Month: May 2024

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Jolene Jackelen always loved dogs and always loved volunteering in the community. A chance encounter with a family friend in a grocery store 15 years ago set her on a path to meld the two passions.

“She had an assistance dog she was training, and as she told me about it I realized it was something I wanted to do, too,” said Jackelen, who has gone on to volunteer thousands of hours and trained two service dogs through the nonprofit Helping Paws MN.

Training an assistance dog is no small task. It takes about two and a half years to teach the dog the 70-90 cues it needs to eventually help its owner further their independent living and quality of life, including opening doors, turning on lights and retrieving phones and other items. The dogs can brace to help someone stand up, or provide comfort during a nightmare. They are also trained to go get help. Once an assistance dog is matched to their owner, there’s often additional training specific to that person’s lifestyle – whether it’s a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who wants to drive their kids to school with less distress or someone with a disability who needs assistance opening doors.

The training is “all about teaching the dogs the skills they need to assist their person, and training in a positive manner,” Jackelen said. “The coolest thing about the human-animal bond is that the training prepares them for different things they may experience, but in real life you really see how the dogs intuitively sense the needs of their person and innately respond.”

As part of the training for both of her assistance dogs, Jackelen worked with her manager and building management to secure permission to bring the dogs to the office once they reached the appropriate skill level.

“As part of the protocol for training, they had to learn how to work in an office, sit in a cubicle and not disrupt anything at work. Many, many U.S. Bank employees have met my dogs,” said Jackelen, who trained her first dog at the West Side Flats office in St. Paul and her second at U.S. Bancorp Center. “The bank has been amazing in helping me – especially my boss and my colleagues. I’ve felt so much support along the way in training these dogs.”

Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Helping Paws began in 1985 as a pilot project at the University of Minnesota’s Center for the Study of Human-Animal Relationship and Environment and became an independent nonprofit in 1988. The organization breeds and trains only Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers because of their friendly dispositions, natural desire to work with people, retrieving instincts and large size that can provide a physical support if needed.

Jackelen started volunteering with Helping Paws by assisting with public access tests that service dogs go through, ensuring they can perform tasks while staying calm and focused. After about five years, she trained her first assistance dog, and then trained her current dog, Koho, a few years later.

Koho ended up unexpectedly becoming a demonstration dog because he finished training just as Covid-19 shutdowns began and was not able to be matched to a new owner. Instead, Jackelen now takes him “anywhere people want to learn about service animals,” from schools to Minnesota Wild ice hockey games to U.S. Bank Business Resource Group (BRG) events held by the Proud to Serve veterans’ BRG and the Disability BRG. She also volunteers as a class assistant in weekly dog training classes and is currently puppy sitting one of the newest service dogs in training.

At U.S. Bank, Jackelen is vice president on the annuity product team in Wealth Management. She’s been on the team for 12 years, and finds similarities between her volunteer work and career at the bank. Both roles require a lot of organization and planning, she said, and an inherent desire to work with and help people.

“In wealth planning, you care about an individual and helping them plan for the future and achieve their goals for years to come,” she said. “It’s the same thing for training a service dog. You’re helping people to be their best self, and fulfill their goals and dreams by allowing them to be more independent.”

Jackelen on what to know about assistance dogs:

Service dogs are different than therapy dogs or emotional support animals. Service dogs are the only ones covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act because they provide a specific service to help someone with a disability.When you see an assistance dog in public, ignore it. “Just think of the dog as a piece of working equipment that is helping that person. That dog is with that person for a need, and if you’re distracting them from their work it’s hard for them to concentrate.”If you ask to pet an assistance dog and the owner says no, please don’t be offended. “They’re just asking the dog to focus on their job at hand.”People often wonder if assistance dogs ever get to have fun, and the answer is yes. “Just like any other dog, they’re very much a part of the family. But when they’re in public, they’re working.”

Disibility inclusion is a digital priority

As more and more people do their banking digitally, U.S. Bank is leading the way in digital accessibility – enabling people to use best-in-class digital tools regardless of any disability.

Accessibility is a core part of the digital product development lifecycle from design to development. In fact, U.S. Bank has teams of accessibility experts dedicated to providing accessible experiences and products. These teams play a vital role in the creation of digital experiences by advising product teams, advocating for inclusive design, and training teams on the proper accessibility testing practices and tools to ensure our teams are testing for defects. To ensure all clients’ needs are met, U.S. Bank conducts inclusive research studies that includes collaboration with clients who have disabilities themselves, following a motto that says: If you’re going to make something for someone, make it with them.

One of the great things that happens with this approach is that our digital products not only benefit people with disabilities but are better for everyone. A terrific example of this is when we launched U.S. Bank Smart Assistant in our mobile app. Employees and clients with disabilities helped with the creation of Smart Assistant from the very start, and as a result, it was designed in such a way that not only helps clients with low vision, for example, but was easier to use for all clients.

Our digital accessibility team is passionate about what they do – at work and at home – and is proud of the difference their work makes in the lives of our clients.

Originally published on May 14, 2024 on Investors.Sysco.com

HOUSTON, May 21, 2024 /3BL/ – Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY), the world’s largest food distributor, celebrated the arrival of 10 heavy-duty electric tractors to the fleet at its Houston, Texas operating site, reaching a total of nearly 120 electric vehicles (EVs) globally. This addition is a major step toward Sysco’s goal to reduce its direct emissions by 27.5% by 2030.

In total, Sysco now has heavy-duty electric tractors in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Sweden, including over 100 U.S.-based vehicles in Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Denver, CO; Fremont, CA; Houston, TX; Long Island, NY; Los Angeles, CA; and Riverside, CA. Sysco expects to receive additional EVs by the end of June 2024, bringing the total number of EVs to over 130.

“We are proud of our progress to scale our electric truck fleet and continue our journey to meet our climate goal,” said Neil Russell, Chief Administrative Officer at Sysco. “This work is important to many of our customers who have also set goals to reduce emissions. Electrifying a portion of our fleet will help us reduce our carbon footprint together while reducing noise pollution and improving the day-to-day experience of our delivery partners. We’re grateful to the numerous manufacturers, government officials and community partners who collaborated with us to get to this important moment.”

“The scale of our EV deployment today is the result of years of planning and tremendous levels of cross-industry collaboration,” said Dan Purefoy, Sysco’s Chief Supply Chain Officer. “I want to thank my team for their expertise and leadership in building our capabilities to deploy this new technology in our operations. We appreciate all the colleagues across Sysco who have been a part of this journey so far, as well as the board and executive team at Sysco for supporting our vision of a lower carbon fleet.”

A video news release with clips from the event is provided here.

More information on Sysco’s sustainability commitments can be found in Sysco’s 2023 Sustainability Report.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 72,000 colleagues, the company operates 334 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 725,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2023 that ended July 1, 2023, the company generated sales of more than $76 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco’s 2023 Sustainability Report and 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.

For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoFoods. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

For more information contact:

Investor Contact 
Kevin Kim 
Kevin.Kim@sysco.com 
281-584-1219

Media Contact 
Shannon Mutschler 
Shannon.Mutschler@sysco.com 
281-584-4059

View original content here.

Covia strives to cultivate a nurturing environment where team members with diverse backgrounds and experiences can thrive, recognizing that the success of a company is equal to the strength of its people. Covia is investing in outreach and development programs that will welcome and develop the next generation of Covia Team Members.

This summer, we are extending that exceptional experience to 10 talented interns from universities across the United States, who will work in our plants and functional areas such as marketing and finance. Working alongside experienced leaders on various projects, these participants will gain valuable and diverse experiences that will advance their careers. We hope to broaden and enhance their professional journeys by helping them discover new talents, but also to provide Covia leaders with moments of inspiration and the opportunity to listen and learn from this talented group of young men and women.

We look forward to witnessing their progress and growth and are confident they will make a lasting impression. “Our team looks forward to interacting with these young adults and developing their talents as they embark on their bright careers,” said Brian Richardson, EVP, Chief Administrative Officer.

Covia is pleased to welcome to the class of 2024 Summer Interns:

William Chapin, Operations, Wedron PlantGaven Conner, Operations, Marston PlantHayley Hall, Operations Excellence, Remote / TravellingCayleigh Ana Kruse, Marketing Communications, Huntersville OfficeVictoria Oginski, Engineering Product Development, Fort Smith PlantAva Perry, Operations, Elco PlantBlake Rader, IT, Independence OfficeEmma Smith, Operations, Fort Smith PlantLauren Tincher, FP&A, Independence OfficeGary Vinson, Operations, Roff Plant

Covia is invested in building a workforce that prioritizes Team Members and empowers them to succeed. If you are interested in learning more about employment opportunities at Covia and how we can foster your professional development, head to our careers page to learn more.

Wai-Chan Chan is managing director of The Consumer Goods Forum, a global network of retailers and manufacturers focused on industry standards and driving positive change.

Southeast Asia is home to nearly 15% of the world’s tropical forests, but at least 1.2% of these woodlands are destroyed each year.

The rapid clearance of trees has resulted in an unprecedented increase in dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, with more than 400 million metric tons of carbon being released into the atmosphere every year from Southeast Asia.

These statistics are a stark reminder that there is much work to be done in this region to create a forest-positive future.

Sustainable economic development in and around forests can enhance the longevity of local companies and multinational brands that rely on supply chains in Southeast Asia.

For business, the way forward is to change the way key commodities like palm oil, soybeans and beef, as well as paper, pulp and fiber-based packaging, are sourced.

While this is a complex global challenge and the responsibility of a multitude of actors, every business that touches upon forests has a crucial role to play.

Through collaborating with consumer products companies, The Consumer Goods Forum’s Forest Positive Coalition has been developing evidence-based approaches to create supply chain strategies that avoid deforestation and the conversion of woodlands.

The first step that companies doing business in Southeast Asia can take is to implement a policy against commodity-driven deforestation and land conversion.

To make this possible, all businesses should increase the traceability of their supply chains to understand where deforestation, land conversion and human rights risks may occur. It is also crucial that businesses synchronize their policies with a timebound action plan aligning production with sustainable economic development, the improvement of local livelihoods and the mitigation of the climate crisis to achieve “forest-positive” commodity production.

In the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, key areas for palm oil production and sourcing, an abundance of stakeholders and initiatives has risked fragmenting the push for sustainable production, livelihoods and conservation.

In these areas, Consumer Goods Forum members including Danone, Mondelez International, PepsiCo and Unilever are working with the Coalition for Sustainable Livelihoods, a localized platform that brings together district and provincial officials, industry players, farmers, communities, civil society groups and strategic partners, to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, knowledge of product development and alignment of sustainable development priorities for palm oil landscapes.

On a supply-chain level, companies often require suppliers to tackle deforestation, but then fail to support them with guidelines, training and measurement tools to achieve this goal. Deforestation can be eradicated from the entire length of value chains only with help from such suppliers, however.

The Smallholder Hub program in Aceh Singkil regency, Indonesia, illustrates how companies can support farmers in their supply chains. The program has brought small farmers in the Leuser ecosystem — a critical area of 2.6 million hectares of tropical Sumatran rainforest — into the sustainable palm oil supply chain.

Members, including General Mills, have been investing in this program since 2022. To date, it has provided smallholders with training on sustainable farming practices, financial literacy and deforestation issues.

This training has helped independent smallholders turn knowledge of the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization’s Good Agricultural Practices into action and diversify their income sources, helping improve their livelihoods and increase crop yields using existing land, thus reducing pressure on forests.

Apart from small farmers, Indigenous peoples and local communities are also important stakeholders in our rainforests. Companies should support and respect the Indigenous peoples and local communities whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by deforestation and land conversion. To do so, companies should work closely with local organizations and governments to help protect forest communities, their lands, cultures and ways of life.

In Sabah state, Malaysia, consumer goods brands Colgate Palmolive, Nestle and Reckitt are working with the Earthworm Foundation to support the livelihoods and resilience of forest-based communities linked to their supply chains.

With a focus on respecting the rights of workers and children, the initiative is helping more smallholders become suppliers to palm oil producers, while also protecting local elephant populations by allowing tracking of their movements so that they can be relocated to forest reserves if necessary.

Consumers and investors are increasingly expecting information on companies’ environmental, social and governance records, and regulations and legislation increasingly mandate that companies report this data, with Singapore leading the way in Southeast Asia. Only through openness and transparency can business leaders understand the scale of the situation and pinpoint areas requiring urgent action.

The protection and regeneration of Southeast Asia’s forests, and the safeguarding of their unique human inhabitants, ecosystems and wildlife, can help ensure the region has enough tree cover for adequate carbon dioxide absorption while empowering disadvantaged communities and restoring the ecological balance of the natural world on which we all depend.

To secure a forest-positive future in which people and the planet thrive, companies must urgently upgrade their supply chains and sourcing of raw materials to make them more sustainable, ethical and reliable.

The way to take corporate leadership on this vital issue is to make tangible commitments and then collaborate with peers, governments, stakeholders and people on the ground to effect positive, transformational change.

As the climate crisis escalates and Southeast Asia’s natural environment threatens to collapse, each business must step up. The truth is that the long-term success of every single business relies on the sustained health of our planet. And that, in turn, depends on the world’s forests.

In celebration of Military Appreciation Month, Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to unveil several initiatives to bolster support for veterans, service members, and military families.

For more than 60 years, Comcast has had a special relationship with the military community, and we’re proud to reaffirm that commitment again today.
–MONA DEXTER 
Vice President of Comcast Military & Veteran Affairs

Xfinity Launches “The Aviators” Short Film

Inspired by the enduring bonds forged among veterans, Xfinity is thrilled to bring the power of these connections to audiences in its new advertising campaign, “The Aviators.” Directed by Oscar® winner Kathryn Bigelow, the film celebrates the pioneering generation of military aviators and showcases the power of technology that connects people of all ages.

“It’s a real honor to work with our nation’s veterans,” said Bigelow in a behind-the-scenes documentary about the project. “They’re special people, who’ve devoted their lives to our security, and I feel like it’s my opportunity to give back.”  

The cast features Vietnam veterans Cmdr. (Ret.) Jack “Razor” Gillett, Maj. (Ret.) Elester “Hollywood” Latham, Lt. (Ret.) Jim “Zeke” Lloyd, and Lt. (Ret.) Bill “Offender” Moir. Gillet, Lloyd, and Moir flew together as members of the Gunslingers squadron on the USS Saratoga. The film shoot was their first in-person reunion in 16 years.

“I never thought I’d be a part of anything like this,” said Lloyd. “Being on the set with those guys, I felt like I was back on the carrier in 1972.”

“The Aviators” and the behind-the-scenes mini-documentary are available on X1, Flex, and Stream. To access the content, Xfinity customers can say “Military Appreciation” in their Xfinity Voice Remote, which also includes a curated collection of military documentaries, TV shows, and news specials.

New Xfinity Military Benefits

Whether it’s a sergeant catching up on his spouse’s day while away for training, or a group of battle buddies gaming online, Xfinity is committed to connecting our military customers to what they love.

Starting April 29, new and existing military-connected customers can enjoy our Xfinity Military Benefits, including:

A $180 Virtual Prepaid Card for new and existing Military customers that can be applied to their choice of Xfinity services (equivalent to $15 a month per year).One free Xfinity Mobile line for a year (a $480 value – requires subscription to Xfinity Internet Service).Automatic upgrade to become a Xfinity Diamond Rewards member (which is normally reserved for customers who have been with Xfinity for 14+ years) as a part of the Xfinity Rewards program. Enrollment in the program is free and Diamond benefits include:Free Peacock Premium (a $60 annual value), with access to 80,000+ hours of the best in TV, including the latest hits from NBC & Bravo, hundreds of hit movies like Oppenheimer, The Holdovers, and Trolls, plus LIVE sports including Sunday Night Football and Premier League.Access to great entertainment with $1 movie nights, exclusive tickets to premiere movie events, exclusive streaming events with NBCU talent, and more.A wide variety of digital discounts to sites like the NBC Store and Bravo.com, tickets to local sporting events, giveaways, gift cards, sweepstakes, and more.

The military community can also continue to enjoy specially priced park tickets, vacation packages, and discounted resort stays at Universal Destinations & Experiences.

We will continue to update details at www.xfinity.com/military, and our military community should be on the lookout for even more offerings in the future.

$1 Million to Supporting the Military Community

Marking the launch of Xfinity’s “The Aviators,” Comcast NBCUniversal continues its commitment to advancing digital equity for veterans, service members, and their families. Through our Project UP initiative, Comcast is committing $1 million in 2024 to several military community-serving organizations to support digital skills-building programs, entrepreneurship opportunities, and access to essential technology.

One partner in this commitment is NPower, which provides free tech training for transitioning service members and military spouses, job placement services, and Cybersecurity and Cloud skills training programs.

“Through our partnership with Comcast, we are helping to address critical technology training needs of servicemen and women transitioning to civilian life,” said Bertina Ceccarelli, Chief Executive Officer of NPower. “By being thoughtful about the military community’s needs, we can help make that shift more seamless and impactful for individuals and the companies that seek to hire them.”

Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to be ‘military-ready’ in its commitment to providing exceptional media and technology experiences for our military customers and fostering one of the nation’s top workplaces for veterans and military spouses. As we commemorate Military Appreciation Month, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to our military-connected customers, teammates, and partners for their invaluable service and dedication.

BOSTON, May 21, 2024 /3BL/ – Sappi North America Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced today its win of the 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Awards’ Environmental Initiative Award. This prestigious award recognizes Sappi’s proactive leadership with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) to enhance SFI’s Forest Management and Fiber Sourcing Standards requirements related to climate smart forestry, fire resilience, logger training, due diligence systems and forests of exceptional conservation value. Sappi’s commitment to sustainable forestry practices is exemplified by innovative measures to conserve biodiversity, such as landscape-scale assessments and landowner/logger educational and outreach materials, community engagement and cooperative efforts of the SFI Implementation Committees (SICs).

SFI is one of the world’s leading independent nonprofit organizations responsible for developing sustainable forestry certification programs. Its standards provide practical, scalable solutions for markets and communities, working with the forest sector and companies such as Sappi.

“We’re grateful to receive this honorable recognition from the SEAL Awards,” said Rebecca Barnard, Forestry Certification Manager for Sappi North America. “Sappi’s certification to the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard includes proactive measures to promote and conserve biodiversity at regional and local levels, an important aspect of our business operations and mission. We are proud to be a leader with SFI and the Maine SIC in our collective achievement to create regional approaches that address the challenging topics of climate change, wildfire risk and biodiversity conservation.”

This initiative supports and informs Sappi North America’s foresters’ efforts to help landowners conserve, preserve and restore biodiversity, which is no simple task for foresters, wildlife biologists and ecologists. Local and regional SICs, like the one in Maine, play a vital role in promoting logger training, landowner outreach, youth and adult education, community engagement, investments in scientific research and ensuring the integrity of SFI’s work and responsible forestry at local levels.

SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through its bustiness sustainability awards and environmental journalism awards. Its Environmental Initiatives award recognizes and honors individual programs that move the needle on environmental progress and demonstrate leadership and commitment to a sustainable future.

To learn more about Sappi’s award-winning initiatives, please visit: https://www.sappi.com/.

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About Sappi North America, Inc.

Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. Our four diversified businesses – high-quality Graphic Papers, Dissolving Pulp, Packaging and Specialty Papers deliver premium products and services with consistent quality and reliability. Our high-quality Coated Printing Papers are used for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of Dissolving Pulp, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable Packaging and Specialty Papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers. We are one of the world’s leading suppliers of Casting and Release Papers with lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries.

Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries. www.sappi.com

Contact

Haley Sinacole 
Account Executive 
Matter Communications 
1 978 518 4508 
sappi@matternow.com

Cadence’s seven-year partnership with Team4Tech has given our employees unique opportunities to harness the power of technology and engage in a three-month philanthropic project to improve the livelihood of communities in need. In Fall 2023, this partnership allowed Cadence to reunite with a former Team4Tech project nonprofit partner, Women in Technology Uganda (WITU), on yet another transformative project!

Cadence first got involved with WITU in 2019 through another Team4Tech volunteer project.  Nick Heaton, Distinguished Engineer in the Cadence Bracknell Office, was a part of this initial team. After the project, he stayed involved with WITU, got them registered for Cadence’s donation matching program, and organized a microloan fund geared towards helping women start their own businesses. Nick went on to champion a Cadence internship program explicitly geared towards women in Uganda. This went well; four women are now Cadence employees, and two new interns have just been onboarded.

We were pleased to have built upon our collaboration with WITU last Fall with a $25,000 impact grant. In November 2023, a global group of ten dedicated Cadence employees representing five different business units and 10 different offices in four countries wrapped up another exciting and impactful Team4Tech project with WITU, which aimed to empower young Ugandan women through technology and entrepreneurship.

The Cadence volunteers in the Fall 2023 project collaborated virtually for ten weeks and then spent two intensive weeks on-site at WITU’s office and a local high school in Kampala, Uganda. The project was divided into three impactful sub-teams, each focusing on a specific area. The first sub-team developed a new website, the WITU Digital Jobs Center, to connect WITU women with employment opportunities. The second sub-team planned and organized a hackathon event at a local high school to get students excited about coding and STEM, including creating materials to help WITU repeat this with other schools they serve. The third sub-team focused on building a Makerspace for WITU with hands-on tech learning opportunities, including 3D printers, virtual reality, and Micro:Bit electronics. Through a train-the-trainer approach and by developing comprehensive systems and guides, the volunteers worked to ensure the impact is sustainable.

The volunteers formed strong bonds across the different Cadence business units and geographies, bringing our One Cadence—One Team culture to life. They developed lasting friendships with each other and with the inspiring women of WITU. On a personal level, the volunteers found the project incredibly fulfilling, and some said it was life-changing. The volunteers gained perspective about using their skills and opportunities to help others. Professionally, they grew as leaders, practicing skills such as customer-centric innovation, decision-making amidst ambiguity, and a growth mindset. 

Opportunities like this embody Cadence’s core values. We are committed to providing our employees with volunteer opportunities for professional growth and leadership development, and we are incredibly proud to partner with organizations such as WITU and Team4Tech.

Watch this short video and read on to see how this trip impacted some of this project’s participants:

“I decided to volunteer because I wanted an opportunity to learn new skills and directly help my community…I have explored a new culture, viewed different perspectives, and ultimately helped young women realize their full potential.” – Abella Acomo, Assoc. Project Coordinator, LinkedIn Post

“I am very grateful to the WITU team for this incredible collaboration…I learned a lot from this amazing experience and expanded my leadership skills, especially as the manager of a young team of software engineers working within a large organization like Cadence.” – Adronis Niyonkuru, Sr. Software Engineering Manager, LinkedIn Post

“When I joined the volunteer program, I thought I’d be just sharing my knowledge, but it was the other way around, too… I got a chance to come out of my comfort zone and have meaningful conversations with various people and know their perspectives.” – Deepika Sangwan, Software Engineer II,  LinkedIn Post

“This project has helped me become a better person, to test myself in making decisions under ambiguity, and to share the joy of learning with these young women. I hope I made a small difference in the big work that WITU is already doing.” – Dipin Sawlani, Lead Design Engineer, LinkedIn Post

“The inclusive language chosen by not only WITU but also the Team4Tech and other Cadence partners on site demonstrated their selfless allegiance to spread education in an accessible way. By sharing knowledge in simple terms, communication and collaboration was scaffolded to be adaptable to everyone with different backgrounds, baseline knowledge, and experience.” – Liliko Uchida, Application Engineer, LinkedIn Post

“This project helped me gain mutual respect for different cultures and workstyles, develop clear communication to resolve ambiguities and create an awareness of uncertainties. From the beginning, I knew this was more than a trip; it was a growth journey, building trust among a diverse group and decision-making in uncertain situations.” – Ning Zhao, Principal Product Engineer, LinkedIn Post

“I am incredibly grateful to have contributed to this Team4Tech project with WITU and witnessed the immense talent among these women, with whom I fostered remarkable relationships throughout this project. I do not doubt that WITU will continuously expand upon the Makerspace, allowing more women in Kampala to actualize their brilliant ideas and propel innovation in the community.”  – Nourin Haque, Application Engineer, LinkedIn Post

To learn more about WITU’s work and ways you can support its mission, visit its  website.