Month: September 2023

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

When Serena Cuevas wanted to open her own dance studio after more than a decade of performing and leading classes, her U.S. Bank banker Adolfo Hernandez told her she didn’t qualify for a traditional line of credit.

But that wasn’t the end of their conversation. Hernandez referred Cuevas to Accessity, which provided her with an $8,000 loan to cover rent and marketing expenses, as well as hire a new staff member and maintain 11 other youth and adult instructor jobs.

The business, Deseo Studios in San Diego, is now thriving and Cuevas has been able to secure traditional credit from U.S. Bank to help Deseo continue to grow.

This is one example of how Accessity helps small businesses grow, and why the U.S. Bank Foundation recently provided Accessity with a $750,000 multiyear grant.

For more about Accessity and Deseo Studios, watch the short video linked above.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

When Serena Cuevas wanted to open her own dance studio after more than a decade of performing and leading classes, her U.S. Bank banker Adolfo Hernandez told her she didn’t qualify for a traditional line of credit.

But that wasn’t the end of their conversation. Hernandez referred Cuevas to Accessity, which provided her with an $8,000 loan to cover rent and marketing expenses, as well as hire a new staff member and maintain 11 other youth and adult instructor jobs.

The business, Deseo Studios in San Diego, is now thriving and Cuevas has been able to secure traditional credit from U.S. Bank to help Deseo continue to grow.

This is one example of how Accessity helps small businesses grow, and why the U.S. Bank Foundation recently provided Accessity with a $750,000 multiyear grant.

For more about Accessity and Deseo Studios, watch the short video linked above.

WASHINGTON, September 29, 2023 /3BL/ – International Paper (IP) and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) hosted a reading celebration event at Seaton Elementary School in Washington, DC, on September 27, 2023. For more than five years, RIF and IP have partnered to provide 520,000 books to more than 150,000 children across the country to inspire excitement and joy around reading while addressing the alarming literacy crisis in the U.S. through RIF’s flagship Books for Ownership program.

This celebration included 150 kindergarten, first, and second grade students. Connor Brown, Senior Program Associate, Reading Is Fundamental, and Dynisha Woods, Community Engagement Manager, International Paper shared brief remarks to celebrate the importance of reading and kick off the 2023-24 school year. Meaghan Joyce, Director of Political & Advocacy Strategy, International Paper, announced IP’s renewed commitment to RIF’s Race, Equity and Inclusion (REI) matching grants program with a $30,000 donation focused on five REI priority communities, including Washington, DC. Following, Tom Plath, Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs at International Paper, and RIF Board Member, spent time reading the book “Giraffes Can’t Dance” to the Seaton students. In addition, International Paper’s official spokestree, Pinelope, helped the Seaton Elementary students select three books to grow their home libraries.

“Education is one of International Paper’s key signature causes, and literacy, particularly from birth through 3rd grade, is our primary focus because reading skills form the foundation for all childhood learning. International Paper is proud to support literacy champions like Reading Is Fundamental and their commitment to inspiring a passion for reading among all children,” said Tom Plath, Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs, and RIF Board Member.

“This partnership enables RIF to deepen our impact in under-resourced communities and enhance the literacy support we offer to educators, families, and children. Together, we are not only sparking reading joy, but giving children the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. We know that if we build a foundation of joy for children, then development, discovery, and opportunity follow,” said Alicia Levi, RIF’s President & CEO.

IP is committed to the cause of education and is proud to present this $30,000 donation as a result of an IP employee matching gift program. RIF’s Matching Grant program fosters collective impact, empowers local innovation, and creates long-term sustainability centered on providing critical access to books and literacy resources. The national program focuses on leveraging the power of reading to drive systemic change. 2023 grants awarded across IP’s U.S. footprint supported nearly 57,000 students.

The partnership with RIF supports the mission to help children succeed in literacy. These important reading skills form the foundation for all childhood learning.

To support or learn more about Reading Is Fundamental and the Books for Ownership initiative click here.

To learn more about International Paper’s investments in community engagement click here.

About International Paper 
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.

About Reading Is Fundamental 
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to creating a nation of lifelong readers by inspiring the joy of reading among all children, putting them on the path to becoming skilled readers. We provide free, high-quality content to engage children, educators, families, and literacy advocates in the solution to the U.S. literacy crisis—so that every child has the fundamentals for success. As the nation’s leading children’s literacy nonprofit, RIF has provided nearly 430 million books and reading resources to over 160 million children since 1966, impacting generations of children. Explore our results and learn more about partnering with us at  www.RIF.org.

September 29, 2023 /3BL/ – The Ray, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing net-zero transportation and energy infrastructure, has partnered with Geotab Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to showcase how aggregate data analysis can efficiently and effectively position zero-carbon fueling stations for medium and heavy-duty trucks for success, across the nation. Building on the success of the 2022 data-driven analysis of truck movement patterns pilot, The Ray and Geotab ITS have launched a series of freight electrification clinics tailored for transportation agencies. These clinics provide valuable aggregate insights, enabling agencies to strategically determine optimal locations and designs for high-powered EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.

“In an era where the demand for sustainable progress is escalating, the necessity to strategically allocate EV infrastructure — which can be a considerable expense — is critically important.” said Nate Veeh, Senior Business Development Manager Geotab ITS. “By collaborating with The Ray and leveraging best-in-class aggregate data from Geotab ITS, our goal is to support transportation agencies across the country to help ensure that infrastructure materializes at locations where its impact will resonate the most, facilitating a more meaningful, sustainable and efficient movement of goods.”

The mass electrification of America’s commercial fleet and freight vehicles will require significant planning for and investment in infrastructure upgrades and expansion to be implemented rapidly as a permanent, reliable transformation. The National Grid’s Electric Highway Study, performed by Geotab ITS and other partners, informs how best to build the charging infrastructure. With some examples of this infrastructure requiring similar power demands of a small town, optimal location and design are paramount to grid implementation.

In addition, states like Georgia have taken proactive steps in preparing for the development of hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support commercial fleets. They have initiated a request for information (RFI) directed at the private sector to gain further observations of opportunities that can expedite the adoption of hydrogen-powered trucks.

State DOTs across the country are currently working to deploy charging infrastructure focused on passenger vehicles through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. These clinics will provide state agencies with insights to help them plan for medium and heavy-duty charging infrastructure in tandem with their NEVI deployments, allowing them to make data-driven decisions for a multi-modal electrified future.

“The Ray and Geotab ITS are meeting the moment by working closely with transportation agencies across the nation to analyze truck travel trends within their jurisdictions,” said Laura Rogers, deputy director of The Ray. “The clinics and resulting analysis informs investments in zero-carbon fueling stations, ensuring the highest utilization rates possible.”

Transportation agencies will have a unique opportunity to participate in these clinics and leverage a wealth of aggregated data insights from more than 3.8 million connected commercial vehicles and trucks, made available through the Geotab ITS Altitude platform. In addition to identifying optimal locations for zero-carbon fueling stations, The Ray can provide agencies with perception on ideal locations for right-of-way (ROW) solar installations and opportunities for ROW transmission, the energy infrastructure that is urgently needed in parallel with increasing supply and demand. The capability to produce ecosystem analyses is crucial as the U.S. moves to large-scale deployment of electrified truck fleets, ensuring that the increased energy generation needs are met with renewable resources, along with the transmission infrastructure to move that energy to where it is needed. Through this collaboration, agencies can chart a course towards constructing fueling sites that will achieve complete transportation electrification.

“Altitude, the aggregate transportation analytics platform from Geotab ITS, provides contextualized insights on fleet and freight vehicle movement. It offers both a micro and macro picture of truck journeys to help distinguish where vehicles are coming from and going to, the purpose of their trips, and their stops along the way. The aggregate insights gained from Altitude can be used to understand how fleets and goods move throughout the nation in order to uncover the most optimal medium and heavy-duty EV charging infrastructure and better comprehend the energy demand these vehicles will need in order to operate as efficiently as possible,” added Veeh.

About The Ray

The Ray is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and net-zero highway testbed, located on 18 miles of Interstate 85 between Lagrange, Georgia and the Georgia-Alabama state line. This stretch of interstate is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue a zero environmental footprint. Our mission is to reimagine how we connect our communities, our lives and the world in a way that is safer, more responsive to the climate, more regenerative to the environment, and more capable of creating economic opportunity through innovative ideas and technologies that will transform transportation infrastructure. The Ray Highway is paving the way for a zero carbon, zero waste, zero deaths highway system that will build a safer and more prosperous future for us all. Learn more at www.TheRay.org.

About Geotab ITS

Our team of data science, AI, software engineering and user experience specialists has one purpose – helping transportation data stakeholders understand and act on the context behind their traffic data.

We aggregate observed, real-world data so you can make more informed decisions to improve efficiency, sustainability, profitability, and safety.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Dallen McLemore, Communications Specialist, The Ray 229.449.6168 | dallen@theray.org | @TheRayHighway

Hanna Corrente, Manager, Strategic Communications & Public Affairs, Geotab 
(905) 208-0355 | hannacorrente@geotab.com