Month: August 2024

The Whole Cities Community First Grant Program supports nonprofits focused on long-term fresh, healthy food access and nutrition education that are engaged with Team Members. This includes community gardens, mobile markets, healthy cooking classes and more. Meet Whole Foods Market Team Members along with Community First Grant partner, Queens County Farm Museum, based in Queens, NY.

Whole Cities was established in 2014 to improve individual and community health through collaborative partnerships, education and broader access to nutritious food in the U.S. and Canada. The project has partnered with more than 250 locally led organizations in over 130 cities to build thriving food systems and improve community health.

For more information on the Foundation, visit wholefoodmarketfoundation.org.

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About Whole Foods Market Foundation

Whole Foods Market Foundation works to nourish people and the planet by helping to advance healthy food access, nutrition and economic opportunities in local and global communities. The registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, based in Austin, Texas, encompasses the projects of Whole Cities, Whole Kids and Whole Planet. For more information on the Foundation’s work, visit wholefoodsmarketfoundation.org. For ongoing news and updates, follow Whole Foods Market Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Cascale’s upcoming Annual Meeting, September 9-11 in Munich, Germany, will unite hundreds of consumer goods industry leaders to accelerate climate action and catalyze impact at scale through a unified approach to sustainability.With the industry behind on progress to achieve a minimum 45-percent emissions reduction target by 2030, the event will provide a vital forum for members from around the world to come together and accelerate practical solutions to help the industry decarbonize.At the event, Cascale chief executive officer Colin Browne, who took the helm in May, will outline his vision to agitate, disrupt and influence the industry to do more on climate.

AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, and OAKLAND, Calif., August 19, 2024 /3BL/ – Hundreds of leaders from the consumer goods industry are gearing up for Cascale’s Annual Meeting 2024 on September 9-11 in Munich, Germany, which will involve three days of inspiring and action-orientated talks and workshops to catalyze impact at scale to help achieve a more sustainable and equitable future.

The first Annual Meeting since Cascale – previously the Sustainable Apparel Coalition – rebranded in February 2024, marks both a major milestone in the organization’s evolution, and a turning point for the whole consumer goods industry. Themed “A New Era of Unified Impact”, the event will unite over 600 attendees from around the world for honest conversations about the future of the industry and how Cascale’s members can drive meaningful and collective climate action while protecting workers across the value chain.

Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale said: “The reality is that the consumer goods industry is not yet doing enough to combat climate change. With a membership of over 300 brands, retailers, manufacturers and other stakeholders, Cascale is uniquely placed to disrupt, encourage, and influence the industry to do more – and our Annual Meeting is a significant milestone to increase the pace of change. There is no time for dithering or delay; faster progress on climate must happen now.”

The event will provide an important opportunity for unprecedented collaboration among a diverse mix of manufacturers, brands, retailers, academics, media, NGOs, government officials, and service providers. The meeting aims to empower attendees to take action – helping them to become bold advocates for change within their organizations and across the industry.

Colin Browne continued: “We know we need to show bold leadership and unwavering commitment to meet a 45-percent, industry-wide emissions reduction target. While we support our members with practical tools and techniques to help them decarbonize, we also constantly challenge them to do better.”

Across three days, virtual and in-person attendees will hear from over 80 global industry experts. Their insights, solutions and innovations cover urgent industry challenges such as decarbonization, navigating legislation, traceability, giving workers a voice, leveraging the Higg Index tools, and fiber choices.

Speakers and panelists include:

Rick Ridgeway, Author, Adventurer & Cascale Co-founderDalena White, Secretary General, International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO)Shreyaskar Chaudhary, Managing Director, Pratibha Syntex Ltd.Miran Ali, Vice President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)Achim Loeffler, Global Business Leader, W.L. Gore & AssociatesPatricia Jurewicz, Founder and CEO, Responsible Sourcing Network & YESS Kim van der Weerd, Intelligence Director, Transformers Foundation Scott Raskin, CEO, WorldlyRudiger Fox, CEO, Sympatex Tamar Hoek, Senior Policy Director Sustainable Fashion, Solidaridad & Cascale Board ChairLiam Salter, CEO, RESET Carbon

The event is also a chance to shine a light on Cascale’s Higg Index suite of tools, on which 40,000 users depend to assess and measure the social and environmental performance of the value chain and the environmental impacts of products. The Higg Index is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale’s Annual Meeting will be immediately followed by Worldly’s inaugural Customer Forum on September 12, which will be accessible to both Cascale members and non-members.

“The Cascale Annual Meeting is not to be missed,” said Scott Raskin, CEO of Worldly. “It brings together Cascale members, who are also Worldly customers, for valuable content, debate, and networking that will drive action. Immediately following the Cascale meeting, Worldly will host its first Worldly Customer Forum, continuing the conversation from the Cascale Annual Meeting. This is an incredible opportunity for Worldly customers who are sustainability, compliance, and business leaders to explore how they can turn their environmental and social impact data and insights into action, advancing their impact improvement programs.”

To find out more about Cascale’s Annual Meeting 2024 and combination tickets for the event and Worldly’s Customer Forum, please click here.

Cascale’s Annual Meeting 2024 is sponsored by Nike, VF Corporation, Zalando, Sympatex, Lululemon, TÜV Rheinland, Haelixa, TrusTrace, CottonConnect, GSCS International, IDFL, and Made2Flow.

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Notes to editors

For more information about media access to Cascale speakers, and to enquire about receiving a potential press pass to attend the Annual Meeting, please contact: cascaleforster@forster.co.uk

About Cascale

Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people.

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Many things define Tye Dutcher: Paralympic athlete turned financial professional, motivational speaker, volunteer, club water polo head coach, husband, new dad…the list goes on. Even with that, there’s more to his story—including recently completing the Principal® Financial Network (PFN) Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Fellowship program.

“The D&I Fellowship program really helped me get on the right path for my financial career,” said Tye, who started with the PFN in the Phoenix office in January. “The leadership has been phenomenal every step of the way. With everything that I’ve gone through, I believe there’s a reason why I’m at Principal.”

Created in February 2023, the Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship is a selective program that offers a path into a financial services career for individuals with access to diverse markets. Since 2023, six individuals have graduated from the program, with two more set to graduate in September. The Fellowship allows participants to learn relevant selling skills and product knowledge, while also working to get the appropriate licenses under the guidance of experienced professionals. Tye is now in the six-month financial representative phase of his career with Principal.

“The path to become a financial professional is a long and arduous one,” said Seth Dhaenens, managing director in the Principal Financial Network of the Rocky Mountains and Arizona. “Tye was the perfect candidate for us. We felt his background would help him respond to adversity in a positive and productive way. We’re excited for the impact that Tye is going to have in our community.”

And Tye agrees, “For the first time in my career, I feel like I’m part of a team with people who support me. It’s been my life-long dream to serve others in the financial services industry.”

Tye’s story 
To understand where Tye is today, you have to know his journey. The youngest of five kids, he spent hours swimming and competing against siblings in his family’s backyard pool at their home in California. Then at age 11, everything changed.

One day, Tye snuck up from behind to play a trick on his dad while he was on the riding lawnmower. As his dad put the lawnmower in reverse, he felt a bump. The mower blade had run over Tye’s right foot, slicing it off. After four surgeries in 11 days, Tye’s foot was amputated two inches above his ankle. He now wears a prosthetic from the knee down.

“I told my mom in the hospital I know this happened for a reason,” Tye said. “We can’t dwell on it—we have to move forward.”

That day wasn’t just an accident, but something that helps define Tye. When his four other siblings went on to serve in the military, he couldn’t; so he dedicated himself to representing his country in a different way. In high school, Tye dove into the world of competitive swimming, even receiving an invite to train and live at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs leading up to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

“I was training six days a week, swimming 14,000 meters a day, pushing my body beyond its limit,” Tye says. “All that training to swim under one minute in a race is nuts.”

Although he didn’t medal in Rio, the experience motivated him even more. He won bronze in the 100 backstroke at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships and later won a gold and two bronze medals at the 2019 Parapan American Games.

“Representing your country on the world stage is a feeling unlike any other. When you get that medal, put your hand over your heart, and sing the national anthem, it makes it all worth it.”

Life as a financial professional 
Tye is focused on building relationships in his community. Serving people from all walks of life, he believes his experiences help serve a niche market in the lives of persons with disabilities.

“Not many people have gone through what we’ve gone through, be it physical or mental. The financial security aspect is the missing puzzle piece for a lot of these people. I’m glad I can help in that area,” he said.

“Be thankful for what you’re going through. We all experience hardships. I’m grateful for losing my foot at age 11 and for everything that has come from that. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.​ ©2024 Principal Financial Services, Inc. 
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