Month: July 2025

The following is an excerpt from our FY24 Purpose Report, celebrating 40 years of impact at Cisco. Data and metrics are reflective of Cisco’s fiscal year 2024, ending on July 31, 2024.

We envision a world of resilient and empowered communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. 

In 1997, the Cisco Foundation was established by a gift from Cisco Systems, Inc. to help address basic human needs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the past 27 years, that localized support has grown to a global mission across multiple areas of need. 

Today, the Cisco Foundation and our corporate Social Impact Investments together leverage our people, technology, and funding to promote a healthy planet and increase the wellbeing of people and communities everywhere. We provide catalytic capital to high-potential organizations for ideation, innovation, and experimentation of tech driven solutions, and we help scale those solutions for measurable and sustained impact. These efforts are underpinned by technology donations, capacity building support, and more.  

We invest along a continuum of needs in Crisis Response, Education, Economic Empowerment, and Climate Regeneration. This investment model was critical to achieving Cisco’s goal to positively impact One Billion Lives, and it continues to guide our approach today. In fiscal 2024, our early investments drove ecosystem-level impact, and we saw nearer-term positive results from investments in new solutions, such as AI for Good. Together, we aim to catalyze an ecosystem of changemakers and create positive impact globally. 

Learn more about Cisco Foundation’s legacy, strategy, and impact in the FY24 Cisco Foundation Report.

Leveraging AI for Good 

As our world and workforce continue to evolve with AI, our strategic approach and investments must evolve alongside it. Today, our partners are actively creating, testing, and applying AI to bridge the digital and data divide, and we’re proud to support our partners’ critical work, including:  

• Bridges to Prosperity’s Fika Map uses ML to identify the most impactful places to build trail bridges for maximum education, health, and economic opportunities.
• charity: water’s AI-powered algorithm uses data from rural water pump sensors to predict when water pumps are likely to fail. 
• CareerVillage’s AI-powered Career Coach provides qualified career coaching to more students and teachers at scale.  

Improving Education

We support students, teachers, and schools around the world—helping to increase engagement, build skills, promote subject mastery for students, and teacher professional development. For example, we partner with Human-I-T to expand access to Internet connectivity at home and provide refurbished devices for Los Angeles and Detroit schools. We also support Glific.org—an open source, two-way communication platform that bridges the gap between nonprofits and their beneficiaries. With Cisco’s support, Glific education partners are leveraging technology to improve teacher capacity and student outcomes across Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.  

Supporting Sustainability

In 2021, the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over the next 10 years to support climate solutions. Our funding applies a diversified, blended approach: climate impact investments in early-stage, for-profit climate startups and climate venture capital funds, and grant funding for nonprofits.  

One of the Foundation’s clean energy impact investments was made in support of Jaza Energy, which works to integrate solar powered hubs and telecommunications towers.  

Our Foundation’s climate grants also support protection of natural ecosystems. For example, we supported Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance to promote a regenerative bioeconomy and protect 86 million acres of rainforest where 600,000 people from 30 Indigenous nationalities live. We also supported Kara Solar, an Indigenous-led organization in South America that provides solar river transport solutions, community energy grids, and training programs for local technicians.  

Driving Economic Empowerment 

Our investments support skills development, entrepreneurship, and access to financial services that enable individuals and families to achieve economic security and contribute to local community growth.  

Our skills-to-career partner Defy Ventures equips formerly incarcerated individuals with skills to obtain jobs or start businesses. Our support helped them engage 7,000 individuals, launch 175 new businesses, and achieve an 84% post-release employment rate. In addition, our entrepreneurship partner, Agora Partnerships, created an interactive platform to help small and medium businesses across Central and South America build innovative climate solutions to improve efficiencies and outcomes. 

Read the full FY24 Purpose Report

To learn more about the progress we’re making to Power an Inclusive Future for All, visit our Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub.

View original content here.

Episode Summary

Biodiversity is life on earth as we know it. From our genetics and bacteria to entire ecosystems of forests and coral reefs, biodiversity is critical to all aspects of life. From food and water, to medicine, to climate stability. In this episode, we discuss the work of Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute in preserving biodiversity to secure a prosperous and stable future for this planet.

Host: Maithreyi Seetharaman
Show Producer: Lisa Desai 
Sound Production: PhiLipp Schweidler, Department of Noise
Artwork: Dow Creative Element

Episode Notes

Biodiversity is life on earth as we know it. From our genetics and bacteria to entire ecosystems of forests and coral reefs, biodiversity is critical to all aspects of life. From food and water, to medicine, to climate stability. In this episode, we discuss the work of Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute in preserving biodiversity to secure a prosperous and stable future for this planet.

Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Through its Global Gateway initiative and expanding network of partnerships, Europe is making a strategic bet on inclusive, sustainable development worldwide. This conversation will explore how institutions and industry can work together to build lasting infrastructure, shape the digital future, and unlock opportunity across continents — all while navigating the real-world dynamics of collaboration, investment, and impact.

Speakers include:

• Commissioner Jozef Síkela, International Partnerships, European Commission
• Tim Murphy, Chief administrative officer, Mastercard

To view all the 2025 Summit sessions, visit the page here.

About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages Mastercard’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs and empower a community of thinkers, leaders and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedIn and subscribe to its newsletter.

Follow along the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth’s journey to advance equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world

Created to provide local youth the skills needed for financial empowerment, the initiative is supported by a $100,000 Webster grant 

Webster has invested $2.5M in finance lab programs across footprint

PROVIDENCE, RI., July 22, 2025 /3BL/ – Webster Bank, together with Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, has opened the new Webster Bank Finance Lab, a program created to provide local teens and children the skills needed for financial empowerment and future financial well-being. Funded by a $100,000 grant from Webster, the program is the first collaboration in Rhode Island. To date, Webster has invested nearly $2.5 million in nine Finance Labs throughout its footprint.

The Webster Finance Lab program is a signature initiative designed to help nonprofit partners improve financial literacy and expand financial empowerment for youth in their communities. Through financial education tools, learning experiences, and interactive workshops, the program helps youth and families avoid common financial pitfalls and strengthen their financial confidence, an essential part of improving socioeconomic mobility.

“We are proud to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence to open the first Finance Lab in Rhode Island,” said Marissa Weidner, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Webster Bank. “Webster continues to invest in programs that broaden financial empowerment opportunities and strengthen our commitment to creating economic vitality in the neighborhoods where we live and work.”

Program participants will engage in hands-on learning opportunities at eight Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence locations, including financial literacy workshops and career panels with volunteers from Webster Bank.

“Financial literacy is one of the most powerful tools we can give young people to help them build a stable, successful future,” said Nicole Dufresne, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence. “Through our partnership with Webster Bank, we’re equipping our members with the knowledge and confidence to make smart financial decisions that will impact their lives for years to come. This collaboration is a meaningful investment in our children—and in the long-term strength of our community.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence participants, leaders and Ranika Reyes, the Financial Education & Constituent Affairs Director for Rhode Island Treasurer James A. Diossa, joined Webster leaders to officially open the program at the Fox Point Club on Ives Street, which is also home to the Fox Point Senior Center and the Fox Point Community Library.

In April 2025, Webster celebrated the opening of a Finance Lab in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Other Finance Lab partners are in Hartford, Bridgeport and Waterbury, Connecticut; Taunton and Dorchester, Massachusetts; Metro New York, Long Island and Yonkers, New York.

***

About Webster
Webster Bank (“Webster”) is a leading commercial bank in the Northeast that provides a wide range of digital and traditional financial solutions across three differentiated lines of business: Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking and Healthcare Financial Services, one of the country’s largest providers of employee benefits and administration of medical insurance claim settlements solutions. Headquartered in Stamford, CT, Webster is a values-driven organization with $80 billion in assets. Its core footprint spans the northeastern U.S. from New York to Massachusetts, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Webster Bank is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest annual report, visit the Webster website at www.websterbank.com.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence works to enable and inspire children and youth, especially those from diverse or difficult circumstances, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and healthy members of their community. At more than 150 years old, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence is the oldest continuously operating Boys & Girls Club in the country. They operate 8 sites across Providence. For more, visit www.bgcprov.org.

Media Contact:
Janette Baxter, 203-232-5112
jbaxter@websterbank.com

Investor Contact:
Emlen Harmon, 212-309-7646
eharmon@websterbank.com

DP World has released its comprehensive Community Resilience Report, highlighting ten years (2014-2024) of transformative impact through sustainable development initiatives worldwide. Anchored in their core belief that global trade should deliver inclusive growth and resilience, DP World’s approach has evolved significantly, shifting from traditional philanthropy to initiatives that empower communities and foster lasting change.

Over the past decade, DP World has positively impacted nearly 4.5 million people globally, driven by $99 million in community investments and nearly 200,000 hours volunteered by more than 45,000 dedicated employees. The company’s “Our World, Our Future” sustainability strategy spans critical areas including education, health, environment, and emergency relief, directly aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Protecting Water: The Lifeblood of Global Trade

Recognizing the critical role water plays in sustaining global trade and community wellbeing, DP World has significantly invested in Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives. Through strategic partnerships, notably with WaterAid, DP World has enhanced clean water access and hygiene standards for thousands of people. 

In Mozambique, the company successfully improved water access for over 5,000 individuals. Additionally, in Bauchi State, Nigeria, DP World is constructing solar-powered water systems to provide 15,000 people with essential clean water services by 2026. These efforts emphasize economically empowering women and youth by engaging them in leadership roles and entrepreneurial activities linked to WASH services.

DP World’s commitment to safeguarding water resources extends to marine conservation, adopting a holistic Source-to-Sea approach. This strategy emphasizes sustainability at every stage of the water supply chain, from freshwater resources to marine ecosystems. 

Notable initiatives include Living Seawalls projects, which restore coral reefs, and mangrove planting, crucial for protecting coastlines, sustaining marine biodiversity, and supporting local livelihoods through sustainable fishing practices.

Empowering Women and Protecting Biodiversity

DP World’s strategic community investments emphasize both women’s empowerment and environmental protection. Programs like Barefoot College International’s ‘Solar Mamas’ initiative illustrate the company’s commitment to social and economic empowerment. Through this initiative, DP World has empowered women in rural areas by training them as solar engineers, enabling them to electrify homes, start businesses, and lead sustainable development initiatives within their communities.

Moreover, DP World actively combats illegal wildlife trafficking through strategic collaborations with organizations like United for Wildlife, reinforcing their dedication to biodiversity protection and ethical environmental stewardship. 

Rapid Response in Times of Crisis 

DP World’s extensive global logistics capabilities play a pivotal role in humanitarian crisis response. As a member of the Logistics Emergency Team (LET), the company collaborates closely with global partners to ensure the efficient delivery of essential humanitarian aid. 

Notably, during the Ukraine crisis, DP World established critical supply chain routes through Romania, ensuring swift and reliable aid distribution. Additionally, DP World’s involvement extends beyond logistics, providing training for humanitarian professionals to improve emergency preparedness and response capabilities worldwide. 

Empowering Communities Through Education

DP World places a strong emphasis on education and youth empowerment, understanding that equipping young people with relevant skills is essential for sustainable economic growth. The launch of the Global Education Platform in 2023 significantly enhanced access to e-learning resources focused on sustainability, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), logistics, and green skills. 

Through strategic partnerships, like with Teach For All, DP World has directly impacted thousands of students globally, preparing them with essential skills for future workforce demands in green and digital economies.

Looking Forward

As DP World reflects on ten years of substantial impact, the company remains steadfast in leveraging global trade to catalyze resilient communities. Their vision remains committed to a just, inclusive transition towards a sustainable future, ensuring no community is left behind.

Want to learn more? Download DP World’s full Community Resilience Report here.

PHILADELPHIA, July 22, 2025 /3BL/ – Tork, an Essity brand and the global leader in professional hygiene, announced findings of a global survey of restroom users and cleaning staff that explores attitudes toward hygiene in public restrooms, the hygiene barriers that users encounter, the challenges cleaners face and the consequences of a poor restroom experience. Tork continues to push for inclusive hygiene by exploring the barriers people face in public restrooms and the resulting impact on businesses.

Public restrooms are failing hygiene expectations globally – and it’s costing businesses 

The research, which surveyed 11,500 people across 11 countries, shows there are high expectations for hygiene and cleanliness in the public restroom. 74% expect moderate or high levels of hygiene. Yet, only 20% of restrooms deliver on those expectations¹. 40% of the general population is “very concerned” with hygiene and cleanliness of public spaces and that number jumps to 60% for people with conditions like germaphobia.

• 28% have spent less time at a venue because of the state of the restroom
• 23% have limited how much they eat or drink, in order to avoid needing the restroom – showing a direct impact on business revenue
• 11% have told their friends to avoid the location and 7% have left a poor online review
• 1 in 4 people spent less time at their workplace due to poor restrooms, and 15% worked from home more than they otherwise would – affecting employee satisfaction and productivity

Additionally, in the U.S., younger generations are holding venues to higher standards. 21% of 18–34-year-olds said they would not return to a venue because of the restrooms, compared to 14% of the general population and 16% of 35– 44-year-olds. That number goes down as people get older:

• 12% of 45 – 54-year-olds said they wouldn’t return to a venue because of the restroom
• 10% of 55 – 65-year-olds said they wouldn’t return
• 8% – 9% of 66 – 70+ year olds said they wouldn’t return

Beyond the visible: the real hygiene barriers in public restrooms

Although public facilities provide accommodations for some prevalent physical circumstances and conditions, such as people who use wheelchairs, the research reveals that many needs remain unrecognized in restroom maintenance and design.

Across the 11 countries surveyed, 54% of venue visitors contend with some form of physical or cognitive challenge that can impact their public restroom experience. That number increases to 59% in Canada and 60% in the U.S.

Physical conditions include:

• Skin sensitivities
• Incontinence
• Chronic pain
• Mobility issues

Cognitive conditions include:

• General anxiety
• Discomfort in shared/crowded spaces
• Visual and/or hearing impairment
• Neurodivergence

“Our research reveals this singular truth: when a restroom fails to meet the needs of customers, it directly impacts a business’s reputation and revenue,” said Amy Bellcourt, Vice President, Communications at Essity. “This is one reason why ‘Hygiene for all’ is a core pillar of our Tork brand sustainability strategy. By focusing on inclusive hygiene, we help organizations create better experiences that serve everyone, including the cleaning staff who maintain these vital spaces.”

Where public restrooms fall short

Survey respondents across countries cite that they avoid restrooms because they are “unhygienic” (#1 reason), have unpleasant smells or odors (#2 reason), soap and toilet paper are unavailable (#3 reason) or the restroom provides insufficient privacy (#4 reason).

The survey also asked respondents to identify the types of public locations that most often fail to meet their restroom expectations. Respondents in the United States identified the following venues as the most likely to fall short of restroom expectations:

• Convenience stores – 30% say these rarely or never meet expectations
• Train and bus stations – 25%
• Shopping malls – 25%
• Sports stadiums and arenas – 24%
• Fast food restaurants – 19%

“These findings reinforce the need for more consistent inclusive hygiene standards across high-traffic public venues,” said Katrin Ferge, Regional Segment Manager, Commercial and Public Interest at Essity. “When restrooms fall short, it not only affects individual comfort and dignity – it can also lead to lost business, negative word of mouth and reduced employee satisfaction in the case of a workplace.”

The reality of cleaner burnout

The research also explored the challenges that cleaners face when working within the restroom setting, including:³

• 80% reported mental health issues as a result of their jobs;46% of those individuals say they feel stressed.
• 70% cite inadequate employer support.
• 38% have left a cleaning job as a result of not feeling recognized or due to burnout (unrelated to pay/compensation).

Reduced employee wellbeing and employee turnover can directly impact facility cleanliness, the restroom user experience, and result in costly hiring and onboarding. Meeting the needs of cleaning staff – for example, providing easy to refill high-capacity dispensers – can support inclusive hygiene and boost the bottom line of businesses.

To learn more about how inclusive hygiene can improve your business please visit: https://www.torkglobal.com/us/en/about/inclusive-hygiene

For additional information please contact: FHTork@fleishman.com

¹Tork Insight Survey 2025, conducted in US, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands and Poland among 11,500 people from the general public and 1,000 cleaning staff.

²Ibid.Respondents reported experiencing, without limitation, diagnosed or self-diagnosed physical/cognitive conditions, e.g. eczema, chronic pain, general anxiety, claustrophobia.

³Tork Insight Survey 2025, conducted among 1,000 cleaning staff in US, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands and Poland.

About Tork
The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissues, soap, napkins and wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they’re always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity and a committed partner to customers in more than 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit www.torkglobal.com/us/en/.

About Essity 
Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company. Every day, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2024, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 146bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at essity.com.

Some of the knuckle-walking, bushy-tailed, ant-slurping giant anteaters of Brazil have another fascinating trait: they’re implanted with Medtronic heart monitors.

For humans, these devices monitor heart rhythms over time and catch issues like irregular heartbeats. Researchers from Medtronic and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute expanded the technology’s scope beyond human patients and have implanted the monitors in animals around the world to help conserve species.

By continuously tracking animals’ heartbeats as they move about in their daily lives, researchers can better understand their physiology. When do they thrive? What causes them stress? Both are critical questions for a vulnerable animal whose future is intertwined with human activity.

“We are coexisting in the same environment,” said Juliana Magnino, who works for the TamanduaAsas Project in Brazil, an initiative that rescues orphaned anteaters and rehabilitates them for release in the wild, and contributed to this research. “When you save an anteater, we are saving our lives, our home.”

One of the giant anteaters under observation for this project is Helen. She was re-released into the wild with a Medtronic heart monitor, the Reveal LINQ^TM insertable cardiac heart monitor in 2024, and researchers know she’s doing well. In fact, Helen has a boyfriend.

‘Remarkable’ data

On a humid November day at Águas Vivas, a private reserve in Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais, researchers tracked Helen and captured her.

While the team took her vitals and weighed her, Vice President of Research in Cardiac Ablation Solutions at Medtronic Tim Laske downloaded data from Helen’s heart monitor and analyzed it on a nearby computer.

“Helen’s signal quality is amazing, perfect, the best so far,” he said. “We can take note of that implant location.”

Laske examined the data alongside Dr. Rosana Moraes, a researcher with the Smithsonian. The duo called out instances where Helen’s heart rate ticked up and down.

A glimpse at wildlife

The Reveal LINQ ICM is an insertable cardiac monitor about one-third the size of a AAA battery. It’s placed just under the skin and can denote a host of heart rhythm information about a patient — in this case, a giant anteater — including heart rate variability, which is a means of measuring stress.

There has long been technology that researchers can use to track animal movements. But the Reveal LINQ ICM is unique in that it helps better understand the animals’ well-being – helping uncover stressors that may otherwise go undetected.

“Before we used insertable heart monitors, there were a lot of mysteries around the behavior of wildlife,” said Laske, who leads animal conservation work at Medtronic. “Most of the research was based on tracking their position as they traveled through the world. But we knew virtually nothing about their physiology.”

That’s all changed now. The LINQ^TM monitors give scientists a glimpse into the physiology of animals as they travel through their environment. Although designed for human clinical use, the team at Medtronic has created custom software tailored to monitoring the physiology of wild species.

“When we retrieve the data from these animals, it is similar to opening a present because you get a glimpse into their life over the past several months,” Laske said.

This data can help research increase breeding success rates and help endangered species from going extinct, he said. 

“If we can change some of our actions in terms of conservation, we could provide better wellness to these animals,” Moraes, of the Smithsonian, said.

Good global citizens

True to their name, giant anteaters eat ants and termites, tearing into insect mounds and logs with their large claws. Their claws are so big they must walk on their knuckles to protect them.

Born without teeth, the animals leverage their long tongues and skinny heads to slurp up bugs, eating up to 30,000 every day. Their bristly, bushy tails are used for camouflage, protection from predators like jaguars, and thermoregulation.

Urbanization, vehicles, hunters, fires, and feral dogs are all threats to the creatures.

Medtronic is the largest healthcare technology company in the world, Laske said. Its engineers are equipped with not only a wealth of expertise, but also passion for conservation.

“At Medtronic, we believe, as part of our Mission, that we need to be good global citizens and provide good quality of life, both for our human partners on the planet and the wild species on the planet, as well,” Tim said.

Success story

The heart monitor research conducted in Brazil has proven that rehabilitation centers housing orphaned anteaters benefit the animals, Magnino said.

Under a pavilion at the anteater reserve, researchers finalized Helen’s well-being examination and began piecing together information. Through monitoring, they knew Helen recently spent a significant amount of time with a male giant anteater and had gained weight.

“We have very good news,” she said, clapping her hands, a smile spreading across her face. “We think Helen might be pregnant.”

Watch the video here to see the scientists in action and learn more.