Month: August 2024

The Forward Fund is a ten-million-dollar community development investment by Johnsonville LLC, Kohler Co., Masters Gallery Foods Inc., Sargento Foods Inc., and Sheboygan County. It’s mission is to provide funding to address short- and long-term workforce development barriers and is initially being used to drive the construction of entry-level homes.

Originally published by Matter of Fact

Businesses across the country are looking to hire, but there’s something standing in the way – the housing shortage. Employees can’t accept jobs in different cities because there aren’t enough homes for them to relocate to. The United States is about 4.5 million houses short, and in Wisconsin, they need at least 140,000 new housing units by 2030. In Sheboygan County, four family-owned companies are coming together to help new hires become homeowners. Correspondent Jessica Gomez travels there to meet the business owners behind the effort. 

Continue reading and watch the video here.

Originally published by Trellis

The restaurants even compromised on traditional brand colors for the three-month pilot being conducted in Petaluma, California.

Coffee chains Dunkin’ Donuts, Peet’s and Starbucks, fast food brands Burger King, Habit Burger Grill and KFC, and more than a dozen local restaurants are among 30 businesses collaborating in a citywide test in Petaluma, California, to see what consumers think of reusable beverage cups.

For three months, the companies are substituting their branded single-use hot and cold cups with bright purple reusable cups that bear the slogan “Sip. Return. Repeat” on the side. In other words, reusable is the default option. More than 60 return bins were placed across the 60,000-resident community, where consumers can drop cups when they’re done drinking their beverage.

The trial, which ends Oct. 28, will collect metrics about return rates and patterns, explore operational challenges for restaurant and cafe employees, and gauge consumer acceptance of the reusable cup concept. All the big brands involved have declared reuse as part of their packaging sustainability goals. The price of beverages served in the cups will not change.

Continue reading here.

AI is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace, and the demand for efficient and sustainable data centers, often called “AI factories,” has never been greater. With growing concerns about AI’s energy consumption, pursuing every available energy-saving technology to accelerate sustainable computing is essential. By bringing digital twins to the design and operation of data centers, Cadence can deliver AI’s benefits to society while reducing the power consumption and environmental impact of data centers.

The semiconductor industry has leveraged digital twins to achieve first-time success in delivering exponential growth in complexity and capability. Using digital twins, built on NVIDIA Omniverse technologies, data center operators can improve their efficiency and utilization by up to 40%, lowering AI’s energy footprint and even preventing the need for new data centers to be built in some cases. AI factories can achieve better performance optimization and more efficient resource utilization and energy management by integrating these digital twin technologies.

Cadence is deepening its collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate digital twin development for AI factory buildout. By integrating core technologies for OpenUSD (Universal Scene Description) and NVIDIA RTX from the NVIDIA Omniverse platform into Cadence’s Reality Digital Twin Platform, Cadence will enable the development of more efficient data center designs, aligning with our commitment to reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability.

Enhancing the Design, Deployment, and Operation of AI Factories

The Cadence Reality Digital Twin Platform, powered by NVIDIA Omniverse Cloud APIs and OpenUSD, enhances the design, deployment, and operation of AI factories. Cadence’s continued collaboration with NVIDIA enables the ecosystem to leverage advanced computer graphics, generative AI, and simulation capabilities to create and deploy physically accurate, high-fidelity data center digital twins that can be used to accelerate facility design and simulate operational scenarios. The integration of these technologies enables better planning and resource management and provides unique insights that facilitate optimized performance, energy efficiency, and predictive maintenance.

Digital Twin Models for NVIDIA A100 and H100 GPUs and NVIDIA GB200 Systems

To effectively harness digital twins of AI factories, it is essential to develop robust digital twin models for NVIDIA’s accelerating computing technologies, including the NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPU, NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPU, and NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 systems. These digital twin models enable precise simulations of these powerful GPU systems’ performance, resource utilization, and thermal dynamics within data center environments. The development of these digital twin models is made possible by OpenUSD, which offers a standardized framework that promotes interoperability and scalability across data ecosystems. By developing on OpenUSD, developers can ensure that their digital twin models are compatible with a wide range of platforms and applications.

To truly capture the benefits of digital twins, Cadence will need a robust library of high-quality models across the ecosystem—including ODMs and critical infrastructure components like cooling.

The Sustainable AI Factory

An AI factory is a modern data center specifically designed to support the deployment and operation of artificial intelligence applications. These factories are characterized by their high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities, which are crucial for processing vast datasets and executing complex algorithms. In an AI factory, advanced hardware, such as NVIDIA GPUs, is integrated with sophisticated software ecosystems to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

As AI factories grow in prominence, the need for sustainable computing practices becomes even more critical. Integrating advanced technologies such as HPC, machine learning (ML), and real-time analytics can significantly enhance energy efficiency within data centers. Implementing AI-driven solutions allows for more innovative resource management, enabling systems to dynamically adjust to operational demands while minimizing waste. Cadence’s collaborative efforts with NVIDIA aim not only to improve the operational effectiveness of AI factories but also to help ensure their environmental impact is mitigated through strategic energy usage and improved regulatory compliance.

Furthermore, by utilizing digital twins, stakeholders can simulate various operational scenarios, thereby predicting potential issues and optimizing resource allocation in a manner that aligns with sustainability goals. This proactive approach enables data center operators to make informed decisions about energy consumption and resource management, helping pave the way for a more sustainable future in technology. As the industry evolves, it is essential to keep sustainable computing at the core of AI factory development as both a responsibility and a competitive advantage.

Building the AI Factories of the Future

Cadence’s collaboration with NVIDIA marks a significant step forward in accelerating sustainability and efficiency in AI factories. By leveraging digital twins, businesses can optimize their operations, reduce environmental impact, and drive innovation in the data center industry. The future is promising, and with collective effort and engagement from the broader ecosystem, the full potential of digital twins can be realized, helping benefit society as a whole.

Learn more about the NVIDIA and Cadence partnership to accelerate AI and scientific computing.

Authored by Christine M. Smith, David Erdman, Gideon Gradman

Higher education institutions nationwide are grappling with unprecedented challenges, including financial pressures caused largely by declining enrollment rates. Ensuring institutional sustainability on all fronts requires an intentional strategy to ensure resources are ample and appropriately aligned. At the 2024 NACUBO Annual Meeting, a panel of industry specialists from Baker Tilly, the University of Maine (UMaine) and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) addressed the specific issues faced and discussed strategies for positioning institutions for fiscal and environmental sustainability.

Our esteemed panelists

Dan Dixon, Director of Sustainability, University of Maine

David Erdman, Managing Director, Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors

Gideon Gradman, Managing Director, Energy & Infrastructure, Baker Tilly Capital

Christine Smith, Managing Director, Higher Education, Baker Tilly (moderator)

Kimera Way, CEO and President, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Foundation

Sustainability and why it matters for campuses

Sustainability in this context refers to both the sustainability of an institution as a viable option to its students (e.g., reputation, fiscal position, value) and sustainability as it relates to relying on renewable sources and alternative approaches to meet campus energy needs. According to the Princeton Review’s 2023 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 69% of 8,800 applicants indicated that information about a college’s environmental commitment would influence their decision to apply or enroll. Both students and investors are increasingly demanding such commitments. Sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are interconnected and impact all facets of campus life.

Not only is there a growing demand for sustainability initiatives to support today’s higher education delivery models and evolving capital asset needs, but challenges related to sustainability are also becoming more pressing. Issues such as climate change, increasing natural disaster frequency, social justice concerns and shortages in quality-of-life resources are becoming more prominent. Higher education institutions are often catalysts for change and sustainability planning is emerging as a key priority. Implementing an effective and comprehensive sustainability plan can be costly in terms of budget, time and/or resources, which is why an intentional, highly operational and agreed-upon strategy is essential.

“Sustainability planning is essential. Students are calling for it and higher ed institutions are leading the change.”- Christine Smith, Managing Director Higher Education, Baker Tilly

University of Maine’s success

The panel examined various funding sources and alternative revenue streams available to support environmental sustainability initiatives, particularly those involving renewable energy.

Assessing the potential eligibility of energy property components for a large project is a complex and labor-intensive process, with timing being a critical factor.

Baker Tilly assisted UMaine in evaluating the design of its central energy plant replacement to determine if it qualified for IRA tax credits. Ultimately, the decision was made that the cost—in terms of time lost—required for redesigning the facility to include eligible renewable sources and obtaining legislative approval was not justified. Thus, the University decided ultimately not to pursue the IRA energy tax credits.

In recent developments, the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded a historic $69 million grant to the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as part of the state’s ‘Maine Won’t Wait’ Climate Action Plan. This grant represents the largest funding Maine has ever received for addressing climate change.

They will focus on identifying and addressing coastal hazards such as future sea level rise, storm surges and extreme weather events. The initiative will explore innovative, nature-based engineering solutions to reduce risks to human and infrastructure systems. Maine Sea Grant will also work with the Maine Coastal Program to strengthen Maine’s Working Waterfront Coalition and develop a statewide working waterfront strategy.

UMaine’s efforts will include partnering with communities to assess their needs and connect them with scientific and engineering tools for climate resilience. University researchers will host educational workshops and collaborate with various stakeholders, including the Maine Climate Council, state and federal agencies, municipalities, research institutions, regional planning organizations, industry support groups and businesses. This is another example of how the University of Maine is serving as a community catalyst for sustainability initiatives.

UWEC Foundation collaboration

Following a generous land donation in 2014, in alignment with the University’s strategic plan and bolstered by strong student support, the Foundation set out to develop a new events center on the UWEC campus. The event center included a partnership with the Mayo Clinic to offer sports medicine and related therapy services on the premises, which also met their shared goal of increasing the level of trained health professionals in the region. An added benefit for the University was the ability to enhance enrollment via these new opportunities.

Further, a local group of entrepreneurs pledged a significant amount of funds to ensure the building’s design included renewable energy components to heat and cool the building. Over 190 geothermal wells are in use to support the University and community in their commitment to environmental sustainability. As construction commenced, the project team discovered opportunities for IRA energy tax credits and worked with Baker Tilly to identify eligible energy property infrastructure costs that are estimated at between $2 and $3 million in energy credits. The University is working with Baker Tilly to qualify for those IRA credits.

Beyond the IRA alternative revenue impact on sustainability, UWEC needed to assess and manage financial, legal and tax-exempt status risks with such a large project. As part of UWEC’s reality and plan, the team created a risk management framework aligned to the broader strategy, elevated and enhanced risk response decisions, incorporated risk resource allocations, promoted collaboration to manage cross-functional risks and ensured compliance with all policies and procedures throughout project development. A key lesson learned from this project: planning prevents problems!

Today, the project is complete. The new events center, which accommodates 5,000 people and features a large indoor turf field, helps UWEC and its partners to meet sustainability objectives in several different ways.

Key considerations for sustainability strategy and financing

Universities are already managing a range of sustainability issues that are integral to their mission and success strategy. However, they face growing pressures from various stakeholders for greater transparency, comparability and proactive action on these topics. As higher education institutions’ sustainability efforts grow, it’s critical to share a compelling story to help stakeholders understand the institution’s commitment to sustainability, as well as fiscal, environmental and governance strategies. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks are becoming more prevalent on college campuses – and public companies are now required to comply with various reporting regulations.

As colleges and universities’ efforts around sustainability increase, it is helpful to develop your story for investors to better understand how your organization is specifically addressing sustainability.

Developing a sustainability and resiliency strategy and investor disclosure has several impactful uses:

Demonstrates plans and initiatives to corporate and business stakeholders in the community

Important to the attraction of employees and residents, particularly Gen-Z

Discusses operational risks and mitigation strategies

Session summary

Overall, deliberate action to drive institutional sustainability is more crucial than ever. Developing a sustainability strategy that incorporates diverse and strategic funding sources and partnerships is essential. Alternative revenue such as energy tax credits, (e.g., those under the Inflation Reduction Act), and other financing options can have a substantial impact on improving capital assets and fiscal position on campus. Funders, stakeholders and students now expect accountability for sustainable capital assets and operations.

For more information about credits offered under the Inflation Reduction Act, or to learn how Baker Tilly can help your institution with developing or refining your organization’s strategic sustainability plan, contact a Baker Tilly specialist or visit the website.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

Personal health and fitness have always been important to Nigel Graham — volunteer firefighter, Northern Ireland native, Spartan® race veteran and key member of the Aflac flock in Columbia, South Carolina.

Since moving to the U.S. and working for Aflac in 2016, Nigel has made it a point to schedule annual wellness checkups.

It was at one of these routine appointments when his prostate cancer was discovered. Nigel had no symptoms or any indications that something was wrong, but by keeping up with his wellness checks, his cancer was found in its earliest stage. Nigel’s treatment involved a surgical procedure, but he was able to avoid chemotherapy and radiation.

“I consider myself a health-conscious person, so for years, my wife and I have made it a point to keep regular wellness exams. That one appointment made all the difference for my family,” said Nigel. “Now, I make it a point to encourage as many people as I can — urging my family, colleagues, fellow firefighters and strangers — to stay on top of their annual wellness checkups.”

Nigel also knows men who shy away from prostate exams, whether because of embarrassment or not wanting to experience the procedure, but he is now a champion for men to not avoid the procedure, because it can be lifesaving. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and it is a great reminder to schedule your exam and/or encourage a loved one to do the same.

In 2022, Nigel signed up for a Spartan Ultra race as a way of saying, “I’ll be here, and I’ll be healthy enough to do it.” In November 2023, he completed the race and checked that item off his bucket list.

Today, Nigel is cancer free and bears a tattoo on his wrist that not only represents his journey, but it also serves as a conversation starter to encourage others to advocate for themselves and take charge of their health.

Nigel believes that your wellness matters. Learn more about his story, get tips for how to take control of your health, and review important findings from the 2024 Aflac Wellness Matters Survey at Aflac.com/WellnessMatters.

This article contains the opinions of an Aflac policyholder, who is also an Aflac employee. It is not intended to portray any specific benefits or details of Aflac cancer insurance (also known as specified-disease insurance) in some states. Aflac refers to the following companies: American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, American Family Life Assurance Company of New York, Continental American Insurance Company, and Continental American Life Insurance Company.

WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

Continental American Insurance Company | Columbia, SC

AGC2401012 EXP 5/25

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AllianceBernstein is proud to host the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA) 8th Annual ESG Engagement Conference, at our London office on September 16.

Join investors and experts for insightful panels and discussion. Professional Investors only: https://39534789.hs-sites.com/registration

AllianceBernstein

AllianceBernstein (AB) is a leading global investment management firm that offers diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets. We believe corporate responsibility, responsible investing and stewardship are intertwined. To be effective stewards of our clients’ assets, we strive to invest responsibly—assessing, engaging on and integrating material issues, including environmental, social and governance (ESG), and climate change considerations in most of our actively managed strategies (approximately 70% of AB’s total assets under management as of March 31, 2024). We also strive to hold ourselves as a firm to similar practices that we ask of issues. Our stewardship practices, investment strategy and decision-making are guided by our purpose, mission and values.

Our purpose—pursue insight that unlocks opportunity—inspires our firm to act responsibly. While opportunity means something different to each of our stakeholders; it always means considering the unique goals of each stakeholder. AB’s mission is to help our clients define and achieve their investment goals, explicitly stating what we do to unlock opportunity for our clients. We became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2011. This began our journey to formalize our approach to identifying responsible ways to unlock opportunities for our clients through integrating material ESG factors throughout most of our actively managed equity and fixed-income client accounts, funds and strategies. AB also engages issuers when it believes the engagement is in the best financial interest of its clients.

Because we are an active manager, our differentiated insights drive our ability to deliver alpha and design innovative investment solutions. Material ESG and climate issues are important elements in forming insights and in presenting potential risks and opportunities that can affect the performance of the companies and issuers that we invest in and the portfolios that we build.

Our values provide a framework for the behaviors and actions that deliver on our purpose and mission. Values align our actions. Each value emerges from the firm’s collective character—yet is also aspirational.

Invest in One Another means that we have a strong organizational culture where diversity is celebrated and mentorship is critical to our success. When we invest in one another, we empower our employees to reach their potential, so that they can help our clients realize theirs. This enables us to partner with clients to design and deliver improved investment outcomes.Strive for Distinctive Knowledge means that we collaboratively identify creative solutions to clients’ economic, ESG and climate- related investment challenges through our expertise in a wide range of investment disciplines, close collaboration among our investment experts and creative solutions.Speak with Courage and Conviction informs how we engage our AB colleagues and issuers. We seek to learn from other parts of our business to strengthen our own views. And we engage issuers for insight and action by sharing ideas and best practices.Act with Integrity—Always is the bedrock of our relationships and has specific meaning for our business. Unlike many other asset managers, we’re singularly focused on providing asset management and research to our clients. We don’t engage in activities that could be distracting, or create conflicts—such as investment banking, insurance writing, commercial banking or proprietary trading for our own account. We are unconflicted and fully accountable.

As of March 31, 2024, AB had $759B in assets under management, $528B of which were ESG-integrated. Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.

Learn more about AB’s approach to responsibility here.

AllianceBernstein is proud to host the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA) 8th Annual ESG Engagement Conference, at our London office on September 16.

Join investors and experts for insightful panels and discussion. Professional Investors only: https://39534789.hs-sites.com/registration

AllianceBernstein

AllianceBernstein (AB) is a leading global investment management firm that offers diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets. We believe corporate responsibility, responsible investing and stewardship are intertwined. To be effective stewards of our clients’ assets, we strive to invest responsibly—assessing, engaging on and integrating material issues, including environmental, social and governance (ESG), and climate change considerations in most of our actively managed strategies (approximately 70% of AB’s total assets under management as of March 31, 2024). We also strive to hold ourselves as a firm to similar practices that we ask of issues. Our stewardship practices, investment strategy and decision-making are guided by our purpose, mission and values.

Our purpose—pursue insight that unlocks opportunity—inspires our firm to act responsibly. While opportunity means something different to each of our stakeholders; it always means considering the unique goals of each stakeholder. AB’s mission is to help our clients define and achieve their investment goals, explicitly stating what we do to unlock opportunity for our clients. We became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2011. This began our journey to formalize our approach to identifying responsible ways to unlock opportunities for our clients through integrating material ESG factors throughout most of our actively managed equity and fixed-income client accounts, funds and strategies. AB also engages issuers when it believes the engagement is in the best financial interest of its clients.

Because we are an active manager, our differentiated insights drive our ability to deliver alpha and design innovative investment solutions. Material ESG and climate issues are important elements in forming insights and in presenting potential risks and opportunities that can affect the performance of the companies and issuers that we invest in and the portfolios that we build.

Our values provide a framework for the behaviors and actions that deliver on our purpose and mission. Values align our actions. Each value emerges from the firm’s collective character—yet is also aspirational.

Invest in One Another means that we have a strong organizational culture where diversity is celebrated and mentorship is critical to our success. When we invest in one another, we empower our employees to reach their potential, so that they can help our clients realize theirs. This enables us to partner with clients to design and deliver improved investment outcomes.Strive for Distinctive Knowledge means that we collaboratively identify creative solutions to clients’ economic, ESG and climate- related investment challenges through our expertise in a wide range of investment disciplines, close collaboration among our investment experts and creative solutions.Speak with Courage and Conviction informs how we engage our AB colleagues and issuers. We seek to learn from other parts of our business to strengthen our own views. And we engage issuers for insight and action by sharing ideas and best practices.Act with Integrity—Always is the bedrock of our relationships and has specific meaning for our business. Unlike many other asset managers, we’re singularly focused on providing asset management and research to our clients. We don’t engage in activities that could be distracting, or create conflicts—such as investment banking, insurance writing, commercial banking or proprietary trading for our own account. We are unconflicted and fully accountable.

As of March 31, 2024, AB had $759B in assets under management, $528B of which were ESG-integrated. Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.

Learn more about AB’s approach to responsibility here.