Month: May 2026

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2026 /3BL/ – Comcast NBCUniversal, Telemundo, and the U.S. Soccer Foundation announced an expanded commitment to increase access to high-impact youth soccer programs and coach-mentorship training in the lead-up to FIFA World Cup 2026™.

As part of this effort, Telemundo and the U.S. Soccer Foundation launched ¡Sí, Coach!, a new Spanish-language platform designed to equip coaches with culturally relevant tools and training to mentor young people both on and off the field. Available at SiCoach.com, the platform will offer free, innovative training in Spanish. ¡Si, Coach! supports the broader Yes, Coach! movement, launched in partnership with Stand Together, a philanthropic community that empowers people to tackle the root causes of our country’s biggest problems. Yes, Coach! aims to prepare 100,000 coaches to mentor over three million youth nationwide via the Foundation’s high-quality Coach-Mentor Training program.  

NBCUniversal’s Creative Impact Lab collaborated with creative apprentices from nonprofit agency Wide Angle Youth Media to produce a Spanish and English public service announcement (PSA) for Yes, Coach! The PSA will air ahead of the World Cup to amplify the campaign’s reach.

“Soccer is more than a game—it’s a catalyst for confidence, leadership, and belonging,” said Christina Kolbjornsen, Senior Vice President, Corporate and External Affairs, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises.

Through ¡Sí, Coach!, and aligned with our Tu Momento, Tu Jugada initiative, we’re championing Spanish‑speaking coaches with culturally relevant resources that reflect the communities they serve—turning the momentum of FIFA World Cup 26™ into a lasting force for opportunity and impact for young people nationwide.

Christina Kolbjornsen
Senior Vice President,
Corporate and External Affairs
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises

“Having the combined and continued support of Comcast NBCUniversal and Telemundo during this incredible year of sporting events creates an extraordinary force for good in under-resourced communities nationwide,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “Together, we’re training more coach-mentors, creating more safe places to play, and expanding proven programs to more youth. As we look forward to hosting FIFA World Cup 2026™ this summer, this collaboration ensures that the excitement around the sport results in meaningful, long-term opportunities for youth across the country.”

In addition to launching new digital resources and programs, the partners are leveraging the excitement of FIFA World Cup 2026™ to expand access to proven youth programs in several cities including Miami, Philadelphia and New York. Just Ball, launched with adidas in 2022, reimagines youth soccer by transforming mini-pitches and community spaces into accessible hubs for free, low-pressure play. As the official Spanish-language broadcaster of FIFA World Cup 2026™, Telemundo brought its Tu Momento. Tu Jugada fan experience to the Los Angeles’ Just Ball Unity Cup in December. Telemundo will bring the same experience to Just Ball Unity Cups in Miami and New York later this year, further expanding opportunities for youth to engage with the sport in fun, creative ways.

On June 3, Telemundo will also support the Foundation’s annual Congressional Soccer Match, convening bipartisan lawmakers, professional athletes, and community leaders in Washington, D.C., to highlight soccer’s power to unite and uplift.

Previously, Telemundo sponsored the Foundation’s pink-carpet at the Pitch Perfect Gala in January to celebrate over 30 years of the sport’s impact on social change.

In October, Comcast joined the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Philadelphia 2026—the nonprofit Local Host Committee for FIFA World Cup 2026™—to open a new mini-pitch at Building 21 in Philadelphia.

These initiatives build on more than a decade of collaboration among Comcast NBCUniversal, Telemundo, and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, including support for the Foundation’s Soccer for Success and Coach-Mentor Training programs.

By expanding access to soccer and mentorship across communities, these partners are ensuring that the excitement of the world’s biggest sporting event translates into lasting impact for generations to come.

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About Comcast

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

Dogs and cats can’t talk yet – but our next two guests are helping them do just that.

Recently, I sat down with two of the most transformative leaders in pet health: Jay Mazelsky, CEO of IDEXX and Jay Price, CEO of Mission Pet Health.

Between them, they see the entire journey of care. From diagnostics that uncover diseases to the 950 Mission Pet Health hospitals delivering care to our pets every day. If you want to understand where pet health is headed over the next decade – this is the table for you.

The expectation of care for our pets has never been higher. That isn’t a warning. It’s an opportunity.

The Pet Bubble and What Comes Next

The pandemic changed many things, and pet ownership wasn’t immune to that. Net pet adoption grew by roughly 10% annually – a 4x increase over the historical norm.

Now, those pets are reaching a milestone. They are five to seven years old. The older an animal gets, the more care it requires. As Jay Mazelsky noted, we are entering a window when demand for senior veterinary care will build dramatically.

There is a lot of talk right now about vet visits. But context matters. Jay Price, who led clinics through the 2008 financial crisis, sees a cycle and a return to normal after the substantial Covid increase, not a permanent shift. For Mission Pet Health, they aren’t seeing a decline; they see a return to the steady, durable growth that defines the industry.

Diagnostics: The Voice of the Pet

About one in five clinical veterinary visits include bloodwork. Only 12% of wellness visits include diagnostics. Outside the U.S., that number drops even further.

The opportunity is enormous. Every diagnostic brings more information. More information enables better decisions. Better decisions unlock tailored treatments. When we don’t diagnose, we don’t know the magnitude of a disease.

Moment to Remember: If only one in five pets gets diagnostics, we don’t know the true spectrum of disease that exists today. We’re only seeing the surface. The opportunity isn’t just big. It’s bigger than we can measure.

Jay Price shared a powerful perspective: if only 20% of pets are getting diagnostics, our data is incomplete. We might think the condition is “rare” simply because we aren’t looking for it.

Take cancer. One in four dogs will develop it in their lifetime. Often, by the time it’s visible, it’s already at an advanced stage. Moving upstream with earlier diagnostics doesn’t just save lives – it improves treatment affordability. An earlier diagnosis means more treatment options and better effectiveness at a lower cost.

It’s not just dogs; cat spend at the clinic is beginning to converge with dog spend as more cat owners demand more comprehensive care. Opportunities like chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats is a prime example. Early diagnosis, dietary intervention and close monitoring can meaningfully extend lifespan.

Best Quote: I think that what we should be most proud of as an industry over the last 15 years – the average cat and dog is living two years longer… a lot of it’s the result of more innovation in the pharma and specialty diet and diagnostic space and better care driven by pet owners. They want to partner with the veterinarian and with the technology that’s used, and they want to understand the underlying disease, what the options are, and how they can provide care. They see themselves as part of the solution.

And as AI continues to infiltrate all aspects of our lives, it’s another opportunity of how the two examples mentioned above can be done faster, allowing veterinarians to walk into an exam room with insights, not just questions. However, as Jay Price, noted, we can’t lose the critical human element of clinical decision-making.

Nobody’s Too Good to Pick Up Poop

Whether it’s rallying during a pandemic or uncovering the next medical breakthrough, culture for IDEXX and Mission Pet Health is the glue.

As Jay Mazelsky rounds out his tenure at IDEXX and retires later this month, he leaves behind a legacy built on a challenger mindset. That means guarding against entitlement, hiring for curiosity and setting audacious goals.

Jay Price grounded it in a phrase from his very first hospital experience: Nobody’s too good to pick up poop.

It’s a reminder that in animal health, we are all servants to the mission. We show up with a spring in our step because we believe that when animals are healthy, the world is better.

Big Takeaway: As diagnostics expand what we can detect, AI accelerates what we can learn, and a generation of middle-aged pandemic pets enter their highest-care years; the pie isn’t shrinking. It’s growing. A rising tide lifts all boats. The leaders who focus on delivering value – to the pet, the owner, and the veterinarian – will be the ones who grow with it and beyond.

Thank you, Jay Mazelsky, for hosting us and for decades of work giving our pets a voice. Congratulations on a remarkable chapter. And thank you, Jay Price, for your insights and the commitment and support your clinics provide every day for our pets.

The best is yet to come for animal health.

Catch the full conversation on YouTube.

As a globally recognized apparel manufacturer with over a century of industry leadership, Hirdaramani Group continues to play a defining role in advancing sustainable and responsible practices across the apparel value chain. A Cascale member since 2013, the Group operates vertically integrated facilities across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Africa, partnering with leading global brands to deliver end-to-end apparel solutions and enable more transparent, future-ready supply chains.

Guided by its Future First Sustainability Roadmap, Hirdaramani integrates environmental stewardship, social impact, and responsible governance across its operations. Within this broader strategy, participation in Cascale’s Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI) serves as a strategic platform to strengthen buyer-supplier partnerships and support the evolution of responsible purchasing practices across the industry.

Impact at a Glance

• Leveraging Better Buying to amplify supplier voice and inform more responsible purchasing practices
• Integrating purchasing practice dialogue into the Future First sustainability framework through Better Buying
• Strengthening transparency and accountability across global buyer relationships
• Advancing measurable sustainability progress, including:
  • Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from energy across Sri Lanka’s manufacturing operations
  • 17 LEED Gold and Platinum-certified facilities across the global footprint
  • Over 21,000 employees engaged through well-being and empowerment programs
  • First Sri Lankan company to have its net-zero science-based targets approved

Creating Better Conditions for Supplier-Buyer Collaboration

Manufacturers are expected to keep advancing climate and social priorities while managing the daily realities of sourcing and production. Purchasing practices play a direct role in shaping that environment. Planning changes, delayed payments, and pricing pressure can affect how suppliers manage resources, schedule production, and sustain longer-term efforts.

Better Buying brings those conditions into view through structured supplier feedback on buyer purchasing practices. For Hirdaramani Group, this creates a practical opportunity to contribute insight from the manufacturing side of the value chain. A consistent feedback process can bring alignment for day-to-day operations and open stronger conversations with buyers about how to improve together.

Aligning the Group’s sustainability progress with accountability, transparency, and stronger working relationships throughout the supply chain, Better Buying supports a more consistent and constructive dialogue between suppliers and buyers.

How Hirdaramani Uses Better Buying to Strengthen Dialogue with Buyers

Hirdaramani approaches Better Buying not only as a reporting mechanism but also as a practical tool for engagement and industry advancement. Across its Future First Roadmap, the company has connected sustainability progress with clearer structures, stronger reporting standards, and greater transparency and accountability. Better Buying fits within that approach by offering the Hirdaramani team a confidential way to share supplier experience and help inform more effective purchasing practices over time.

As noted by Nikhil Hirdaramani, Director at the Hirdaramani Group, the tool offers a “secure and anonymous feedback channel” that has supported more constructive and action-oriented engagement with customers. Better Buying has also driven stronger, more transparent conversations that contribute to continuous improvements over time.

Better Buying complements Hirdaramani’s broader sustainability efforts by strengthening accountability and more closely linking operational performance to buyer relationships.

Partnership as a Driver of Improvement

Collaboration is central to Hirdaramani Group’s approach to sustainability. Through its Future First Roadmap, the Group works closely with global brands, industry platforms, and stakeholders to advance progress across climate action, social impact, traceability, and innovation.

Participation in Better Buying strengthens this collaborative approach by:

• Translating supplier experience into actionable insights
• Supporting more informed and responsive decision-making by buyers
• Building trust through greater transparency and shared accountability

In this way, the partnership becomes part of how progress is shaped and sustained across the value chain.

Why This Matters

Hirdaramani’s experience shows how structured supplier feedback can strengthen partnerships and support more effective purchasing practices. By connecting operational insights with strategic buyer engagement, Better Buying helps bridge critical gaps in the apparel value chain.

As expectations on sustainability continue to grow, aligning purchasing practices with these ambitions will remain essential. For Hirdaramani Group, Better Buying strengthens this effort by connecting day-to-day operational realities with buyer relationships, helping ensure that progress across the value chain is both practical and sustained.

For more on Hirdaramani’s broader sustainability journey, listen to Nikhil Hirdaramani on Cascale’s Source of Good podcast episode, “From Tailors to Global Trailblazers: Talking Climate Action with Hirdaramani and ASICS.”

As a globally recognized apparel manufacturer with over a century of industry leadership, Hirdaramani Group continues to play a defining role in advancing sustainable and responsible practices across the apparel value chain. A Cascale member since 2013, the Group operates vertically integrated facilities across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Africa, partnering with leading global brands to deliver end-to-end apparel solutions and enable more transparent, future-ready supply chains.

Guided by its Future First Sustainability Roadmap, Hirdaramani integrates environmental stewardship, social impact, and responsible governance across its operations. Within this broader strategy, participation in Cascale’s Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI) serves as a strategic platform to strengthen buyer-supplier partnerships and support the evolution of responsible purchasing practices across the industry.

Impact at a Glance

• Leveraging Better Buying to amplify supplier voice and inform more responsible purchasing practices
• Integrating purchasing practice dialogue into the Future First sustainability framework through Better Buying
• Strengthening transparency and accountability across global buyer relationships
• Advancing measurable sustainability progress, including:
  • Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from energy across Sri Lanka’s manufacturing operations
  • 17 LEED Gold and Platinum-certified facilities across the global footprint
  • Over 21,000 employees engaged through well-being and empowerment programs
  • First Sri Lankan company to have its net-zero science-based targets approved

Creating Better Conditions for Supplier-Buyer Collaboration

Manufacturers are expected to keep advancing climate and social priorities while managing the daily realities of sourcing and production. Purchasing practices play a direct role in shaping that environment. Planning changes, delayed payments, and pricing pressure can affect how suppliers manage resources, schedule production, and sustain longer-term efforts.

Better Buying brings those conditions into view through structured supplier feedback on buyer purchasing practices. For Hirdaramani Group, this creates a practical opportunity to contribute insight from the manufacturing side of the value chain. A consistent feedback process can bring alignment for day-to-day operations and open stronger conversations with buyers about how to improve together.

Aligning the Group’s sustainability progress with accountability, transparency, and stronger working relationships throughout the supply chain, Better Buying supports a more consistent and constructive dialogue between suppliers and buyers.

How Hirdaramani Uses Better Buying to Strengthen Dialogue with Buyers

Hirdaramani approaches Better Buying not only as a reporting mechanism but also as a practical tool for engagement and industry advancement. Across its Future First Roadmap, the company has connected sustainability progress with clearer structures, stronger reporting standards, and greater transparency and accountability. Better Buying fits within that approach by offering the Hirdaramani team a confidential way to share supplier experience and help inform more effective purchasing practices over time.

As noted by Nikhil Hirdaramani, Director at the Hirdaramani Group, the tool offers a “secure and anonymous feedback channel” that has supported more constructive and action-oriented engagement with customers. Better Buying has also driven stronger, more transparent conversations that contribute to continuous improvements over time.

Better Buying complements Hirdaramani’s broader sustainability efforts by strengthening accountability and more closely linking operational performance to buyer relationships.

Partnership as a Driver of Improvement

Collaboration is central to Hirdaramani Group’s approach to sustainability. Through its Future First Roadmap, the Group works closely with global brands, industry platforms, and stakeholders to advance progress across climate action, social impact, traceability, and innovation.

Participation in Better Buying strengthens this collaborative approach by:

• Translating supplier experience into actionable insights
• Supporting more informed and responsive decision-making by buyers
• Building trust through greater transparency and shared accountability

In this way, the partnership becomes part of how progress is shaped and sustained across the value chain.

Why This Matters

Hirdaramani’s experience shows how structured supplier feedback can strengthen partnerships and support more effective purchasing practices. By connecting operational insights with strategic buyer engagement, Better Buying helps bridge critical gaps in the apparel value chain.

As expectations on sustainability continue to grow, aligning purchasing practices with these ambitions will remain essential. For Hirdaramani Group, Better Buying strengthens this effort by connecting day-to-day operational realities with buyer relationships, helping ensure that progress across the value chain is both practical and sustained.

For more on Hirdaramani’s broader sustainability journey, listen to Nikhil Hirdaramani on Cascale’s Source of Good podcast episode, “From Tailors to Global Trailblazers: Talking Climate Action with Hirdaramani and ASICS.”

As a globally recognized apparel manufacturer with over a century of industry leadership, Hirdaramani Group continues to play a defining role in advancing sustainable and responsible practices across the apparel value chain. A Cascale member since 2013, the Group operates vertically integrated facilities across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Africa, partnering with leading global brands to deliver end-to-end apparel solutions and enable more transparent, future-ready supply chains.

Guided by its Future First Sustainability Roadmap, Hirdaramani integrates environmental stewardship, social impact, and responsible governance across its operations. Within this broader strategy, participation in Cascale’s Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI) serves as a strategic platform to strengthen buyer-supplier partnerships and support the evolution of responsible purchasing practices across the industry.

Impact at a Glance

• Leveraging Better Buying to amplify supplier voice and inform more responsible purchasing practices
• Integrating purchasing practice dialogue into the Future First sustainability framework through Better Buying
• Strengthening transparency and accountability across global buyer relationships
• Advancing measurable sustainability progress, including:
  • Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from energy across Sri Lanka’s manufacturing operations
  • 17 LEED Gold and Platinum-certified facilities across the global footprint
  • Over 21,000 employees engaged through well-being and empowerment programs
  • First Sri Lankan company to have its net-zero science-based targets approved

Creating Better Conditions for Supplier-Buyer Collaboration

Manufacturers are expected to keep advancing climate and social priorities while managing the daily realities of sourcing and production. Purchasing practices play a direct role in shaping that environment. Planning changes, delayed payments, and pricing pressure can affect how suppliers manage resources, schedule production, and sustain longer-term efforts.

Better Buying brings those conditions into view through structured supplier feedback on buyer purchasing practices. For Hirdaramani Group, this creates a practical opportunity to contribute insight from the manufacturing side of the value chain. A consistent feedback process can bring alignment for day-to-day operations and open stronger conversations with buyers about how to improve together.

Aligning the Group’s sustainability progress with accountability, transparency, and stronger working relationships throughout the supply chain, Better Buying supports a more consistent and constructive dialogue between suppliers and buyers.

How Hirdaramani Uses Better Buying to Strengthen Dialogue with Buyers

Hirdaramani approaches Better Buying not only as a reporting mechanism but also as a practical tool for engagement and industry advancement. Across its Future First Roadmap, the company has connected sustainability progress with clearer structures, stronger reporting standards, and greater transparency and accountability. Better Buying fits within that approach by offering the Hirdaramani team a confidential way to share supplier experience and help inform more effective purchasing practices over time.

As noted by Nikhil Hirdaramani, Director at the Hirdaramani Group, the tool offers a “secure and anonymous feedback channel” that has supported more constructive and action-oriented engagement with customers. Better Buying has also driven stronger, more transparent conversations that contribute to continuous improvements over time.

Better Buying complements Hirdaramani’s broader sustainability efforts by strengthening accountability and more closely linking operational performance to buyer relationships.

Partnership as a Driver of Improvement

Collaboration is central to Hirdaramani Group’s approach to sustainability. Through its Future First Roadmap, the Group works closely with global brands, industry platforms, and stakeholders to advance progress across climate action, social impact, traceability, and innovation.

Participation in Better Buying strengthens this collaborative approach by:

• Translating supplier experience into actionable insights
• Supporting more informed and responsive decision-making by buyers
• Building trust through greater transparency and shared accountability

In this way, the partnership becomes part of how progress is shaped and sustained across the value chain.

Why This Matters

Hirdaramani’s experience shows how structured supplier feedback can strengthen partnerships and support more effective purchasing practices. By connecting operational insights with strategic buyer engagement, Better Buying helps bridge critical gaps in the apparel value chain.

As expectations on sustainability continue to grow, aligning purchasing practices with these ambitions will remain essential. For Hirdaramani Group, Better Buying strengthens this effort by connecting day-to-day operational realities with buyer relationships, helping ensure that progress across the value chain is both practical and sustained.

For more on Hirdaramani’s broader sustainability journey, listen to Nikhil Hirdaramani on Cascale’s Source of Good podcast episode, “From Tailors to Global Trailblazers: Talking Climate Action with Hirdaramani and ASICS.”