12 leading innovators in Alaska, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wyoming to advance Food is Medicine solutions, drive economic investment, and increase efficiencies for greater prosperity and wellbeing for communities across the United States.

NEW YORK, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Rockefeller Foundation announced its first class of Big Bets Fellows focused on driving transformation for their communities across the United States—from Appalachia and the Midwest to the East and West Coasts. Over the course of the four-month fellowship, The Rockefeller Foundation will offer these 12 U.S. Big Bets Fellows—who are working in Alaska, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wyoming—programming, networking, and professional development opportunities so they can better implement and scale their bold solutions for greater economic growth and healthier, more resilient food systems to help American communities thrive.

“Our U.S. Big Bets Fellows represent the very best of America,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “In a time of growing division, these twelve leaders are using their tenacity, innovation, and optimism to bring us closer to one another and to get all Americans, especially those so often left behind, closer to the American Dream. As we have since our founding, The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to support American big bettors, and we are excited for all this latest group will accomplish.”

Communities across the United States face barriers to opportunity and wellbeing, with 60 percent of American households struggling to afford a quality of life that includes not just food and shelter, but also education, healthcare, and the chance for upward mobility. Harnessing American ingenuity to address the challenges their communities face, the 2025 U.S. Big Bets Fellows are working on bold, locally driven solutions:

  • AlaskaGretchen Fauske: Empower survivors of domestic and sexual violence to achieve financial independence and break cycles of insecurity, offering financial education, business grants, and access to safe banking options.
  • CaliforniaMarina Zhavoronkova: Expand access to high-quality, federally funded construction job opportunities for communities across the United States, including for Veterans, women, and others, through workforce and educational programming.
  • CaliforniaRey Faustino: Leverage cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence, and work with government agencies to streamline how low-income families access critical government services, healthcare providers, and nonprofits.
  • GeorgiaTiffany Terrell: Bring nutritious, locally grown food directly to vulnerable communities via a mobile grocery initiative, improving overall physical health and wellness, reducing food insecurity, and supporting local agriculture.
  • IllinoisDion Dawson: Reduce food, nutrition, and economic insecurity by logistically connecting the food system and employing local talent to deliver nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables to Chicago communities that need it most.
  • KentuckyColby Hall: Expand access to meaningful employment in Eastern Kentucky by harnessing technology and entrepreneurship to reduce systemic barriers to workforce entry, such as reliable childcare and transportation.
  • New JerseyCatherine Wilson: Provide opportunities for low-to-moderate income residents to invest in community developed housing, generating financial returns for residents and creating a cooperative economy.
  • New YorkMelissa Bukuru: Enhance low-income workers’ wellbeing and financial security by working with employers to increase employees’ access to financial coaching, employee savings accounts, and other wealth-building tools.
  • OklahomaJennifer Hankins: Invest in Tulsa’s innovative future, supporting the city’s entrepreneurs, workforce, and infrastructure through workforce training, attracting and developing new businesses, and supporting industry needs such as the energy transition, building from Tulsa’s strengths as a former oil capital of the world.
  • Pennsylvania – Alexandre Imbot: Reinvent convenience stores as retail food pharmacies, making nutritious, fresh food more affordable and available, reducing future healthcare costs and supporting communities often characterized as “food deserts.”
  • West VirginiaJacob Hannah: Revitalize rural Appalachian communities by leveraging local talent to transform dilapidated property into attractive investments for businesses, which then generate additional job opportunity and future prosperity.
  • WyomingPaul Huberty: Strengthen Indigenous economies by disrupting status quos to increase access to capital, training, and technical and other assistance to support investments that create jobs, increase wages, and foster small business development in Wind River.

Since 1913, The Rockefeller Foundation has worked with partners across political, sector, state, and community lines to deliver results for people in the United States. Over that history, The Rockefeller Foundation has made investments in public health, scientific research, economic opportunity, and more. Since 2005 alone, The Rockefeller Foundation has invested nearly $3 billion in the United States, across every state in the nation, to advance Food is Medicine initiatives, tax policies that work better for American workers and their families, and efforts to expand economic opportunities for all.

The Big Bets Fellowship began in 2024, with 16 fellows who are developing scalable solutions to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. During the course of their fellowship, these leaders sharpened their theories of change, developed skills to build and navigate unlikely partnerships, and crafted compelling stories to mobilize resources and support. For example, 2024 Fellow Marcela Angel reflected on her organization’s theory of change, which was using technical solutions to predict landslides, and expanded it encompass other natural events. She is now spinning off a research center from MIT to scale the solution. Valmir Ortega was inspired by a fellow class member to expand his organization’s model to new markets and Carlos Mango refined his impact measurement approach to support diversified funding engagements.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the wellbeing of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.

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SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation

Our culture of giving is one of the defining aspects of life at Gen. All over the world, our team members find myriad ways to get involved with the causes they care about, from in-person volunteering to virtual skills sharing to targeted donation campaigns and more.

This spirit of service was on full display over the past year of business. Between April 2024 and March 2025, more than 67% of our global workforce took part in our Giving@Gen program, our highest participation rate to date. Team members logged upwards of 8,300 volunteer hours and donated nearly $153,000 to 1,710 nonprofits.

To celebrate these milestones, we’re taking a moment to recognize our employees for making such a positive impact. Thanks to their passion and dedication, we’re proud to see our culture of giving continue to grow and thrive.

Coming Together to Make a Difference

In-person volunteering is one of the ways our team members contribute to their local communities. In addition to organizing company-wide events such as our Global Volunteer Week and holiday giving campaigns, we empower our local sites to find opportunities that resonate with their employees.

For example, volunteers at our Dublin office partnered with a local elementary school for Time to Read, a nationwide literacy program that aims to address disparities in education. As part of the program, volunteers took a group of students to their local library and later welcomed them to the Gen office to learn Cyber Safety skills and more about what we do each day.

“I volunteered with Time to Read not only because I love working with kids but also because encouraging them to engage with reading is such a great opportunity,” said Márcio Barros, a web producer at Gen Dublin. “I wish I had something like this when I was a kid.”

Efforts at other sites include a “Girls in Tech” event in March at our Chennai, India office. There, team members welcomed students from nearby colleges for a day of in-depth cybersecurity training, with the aim of expanding the talent pool for the country’s growing tech industry. This office has the highest giving program participation rate across the company and holds regular events to support nonprofits such as Bhumi and Team Everest.

Additionally, nearly 100 team members at our U.S. sites in Mountain View, CA, Tempe, AZ, and Plano, TX, spent a March afternoon assembling and decorating “superhero boxes” of essential items, creative toys and art supplies designed to empower children in the foster care system in collaboration with Foster Love.

Making a Deeper Connection

In addition to in-person volunteering and donations, our team members volunteer to serve on boards and put their day-to-day skills to use for causes they care about.

Utam Reddy, our Head of Partnership Sales for North America, joined the board of the Center for Child Protection, an organization based in Austin, Texas, that provides healing and prevention services for abused children.

“Being on the board has been a great way to donate my time and skills to an important nonprofit in my community,” said Reddy. “I attend monthly board meetings and serve additional time on the finance/audit committee, and I appreciate Gen’s donation that I can give back to the Center.”

Our work with HBCU Heroes pairs Gen mentors from across the company with students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to offer career advice and skills development as they prepare to enter the professional world. This skills-based volunteering offering allows Gen team members to share their expertise both with the HBCU students and each other. Volunteers first undergo training from our People & Culture team and Talent Acquisition partners to enhance their abilities to set the students up for professional success.

This practice of peer-to-peer skills volunteering has continued across the company. Bogomil Shopov, Program Management Director of Digital Trust Service, is currently leading a global community of remote volunteers through workshops on how to use OpenStreetMap. Together, they participate in challenges such as mapping freshwater resources and underrepresented rural areas to enhance resource management, environmental conservation and data-driven decision-making.

Employees also lend their expertise to our nonprofit partners. Iskander Sanchez-Rola, our Director of AI and Innovation, spoke on a webinar hosted by TechSoup supporting our targeted product donation campaign to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), and team members across the company can volunteer through Career Connect from Discovery Education to give virtual presentations about their jobs to classrooms around the country.

All of our Giving@Gen efforts are designed to empower our teams to use their skills, time and passions to make a positive impact. We’re grateful to our employees for an incredible year of service and are excited to continue to offer exciting giving opportunities in the years to come.

These grants were awarded from the Gen Foundation, a corporate advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. 

Datamaran’s new report analyzes 11,000+ Impact, Risk, and Opportunity (IRO) statements to reveal how companies are tackling CSRD compliance and sustainability-related priorities 

NEW YORK and LONDON, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Datamaran, the global leader in AI-powered risk and governance software, released its latest research report, CSRD Reports Uncovered: Insights from a Detailed Analysis of 11,000+ IROs from 300+ Companies.” This first‑of‑its‑kind study offers a comprehensive view of how companies across Europe are approaching the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), with a deep dive into the topics disclosed and how Impacts, Risks, and Opportunities (IROs) were contextualized and presented.

The findings shed light on emerging trends in materiality assessments, how companies are interpreting disclosure requirements, and which topics are driving boardroom agendas. Drawing from Datamaran’s proprietary data and expert review, the report surfaces key patterns and gaps to help corporate leaders and practitioners benchmark practices, identify blind spots, and prepare for what’s ahead.

In addition to macro trends, the report offers sector-specific insights on how companies across 11 sectors are interpreting double materiality. It reveals key maturity signals – including whether companies are applying time horizons, disclosing value chain impacts, and distinguishing between actual and potential effects.

Key findings include:

  • Negative impacts outnumber opportunities nearly 3 to 1, with 37% of all IROs classified as negative impacts and just 13% as opportunities. This suggests companies are taking a cautious approach and are aligning with the principle of prudence.
  • Climate Change (E1), Own Workforce (S1) and Business Conduct (G1) were reported by 99%, 98% and 92% of companies respectively, whereas Affected Communities (S3), Water (E3), and Biodiversity (E4) appeared in just 36%, 37% and 44% of reports.
  • CSRD statements average 103 pages, virtually unchanged from the pre-CSRD average of 102, yet companies disclosed anywhere from 6 to 130 IROs (most between 25 – 45), highlighting wide variability in materiality thresholds.
  • Companies identified an average of 6 out of the 10 ESRS standards as material, reflecting the broad application of the double materiality lens. Notably, only 14% of companies included any entity‑specific IROs.

As the CSRD sets a new standard for transparency and accountability, our analysis shows that most companies are still building the muscle for continuous, data‑driven management,” said Marjella Lecourt‑Alma, CEO and co‑founder of Datamaran. “This report gives corporate leaders a valuable benchmark as they work to evolve from compliance to competitive advantage.”

The analysis draws on sustainability reports from 304 companies across 21 countries and 57 industries, published between January and April 2025.

Click here to download the full report.

Contact: Helen Skeen, Senior PR and Content Manager: helen.skeen@datamaran.com.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2671133/5328602/Datamaran_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Datamaran Limited

May 22, 2025 /3BL/ – An international alliance of humanitarian and medical organizations is announcing the launch of a new initiative to protect kidney and dialysis patients in crisis settings around the world.

The Global Humanitarian Kidney Support Initiative—a collaboration among Direct Relief, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the European Renal Association (ERA), and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN)—aims to ensure continuity of care for people with serious kidney conditions during disasters, conflicts, and in regions where access to essential health services is limited.

The initiative brings together global clinical expertise in nephrology with on-the-ground experience in humanitarian logistics to help sustain kidney care when health systems are disrupted or overwhelmed.

Kidney patients—particularly those receiving dialysis or post-transplant care requiring essential medications—are especially vulnerable in emergencies. Regular access to treatment is essential for survival, and any interruption can quickly become life-threatening. The initiative seeks to address that risk through coordinated action, including emergency support for clinics and hospitals, provision of essential medicines and supplies, and training for healthcare workers operating under strained conditions.

“Kidney patients rely on consistent, life-sustaining treatment, which can be difficult to maintain when disaster strikes,” said Alycia Clark, Chief Pharmacist at Direct Relief. “This collaboration helps ensure continuity of care by equipping health facilities with the products, training, and coordination required to deliver treatment safely and effectively—even under the most challenging conditions.”

The partner organizations have previously worked together during major emergencies in the United States, Ukraine, Sudan, and other regions. The launch of this initiative builds on those efforts and establishes a formal structure to improve speed, coordination, and scale in future responses.

“This initiative reflects how much more can be accomplished when organizations combine strengths with a shared commitment to meeting urgent medical needs,” said Amy Weaver, CEO of Direct Relief. “By uniting nephrology leaders with expertise in humanitarian operations, this collaboration creates a clear path for delivering kidney care where it’s most at risk of falling through the cracks.”

In addition to emergency response, the Global Humanitarian Kidney Support Initiative aims to contribute to long-term improvements in care by strengthening infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries, expanding clinical education, and advancing patient awareness and disease prevention strategies. Direct Relief will manage medical supply logistics and operational support, while ASN, ERA, and ISN will lead regional efforts through their professional networks and national society partners.

“ASN is thrilled to be part of this new collaboration with ERA, ISN and Direct Relief. Together, we will be able to provide support to patients and their caregivers in regions impacted by both natural and human-influenced events and stretch each organization’s resources further. The support of corporate and foundation sponsors will be instrumental in ensuring that people living with kidney diseases have the best chance to thrive even in extreme circumstances”, said Jeffrey Silberzweig, MD, Chair, ASN’s Humanitarian Kidney Support Program

“Patients with kidney diseases represent one of the most vulnerable groups in disaster settings since their survival depends on functional infrastructure, access to advanced technology and experienced personnel within days (if not hours),” said Professor Mehmet Şükrü Sever, Chair of ERA’s Kidney Relief in Disasters Task Force. The Global Humanitarian Kidney Support Initiative can contribute to life-saving efforts by promoting clinical education, enhancing patient awareness and disease prevention strategies and delivering material support when most needed.

“Kidney patients in many parts of the world already have fragile access to care. When disaster strikes, the risk of interruption or disruption of needed care becomes rapidly acute. This initiative strengthens collaboration between professional renal societies and humanitarian organizations, allowing the ISN to contribute its expertise and help connect local providers with urgently needed support”, stated Prof. Ali Abu-Alfa, Chair, ISN Renal Disaster Preparedness Working Group.

Looking ahead, the initiative aims to expand its reach and impact by engaging pharmaceutical and medical device companies, philanthropic foundations, and global health partners to close critical gaps in care and strengthen long-term support for people living with kidney disease—especially in regions where treatment access remains fragile.

###

About ASN

Since 1966, ASN has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has nearly 22,000 members representing 141 countries. For more information, visit www.asn-online.org and follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram

About Direct Relief

A humanitarian organization committed to improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources to communities in need around the world—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. The organization holds NABP Drug Distributor Accreditation and is licensed to distribute prescription medications in all 50 U.S. states. In 2025, Direct Relief received the Seoul Peace Prize in recognition of its global humanitarian impact and effectiveness. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org.

About ERA

With more than 28,000 members, the ERA (European Renal Association) is one of the largest and most prestigious nephrology associations worldwide. It supports basic and clinical research in clinical nephrology, dialysis, renal transplantation, and related subjects, dedicated to advancing kidney health through science, education, and networking. Founded in 1963, ERA serves as a leading platform for scientific exchange, professional development, and advocacy in the field of nephrology across Europe and beyond. ERA organises annual congresses, supports fellowships and CME courses, and publishes two leading nephrology journals in Europe: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation and Clinical Kidney Journal (open access). For more information, please visit https://www.era-online.org/

About ISN

The International Society of Nephrology, established in 1960, is a global professional medical association committed to advancing kidney health worldwide through education, grants, research, and advocacy. By collaborating with its members and affiliated national and regional societies, the ISN engages with 30,000 health professionals worldwide to help reduce the burden of kidney diseases and provide optimal health care for patients globally. For more information, please visit https://www.theisn.org/

  • Hyundai Motor Group participates in the World Hydrogen Summit 2025, reinforcing its commitment to hydrogen innovation and global collaboration
  • Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang joins high-level Ministerial-CEO Roundtable as Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council
  • The Group presents its hydrogen value chain and port decarbonization roadmap, advancing the HTWO brand as an open platform for European partnerships
  • The Roundtable was organized in collaboration with the International Hydrogen Trade Forum, Hydrogen Council, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization

ROTTERDAM and SEOUL, South Korea, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) is showcasing its position as a global leader in hydrogen at the World Hydrogen Summit 2025 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 20-22. The Group is taking part in both the exhibition and high-level Roundtable to share its latest hydrogen initiatives and drive industry dialogue.

At the Summit’s Korean Pavilion – organized in collaboration with H2KOREA, a coalition of hydrogen industry stakeholders – the Group is highlighting the global advancement of hydrogen technology, including its hydrogen value chain business under its dedicated HTWO hydrogen brand, with a focus on port decarbonization that aligns with the Port of Rotterdam’s sustainability goals.

Demonstrating its hydrogen leadership, the Group is also presenting its commercial vehicle fuel cell technologies. The exhibit’s centerpiece is a diorama of a hydrogen-powered society, underscoring the transformative potential of hydrogen energy and the collaborative ecosystem being built through HTWO.

“Hyundai Motor Group is committed to its longstanding vision of developing and expanding the hydrogen value chain and driving the transition to a decarbonized future,” said Jaehoon Chang, Vice Chair, Hyundai Motor Group. “Building a hydrogen ecosystem requires strong partnerships between governments and industry. We will work with global partners and harness our full capabilities across the hydrogen value chain to accelerate the adoption of a hydrogen-powered society.”

He also highlighted that, “As the industry reaches a pivotal moment in its transition to a hydrogen society, scaling up the hydrogen value chain is essential. We must drive this expansion through standardization to propel the entire hydrogen sector forward.”

World Hydrogen Summit 2025

As Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang spoke at the Summit, participating in the Ministerial-CEO Roundtable. This focused on aligning public and private efforts to accelerate the development of a reliable and inclusive global hydrogen industry, outlining three strategic joint actions:

  • Implementing national financial incentives
  • Boosting economic and industrial benefits
  • Strengthening global trade partnerships and supply chains to drive global hydrogen demand

The Roundtable was co-hosted by the governments of the Netherlands and Brazil, serving as co-chairs of the International Hydrogen Trade Forum (IHTF), in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Hydrogen Council. Vice Chair Chang led the industry delegation.

About Hyundai Motor Group

More information about Hyundai Motor Group can be found at: http://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com or Newsroom: Media Hub by Hyundai, Kia Global Media Center (kianewscenter.com), Genesis Newsroom

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SOURCE Hyundai Motor Group

BEIJING, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — HyperStrong, a global leader in energy storage solutions, has launched MagicBlock at the smarter E Europe 2025 that just concluded in Munich, Germany. MagicBlock, a groundbreaking utility-scale energy storage system (ESS) platform, introduces the innovative HyperBlock M, a client-centric ESS product. Instead of pursuing ever-larger battery capacities, HyperStrong prioritizes understanding and meeting the long-term needs of global customers, delivering tailored solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and scalability.

MagicBlock reimagines ESS design, deployment, and management with its highly modular architecture. “Through extensive research and consultation across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Asia-Pacific, we gathered critical customer feedback,” said Matthew Yang, HyperStrong’s Senior Product Manager for Overseas Utility-Scale Storage. “Clients demand higher ROI, enhanced safety, greater efficiency and flexible scalability. HyperBlock M delivers precisely that.”

Unlike conventional systems tied to specific cells or PCS, HyperBlock M offers a versatile framework configurable for renewable energy integration, frequency regulation, peak shaving or standalone ESS applications. Its compact 10-foot container design—deviating from the industry-standard 20-foot unit—improves transportability and simplifies deployment in logistically challenged regions. In areas with constrained infrastructure, oversized containers often lead to delays and require extra permits. HyperBlock M’s streamlined design enables faster and more cost-efficient installation.

HyperBlock M emphasizes user-friendly innovation, featuring front-facing airflow, a top-mounted thermal management system, and an intuitive maintenance interface. This enables side-by-side or back-to-back installation, optimizing land use efficiency. The platform offers both DC-only solutions for EPC integration and turnkey AC-integrated units with customizable internal or external transformers, delivering tailored, high-efficiency solutions for diverse energy needs.

The platform integrates a cutting-edge 400kW PCS and a real-time performance monitoring system, enabling efficient power conversion and precise tracking of key metrics such as discharge capacity, round-trip efficiency, and battery state-of-health (SoH). At HyperStrong, we understand that clients seek more than plug-and-play convenience—they require enduring and reliable performance. Our intelligent balancing algorithms and advanced thermal management technology optimize cell balancing and prevent thermal runaway, ensuring consistent performance that meets client expectations.

Additionally, HyperStrong sets a new O&M standard with an AI-driven approach. Each HyperBlock M unit can be connected to a web dashboard or mobile app, enabling remote monitoring, real-time alerts, and predictive maintenance. The HyperGenie AI assistant, trained on more than 200 global case studies and more than 50 expert models, provides multilingual, voice-guided support for maintenance tasks, empowering even novice technicians.

Hardware innovations include a semi-automated battery module replacement system, enabling one-hour swaps of modules weighing over one ton, replacing risky manual methods. From intuitive maintenance layouts to early fault detection, HyperBlock M streamlines installation, maintenance, and long-term service.

“HyperBlock M isn’t just a product—it’s a platform built around people, places, and performance,” Yang said. “Our customers plan decades ahead, and HyperBlock M offers the flexibility, visibility, and reliability they need to scale confidently.”

With its modular and intelligent design, HyperBlock M positions HyperStrong as a pioneer in the global ESS market, delivering smarter, more sustainable solutions for the energy transition.

 

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SOURCE Beijing HyperStrong Technology Co., Ltd.

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