Month: April 2024

Eastman

KINGSPORT, Tenn., April 1, 2024 /3BL/ – The Naia™ from Eastman team is present at this year’s Première Vision Paris, the fashion industry’s most anticipated annual event. The booth showcases the Naia™ Renew ES portfolio of innovative, more sustainable fibers with certified recycled content.* PV Paris is Feb. 6-8 at Paris Nord Villepinte, France.

PV Paris is committed to the future of sustainable fashion, bringing together global designers and cutting-edge, eco-focused offerings. Eastman features its latest sustainable textile innovation as well as its newly achieved Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification.

“We’re proud to showcase our fiber with the most sustainable content yet at the world’s top event for fashion,” said Carolina Sister Cohn, global marketing leader for Eastman’s textiles division. “First launched for a pilot project in collaboration with Patagonia in September 2022, Naia™ Renew ES is a game changer for the industry. It’s a solution that blends fashion and environmental responsibility. We can’t wait to share this new fiber with the world at Première Vision and inspire others to embrace sustainable design.”

Naia™ Renew ES is produced from 60% certified recycled content and 40% sustainable sourced wood pulp. It is an eco-conscious alternative to silk and other natural or man-made fibers, assuring elegant drape, silky soft hand and luxurious luster without compromising on sustainability, as the recently launched bridal collection in collaboration with Reformation shows. This sustainable yarn plays a pivotal role in combating waste pollution, reducing reliance on virgin materials and enabling a lower carbon footprint.

Eastman creates value from hard-to-recycle waste that would otherwise go into landfills. The increased recycled content in Naia™ Renew ES is possible through Eastman’s molecular recycling technology, which breaks waste down into its molecular building blocks. This process produces a fully traceable and biodegradable cellulosic fiber; TÜV Austria has certified that Naia™ Renew is biodegradable and compostable.

Naia™ Renew received GRS certification in December 2023. This certifies the fiber’s recycled content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. Earned after an independent third-party audit, GRS certification provides increased traceability, environmental principles, social requirements, chemical content and labeling.

“We’re honored to share our newly achieved GRS certification at Première Vision this year,” said Claudia de Witte, sustainability leader for Eastman textiles. “To make sustainable textiles available to all, we know we must build brand trustworthiness around the world. We can build those relationships with more customers and collaborators around the world, especially when we have credentials like GRS that support our sustainability story.”

Turkey is among the global markets where Naia™ continues to grow. To support that growth, Eastman is expanding its existing relationship with LEFA — a distribution company based in Istanbul with a history spanning over 25 years — as the new Naia™ distribution partner in Turkey.

“We are strengthening our position in Turkey; last year we participated in Sustainability Talks Istanbul, and as of April 1, 2024, Naia™ fibers distribution will be entrusted to LEFA,” said Ana Costa, commercial manager for Eastman Naia™. “This choice marks an evolution of our organization on the ground, as we will be able to reach our customers faster and more efficiently. We are excited to have LEFA on board, and soon our Turkish partners, who have been successfully served by Texpro as our agent in past years, will experience LEFA’s proven reputation for reliability and excellence in distribution and customer service.”

Naia™ from Eastman can be found at booth 6D77.

Naia™ trends to expect at PV Paris

The Naia™ collection at this year’s PV Paris will showcase ready-to-wear, casual wear, knitwear and sweaters aligning with the projected trends from Promostyl, a forecasting and consulting leader. The garments are inspired by industry trends named “Bioverse Magic”, “Turning Off” and “Quiet Luxury”. Bioverse Magic will be seen through Naia™ fiber blends that are iridescent, play with light and shine while maintaining beautiful drape, softness and comfort. Turning Off is inspired by nature, so Naia™ blends will be created in natural colors. Finally, the Naia™ booth will take on Quiet Luxury with simple, elegant styles.

*Naia™ Renew recycled content is achieved by allocation of recycled waste material using a GRS-certified mass balance process.

About Eastman

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2023 revenue of approximately $9.2 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.

For contacts and information

Menabò Group, Naia™ press support: pressoffice@menabo.com

Originally published on Illumina News Center

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) provides amazing insights into health care, agriculture, food safety, and many other disciplines, making it increasingly essential for students to have access to this technology to enhance their career options. To make that happen, the Illumina Genomic Discoveries program and Biocom California’s Generation STEAM are partnering to bring NGS education to San Diego–area high schools.

“We developed a ‘Lab-in-a-Box’ program to empower teachers and expose students to our technology and then partnered with Biocom California to roll it out and potentially scale it,” says Vanessa Light, senior manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at Illumina. “We train teachers on an Illumina benchtop sequencer, and then they have the opportunity to bring the sequencer into their classrooms and put it in the hands of students.”

Lab-in-a-Box includes an iSeq 100 System and all the materials necessary to conduct powerful experiments, like those performed in biotech labs. The program also supports teacher development by sharing information about industry tools, trends, and careers.

“It’s important to give teachers access to these skills and resources,” says Mikayla Ortega, Generation STEAM’s program manager. “There’s a multiplier effect: If we impact one teacher, we can reach 40 or even 200 students. In turn, they start seeing themselves as scientists, engineers, and strategic thinkers.”

Genomic discoveries in action

Sixteen teachers in San Diego County are already incorporating Lab-in-a-Box into their curricula. One is Elizabeth Perkoski, a career technical education (CTE) biotechnology teacher at El Camino High School, a Title 1 school in Oceanside.

“The sequencer is fantastic, but the program touches on so many important skills,” says Perkoski, who teaches ninth graders. “The students learn foundational bench science techniques, like pipetting and PCR, which amplifies DNA segments. They learn how sequencing works and conduct bioinformatics on the back end. It’s a little bit of everything, and it gives them real-world experience.”

The sequencing experiment is built around a familiar scenario: food contamination. Its premise is that a salad made conference attendees sick, and students must identify the specific vegetable and pathogen causing the outbreak. The class is given several vegetables and must analyze their surfaces to find answers. (Spoiler alert: The tomatoes are infected with E. coli.)

“They get really excited because they’re familiar with that storyline,” Perkoski says. “They’ve heard about romaine lettuce being pulled off shelves, so it gives them a window into what’s going on behind the scenes.”

The STEAM pathway

Perkoski designed this biotech unit in 2019 as an alternative to traditional biology lessons. She still covers all the ninth-grade bio standards—ecology, evolution, cells, and DNA—but layers on biotech to give students a better feel for how the science is applied.

The unit is part of a two-class CTE certification. The second class, the capstone, will immerse students even more deeply in the biotech ecosystem, giving them opportunities to meet scientists, visit biotech campuses, and possibly apply for internships. Perkoski is working with Oceanside’s MiraCosta College to offer course credit.

“MiraCosta offers a bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing, and there’s an intro course they want me to design the capstone around,” Perkoski says. “I’d also like to have formal labs and introduce students to possible careers in research. They’ll learn about protein purification and standard techniques, like ELISA [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay], and even keep lab notebooks.”

Seeing the students grow is a major highlight for her. On day one, many of them can’t even define “biotechnology.” But as the class progresses, they develop a better appreciation for both the science and the industry. In some cases, individuals gravitate to specific parts of the sequencing workflow—kids with computer skills often home in on bioinformatics. Even more importantly, the unit helps students envision a career in STEAM.

“A lot of our students, especially girls, come in thinking they’re bad at science,” Perkoski says. “It’s just already planted in their minds. But by the end of the year, they feel a lot more confident and excited about it, and that’s great to see.”

Perkoski wants her students to understand that there’s more to life sciences than lab work. The industry needs trainers, salespeople, writers, designers, engineers, and other professionals. The best part is that all this exists in their backyards, since San Diego has a concentration of biomedical companies. But on an even deeper level, she wants them to walk away knowing that science is cool.

“My goal is to get them excited about science,” she says. “I tell them, ‘If you leave this class and don’t remember anything, that’s fine. But if you leave this class excited about science and wanting to figure stuff out, that’s my goal. I win.’”

Illumina’s long-term mission relies on nurturing and equipping the emerging life sciences workforce. By supporting educators like Elizabeth Perkoski to become genomics advocates, we nurture the next generation and give them new career options. Learn how we are increasing equitable access to STEAM and genomic education here.

For a printable PDF of this article, click here. 
To listen to this article read aloud, click here.

Originally published in Qualcomm’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

We work to be a positive force in protecting the environment by continually looking for ways to develop our ESG programs. We take actions that conserve water, lower emissions, minimize energy consumption and strive to reduce the impact of our waste disposal practices. We believe that environmental sustainability is extremely important, with significant social and economic benefits that require collective action and leadership from our Company and other corporate citizens. 

Our operations are designed to provide and maintain safe, healthy and productive working conditions that meet relevant and applicable requirements. We strive to conserve natural resources and improve our resilience and our environmental, health and safety performance.

2025 Goal
Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions 30 percent from a 2014  base year.18

2030 Goals
(SBTi Validated) Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions 50 percent from a 2020  base year.18 

Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions 25 percent from a 2020 base year.18

2040 Goal
(SBTi Validated) Reach net-zero global GHG emissions across our value chain.

Sustainability Goals

The best breakthroughs are sustainable.

Addressing the Climate Challenge

We are committed to achieving net-zero GHG emissions across our value chain by 2040. As of 2023, our corporate GHG reduction targets have been approved by the SBTi. The steps we have taken reflect our belief in the urgency of action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C and our commitment to emission cuts aligned with the latest climate science. We act in a manner consistent with the notion that climate change is a serious environmental, social and economic issue that calls for immediate and concerted action among all sectors of society. 

In line with our commitments, in 2023, we conducted our second CSA, including a quantitative analysis of climate-related physical risks, a quantitative analysis of climate-related transition risks and opportunities and a qualitative analysis of climate-related transition risks and opportunities. These analyses were used to estimate potential financial impacts on our Company, our key suppliers and customers and our value chain. The timeframes considered included the short term (presentday), medium term (2030) and long term (2040). We identified several potential impacts and opportunities to monitor over the time periods assessed. For more information, please see  our TCFD Index.

Our strategy to achieve our environmental commitments includes several key actions: 

Utilizing renewable energy in our top operational footprint regions via long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Limiting emissions in our operations through the replacement of high global warming potential gases in our manufacturing processes, to the extent feasible. Reducing natural gas usage at our San Diego headquarters in California. Working with key suppliers to develop collaborative initiatives to facilitate emissions reductions. 

We have continued our progress on this strategy over the last year, including the additional procurement of renewable energy. In 2023 we achieved our 2025 GHG emissions goal- two years ahead of schedule. We’ve reduced our Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by over 35 percent compared to  a 2014 baseline.

We are also continuing our efforts that are helping us advance towards our 2040 net-zero target. For Scope 3, we continue to refine our methodology to move away from spend-based calculations, and we are developing a strategy to engage a larger portion of our supply chain to gather more accurate and actionable data. 

We have also continued our implementation of internal carbon pricing across our three manufacturing facilities. This carbon price creates an assumed cost per ton of carbon emissions with an annual rate increase per year, with the objective of changing our internal behavior toward low carbon innovation. Our efforts have earned us several recognitions, such as being included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership Top 30 Tech & Telecom ranking, as well as achieving Climate Registered™ Platinum status from The Climate Registry for setting GHG reduction goals, obtaining verification of our GHG emissions and reporting on our annual progress.

18 Global

Learn more about how Qualcomm is driving innovation, societal advancement and sustainability in the 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Oscar Perez III, a U.S. Army veteran medically discharged after being injured while deployed in the Middle East, said his journey to homeownership came with both joy and disbelief.

“When I was talking to Len (McMorrow, a senior vice president at U.S. Bank) on video chat, I tried to tell myself that I don’t get emotional,” Perez said. “When he told us we were being chosen, I immediately looked at my wife to see what she would do. To see her cry and to see Len cry – because I’m pretty sure he was crying because I started crying – it was just a whirlwind of emotion.”

A whirlwind that ended with Perez, his wife, Kristi, and their two sons living in a new home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, after being selected to be the recipient of a new home as part of the HOME program at U.S Bank and Operation Homefront’s Permanent Home for Veterans program.

“Together, we help veterans and their families realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Susan Ziesman, vice president of integrated public relations at Operation Homefront. “Homeownership is so important because it helps a family establish roots in a community and gives them the stability they need to plan for the future. Many military families struggle with transitioning from military life to civilian life, so having a home sets them up for success in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.”

The Perez family will receive financial counseling and homeowner education while living in their newly built home for about two years. During that time, they’ll be able to work to build their savings. Once they successfully complete the program, they’ll receive the deed to the home, mortgage-free.

“For this family, this brand-new home is a much-needed resource that will enable them to live their lives fully, without having to worry about a mortgage payment,” said Fred Bolstad, executive vice president and head of retail lending at U.S. Bank. “We are proud to do that with Operation Homefront, who shares our goal of honoring service members and their families for their dedication and personal sacrifice.”

The Perez family’s home was the 26th home donation since 2013 for U.S. Bank.

“This is part of the foundation of what we do at U.S. Bank to assist veterans, first-time homebuyers and people who really want to achieve that dream of homeownership,” said “Builder” Tony Cardoza, the national builder lead for the East Region at U.S. Bank, who helps connect veterans with new homes through community partnerships. “We can help people in every community that we are in by the way of different programs we have.”

For the Perez family, the dream of homeownership is a reality, with their future anchored in the new home that they now call their own.

“I don’t know how I can thank Operation Homefront and U.S. Bank,” Perez said. “I feel like it’s a duty now for me to do something. … I’m not sure there’s anything I could do other than giving back to somebody else.”

A video featuring Perez and his home is available below.

U.S. Bank supports the unique financial needs of members of the military, from military checking to VA loans. Learn more at the Military Banking page.

View the video above or watch “What It’s Like To Be a Customer Experience Specialist at Principal” here.

At Principal®, we invest in what matters. And building talented teams is where it all begins. Nahla is a customer experience specialist in the Participant Contact Center in Des Moines, Iowa. In this video, Nahla takes us through her typical workday. The role of a customer experience specialist in our engagement centers may be one of the most customer-centric jobs at Principal, as specialists support people from so many different backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Explore opportunities to join our team: hhttps://careers.principal.com/customer-care.

About Principal Financial Group

Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with nearly 20,000 employees1 passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping approximately 62 million customers1 plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal® is proud to be recognized a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a “Best Places to Work in Money Management2 .” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to building a better future at principal.com. 

1As of December 31, 2023.

2Pensions & Investments, 2022 .

Women represent more than half of Gilead’s workforce, and our weighted salary ratio for women to men globally in 2023 was 99.93:100. We’ll continue our efforts to champion an environment of equality and inclusion for all.

Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

In 2021, Gildan initiated a Spanish sign language training program in three of its facilities in the Dominican Republic. At the time, these facilities had close to 60 deaf and hard of hearing employees, and the program was established to enhance inclusive communication between these employees and their peers. Three years later, this initiative is now a fixed component of the Company’s annual training plan for the Dominican Republic, and an effective means of creating an environment where every employee feels included and supported in their professional journey.

Tailored to fulfill Gildan’s local needs, the program was designed and developed by the Company’s Human Resources team in collaboration with sign language experts from INFOTEP, the National Institute of Professional Technical Training. As part of the program, learners go through a four-tiered training, totaling up to a year-long commitment to acquire the skills needed to master Spanish sign language.

While participation in the program is voluntary, Gildan ensures that every cohort of learners includes at least one representative from each department, encouraging a sense of inclusivity and empathy within each team. Currently, there are more than 30 employees trained in Spanish sign language who are dispersed across Gildan’s various operations in the Dominican Republic.

“I am proud of our team for initiating this program and continuing to reinforce its importance within our workforce here,” says Vileika Ramirez, Director, Human Resources at Gildan. “Beyond equipping employees with the necessary skills to communicate with deaf and hard of hearing colleagues, this program has created an openness and willingness among people to step outside their comfort zone and embrace what it means to be inclusive,” she finishes.

Participants share below how the program has impacted them:

“At first, I found sign language challenging, but eventually, I understood its importance for successful communication with my co-workers. Now, I actively encourage my colleagues to learn sign language.” – Evelyn Abigail Felix, Environmental Supervisor

“As the one in charge of recruitment, the sign language program has helped me a lot. I can now directly communicate with all our candidates to ensure a fair hiring process. Furthermore, I can better understand feedback from our current employees and respond to requests more effectively.” – Yudy Cuevas, Human Resources Analyst

Gildan has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition to sign language training, the Company has taken many steps to foster inclusivity within its employee base. Specifically, in the Dominican Republic, Gildan recently received the Gold Gender Equality Seal from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs for its efforts to address gender gaps across eight dimensions in the workplace. Gildan also organizes annual on-site workshops to raise awareness about gender-based violence, facilitating open dialogue around this issue. Through these and many other initiatives, the Company continues to create favourable conditions for all its employees to reach their full potential. 

To learn more about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Gildan, click here.