Month: March 2024

The Global Inclusive Growth Summit returns on April 18, 2024. As we look forward to coming back together in person and virtually, we offer these highlights from the 2023 event, hosted by Mastercard and the Aspen Institute. The Global Inclusive Growth Summit 2023 brought together private sector, social impact and government leaders to share ways to make economies more equitable.

The 2024 Global Inclusive Growth Summit, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, advances real solutions to today’s most pressing challenges through collaboration and candid conversation among entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers and emerging changemakers. First held in 2019, the Summit assembles a dynamic group of cross-sector leaders who collectively address topics including financial inclusion, data science for social impact, emerging technology such as artificial intelligence, climate and the environment, women’s economic empowerment and place-based development. After a decade of impact, we’re excited to continue the great dialogue and work focused on driving and creating inclusive growth for all.

Get more information about the 2024 Global Inclusive Growth Summit here.

To learn more, visit: globalinclusivegrowthsummit.com

Originally published July 14, 2024 by Mastercard:

Digital technology holds the potential to accelerate economic development, reduce global inequality and deliver innovative partnerships to connect communities – but only if we focus it with intention. Conversely, poorly governed and deployed, technology can exacerbate these challenges and threaten basic liberties.

In this session, Samantha Power, USAID administrator and Mike Froman, Mastercard advisor (and former vice chairman) discuss how the public and private sectors can work together to build a trusted digital ecosystem that supports democratic principles and fosters inclusive and sustainable economic development.

To learn more, visit: globalinclusivegrowthsummit.com

Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs and empower a community of thinkers, leaders and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth.

Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is the creation of a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado and New York City, as well as an international network of partners. Learn more at www.aspeninstitute.org.

Devex

Devex is the world’s leading independent news organization covering global development. Devex journalists deliver insider reporting from front lines of the fight to achieve the SDGs – driving the most important debates, providing the most critical analysis, and backing it all up with the events, career information, and funding opportunities professionals require. To keep up to date with the must-read global development coverage, join their global community.

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

www.mastercard.com

Follow along the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth’s journey to advance equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world

 

Originally published on 3M News Center.

Josiah Christopher’s interest in discovering how things work started when he was young and went beyond building blocks and Legos to taking apart household appliances.

“It was a passion I had, and my parents encouraged me to dive deeper into it. So, I got involved in a lot of engineering camps, competitions, car building, robotics and everything I could,” Josiah said.

As a junior at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, the natural next step was majoring in mechanical engineering.

For Damenica Ellis, a sophomore at Howard University, a passion for learning inspires her to share that knowledge with others.

“I want to inform people about what is going on around them and be a voice for underrepresented groups who might not have one,” Damenica said.

Josiah and Damenica are two of 49 3M Scholars awarded a scholarship from UNCF (United Negro College Fund) to support their higher education.

“Here at 3M, we are so inspired by the 3M Scholars who are academically preparing to change the world,” said Michael Stroik, vice president, Community Relations. “This program was created to help transform lives through scholarships and career exploration opportunities and UNCF does an incredible job advancing this work.”

The scholarship helped Josiah fund his education, and to him being a 3M Scholar has meant persevering through anything and everything. He credits the scholarship for staying in school.

“I was not doing well in school and had to take a break,” said Josiah. “But they still helped me get back on my feet and offered tutoring services, resources and people who were there to help. They saw that I was in need and helped me meet that need.”

As he is planning for the future, Josiah is looking to bring science fiction to life and hopes to help design technology that enables solid objects to phase through matter.

“I want to be involved in creating something from sci-fi shows, maybe teleportation or being able to walk through a wall. I feel like with what we have going and with what 3M is capable of, it could very much be a possibility,” he said.

STEM has had a big impact on Damenica’s life, starting when she was young and her parents created space for her to discover and explore on her own.

“One Christmas, my mom got me an experiment kit. It was making a circuit to turn on a light, but once I had completed the instructions, it had other things you could build and tests to conduct, as well,” she shared. “My dad’s innovativeness had an impact on me, too … He would make something of nothing – he was really an inventor in his own way. One winter we didn’t have a sled and he tied some extension cords to the top of a garbage bin. I had the time of my life.”

When it was time to decide on a major in college, the multifaceted Damenica declared one that would bring all her interests together – Media, Film and Journalism, focused on the journalism angle.

Her background in experiments and learning about a variety of topics is helping in her major today, she said, where STEM topics play a larger role than people might think. She’s learning how to build websites, make graphics and develop a variety of digital content so she can share her stories and learnings with a large audience.

The technology she’s most excited about? Advancements in medical technology.

“I was inspired last summer when I spent a day at 3M Center talking with 3M engineers. They are doing such important work for society, but some people don’t even know what an engineer does. I want to change that,” said Damenica.

3M’s impact

In 2020, 3Mgives gifted UNCF a $5 million gift to provide scholarships to underrepresented minority students in St. Paul, Minnesota, with plans to attend a historically black college or university (HBCU). Since the announcement, 49 students have been named 3M Scholars and will each receive $25,000 over a four-year period.

3M’s grant with UNCF is one way we’re working toward our goal of providing five million STEM and skilled trades learning experiences through 2025. By helping these students pursue higher education, 3M hopes to inspire curiosity, improve educational outcomes and transform opportunities for underrepresented individuals. As of 2022, we have provided over two million opportunities across the U.S.

Originally published by Yum! Brands CSO Jon Hixson on LinkedIn

2023 Recognition

Proud of Yum for our recognition from CDP on our climate, water and deforestation efforts. 2023’s scores were highest ever across all three CDP categories, with all areas receiving A’s or B’s. More to do, but a great journey over the last 7 years of continuous improvement. Great work by global teams in engaging with suppliers to help prevent deforestation (a critical element of climate work in global food systems), especially in areas of High Carbon Stock forests and landscapes.

Top 5 for 2024

Focus on what’s most material: The evolving sustainability landscape requires a renewed focus on the top material issues. Yum is conducting our third sustainability materiality assessment, and our first assessment using the Double Materiality framework to set up compliance with new European Union reporting requirements.Meet increasing demands of regulation: The landscape has shifted for large global companies. Voluntary systems are being displaced by regulated frameworks, especially in US and Europe.Data, data, data: Not sexy, but the importance of good quality data cannot be underestimated. Simplifying what we collect to align with our material priorities is a must for the road ahead.Concentrate on the doing: The right strategy and focus is a key building block. But even more important is doing the actual work to realize the strategy. For Yum Brands, this means taking actions that are Relevant, Easy and Distinctive (RED) for our customers and employees to see. With more than 58,000 restaurants around the world, making sure that our markets have the capability to drive change, is where the rubber really meets the road.Be comfortable in the uncomfortable: Thrive in ambiguity was some of the earliest career advice I first received. It remains a truism for success. Much is changing in the sustainability space – the science is evolving, the innovation keeps getting better, stakeholder and regulatory pressures grow. One thing that’s certain is that we must get comfortable with the uncomfortable, to keep moving ahead!

Get your teams ready. Give grace and inspire for a great year ahead!