Month: August 2025

Back-to-school season isn’t just about loading up on textbooks and moving into dorms — it’s about owning your moment. Whether you’re heading to campus for freshman year or clocking into your side hustle between lectures, you deserve tech that delivers something big — like, main-character energy big.

Enter: Helaine Zhao, a college student, creator and voice of experience when it comes to making the most of school, tech and travel. Her social posts give her hundreds of thousands of followers a front-row seat to campus life, study-abroad adventures and the digital tools keeping her locked in and focused.

“I’m excited to share my tech recommendations with other students based on my experiences as a student and content creator and also help spread the word about the amazing benefits and deals that make T-Mobile valuable to students on a budget.”

And Zhao says she’s seen firsthand how T-Mobile is investing in students — not just through deals, but real empowerment.

“At the world’s largest student-run conference for empowering women in tech, I had the honor of speaking with members who shared more about T-Mobile’s Project 10Million,” she says. “Learning about all of T-Mobile’s youth initiatives was super inspiring. I couldn’t be happier to partner with a company that genuinely cares about education and empowering the next generation!”

Your Technology Is Your Study Buddy, and It Has to Travel with You Everywhere

As a student at one of the most competitive Ivy League schools in the country, Zhao is tasked with staying on top of a rigorous course load while also trying to find balance with extracurriculars and a social life.

“Tech is truly the basis of a good semester and school year, and it makes such a difference in my school life,” she says.

So what’s the tech she can’t live without right now?

“I film all of my content on my iPhone, and after trying the iPhone 16, I thought the camera was insane,” she says. “As a student, I also love the iPhone 16’s fast performance and built-in Apple Intelligence features. I use the Notes app a lot to keep track of my assignments and now that Apple Intelligence is integrated into Notes, it’s made my entire workflow smoother and more productive. I also have to say my iPad because it’s so light I can carry it around campus all day — no backpack strain.”

She says she knows new tech can be expensive and has some advice on timing purchases to be most cost effective.

“Use student discounts or deals whenever possible, especially during back-to-school season,” she says. “T-Mobile has the craziest back-to-school deals I have ever seen.

On the Go and Always Online: The Power of a Great Connection

Zhao says thanks to today’s hybrid of in-person classes and online lectures, she thinks connectivity is the most important feature of her tech arsenal, which means having the right plan, so she has the data needed to work on the go and access hot spots if needed.

“I have done my assignments on the grass of the Harvard Yard, on the train to New York, in an Uber and even in the dining hall,” she says. “I feel very blessed to attend a college that offers a lot of traveling opportunities, but they often occur during the school year, which means that I am juggling schoolwork while traveling.”

“I especially love to study in cafes, which sometimes don’t offer free Wi-Fi, so having hotspot data included in my plan, along with the amazing 5G network has been super reliable. I never have to worry about losing connection during a meeting or interview,” she says. “Plus, I attend college across the country from home and fly over five hours every time I go back. As someone who frequently has work to get done, having free in-flight Wi-Fi is truly lifesaving.”

Time Management, Reimagined

While she says she’s confident in her current set up to balance coursework, content creation and her personal life, she admits there are some improvements she’s hoping to make before heading back to class this school year.

“I’m going to be so honest with you, before I tried the Apple Watch, I thought it was completely unnecessary and kind of extra,” she admits. “But after testing it out last school year, I can admit I was wrong. It kept me on schedule, tracked my workouts, and since every student today lives by their Calendar app, it’s helped me stay on top of notifications during class without pulling out my phone.

She says she’s surprised that one feature became a personal favorite.

“As a college student, it is so easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed, and the Apple Watch Mindfulness app has helped me manage my mental and emotional health,” she says. “I use it almost daily to guide me through deep breathing exercises.”

Making Memories

Everyone talks about how tech can help you succeed in today’s competitive college landscape, but there’s got to be room to experience your newfound independence and friendships.

“It seems silly to say, but an important piece of advice I have for college students is to have fun,” she says. “Yes, studying and work are very important, but the four years you have in college are a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so make the most of them. Attend concerts, go to events, stay up late watching a show with your friends! I am so glad that T-Mobile has also thought of this and is making college so much more enjoyable with everything that comes with Magenta Status including T-Mobile Tickets, their streaming bundles and perks.”

As previously seen on the CSRHub blog.

CSRHub CEO and Co-founder Cynthia Figge recently moderated two panels at the Future in Review (FiRe) Conference, offering key insights on emerging supply chain risks and also on embodied carbon:

Emerging Supply Chain Risks with Ilya Levtov, CEO of Craft.co, and Sydney House, ESG Product Lead of Certa. Both are partners of CSRHub and focus on managing supply chain risks through data intelligence.

The Business of Embodied Carbon with Andrew Himes, Director of Collective Impact of Carbon Leadership Forum, and David Victor, Distinguished Professor of the University of California San Diego and Director of the Deep Carbonization Initiative.

Why It Matters

These panels underscore CSRHub’s role in providing transparent ESG data to help companies and advisory firms navigate evolving sustainability expectations from supply chain risks to low-carbon building strategies.

Here are some highlights of these dynamic panels. Also see below links to the panel videos.

Emerging Supply Chain Risks

The panel explored the rising significance of supply chain risk management. Global supply chains face increasing pressures from climate events and geopolitical tensions to shifting regulations like CSRD and California’s SB 253 and EU deforestation rules.

Panel key points:

• Beyond financial risk: Companies’ top risks are financial, operational, cyber security, geopolitical, and ESG (environmental, social and governance), including human rights and climate impacts across their supply networks.
• Multi-tier visibility: AI and multi-source data like CSRHub are enabling risk mapping beyond Tier 1 suppliers.
• Quiet sustainability work: Even amid the ESG backlash, companies are quietly continuing resilience and compliance efforts in managing their supply chains.
• Data verification: Multiple external data sources help validate supplier-reported ESG metrics.
• Orchestration of data: high quality, well organized structured third-party data enables scaling analysis, and also enables AI models to work more effectively.

Watch The Panel

Emerging Supply Chain Risks

The Business of Embodied Carbon

This session highlighted embodied carbon, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of a product or material, encompassing its entire life cycle from extraction and manufacturing to transportation and disposal. It quantifies the carbon footprint of a product’s “embodied” energy and materials, which accounts for nearly a fifth of global GHG emissions. Note that in addition, buildings’ operational emissions account for nearly 30% of global GHG emissions.

Panel key points:

Tackling embodied carbon requires deep decarbonization beyond operational energy savings.

Shared data standards, like Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), are helping companies measure and compare material impacts.

Innovation in low-carbon materials (e.g., mass timber, bamboo) and strong industrial policy will be key to scaling solutions.

Watch The Panel

The Business of Embodied Carbon

About CSRHub

CSRHub offers the most comprehensive global set of expert consensus sustainability ratings, information, and tools. Clients use CSRHub’s decisive data platform for global benchmarking, supply and value chain risk assessment and compliance readiness solutions. Founded in 2007, CSRHub covers nearly 60,000 public and private companies, and provides ESG performance scores on 42,000 companies from 134 industries in 158 countries. Our Big Data platform uses algorithms to aggregate, normalize and weight ESG metrics from 1,000 sources to produce a strong consensus signal on corporate sustainability performance.

Interested in learning more about CSRHub?

AUSTIN, Texas, August 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Whole Foods Market Foundation is excited to announce $552,350 in funding across six transformative projects in Colombia, Ghana, Rwanda and the United States through its Choice 4 Change program. Earlier this year, over 36,000 Team Members across Whole Foods Market participated in the Foundation’s annual Choice 4 Change vote. Team Members used their voice to help the Foundation determine how to invest an additional $552,350 in food access programs. The selected partner organizations will help to increase the number of salad bars in schools, support smallholder farmers, and amplify the efforts of healthy nonprofit food retailers.

Learn more about each project below:

AMMAATI | Ghana

AMAATI is a Ghanaian social enterprise that works with farmers, mostly women, in producing and processing Fonio. AMAATI’s services provide a path out of poverty and inequality by providing skills training and income generation to women in the Northern region of Ghana. Their $52,770 Choice 4 Change funding will allow AMAATI to organize 100 Village Savings and Loan Associations with the smallholder women farmers it works with, who will meet regularly to save money and take loans from the seed capital provided through this project. 

Chef Ann Foundation | United States 

Chef Ann Foundation aims for every school in the United States to have a salad bar as part of their school food service program so that every child—from elementary school to high school—has daily access to fresh, healthy food. They will use their $294,300 Choice 4 Change award to give 134 salad bars to 58 schools from their waiting list.

Environomica | Colombia

Environomica is a nonprofit that provides agroforestry kits (which include farming tools, seedlings, and irrigation systems), technical assistance, result-based payments, and market access to indigenous communities living in the forests of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada mountains. Environomica will use their $52,600 Choice 4 Change funds to expand their core agroforestry program by engaging more families to plant 15,000 native fruit and timber trees, with the aim of enhancing their food security. 

Fresh Truck | United States (Boston, MA)

Fresh Truck has been a trusted source of fresh food in Boston since 2013, providing a reliable and dignified shopping experience for communities that lack access to affordable, quality produce. Their $50,000 Choice 4 Change award will be used to support Fresh Truck’s ongoing efforts to deliver fresh, quality, and culturally relevant produce weekly to 18+ communities with limited access and high rates of food insecurity and to meet increased demand at its current locations and expansion to two new locations. 

Kula Project | Rwanda

Kula Project is a non-profit that works with coffee communities in Rwanda. Kula runs a 12-month poverty graduation fellowship that joins regenerative agriculture support with entrepreneurial development and business coaching, empowering coffee farmers to increase their household income and move out of extreme poverty. Kula will use their $52,680 Choice 4 Change award to provide coffee farmers with in-depth agronomy training using a regenerative approach, hands-on business coaching to identify new business opportunities and supporting trials of organic pesticides.

Regional Environmental Council | United States (Worcester, MA)

Regional Environmental Council is a grassroots food justice organization that was founded in 1971 and has been dedicated to building healthy, sustainable and just communities in Worcester, MA for more than 50 years. They will use their $50,000 Choice 4 Change funds to support continued operations and expand efforts to increase food access through their Mobile Farmers Markets. Funding will also support increased outreach and access points for community members to use the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) leading to an increase in overall community food security. 

Since 2005, Whole Foods Market Foundation, has invested over $200 million supporting over 16,000 partner organizations and schools in 81countries around the world.

For more information, visit wholefoodsmarketfoundation.org/funding-announcements. 

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ABOUT WHOLE FOODS MARKET FOUNDATION

Whole Foods Market Foundation works to nourish people and the planet by providing access to essential resources to improve nutrition and create opportunities for financial stability. The registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, based in Austin, Texas, encompasses the pillars 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, or LinkedIn.

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey, to date.

Hi there! I’ve been part of the GoDaddy family for nearly seven years, and I currently serve as a Customer Happiness Engineer, supporting both ManageWP and the Hub dashboard. Over the years, my responsibilities have expanded beyond these core products to include providing general support for a variety of other GoDaddy services as part of the Hub team.

I’ve always enjoyed helping people solve problems, which is what first drew me to Customer Care. My journey started in tech support, where I quickly discovered how much I enjoy translating complex technical issues into clear solutions for customers. Over the years, I’ve taken on roles that challenged me to grow, both technically and personally. Joining GoDaddy was a big milestone, as it offered the chance to work with talented colleagues and support entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. Each day brings new challenges, and I love that no two days are ever the same.

I feel genuinely thankful for this opportunity – the remarkable team I collaborate with and the customers we get to support every day make the experience truly rewarding!

What has been your most significant learning experience within the past year?

This past year, I learned the importance of adaptability and continuous learning. With the rapid changes in technology and customer expectations, I realized that staying curious and open to new approaches is essential. Whether it’s mastering a new tool or refining my communication skills, I’ve found that stepping outside my comfort zone is where the most growth happens.

However, one of the most valuable learning experiences I’ve had this past year was being part of the GoDaddy delegation team at WordCamp Europe. Although I had already been involved in the event as part of the organizing team for two consecutive years, this time it was a completely different experience. I had the opportunity to represent GoDaddy at our booth, connect directly with attendees, and talk about the products and services we offer.

It was incredibly insightful to see firsthand how people interact with our tools, hear their feedback in real-time, and share more about what we do in the Hub and ManageWP. Engaging with the community in-person gave me a whole new perspective and helped me grow both professionally and personally.

How do you balance technical troubleshooting with customer communication?

For me, the key lies in empathy and clarity. When troubleshooting, I always try to put myself in the customer’s shoes, understanding how frustrating technical issues can be. I focus on explaining each step in a clear and simple way, avoiding overwhelming them with too much jargon. At the same time, I make it a point to actively listen so I can fully understand their needs and concerns.

It’s really about finding that balance where the customer feels heard, supported, and confident that I’m working toward a resolution, while also staying efficient and focused on solving the problem.

What aspects of GoDaddy’s company culture do you appreciate the most?

What I appreciate most about GoDaddy’s culture is the true sense of collaboration and support.

It’s a place where everyone’s voice matters, and you really feel like part of a larger community – even when working across different teams or departments.

We celebrate wins together and tackle challenges as a team, which creates a positive, inclusive environment. That kind of culture not only encourages innovation but also helps you grow both professionally and personally.

What advice would you give to an individual starting out in the Care department at GoDaddy?

My biggest piece of advice is: don’t be afraid to ask questions or reach out for help. The culture here is incredibly supportive, and everyone truly wants to see you thrive. Take the time to really listen to our customers and understand their needs, because every interaction is an opportunity to create a positive impact.

Be open to feedback, stay curious, and embrace every learning moment. The Care department is constantly evolving, so having a mindset that’s open to growth will take you far.

And most importantly, bring a positive attitude and your authentic self to work. Your unique perspective is a strength, and it’s what helps us connect with customers on a deeper level. Attitude plays a huge role in how you face challenges and support others, so lead with kindness, confidence, and a willingness to learn.

What’s your motto or personal mantra?

Well, I have two:

“Treat others the way you’d want to be treated” – For me, it’s about showing empathy, respect, and patience, no matter the situation. Whether I’m helping a customer troubleshoot a complex issue or working with a colleague, I always try to approach the interaction with kindness and understanding. At the end of the day, we all want to feel heard and supported, and this mindset helps me stay grounded and customer-focused.

“Every challenge is an opportunity to grow” – This mantra reminds me to embrace each obstacle as a learning moment. Working in support, there are always new tools, updates, or customer scenarios to navigate. Instead of seeing challenges as setbacks, I try to view them as stepping stones for personal and professional development. This mindset helps me stay resilient, adaptable, and continuously curious in a fast-moving environment.

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

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Covia is proud to renew its partnership with the Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) in 2025, building on the success of our 2024 collaboration. Last year’s efforts enabled the distribution of 5,000 milkweed plugs to Covia employees, enabling them to take an active role in vital conservation and biodiversity initiatives. The partnership also launched the transformation of 12 acres at our Cleburne, Texas, site into a thriving pollinator garden, supporting habitat restoration for monarch butterflies. 

Together, Covia and the Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) are working to safeguard the migratory monarch butterfly and other pollinators by advancing habitat conservation, education, and scientific outreach across the monarch’s range. This collaborative effort includes completing the multi-acre pollinator restoration project at Covia’s Cleburne plant and launching more exciting initiatives, like another employee engagement campaign and a new habitat project at the Roff, Oklahoma, plant. These actions reflect Covia’s ongoing commitment to biodiversity, sustainability, and community involvement, helping protect pollinators for generations to come.

Empowering Employees Through Habitat Action

Covia, with the help of MJV, will once again support employee education and involvement with another hands-on initiative to promote monarch-friendly habitat practices by engaging Covia team members across Covia’s footprint. This year, we will be distributing pollinator seed packets tailored to each Covia region. These region-specific mixes are designed to support local ecosystems by attracting and nourishing pollinators like bees and butterflies, helping to promote biodiversity and healthy habitats in the communities we live and work in. This initiative empowers team members to contribute directly to pollinator conservation at home. 

Advancing Biodiversity: Covia and MJV’s Ongoing Pollinator Habitat Initiative

For Cleburne’s pollinator habitat project, MJV provided guidance, expertise, and technical support throughout the process, including habitat layout design, site preparation, native plant selection, and dormant season seeding recommendations. The project remains on schedule, with seed for the 11.35-acre site currently stored on-site until fall, when Covia’s operations team will proceed with planting. This collaborative effort reflects Covia’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and biodiversity enhancement.

Covia’s Roff, OK Plant Leads Habitat Restoration

Covia has designated its Roff, Oklahoma, facility as the primary site for its next phase of pollinator habitat restoration. Approximately 20 acres are being prepared for seeding by winter.

To support the project, Covia team members are conducting soil sampling and site assessments, enabling MJV to develop a custom native-pollinator seed mix. The project may also include a side-by-side comparison of two seeding methods—broadcasting and no-till drilling—to evaluate habitat establishment. Covia will manage site preparation and installation, while MJV provides seed and technical guidance. These efforts will help ensure the habitat is tailored to site conditions and optimized for long-term success.

In addition, the Roff Plant will be participating in the Monarch Watch Tagging Program—a community science initiative launched in 1992 to study monarch butterfly migration. During the fall migration, the team will capture monarchs, record key data including tag code, date, sex, and location, then tag and release them. At the end of the season, this data will be submitted to Monarch Watch to support ongoing research into the monarch’s remarkable fall migration. The team is excited to see how many monarchs they’ll be able to tag this season and contribute to such an impactful project.

Looking Ahead

These projects reflect Covia’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and pollinator conservation. With strategic planning, collaboration, and expert guidance from MJV, these efforts are poised to create thriving habitats that support pollinators and enrich local ecosystems.

Learn more about Covia’s Environmental Stewardship here.

Originally published on U.S Bank company blog

Shamim Okolloh’s son, Liam, knew he wanted to be an author ever since he devoured the Harry Potter series as an eight-year-old. So when her younger daughter, Ella, declared in first grade that she wanted to be a commercial banker when she grew up, it sparked a powerful idea.

“I know from going into classrooms for community outreach that when you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll hear doctor, lawyer, YouTuber. You rarely hear ‘banker’ because the narrative around banking isn’t visible to them,” Shamim said. “So I took my daughter’s interest in banking and my son’s passion for storytelling and came up with our first book.”

In 2024, Shamim and Liam co-authored Ella the Banker, making Liam’s dream of becoming a writer come true while he was in fifth grade. The brightly illustrated book tells the fictional story of Ella, who goes on a second-grade field trip to a bank. There, she learns about the variety of careers in banking and the services banks provide. Inspired, she sets her sights on becoming a commercial banker so she can help entrepreneurs build their dreams.

Shamim opened a dedicated account for the book’s proceeds at the U.S. Bank branch in the Geyer Springs neighborhood of Little Rock, Arkansas. As the staff got to know her and her children, a deeper connection formed.

“They became like part of the family,” said branch manager Ramone Davis. “It’s been inspiring to see a single mother of two bring her vision to life — and to see her son become a published author at just 10 years old. There’s not a lot of representation of women, especially women of color, in the banking space, and even less in commercial banking.”

To expand its impact, the financial education nonprofit Economics Arkansas developed a curriculum to accompany the book for elementary school teachers. Business access advisor Cassandra Kidd, who has known Shamim for several years through their respective community work, helped secure a $2,500 contribution from U.S. Bank to distribute the book to nearly 600 schools across the state.

“Ella the Banker financial education books have supported local Arkansas students and beyond,” said Kristen Polchinski, U.S. Bank’s community affairs manager in the Missouri/Arkansas Market.

“This is a great example of how our U.S. Bank Community Possible program combines strategic philanthropy with hands-on engagement, creating lasting, positive change – one community at a time.”

Liam’s dream of becoming an author has since grown into a family-led business, centered on financial education and literacy tools for young readers — engaging not just children, but also families, schools, and financial institutions.

The book continues to reach wider audiences beyond classrooms. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. officially declared January 9, 2024, as “Ella the Banker Day.” In July, the Okolloh family will speak at the Texas Bankers Association and Jump$tart Coalition Financial Education Summit at the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas.

They’ve also shared Ella the Banker at numerous events and institutions, including:

• The American Bankers Association Bank Marketing Conference in Chicago
• Financial Women in Texas (Waco, TX)
• Little Rock Police Department Summer Youth Camp
• Central Arkansas Library System
• Schools across the state of Arkansas

The book was also featured as the cover story in Arkansas Next Money magazine, with the headline “A Teen’s Guide to Managing Money.” Over 50,000 copies of that issue were distributed to high schools throughout the state.

To date, more than 2,000 copies of Ella the Banker have been sold directly to consumers — and counting. The book is available at online retailers including Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, as well as local bookstores in Little Rock.

“The word I would use to describe Shamim is ‘intentional,’” said Kidd. “The characters are so inclusive that anyone can see themselves in the story. My grandson is only 2, and when I read it to him, he’s immediately drawn to the vibrant, joyful illustrations.”

Building on this success, Shamim and Liam released a second book earlier this year titled Ella the Banker: Let Us Save. This follow-up focuses on savings habits and was inspired by real-life conversations within their family — including favorite activities like recess and forming school clubs. The sequel is available in Spanish.

U.S Bank was proud to be the presenting sponsor at the Ella the Banker: Let Us Save book launch this Spring, Kidd said. Families received free copies of the book along with face painting and snowcones.

“The second book encourages families to visit banks together and reminds our bilingual communities that many banks have Spanish-speaking bankers,” Shamim said.

The family was drafting this second book just as Shamim was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer. After undergoing treatment, she is now cancer-free — and says the experience has “only deepened my purpose and resolve.”