Month: May 2024

Las Vegas Sands

Over the past year, the corporate EmpowHER Team Member resource group for women and their allies have hosted “Women in Leadership,” an ongoing speaker series featuring a variety of women leaders who provided inspiration, tools and knowledge to help members advance in their careers.

Held in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the EmpowHER Team Member resource group’s series included five sessions that began in 2023 with speakers including former first lady of Nevada, Lauralyn Sandoval, who spoke about building confidence; former Las Vegas mayor, Jan Jones Blackhurst, who provided guidance on mastering communication; gaming and hospitality executive, Kim Sinatra, who addressed the misperceptions of self-perception; speaker, trainer and writer, Punam Mathur, who provided insights on emotional intelligence; and vice president of global marketing for Gaming Laboratories International, Christie Eickelman, who outlined ways to spur innovation and creativity.

“The sessions have given me a comfortable environment to learn, self-reflect and explore new ideas, while being inspired by experienced female leaders,” Melissa Grande, Sands’ director of ESG and global sustainability, said.

According to member feedback, participants found the EmpowHER Team Member resource group’s speaker series to be beneficial for their current day-to-day responsibilities and inspiring for career development, especially with the unique access to sought-after women leaders.

For example, Mathur’s session on emotional intelligence provided relatable insights by demonstrating what it means to communicate effectively and confidently, leaving participants inspired to lead by example and with humility, according to one participant.

“I truly believe the Women in Leadership series is a wonderful opportunity for Team Members to take advantage of,” Debbie Morton, IT manager, contracts and assets, at Sands, said. “The series is a mentorship program on its own and embodies our company culture to foster opportunities for growth. The most recent session (a fireside chat with Sands board member Micheline Chau) gave me a renewed sense of confidence and enablement to do more and be more.”

EmpowHER will continue the speaker series this year with planned topics such as relating to different personality profiles, navigating team dynamics and resolving conflicts, among others.

In addition to the speaker series, EmpowHER provides members with mentoring, networking and volunteering opportunities to create a cohesive community and promote career development. The employee-led group is sponsored by Sands as part of the company’s commitment to ensuring a culture that celebrates the strengths of diverse groups and provides opportunities for growth and advancement.

To learn more about Sands’ comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and with local communities and suppliers, read the latest ESG report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/

NEW YORK, May 22, 2024 /3BL/ – Grameen America, the fastest-growing nonprofit microfinance organization in the United States, announced the opening of its new branch location in Phoenix, Arizona with major philanthropic support from the Wells Fargo Foundation. To expand access to affordable capital for women entrepreneurs, Wells Fargo made a $3.25 million grant over three years to help Grameen America expand its operations to Phoenix and advance the organization’s technology and digital platforms.

Grameen America provides low-income women entrepreneurs with affordable loan capital, financial education, asset- and credit-building, and peer support. With the funding from Wells Fargo, Grameen America estimates the new branch will disburse nearly $14 million in capital to over 2,000 women business owners by the end of 2026. Since launch, the Phoenix branch has already disbursed over $327,000 in loan capital through microloans supporting over 130 women entrepreneurs. Members in the Grameen America program with first time loans of up to $2,500 complete their repayment cycles at an impressive 99% repayment rate and are eligible to receive larger loans every six months to grow their businesses.

According to a new Wells Fargo report, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metropolitan area offers a growth environment for women-owned businesses with a 13.7% firm growth rate, demonstrating the area’s high entrepreneurial culture. The number of women-owned businesses between 2019 and 2023 increased at nearly double the rate of those owned by men; and from 2022 to 2023, the rate of growth increased to 4.5 times. The report also shows that closing the gap in average revenues for women of color has the potential to generate $667 billion in additional revenue, while closing the gap in average revenues between women- and men-owned businesses has the potential of generating $7.9 trillion in additional revenue to the nation’s economy.

“For over a decade, Wells Fargo has been an invaluable partner committed to supporting women small business owners holistically with access to capital, credit establishment, savings, and digital tools,” said Andrea Jung, president and CEO of Grameen America. “The investment from Wells Fargo is instrumental in Grameen America’s capacity to scale its program to new geographies like Phoenix, where low-income women entrepreneurs are growing, but often experience barriers to financial mobility. We are thrilled to bring our program to this new community, where we know our members will have the opportunity pursue their business dreams, support their families, create jobs in the community, and drive economic growth.”

“Our goal was to create transformative change for the Phoenix small business community by expanding Grameen’s reach,” said Darlene Goins, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. “Small business owners are essential to creating local jobs and thriving communities. This grant is part of our overall focus on supporting small business growth nationwide and reaching a wide variety of entrepreneurs who need capital to grow, and ultimately, strengthening the small business sector for the long term.”

The $3.25 million grant is also supporting the roll out of Grameen America’s member mobile app across the country and future product enhancements. The initiative launched in April 2023 to advance the organization’s technology foundations and enhance the member experience with a centralized platform to manage loan and membership information. The mobile app also automates operational responsibilities, allowing Grameen America to reallocate time for member outreach and relationship-building, the core of the organization’s high-touch model. In addition, the app will provide data-driven insights on program impact and member satisfaction.

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About Grameen America

Grameen America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit microfinance organization dedicated to helping underserved women build small businesses to create better lives for their families. The organization offers access to affordable loan capital, financial education, asset- and credit-building, and peer support to transform communities and advance financial mobility in the United States. Since opening in January 2008, Grameen America has invested $4.1 billion in nearly 195,000 low-income women entrepreneurs. Opening initially in Jackson Heights, Queens, Grameen America has expanded to 27 cities in Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Camden, NJ, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, Connecticut, Dallas, TX, Fresno, CA, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Los Angeles, CA, Memphis, TN, Miami, FL, Newark, NJ, New York, NY, Omaha, NE, Oakland, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Riverside, CA, San Antonio, TX, San Bernardino, CA, San Jose, CA, Trenton, NJ and Union City, NJ.

NEW YORK, May 22, 2024 /3BL/ – Grameen America, the fastest-growing nonprofit microfinance organization in the United States, announced the opening of its new branch location in Phoenix, Arizona with major philanthropic support from the Wells Fargo Foundation. To expand access to affordable capital for women entrepreneurs, Wells Fargo made a $3.25 million grant over three years to help Grameen America expand its operations to Phoenix and advance the organization’s technology and digital platforms.

Grameen America provides low-income women entrepreneurs with affordable loan capital, financial education, asset- and credit-building, and peer support. With the funding from Wells Fargo, Grameen America estimates the new branch will disburse nearly $14 million in capital to over 2,000 women business owners by the end of 2026. Since launch, the Phoenix branch has already disbursed over $327,000 in loan capital through microloans supporting over 130 women entrepreneurs. Members in the Grameen America program with first time loans of up to $2,500 complete their repayment cycles at an impressive 99% repayment rate and are eligible to receive larger loans every six months to grow their businesses.

According to a new Wells Fargo report, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metropolitan area offers a growth environment for women-owned businesses with a 13.7% firm growth rate, demonstrating the area’s high entrepreneurial culture. The number of women-owned businesses between 2019 and 2023 increased at nearly double the rate of those owned by men; and from 2022 to 2023, the rate of growth increased to 4.5 times. The report also shows that closing the gap in average revenues for women of color has the potential to generate $667 billion in additional revenue, while closing the gap in average revenues between women- and men-owned businesses has the potential of generating $7.9 trillion in additional revenue to the nation’s economy.

“For over a decade, Wells Fargo has been an invaluable partner committed to supporting women small business owners holistically with access to capital, credit establishment, savings, and digital tools,” said Andrea Jung, president and CEO of Grameen America. “The investment from Wells Fargo is instrumental in Grameen America’s capacity to scale its program to new geographies like Phoenix, where low-income women entrepreneurs are growing, but often experience barriers to financial mobility. We are thrilled to bring our program to this new community, where we know our members will have the opportunity pursue their business dreams, support their families, create jobs in the community, and drive economic growth.”

“Our goal was to create transformative change for the Phoenix small business community by expanding Grameen’s reach,” said Darlene Goins, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. “Small business owners are essential to creating local jobs and thriving communities. This grant is part of our overall focus on supporting small business growth nationwide and reaching a wide variety of entrepreneurs who need capital to grow, and ultimately, strengthening the small business sector for the long term.”

The $3.25 million grant is also supporting the roll out of Grameen America’s member mobile app across the country and future product enhancements. The initiative launched in April 2023 to advance the organization’s technology foundations and enhance the member experience with a centralized platform to manage loan and membership information. The mobile app also automates operational responsibilities, allowing Grameen America to reallocate time for member outreach and relationship-building, the core of the organization’s high-touch model. In addition, the app will provide data-driven insights on program impact and member satisfaction.

###

About Grameen America

Grameen America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit microfinance organization dedicated to helping underserved women build small businesses to create better lives for their families. The organization offers access to affordable loan capital, financial education, asset- and credit-building, and peer support to transform communities and advance financial mobility in the United States. Since opening in January 2008, Grameen America has invested $4.1 billion in nearly 195,000 low-income women entrepreneurs. Opening initially in Jackson Heights, Queens, Grameen America has expanded to 27 cities in Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Camden, NJ, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, Connecticut, Dallas, TX, Fresno, CA, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Los Angeles, CA, Memphis, TN, Miami, FL, Newark, NJ, New York, NY, Omaha, NE, Oakland, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Riverside, CA, San Antonio, TX, San Bernardino, CA, San Jose, CA, Trenton, NJ and Union City, NJ.

As global demand for seafood continues to soar, ensuring ethical and sustainable practices within the industry is more crucial than ever. Join us for an insightful webinar featuring a compelling case study from Thai Union, a leading seafood producer, on how they are revolutionising the seafood sector through collaboration and innovation.

In this session, discover how Thai Union is driving alignment and improvement within the seafood industry using the Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) Benchmark Tool. Explore real-world examples of how private companies can effectively align their sustainability initiatives with industry benchmarks, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and ethical practices.

Key Highlights:

Learn how Thai Union proactively aligned its Fishing Vessel Improvement Program with industry benchmarks, setting a new standard for social sustainability in the seafood sector.Discover the transformative impact of the SSCI Benchmark Tool in driving ongoing enhancements and fostering ethical practices within the industry.Explore the power of industry collaboration and partnerships in promoting shared values and driving positive change within the seafood sector.

Whether you’re a part of the standards industry, a quality assurance professional, or someone interested in the evolving landscape of the seafood industry and the connection to human rights due diligence, this webinar is a must see.

As global demand for seafood continues to soar, ensuring ethical and sustainable practices within the industry is more crucial than ever. Join us for an insightful webinar featuring a compelling case study from Thai Union, a leading seafood producer, on how they are revolutionising the seafood sector through collaboration and innovation.

In this session, discover how Thai Union is driving alignment and improvement within the seafood industry using the Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) Benchmark Tool. Explore real-world examples of how private companies can effectively align their sustainability initiatives with industry benchmarks, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and ethical practices.

Key Highlights:

Learn how Thai Union proactively aligned its Fishing Vessel Improvement Program with industry benchmarks, setting a new standard for social sustainability in the seafood sector.Discover the transformative impact of the SSCI Benchmark Tool in driving ongoing enhancements and fostering ethical practices within the industry.Explore the power of industry collaboration and partnerships in promoting shared values and driving positive change within the seafood sector.

Whether you’re a part of the standards industry, a quality assurance professional, or someone interested in the evolving landscape of the seafood industry and the connection to human rights due diligence, this webinar is a must see.

by Mary Beth Gallagher, the Director of Engagement, Domini Impact Investments

The challenge is feeding 8.1 billion people within Earth’s planetary boundaries. Industrial agriculture practices emphasize maximizing yield and include carbon intensive processes and chemical fertilizers. These approaches, efficient though they may be, deplete the soil health and reduce biodiversity. The industry is also exploitative to workers and farmers, failing to provide economic sustainability and well-being. The food and agriculture industry contributes one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the agricultural supply chain has become increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including changing patterns of drought, precipitation, and extreme heat. A new approach to food production and agriculture is needed. 

As investors, we have leverage points that we can influence to encourage the move away from the extractive and exploitative status quo, which has significant negative externalities, and transition to a more resilient system that can thrive over the long term. In 2018, we began a journey at Domini in adopting a system-level approach to our investments. First was looking at Forests and now Agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach designed for farmers to work in harmony with nature, while simultaneously maintaining and improving livelihoods. Regenerative agriculture practices, like using cover crops, diverse crop plantings and rotation, no-till farming, reducing pesticide use in favor of integrated pest management, and conserving water, are ways to help regenerate and repair the soil and ecosystems. These practices have the potential to deliver different types of benefits–for improved climate mitigation, increased resilience of crops to water stress or long-term productivity and soil health, and lower input costs or improved yields for farmers. This more holistic approach to agriculture is garnering a lot of enthusiasm and has been the focus of a growing number of corporate commitments. Currently 15 percent of global farmland is estimated to be cultivated using regenerative practices, so a lot more uptake is needed.

Read Mary Beth’s engaging article here – https://greenmoney.com/investing-in-value-creation-through-regenerative-agriculture

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by Mary Beth Gallagher, the Director of Engagement, Domini Impact Investments

The challenge is feeding 8.1 billion people within Earth’s planetary boundaries. Industrial agriculture practices emphasize maximizing yield and include carbon intensive processes and chemical fertilizers. These approaches, efficient though they may be, deplete the soil health and reduce biodiversity. The industry is also exploitative to workers and farmers, failing to provide economic sustainability and well-being. The food and agriculture industry contributes one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the agricultural supply chain has become increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including changing patterns of drought, precipitation, and extreme heat. A new approach to food production and agriculture is needed. 

As investors, we have leverage points that we can influence to encourage the move away from the extractive and exploitative status quo, which has significant negative externalities, and transition to a more resilient system that can thrive over the long term. In 2018, we began a journey at Domini in adopting a system-level approach to our investments. First was looking at Forests and now Agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach designed for farmers to work in harmony with nature, while simultaneously maintaining and improving livelihoods. Regenerative agriculture practices, like using cover crops, diverse crop plantings and rotation, no-till farming, reducing pesticide use in favor of integrated pest management, and conserving water, are ways to help regenerate and repair the soil and ecosystems. These practices have the potential to deliver different types of benefits–for improved climate mitigation, increased resilience of crops to water stress or long-term productivity and soil health, and lower input costs or improved yields for farmers. This more holistic approach to agriculture is garnering a lot of enthusiasm and has been the focus of a growing number of corporate commitments. Currently 15 percent of global farmland is estimated to be cultivated using regenerative practices, so a lot more uptake is needed.

Read Mary Beth’s engaging article here – https://greenmoney.com/investing-in-value-creation-through-regenerative-agriculture

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