission, we were honored to help others realize their greatest potential, whatever their passion or circumstance.”

Special appreciation to the Whole Foods Market Lamar store at 525 N. Lamar Boulevard in Austin, Texas, to D’Angelico Guitars for donating guitars to support Whole Planet Foundation and the amazing artists who performed on its rooftop.

Updates: #WholePlanetSXSW, @WholePlanet 

Learn more at wholeplanetfoundation.org.

Fleet management in 2023 is more complicated than ever, but one universal truth remains: fleet managers continue to search for cost savings wherever they can. They may not realize that cost savings can be hidden in plain sight — buried in the methods by which fleets source their fuel. In a recent article for Work Truck Magazine, CEO and Founder of Booster® Frank Mycroft explores how fuel costs span much more than just the price of each gallon.

“You’re likely spending much more on fueling than you realize,” writes Mycroft. “The time, fuel, and wear and tear associated with endless treks to and from the gas station add up quickly, adding significant stress to already tight budgets.”

Rethinking Fleet Fueling

Most fleets depend on gas stations when filling the tank, requiring drivers to take time out of their shifts to travel to the pump and fill up. As Mycroft points out in Work Truck Magazine, each trip to the gas station takes around 20 minutes, which equates to about 61 hours per year per driver. Not only is this a significant time burden, but it also adds up to $1,436 annually per vehicle in labor costs.

More hidden fuel costs lie in the fuel burned traveling to and from the station. For vehicles that deviate from their planned service or delivery routes by adding gas station stops, traditional methods of fleet fueling may reduce efficiency.

Mycroft explains that vehicle wear and tear present another opportunity to save on fleet fueling. Each fleet vehicle can expect around $160 in depreciation on average annually due to fueling errands alone. Extra miles also require more vehicle maintenance, affecting fuel economy.

Implementing a Fleet Fuel Management System

To avoid losing money to hidden fleet fuel costs, fleet owners should consider implementing a fleet fuel management system like mobile fuel delivery by Booster. In this model, fleet vehicles are fueled on-site in one session during fleet off-hours. This way, drivers begin each shift with the fuel they need, and the labor costs that would have gone toward fueling at the gas station can be redirected toward more productive tasks.

Mobile fuel delivery also eliminates the extraneous fuel burn and wear and tear associated with gas station errands. To enhance holistic fleet management, the service includes a fleet portal, which provides a glimpse into fleet performance and fuel spend to help managers keep up with fleet maintenance and better understand their fleet fueling operation.

Reducing Fuel Costs for Fleets

Fleet managers wondering how to reduce fleet fuel costs should take the time to analyze and manage their fueling expenses by considering the hidden costs of labor, fuel burn, and wear and tear. By implementing a fleet fuel management system like Booster’s mobile fuel delivery service, fleets can realize significant cost savings over the long term.

As Mycroft writes in Work Truck Magazine, “Fleet managers looking to balance tight budgets amid rising fleet costs should implement telematics and data analytics, teach safe driving practices, and consider adopting mobile fuel delivery to streamline fueling and save on costs.”