Month: April 2024

For more than a decade, Comcast has been dedicated to closing the digital divide. Achieving digital equity is at the heart of the work we do because we know how life-changing a reliable home Internet connection can be in today’s digital economy.

Through the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), more than 23 million households across America – nearly 50% of which are military families – are able to get online at little to no cost. Unfortunately, the ACP is only fully funded through April and is expected to lapse by May. This puts at risk all the progress we have made in keeping Americans connected to this critical resource.

As I said in January, we believe that Congress and the White House should find a way to extend the ACP so people can stay connected and benefit from the Internet for education, healthcare, workforce development, veterans’ assistance, and so much more.

At Comcast, we remain committed to doing our part to help including:

Partial ACP Credit – To help ease the transition, all ACP customers will receive a federally funded ACP credit of $14 on their Xfinity bills ($35 on Tribal lands) for the month of May as the government program winds down.

Internet Essentials – We continue to offer Internet Essentials – our reliable, low-cost high-speed Internet service – for $9.95/month. That is the exact same price it has been since 2011, when it was first introduced, despite inflation, while speeds have increased five times for no additional cost. Millions of Americans have been connected to Internet Essentials, which has become the largest and most comprehensive private-sector Internet adoption program in the country. All current ACP customers are eligible to switch to Internet Essentials tiers during this transition.

Internet Essentials+ – For customers looking for even faster speeds, Internet Essentials Plus offers double the speed – up to 100 Mbps – for $29.95/month.

Xfinity Mobile Savings – For those looking to save money on their monthly bills, we’re also offering discounts to customers who bundle their Internet service with Xfinity Mobile. New Internet Essentials Plus customers can take advantage of a free line of Xfinity Mobile for one year. Additionally, current customers enrolled in ACP with Comcast who add Xfinity Mobile can get an additional free unlimited line for one year, potentially saving them hundreds of dollars per year.

NOW WiFi Pass – For individuals and families on the go, Comcast has introduced NOW WiFi Pass, which connects them to our 23 million+ Xfinity WiFi hotspots nationwide. Now through June 30, customers can get online for $10/month with no additional equipment required, no long-term commitments, or any cancellation fees.

Lift Zones – Individuals, whether they’re our customers or not, can access one of our more than 1,250 WiFi-connected Lift Zones across the country. Working with our extensive network of nonprofit partners, Lift Zones provide free Internet access in neighborhood locations like nonprofits, community centers, gyms, and parks and recreation facilities. Additionally, many locations have Digital Navigators – trusted and trained individuals who help them get online and learn digital skills.

Internet Essentials Partnership Program – Our Internet Essentials Partnerships Program (IEPP) provides the opportunity for school districts and other organizations to fund and connect large numbers of students and families to broadband access at home. Since 2020, IEPP has collaborated with hundreds of entities across the country to help connect K-12 students.

Partnerships and Project UP – We also continue to work with our network of thousands of nonprofit partners nationwide who are on the front lines of closing the digital divide. We’re investing in organizations that train thousands of trusted Digital Navigators who connect people to the Internet; and partners who advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers, and creators. This is all backed by Project UP, our $1B commitment to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.

While we have all these products and services available today, we will continue to create even more packages and options to offer our customers and the communities we serve. We’ve made so much progress closing the digital divide and we remain committed to doing our part to ensure more Americans stay connected and that no one gets left behind.

Broderick D. Johnson is Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and Executive Vice President, Digital Equity for Comcast Corporation.

Originally published in Northwestern Mutual 2023 Sustainability and Social Impact Report

Driven by our mission to improve lives through financial security, we’ve helped millions of Americans reduce financial vulnerability and plan and manage for a lifetime of financial needs and goals. We know that financial security is often hindered in underserved communities, which is why we’re taking bold steps to increase financial knowledge, improve access to capital for small businesses and advance the ability to build generational wealth. We believe accelerating economic empowerment delivers the growth and returns our stakeholders expect. 

A key engine in these efforts is our Sustained Action for Racial Equity (SARE) initiative, launched in 2020 by Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer John Schlifske. Through this initiative, driven by 80+ leaders across our corporate offices and network of field offices, we seek to promote multicultural entrepreneurship, supplier/business diversity and financial education. We take a long-term view while acting with a sense of urgency—proud of the results we’ve achieved while recognizing there is much more to be done to create healthier, stronger communities and a better tomorrow.

ADVANCING MULTICULTURAL AND WOMEN-RUN BUSINESSES

Northwestern Mutual is committed to specific initiatives to support change in underserved communities. We’re building an ecosystem for multicultural business success—increasing access to resources and capital, and furthering organizations’ willingness to spend with multicultural and women-run businesses. 

Northwestern Mutual wants to reduce barriers to financial equity and expand financial access for tech startups by supporting entrepreneurs who have been historically underserved. To address this need, each year the Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator® provides up to 10 entrepreneurs with a $100,000 investment, plus an intensive 12-week business training program and ongoing mentoring. In partnership with gener8tor, a nationally ranked startup accelerator, we’ve welcomed 30 entrepreneurs and invested $3 million to date. Participants have gone on to accelerate their business plans, raise additional funding and spark business and community growth. 

Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, our venture capital arm, in addition to investing in a variety of other startups, has a goal of investing $20 million each in women and African American/Black entrepreneurs. We look for partners who are developing tools and platforms to help us deliver the experience our clients need, want and deserve; who are shaping the future of health and wellness; and who are bringing new technologies and enhanced analytics to market.

INVESTING WITH IMPACT

In 2023, Northwestern Mutual added $75 million to our Impact Investment Fund, bringing the total to $175 million. The fund directs investments to increase entrepreneurs’ and businesses’ access to capital to create positive economic momentum locally and nationally; develop physical and social infrastructure, including affordable homes and improved school systems; and generate financial returns for our policyowners and investors. 

Since the fund launched in 2021, Northwestern Mutual has made 16 investments nationally and in Milwaukee, leading to further investments in 64 business owners from diverse backgrounds and creating 525 jobs across the country.

Supplier and business diversity 

Northwestern Mutual engages with a broad array of outside vendors for everything from office supplies and building materials to marketing and technology services. Through rigorous and transparent competitive bidding, we ensure that regardless of size or ownership, suppliers have an equal opportunity to provide us goods and services. This promotes fairness and equity while enriching our supply chain with fresh perspectives, innovation and expertise. We’ve also developed a roadmap toward supply chain sustainability reporting, with pilot participants beginning in 2023. 

Employing inclusive procurement practices, our program has achieved remarkable growth in the amount we spend with small and diverse businesses. We’re one of the first members of the Financial Services Roundtable for Supplier Diversity that recognizes and tracks LGBTQ+ owned company spending, and we belong to the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce to increase access to certified LGBTQ+ suppliers and businesses. 

Our efforts have created $91.1 million in total economic impact with small and diverse businesses in the Milwaukee area and $842.1 million with small and diverse businesses nationally.

PROMOTING FINANCIAL EDUCATION TO HELP BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH

We continually look for opportunities to learn from and share financial knowledge with a wide variety of individuals. Our financial advisors and representatives and our corporate employees work to open dialogues, build awareness and earn trust in underserved communities.

Programming for youth 

We recognize the power of educating young people about building wealth; it can transform communities as well as individuals. Our financial advisors and representatives and our corporate offices offer a variety of programs to connect with students at all levels. 

In partnership with the Leo Tucker network office in Washington, D.C., we completed the second pilot of Advancing Financial Literacy, a program with Howard University’s Center for Financial Excellence. The three-week program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to learn financial planning strategies and practice using related tools.

Increasing connections and collaboration 

Through partnerships with professional, community and advocacy organizations, our corporate offices and network of field offices increase visibility and connections, expanding markets and social impact. Northwestern Mutual is proud to work with and learn from thought leaders in organizations including the National Urban League and the National Black MBA Association. 

At the National Urban League’s annual conference, we led workshops for small business owners and presented to 900+ guests at the conference gala. At the National Black MBA Conference, Northwestern Mutual was a sponsor for their gala and for a pitch competition offering startups the opportunity to connect with investors—and to win up to $50,000. Northwestern Mutual partnered with the Chicago chapter of the National Black MBA Association on Black Think, a “pop-up think tank” on personal financial planning and addressing the racial wealth gap. 

We’ve advanced mutual goals and increased visibility in the college market and beyond as the presenting corporate sponsor of The Loyola Project, a documentary about race relations, courage and college basketball. The film has been shown on CBS and Paramount+. It has also been shown at more than 150 college campuses, more than twice the original goal. With Crossroads Entertainment, we are again bringing The Loyola Project to select HBCU campuses, providing movie toolkits and conversation outlines.

Learn more about Northwestern Mutual’s commitment to delivering financial security and expanding financial access in the 2023 Sustainability and Social Impact Report.

Originally published by The Cool Down.

“Everybody has to eat. … Food’s sort of the great equalizer.”

Suzanne Long, Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer at Albertsons, is taking that idea and running with it: Her goal is to bring sustainability to life by making it visible and tangible. And what better place to do that than from the grocery store? “Everybody has to eat,” she noted. “Food’s sort of the great equalizer.”

In an exclusive interview with The Cool Down, Long takes us behind the scenes at the nation’s second-largest supermarket chain — from what might surprise you about food waste to the company’s unconventional partnership with Uber.

When Albertsons stores do have surplus food, the first priority is getting it “into the mouth of someone who needs it,” Long told us. If that isn’t possible, “then let’s turn it into compost. Let’s turn it into animal feed. Keeping as much of it out of [the] landfill as possible is really the ultimate goal.”

See full interview on The Cool Down and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

Originally published by QSR Magazine

Taco Bell is announcing the expansion of their popular recycling program with TerraCycle to also collect and recycle any brand of sauce dipping cups, souffle cups/lids & coffee creamer pods. To make it official, the program has been renamed the Taco Bell Sauce Container US Recycling Program.

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