Month: March 2024

DALLAS, March 5, 2024 /3BL/ – Mary Kay Inc., a global leader in women’s empowerment, today announced the release of a special report titled “Advancing Women’s Entrepreneurship: from Commitment to Action.” The report details the company’s steadfast commitment to championing women’s causes around the world through the significant strides the company has made in the four years since the founding of the groundbreaking Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) multi-stakeholder partnership.

In 2019, in partnership with six United Nations agencies, Mary Kay founded WEA as a driving force for promoting women’s entrepreneurship and economic participation worldwide. The 2023 Special Report details the various flagship programs and impact statistics of WEA, emphasizing its global reach and unique approach in addressing the core challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.

“Through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator, we have created a robust platform that not only supports but celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of women globally,” said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Kay. “Our goal is to empower five million women by 2030, and we’re well on our way. We’ve engaged over 600,000 women in our programs and activities so far, and 2024 will prove to be another historic year.”

The report showcases Mary Kay’s holistic approach to women’s empowerment through the WEA multi-stakeholder partnership, spanning access to education, capital, networks and markets, advocacy, and policy. It includes remarkable achievements such as:

the reduction of poverty rates in an SDG pilot village project in rural China capitalizing on women entrepreneurship and leadership development;the launch of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Regional EXPO and in-country satellite events in Europe and Central Asia region bringing together women entrepreneurs, investors, and business partners. These 2023 events, co-organized with 33 local partners, reached over 15,308 participants, including 1,047 entrepreneurs and 75 investors, and included 27 seminars/panels and exhibition spaces;the successful implementation of various training and mentoring programs conducted by high-level partners around the world such as the online Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme;the WEA Digital Innovation Challenge for Women Entrepreneurs received 250 applications from Women-led startups from 54 countries;Women entrepreneurship research for policy recommendation for gender equality in enterprise development in Latin America region.

The company’s notable efforts in promoting gender-responsive procurement and investment (GRPI) have also made significant contributions to women’s economic participation and empowerment.

To learn more about the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator and to read the full 2023 Special Report, please click here.

About Mary Kay 
Then. Now. Always. One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. That dream has blossomed into a global company with millions of independent sales force members in more than 35 countries. For 60 years, the Mary Kay opportunity has empowered women to define their own futures through education, mentorship, advocacy, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in preserving our planet for future generations, protecting women impacted by cancer and domestic abuse, and encouraging youth to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter)

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CARE partners with corporations to improve the lives of women and communities in and around their global supply chains by ensuring women earn, save, invest. Our programs leverage public-private partnerships, integrative savings groups, and entrepreneur financing and support, to reduce poverty and improve equity. Her Money. Her Future.

Originally published on 3M News Center.

Lenovo, a world leader in consumer electronics, recently launched its new mainstream ThinkPad laptop series complete with 3M optical technology. Lenovo’s ThinkPad design with 3M technology allows for an average of 20-30% reduction in backlight energy and an expected 20% increase in battery life over previous models.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T Series devices represent its largest segment of commercial notebook PCs, accounting for an installed operating base of more than 100 million units.

“This is a great example of how 3M’s materials science can solve for design, performance and sustainability challenges,” said Joseph Koch, VP of 3M’s Consumer Electronics Business. “We’re thrilled to partner with Lenovo as we share the same pursuit in advancing the consumer electronics market with more sustainable solutions.”

3M is providing a reflective polarizer technology that recycles light which would otherwise be absorbed within the LCD system. Incorporation of this 3M technology results in lower overall energy usage. Lenovo engineers have used this reduction in energy to help extend device battery life at an equivalent brightness level. In addition to extended battery operation, color uniformity is improved, and lifetime energy consumption is reduced, subsequently helping to reduce Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas emissions.

Traditionally, an LCD display segment focused only on affordability for consumers, not on performance. Working closely together, 3M and Lenovo were able to achieve both cost and performance metrics.

“This collaboration is another step forward in Lenovo’s drive to exceed customer’s expectations in what a mainstream notebook PC can be,” said Yasumichi Tsukamoto, VP PC and Smart Devices, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group, “We are focused on giving customers products that exceed performance expectations and that positively impact the environment.”

A chance encounter at a previous job put me on the right path.

My journey to Quest Diagnostics began in 2017. I was in-between jobs and didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. I was working security for a local hospital, and I noticed a Quest Diagnostics car and courier coming in and out daily. One day I asked the courier, “What exactly do you do?” The courier told me about his job and day-to-day responsibilities, and I was immediately interested in working for Quest. I applied for a courier position and was hired in October of 2017.

I started out as a shuttle driver for our LAX logistics hub. As months went by, I was enjoying my time at Quest and knew I wanted to move up and see what other opportunities were available in the company. My goal was to become supervisor one day, and to do that I needed to keep an open mind and potentially go where I am needed. So, I expressed an interest in transferring to Portland, Oregon, for a change and new growth opportunities. And when the opportunity was available, I moved to Portland.

While working as a Route Service Representative (RSR) I always knew I wanted to learn more and take on expanded responsibilities. I spoke with my supervisor and expressed interest in taking on bigger roles and becoming an Advanced RSR. Within a few months, the advanced position became available. Taking that role was the best decision of my life. I had a great experience working with the team in Portland for 3 years. When a Group Lead position became available in 2022, I took another leap forward and decided to move again to fulfill my dream.

Being a Group Lead has been so fulfilling. I get to support my colleagues every day, take on new tasks when needed, and learn more about how Quest operates. My new supervisor has been a major impact in my life and at work. He is helping me build character and develop the knowledge and leadership skills to work on my next goal of becoming a supervisor.

I truly believe my purpose is to be with Quest the rest of my life. I love working with Quest because no matter what role I take on, I am supporting my community and growing my career. There are many opportunities within the company to keep learning and growing. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

I truly appreciate everyone I work with and want to thank my colleagues and especially my supervisors who have been on this journey so far. I look forward to many more years with Quest Diagnostics.

EMERYVILLE, Calif., March 5, 2024 /3BL/ – SCS Global Services, the world’s leading third-party certification body, has become the first auditor accredited to provide certification for Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) Feed Standard. The certification represents a significant step forward in promoting greater environmental and social responsibility within the aquaculture industry.

As the leading third-party certification body, SCS Global Services (SCS) brings its unmatched expertise and credibility to the certification process for aquaculture feed. SCS follows ASC’s robust and comprehensive Feed Standard requirements to evaluate and assess the entire feed production process, from raw material sourcing to feed formulation and production.

By setting strict requirements for the sourcing of all major feed ingredients, the certification program aims to protect marine ecosystems, conserve biodiversity, reduce deforestation and land conversion (both legal and illegal), and promote sustainable seafood farming practices.

“SCS Global Services is committed to fostering sustainable practices across various industries, and this collaboration enables us to contribute our expertise to the aquaculture sector,” said Jason Swecker, Managing Director of Seafood at SCS Global Services.

Alexandra Warrington, Senior Coordinator, Feed Standard at ASC, relayed that “Ensuring the feed used in seafood farming is sourced responsibly is essential to moving aquaculture towards more sustainable practices. ASC’s Feed Standard requires that feed mills meet strict environmental and social requirements; source ingredients from socially responsible suppliers; and use environmentally responsible raw materials. ASC certified farms now have until October 2025 to change their supply of feed to come from mills that have been certified against the Feed Standard – feed mills that get certified in 2024 will not have to pay license fees on the volume of compliant feed they produce this calendar year.”

The goal is clear for both SCS and ASC that implementation of responsible feed practices in seafood farming will foster a more resilient aquaculture industry. All industry stakeholders, including feed manufacturers and seafood farmers, are invited to actively participate in the adoption of this innovative certification.

For more information about SCS Global Services’ new ASC Feed Standard certification, please visit our website here or contact Jason Swecker at jswecker@scsglobalservices.com or at +1 510-495-6421.

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About SCS Global Services

SCS Global Services is the world’s leading third-party auditor, providing trusted certification, auditing, and sustainability solutions to diverse industries. With a track record spanning over 30 years, SCS empowers organizations to achieve their sustainability objectives through rigorous assessments and certifications. SCS is committed to driving environmental, social, and economic well-being worldwide.

About Aquaculture Stewardship Council

ASC is driving the world’s leading certification program for responsibly farmed seafood.

ASC is leading the transformation of the seafood farming industry towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility by setting the most robust standards and providing the highest assurance, integrity and transparency throughout the supply chain.

ASC’s vision is a world where aquaculture plays a major role in supplying food and social benefits for humanity while minimizing negative impacts on the environment. ASC’s standards ensure that seafood with the ASC label has been farmed with care.

Media Contact 
Stephanie Flynn 
sflynn@scsglobalservices.com