Month: May 2024

BETHESDA, Md., May 9, 2024 /3BL/ – WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) is hosting its 2024 Conservation Conference June 4-5 in New Orleans, La. As the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature, WHC has convened professionals working at the intersection of business and nature since 1990.

The WHC Conservation Conference provides opportunities for learning, networking and celebration for sustainability and conservation professionals. Attendees are comprised of representatives from the corporate C-suite, facility-level personnel, federal agencies, conservation-focused NGOs and more.

Speakers from the following organizations will share innovative ways to advance nature on corporate lands: General Motors, Bayer, Toyota, WM, Freeport-McMoRan, Cemex, Boeing, Syensqo, Vulcan Materials Company, Covia and more. The two-day conference will culminate in the recognition of corporate conservation successes at the lively WHC Awards Dinner, which honors excellence in WHC-Certified conservation projects across the globe.

Event highlights include:

Insightful mainstage presentations from meteorologist and stormchaser Matthew Cappucci; WHC President Margaret O’Gorman; CEO of Greater New Orleans Michael Hecht; and a panel discussion featuring Louisiana organizations engaged in groundbreaking work, Louisiana State University, SOUL NOLA, Thrive NOLA and Port Fourchon.Compelling learning sessions and workshops on topics ranging from STEM education and innovative technology to corporate nature strategies and biodiversity credits, presented by panelists representing corporate, NGO and governmental areas of expertise.Formal and informal networking opportunities plus an exhibit hall featuring peers and potential collaborators.

With businesses increasingly focusing on their impact on nature, and with nature-related frameworks and regulations emerging in recent years, now is the opportune time to build the knowledge and connections needed to uplift biodiversity throughout the private sector — because nature is everyone’s business.

To see the full slate of expert speakers, browse the agenda and register for WHC Conservation Conference, visit: www.wildlifehc.org/events/whc2024

About WHC: 
WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) has been working at the nexus of business and biodiversity for 35 years and is the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature. WHC builds strategies and frameworks for companies to integrate nature with climate, equity and engagement to support sustainable ecosystems and healthy communities. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations. WHC-certified programs can be found in 19 countries and 48 U.S. states. Learn more at www.wildlifehc.org.

Recently we recognized World Glaucoma Week – a week dedicated to raising awareness of this debilitating eye condition and uniting for a Glaucoma-free world. While there are treatments to help prevent blindness, there are also aids and adaptations that help sufferers retain their independence.

The Select Flex has been designed with inclusive principles to support people with visual impairment, which our Senior Industrial Designer Dave Pixton talks about above.

Learn more about Kohler’s commitment to designing with inclusivity and innovating for good.

Bright Beginnings provides support to infants, toddlers, and their families who experience barriers to opportunity in Washington, D.C. With a deep understanding of the importance of early childhood development in laying the foundation for a child’s future success, the organization provides high-quality early childhood education, comprehensive family services, and a nurturing environment to break the cycle of housing instability and intergenerational poverty.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in the nation’s capital increased by 11.6 percent since 2022. According to the Washington Post from the Point-in-Time 2023 annual survey, the District showed the number of unhoused people had jumped nearly 12 percent, to roughly 5,000. While homelessness can seem like a singular issue, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Homelessness is closely connected to declines in physical and mental health; homeless persons experience high rates of health problems such as alcohol and drug abuse, mental illness, and other conditions.”

Addressing the intersectionality between unstable housing and health requires a comprehensive approach that addresses unique challenges. Bright Beginnings recognizes the unique challenges under-resourced families face and the impact it can have on children at this critical stage of development. The organization tailors its services to address each child’s specific needs, providing stability and encouragement during these difficult times. Bright Beginnings offers them a safe and enriching educational environment that focuses on academic growth and addresses their social and emotional wellbeing.

With a strong emphasis on family support, Bright Beginnings utilizes a two-generation approach based on the understanding that helping the whole family can benefit the children and the parents equally. This includes offering resources to parents such as job training, emergency assistance, and mental health services. The organization seeks to create a path toward stable and secure futures by addressing the holistic needs of both children and their parents.

Through the support of a grant from the Maximus Foundation, Bright Beginnings provided comprehensive services to more than 380 children, from infants to 5 years old, and their families experiencing housing instability, including students in its accredited early childhood education programs. The grant also helped provide wraparound services to their families, including healthcare, mental health support, and workforce development. Additionally, the grant enabled Bright Beginnings to expand its capacity to deliver research-based early childhood curricula and individualized instruction from qualified teachers.

For more than 30 years, Bright Beginnings has helped thousands of children and their families experiencing housing instability by providing them with quality care, education, and support during times of hardship and transition. Learn more about how Bright Beginnings is helping children and their families in Washington, D.C.

Giving back to the communities we serve

The Maximus Foundation is one of the ways Maximus employees are doing something greater together. Established by the Maximus Board of Directors in 2000, the Maximus Foundation is an independent, employee-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Employee donors pool their charitable contributions together through the Foundation, double their impact on the grantmaking program through Maximus’ dollar-for-dollar matching pledge, and make their voices heard by nominating and voting for future grantee partners. Though the Foundation focuses its giving strategy on grantmaking, it also helps coordinate corporate-wide humanitarian efforts and empowers employees to donate their time and skills to nonprofits. Their inspired giving and volunteerism help accelerate the missions of nonprofits on the front lines of the communities we serve. Learn more at maximus.com/foundation.

Originally published in GoDaddy’s 2023 Sustainability Report

By Aman Bhutani 
Chief Executive Officer, GoDaddy

A Message From Our Chief Executive Officer

Our mission to “Empower entrepreneurs everywhere, making opportunity more inclusive for all” is the driving force that brings us together. Most of GoDaddy’s customers are microbusiness owners with fewer than 10 employees. According to our Venture Forward research, more than half of them are solopreneurs, both business owners and employees themselves. They are resilient and inspiring, making a difference for their families, with approximately one in three contributing 51% or more to household income. In the U.S., they also elevate their local communities by adding seven jobs per microbusiness entrepreneur at the county level.

Our Customers 

We support our customers and foster inclusive entrepreneurship with innovative technology and best-in-class human-centered guidance. In 2023, we took innovation for our customers to new heights with the launch of GoDaddy Airo™. GoDaddy Airo™ helps our customers using AI technology to, in just a few moments, find unique names for their businesses, automatically create website options, email addresses, social posts, and much more. It has never been easier for GoDaddy customers to get started with their ideas or grow their existing businesses. And, when our customers need help, our Guides are there to provide personalized guidance. In 2023, we engaged customers through more than 8.5 million inbound voice conversations and sent nearly 5 million texts and messages.

Our Employees 

At GoDaddy, we are very proud of our employees, their hard work and execution, and I am confident in the opportunity in front of us, our talent and, our drive for continuous improvement. The GoDaddy Leadership Team is a diverse group and represents leaders from many different parts of the world. As a Leadership Team, we are committed to providing all our employees with opportunities to learn and develop in their careers to achieve their full potential. GoDaddy also has a remarkable track record with 2023 marking the ninth consecutive year of global gender pay parity and the seventh consecutive year of ethnicity pay parity in the U.S. As our business grows globally, our workforce is also expanding globally, and we remain committed to pay parity and ensuring that our workforce reflects the diverse set of customers that we serve.

Our Operations 

We use a mantra “fewer things better” within our operations. As a part of this, we took on the significant challenge to redesign and simplify our data centers and office spaces with the dual goal of cost savings and reduction in our scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, from a 2019 baseline. We are happy to share that we achieved our emissions reduction goal two years earlier than planned. As I think about the year ahead, our goal is to make even greater strides on our sustainability journey by continuing to embed sustainability in our strategy, aligned with our operational practices. Through innovation and discipline, GoDaddy team members will continue to create value for our customers, stockholders, employees, and communities.

To learn more, read our 2023 Sustainability Report.

###

About this Report 

The GoDaddy 2023 Sustainability Report details our progress toward our corporate sustainability goals, strategies, and initiatives in support of our overarching corporate mission and values. Unless otherwise noted, this report reflects our corporate sustainability performance across our global operations covering the fiscal year period from January 1 to December 31, 2023. To demonstrate our commitment to transparent communication regarding our sustainability progress, we routinely share updates through our website and our annual Sustainability Report. We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback on this report by contacting ESG@GoDaddy.com.

This report references the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and includes select Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) metrics for the Internet Media and Services sector. We also disclose our contributions and progress toward priority UN SDGs. For additional information on how we align with these frameworks and key indicators demonstrating our sustainability performance, please review the Frameworks and Metrics section.