Month: September 2023

Hey folks, in today’s episode of the Climate Confident podcast I dive into the world of corporate social responsibility with Gitte Winther Bruhn, the Global Head of Social Responsibility Solutions at SAP.

We talk about SAP’s ground-breaking projects, such as “Advance Shared Prosperity,” aimed at tackling complex issues in global supply chains. If you’re a business leader, this episode is a must-listen as it highlights the competitive advantage that comes from embracing social responsibility. Plus, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development is backing SAP, so you know this is the real deal!

Ever wondered how technology can help ensure your suppliers uphold human rights? Or how to make your supply chain not just efficient but also equitable? Gitte has fascinating insights into all this and more, from self-assessment credentials for suppliers to implementing workplace safety measures in large industrial settings.

We also touch upon the legal landscape, with new regulations putting the heat on corporations. But don’t worry—Gitte breaks down how to not only comply but also thrive in this changing environment. She’s adamant that taking action now will put your business on the right side of history and law, and she offers actionable steps to get there.

We even dive into a few success stories, like WEConnect International, who are creating equitable supply chains connecting large buyers with women-owned small businesses. This isn’t just feel-good chatter; it’s about pragmatic solutions for the pressing challenges businesses face today.

Gitte shared some recommendations for further reading during our conversation:

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Software | SAPSocial Responsibility | Sustainability for SAP | SAP CommunityFlagship report – The Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (tacklinginequality.org)

Join us in this riveting conversation, as we explore how businesses can, and should, be a force for good. 

Click play now, or watch the video version —you won’t

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Lorcan SheehanHal GoodJerry SweeneyChristophe KottelatAndreas WernerRichard DelevanAnton ChupilkoDevaang BhattStephen CarrollWilliam Brent

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Credits 
Music credit – Intro and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

Thanks for listening, and remember, stay healthy, stay safe, stay sane!

TAMPA, Fla. and NEW YORK, September 7, 2023 /3BL/ – Tampa-based real estate development firm Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) and the International WELL Building Institute (“IWBI”) today announced that Water Street Tampa, the transformative new lifestyle destination in Downtown Tampa, has achieved the WELL Community Certification at the Gold level, becoming the first neighborhood in North America to receive the prestigious distinction. Awarded by IWBI, the certification celebrates Water Street Tampa’s successful, strategic integration of design and policy decisions that promote health and well-being across all aspects of the neighborhood. Leading to this certification, Water Street Tampa was the first neighborhood in the world to pilot the WELL Community Standard in 2017.

“From the very beginning, we conceived of Water Street Tampa as a place that would honor and promote the well-being of all our residents and visitors in unique and thoughtful ways,” said Josh Taube, Chief Executive Officer for SPP. “The WELL Community Certification illustrates our ongoing commitment to creating spaces where people want to spend their time. We’re proud to set a new national precedent for urban design and community-wide wellness efforts at a time when the design of our environment plays a critical role in our daily lives and is a key factor in people’s decisions for where to live and work.”

As the internationally renowned authority on health and well-being in the built environment, IWBI created the WELL Community Standard to recognize neighborhoods that promote health and well-being across all aspects of community life. The rigorous scientific and evidence-based approach evaluates neighborhoods — like Water Street Tampa – that implement design and policy strategies meant to improve the lives of their residents and visitors through the concepts of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community. Like the WELL Building Standard, which focuses on health leadership in buildings, the WELL Community Standard sets a new bar for neighborhood development by assessing the design of public spaces and all other aspects of a community, including many factors of the physical environment that can have a significant impact on day-to-day health, happiness and productivity.

“We are so excited to congratulate Water Street Tampa for its trailblazing leadership in community health as the first neighborhood in the country and across North America to earn WELL Community Certification,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “By deploying WELL’s comprehensive and interdisciplinary roadmap to support human health and well-being at the community level, Water Street Tampa has secured its place as a true pioneer, serving as an inspiration for other neighborhood projects around the world.”

Water Street Tampa achieved WELL Community Certification for implementing health-conscious and community-focused elements throughout the entire neighborhood, including improving walkability with double-wide sidewalks and engaging street-level experiences, measuring neighborhood air quality, fostering high levels of community engagement through a comprehensive public art program and regular free public events, increasing access to drinking water through strategically placed water stations increasing access to healthy foods with a neighborhood grocery story and regular farmers markets, encouraging movement via new bike lanes and free community fitness classes, increasing digital connectivity through free public Wi-Fi, incorporating native landscaping, reducing light and noise pollution, and much more.

As the highest standard for wellness at a community level, the WELL Community Standard helps support higher tenant satisfaction, increased productivity and improved physical and mental health, according to IWBI. Maintaining the designation requires additional reevaluation to confirm Water Street Tampa’s design and programming will remain consistent with the certification’s stringent requirements.

In addition to becoming the first WELL Certified Community in North America, Water Street Tampa is home to individual buildings that prioritize wellness. The neighborhood’s trophy office tower, Thousand & One, is the first building in Tampa to achieve WELL Core Certification and first in the region to achieve the certification at the Gold level. Thousand & One received this distinction earlier this year for integrating design and operational strategies that directly impact tenants’ well-being, including accessible outdoor spaces, ample natural light, highest-possible water quality, indoor temperature monitoring, amenities that support new mothers and use of MERV 15 air filters. According to a recent study in the Journal of Building and Environment, workers surveyed in WELL-Certified buildings reported a 30 percent increase in overall satisfaction, a 26 percent increase in well-being and a 10-point increase in median productivity scores when compared to their experiences prior to certification.

Water Street Tampa was also recently awarded the Urban Land Institute’s Americas Award for Excellence 2023, recognizing its public-private partnership between developers, local government and community leaders. Known for setting global standards in innovation, Water Street Tampa is also the world’s first WiredScore SmartScore Precertified Neighborhood for its technology infrastructure and was recently named as one of Time’s “World’s Greatest Places” for 2023.

For more information on Water Street Tampa, please visit www.waterstreettampa.com.

About Strategic Property Partners
Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) is a full-service real estate developer, owner and operator focused on world-class execution, innovation and creating high-quality experiential places. SPP’s first project, Water Street Tampa, is being developed on 56 acres of contiguous land the company owns along the waterfront in downtown Tampa. With its first phase of development complete and operational, the award-winning Water Street Tampa has revitalized the downtown Tampa core and transformed it into a vibrant waterfront destination. When complete, the multi-phased development will consist of approximately nine million square feet of new commercial, residential, hospitality, cultural, entertainment, educational and retail uses. For more information on Water Street Tampa, visit www.waterstreettampa.com.

About International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the
development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found at www.wellcertified.com.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Enterprise Provider, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Performance Rating, WELL Performance Rated, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

Media contact:
media@wellcertified.com

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— Competitive Grant Program to Offer Individual Grants of Up to $100,000 per Project —

— Application Period to Run From Sept. 15, 2023 Through Nov. 30, 2023 —

DUBLIN, September 7, 2023 /3BL/ – Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) announced that it will begin accepting applications for its annual Alkermes Pathways Research Awards® program on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Now in its sixth year, this competitive grant program is designed to support the next generation of researchers working on the front lines to advance our understanding of diseases in the field of neuroscience. The program will offer grants to early-career investigators who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing research related to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The application period will run through Nov. 30, 2023.

“Great science is the foundation for everything we do at Alkermes, and our support for these innovative research projects is an extension of that commitment,” said Craig Hopkinson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Alkermes. “As the Pathways program continues to evolve, we are proud of its impact to date in supporting the work of early-career researchers dedicated to making progress on behalf of people living with complex diseases like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.”

The 6th annual Alkermes Pathways Research Awards program will offer grants in amounts of up to $100,000 per project. To qualify, early-career investigators must be M.D.s, Ph.D.s, or equivalent, who are within five years of their initial academic appointment or are current post-doctoral fellows, and who are affiliated with a medical or research institution within the United States. Applicants will be evaluated by an independent review committee comprised of specialists in psychiatry, neurobiology, pharmacology, and behavioral science from academic research centers.

The Pathways program began in 2018 and has since provided approximately $2.3 million in funding to 23 researchers across the United States. Award recipients have undertaken important, mentor-supported research to help advance the field of neuroscience. For more information on the Alkermes Pathways Research Awards program, including full eligibility criteria and how to apply for the 6th annual edition of the program, visit www.PathwaysResearchAwards.com.

About Alkermes plc 
Alkermes plc is a fully-integrated, global biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines in the fields of neuroscience and oncology. The company has a portfolio of proprietary commercial products focused on alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder, and a pipeline of product candidates in development for neurological disorders and cancer. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Alkermes has a research and development center in Waltham, Massachusetts; a research and manufacturing facility in Athlone, Ireland; and a manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Ohio. For more information, please visit Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com.

Alkermes Pathways Research Awards® is a registered service mark of Alkermes, Inc. The Alkermes Pathways Research Awards logo is a service mark of Alkermes, Inc.

Alkermes Contacts: 
For Investors: Sandy Coombs, +1 781 609 6377 
For Media: Gretchen Murphy, +1 781 609 6419