Month: August 2026

CAMDEN, N.J., August 27, 2026 /3BL/ – Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) today announced Treasure Valley Subaru, located in Boise, ID, as the winner of the 2026 Subaru Love Promise® Retailer of the Year Award, recognizing the retailer for their deeply personal approach to embracing the Subaru Love Promise. The award is presented annually to one Subaru retailer (within the automaker’s network of over 640 retailers) who has made a significant commitment to their customers and their community throughout the year, going above and beyond in their efforts to be More Than a Car Dealer®.

Rob Studebaker, General Manager of Treasure Valley Subaru: “The Subaru Love Promise inspires me each day to empower our employees in their own personal lives, and to elevate the customer experience for everyone walking through our doors. Together, we are focused on the larger purpose of supporting our community and we know that by approaching every interaction with compassion and empathy, we are making a measurable difference with our charitable partners and the many lives they impact each day.”

When Treasure Valley Subaru opened as a standalone retailer in 2020, they went all-in on a brand new 54,000 square foot facility, complete with off-road test track, dog park, and 48 service bays, knowing that their dedication to the Love Promise would deliver. Their team has always believed that leading with compassion and empathy will inherently improve the bottom line, ultimately providing more sustainable opportunities to help those in need, and over the last six years their sales have nearly tripled.

Treasure Valley Subaru has been recognized as a Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Gold winner from 2021 to 2025 and a HEART Award winner in 2026, supporting 19 local charities and community organizations in 2025 alone. One of their steadfast partnerships has been with Boise Rescue Mission, the largest provider of services to people experiencing homelessness in the state of Idaho, where employees volunteered over 860 hours in 2025. From the Subaru Share the Love® Event, to volunteer work including monthly meal-making, food drives, trash pickup events, back-to-school preparation, and vehicle donations, the entire Treasure Valley Subaru family consistently shows up to help with full hearts and sleeves rolled up.

Subaru created the Love Promise Retailer of the Year Award to shine a spotlight on exceptional Subaru retailers who contribute to their local communities while making efforts to turn customer transactions into lifelong owner relationships. The Subaru Love Promise is a pledge to show love and respect to all people at every interaction with Subaru and to make a positive impact in the world.

This is the 12^th annual Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year Award. For more information about the award, please visit: https://www.subaru.com/our-commitment/love-promise/retailer-recognition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is the Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year chosen/what is the process?

A: Subaru retailers (how the automaker refers to dealerships) are evaluated based on their commitment to the Subaru Love Promise through exceptional customer experience and community involvement. The proprietary evaluation covers multiple performance and recognition criteria, ultimately recognizing those who best exemplify what it means to be More Than a Car Dealer.

Q: What are the charitable and volunteer requirements?

A: While there is not a distinct charitable donation or volunteer-hour requirement to be considered for Retailer of the Year, retailers must meet internal Subaru Love Promise participation thresholds. This includes evaluation of charitable organization support, employee volunteer activities, meaningful community partnerships, and a sustained commitment to making a positive difference where they live and work.

Q: What does Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year receive for the acknowledgement:

A: The Retailer of the Year is honored during the annual Subaru National Business Conference and presented on stage with a physical award. The recipient is celebrated through national recognition on Subaru marketing channels as well as through marketing materials in the retailer’s local market.

Q: Why was the Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year established?

A: The Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year Award was established to recognize a retailer who exemplifies the Subaru Love Promise mission by going above and beyond in serving customers, supporting employees, and strengthening their communities. It highlights the meaningful work Subaru retailers do nationwide and showcases what it means to be More Than a Car Dealer.

Q: Who are the previous winners of the Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year?

A: 2015 – Concordville Subaru, 2016 – Evanston Subaru, 2017 – Subaru of Jacksonville, 2018 – Mark Miller Subaru, 2019 – Dewy Griffin Subaru, 2020 – Schulte Subaru, 2021 – Crews Subaru of Charleston, 2022 – Adventure Subaru, 2023 – Subaru of Las Vegas, 2024 – Five Star Subaru of Grapevine, 2025 – W&L Subaru.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of about 640 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants, including Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise®, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $357 million to causes that Subaru and its customers care about, and Subaru employees have logged more than 130,000 volunteer hours. Through these actions and more, Subaru is dedicated to being More Than a Car Company® and to making the world a better place.

Media Contacts:

Diane Anton
Corporate Communications Manager
(856) 488-5093
danton@subaru.com

Adam Leiter
Corporate Communications Specialist
(856) 488-8668
aleiter@subaru.com

For additional information, visit media.subaru.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

###

CAMDEN, N.J., August 27, 2026 /3BL/ – Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) today announced Treasure Valley Subaru, located in Boise, ID, as the winner of the 2026 Subaru Love Promise® Retailer of the Year Award, recognizing the retailer for their deeply personal approach to embracing the Subaru Love Promise. The award is presented annually to one Subaru retailer (within the automaker’s network of over 640 retailers) who has made a significant commitment to their customers and their community throughout the year, going above and beyond in their efforts to be More Than a Car Dealer®.

Rob Studebaker, General Manager of Treasure Valley Subaru: “The Subaru Love Promise inspires me each day to empower our employees in their own personal lives, and to elevate the customer experience for everyone walking through our doors. Together, we are focused on the larger purpose of supporting our community and we know that by approaching every interaction with compassion and empathy, we are making a measurable difference with our charitable partners and the many lives they impact each day.”

When Treasure Valley Subaru opened as a standalone retailer in 2020, they went all-in on a brand new 54,000 square foot facility, complete with off-road test track, dog park, and 48 service bays, knowing that their dedication to the Love Promise would deliver. Their team has always believed that leading with compassion and empathy will inherently improve the bottom line, ultimately providing more sustainable opportunities to help those in need, and over the last six years their sales have nearly tripled.

Treasure Valley Subaru has been recognized as a Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Gold winner from 2021 to 2025 and a HEART Award winner in 2026, supporting 19 local charities and community organizations in 2025 alone. One of their steadfast partnerships has been with Boise Rescue Mission, the largest provider of services to people experiencing homelessness in the state of Idaho, where employees volunteered over 860 hours in 2025. From the Subaru Share the Love® Event, to volunteer work including monthly meal-making, food drives, trash pickup events, back-to-school preparation, and vehicle donations, the entire Treasure Valley Subaru family consistently shows up to help with full hearts and sleeves rolled up.

Subaru created the Love Promise Retailer of the Year Award to shine a spotlight on exceptional Subaru retailers who contribute to their local communities while making efforts to turn customer transactions into lifelong owner relationships. The Subaru Love Promise is a pledge to show love and respect to all people at every interaction with Subaru and to make a positive impact in the world.

This is the 12^th annual Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year Award. For more information about the award, please visit: https://www.subaru.com/our-commitment/love-promise/retailer-recognition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is the Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year chosen/what is the process?

A: Subaru retailers (how the automaker refers to dealerships) are evaluated based on their commitment to the Subaru Love Promise through exceptional customer experience and community involvement. The proprietary evaluation covers multiple performance and recognition criteria, ultimately recognizing those who best exemplify what it means to be More Than a Car Dealer.

Q: What are the charitable and volunteer requirements?

A: While there is not a distinct charitable donation or volunteer-hour requirement to be considered for Retailer of the Year, retailers must meet internal Subaru Love Promise participation thresholds. This includes evaluation of charitable organization support, employee volunteer activities, meaningful community partnerships, and a sustained commitment to making a positive difference where they live and work.

Q: What does Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year receive for the acknowledgement:

A: The Retailer of the Year is honored during the annual Subaru National Business Conference and presented on stage with a physical award. The recipient is celebrated through national recognition on Subaru marketing channels as well as through marketing materials in the retailer’s local market.

Q: Why was the Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year established?

A: The Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year Award was established to recognize a retailer who exemplifies the Subaru Love Promise mission by going above and beyond in serving customers, supporting employees, and strengthening their communities. It highlights the meaningful work Subaru retailers do nationwide and showcases what it means to be More Than a Car Dealer.

Q: Who are the previous winners of the Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year?

A: 2015 – Concordville Subaru, 2016 – Evanston Subaru, 2017 – Subaru of Jacksonville, 2018 – Mark Miller Subaru, 2019 – Dewy Griffin Subaru, 2020 – Schulte Subaru, 2021 – Crews Subaru of Charleston, 2022 – Adventure Subaru, 2023 – Subaru of Las Vegas, 2024 – Five Star Subaru of Grapevine, 2025 – W&L Subaru.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of about 640 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants, including Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise®, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $357 million to causes that Subaru and its customers care about, and Subaru employees have logged more than 130,000 volunteer hours. Through these actions and more, Subaru is dedicated to being More Than a Car Company® and to making the world a better place.

Media Contacts:

Diane Anton
Corporate Communications Manager
(856) 488-5093
danton@subaru.com

Adam Leiter
Corporate Communications Specialist
(856) 488-8668
aleiter@subaru.com

For additional information, visit media.subaru.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

###

In partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, IWBI convenes leaders across public health, policy and industry to advance solutions for indoor air quality, brain health, schools, resilient communities and national security.

With nearly 30 confirmed speakers, the event features Harvard healthy building expert Dr. Joseph Allen and leaders from Georgetown University, ARPA-H, Intercept Fund, CannonDesign, the American Institute of Architects, Trane Technologies, HKS, SafeTraces, AAFA, Citadel EHS, Johnson Controls, Lutron Electronics, Attune and other organizations advancing healthier buildings.

NEW YORK, August 27, 2026 /3BL/ – As momentum accelerates around healthy indoor air, healthier schools and the role buildings play in supporting human health and resilience, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), in partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, will host its third annual Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 29.

Taking place at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy on its Capitol Campus, the full-day event will bring together policymakers, public health experts, researchers, business leaders and building professionals to explore how a new generation of policies can transform buildings into stronger assets for health, economic performance and community resilience.

“We are entering a new era for healthy buildings, defined not only by what the science tells us, but by what the market demands and what communities increasingly expect,” said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon. “The wave of momentum we’re seeing is a unique opportunity to turn that momentum into policies that help accelerate healthier buildings, strengthen indoor air quality, support brain health and longevity and elevate buildings at critical assets for national security and biosecurity.”

Opening plenary speaker Dr. Joseph Allen, Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of Healthy Buildings, will kick off the event in a fireside chat exploring how buildings influence human health, productivity and where we need to go next with policy, research and practice.

Additional discussions will explore how cities can advance healthier buildings and infrastructure, how public and private investment can accelerate progress and how policymakers can connect building performance more directly to measurable health and community outcomes.

“This summit convenes thought leaders who recognize that healthy building policies at all levels of government are a cornerstone for thriving communities,” said Uwe S. Brandes, professor and director of Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative. “How do we best align policy, planning and investment around this shared imperative?”

Among the nearly 30 speakers are:

• Joseph G. Allen, Director, Healthy Buildings Program and Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Yiselle Santos Rivera, the American Institute of Architects, President-Elect
• Al Bugazia, MD, Deputy Director Chief Medical Officer, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, HHS
• Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI
• Jason Mazzella, Head of Air Cleaning Technologies, Intercept Fund
• Shantee Blain, Principal and DC Office Director, HKS
• Eric Corey Freed, Principal and Sustainability Director, CannonDesign
• Jenna Riemenschneider, Vice President of Advocacy & Policy, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• Scott Tew, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy, Trane Technologies
• Rebecca Katz, Professor and Director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University
• Erik Malmstrom, CEO, SafeTraces
• Julie Wojnowski, Practice Leader, ESG & Sustainability, Citadel EHS
• Jason Schwartz, DC Experience Center Lead, Lutron Electronics
• Serene Almomen, CEO and Co-Founder, Attune
• Christopher King, Dean, School of Health, Georgetown University
• Georgia Lagoudas, Senior Fellow and Faculty, Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health
• Rick Fedrizzi, Executive Chairman, IWBI
• Marwa Zaatari, Chief Engineer, Poppy
• Matthew Biel, Director, Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities and Marriott Endowed Chair of Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health, Georgetown University Medical Center
• Whitney Austin Gray, SVP, Research, IWBI
• Uwe Brandes, Professor, Director of the Urban & Regional Planning Program and Director of the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative, Georgetown University
• Mark Lessons, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer, Johnson Controls
• Jack Noonan, SVP and Head of Asia Pacific, IWBI
• Bill Bridge, CEO, Global Green
• Jason Hartke, EVP, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI

The Summit will focus on critical topics and timely issues impacting the built environment including indoor air quality, the evidence-based return on investment (ROI) of healthy buildings, as well as the influence of legislation on market transformation. Other key topics include access to healthy environments, the leadership role of cities and states, and the contribution of professional organizations and technical standards in advancing healthy building initiatives.

The Summit is supported by leading companies committed to advancing health in buildings, including event sponsors Trane Technologies, SafeTraces, Citadel EHS and AtmosAir. IWBI global sponsors supporting the event include Attune, Daikin, Cisco, Johnson Controls and Lutron.

Media Partners include FacilitiesNet and BUILDINGS magazine. Supporting Organizations include the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), Global Green, Green Building Initiative, Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), ISSA – Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), ASHRAE, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

“The healthy buildings movement is reaching an inflection moment. More leaders are organizing, collaborating and taking action together, amplifying one another’s efforts, reaching more people and building more momentum that grows stronger with every new partnership, every new milestone, and, of course, every new policy,” said Jason Hartke, Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI. “Now in its third year, the Healthy Building Policy Summit has become the definitive gathering where this movement comes to explore and advance the policy solutions that will power its next chapter.”

“The evidence increasingly shows that buildings influence our lives in more ways than most of us realize. They shape how we think, learn, work and age,” said Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President, Research, IWBI. “As a growing body of research links healthy buildings to improved brain health, productivity, longevity and resilience, it is giving policymakers a stronger foundation for advancing solutions. Better building policy can deliver measurable returns for people, organizations and communities.”

What Our Supporters are Saying

“Organizations around the world are embracing opportunities to support human health and improve the efficiency and operational performance of their buildings,” said Scott Tew, Global Head and VP, Sustainability Strategy and the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Trane Technologies. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit provides an important forum for leaders to have the critical conversations, identify shared priorities and build momentum toward stronger, more resilient organizations, creating a healthier and more sustainable future.”

“How we think about healthy buildings and the air we breathe indoors is fundamentally a public health issue, but it is also critical to the future of national security and biosecurity,” said Erik Malmstrom, CEO, SafeTraces. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. is the leading forum where these essential conversations happen, ensuring policymakers recognize both the considerable health benefits of better indoor air and the urgency of positioning our buildings on the front lines of a national biosecurity strategy.”

“Protecting people inside buildings requires policies grounded in science, informed by real-world conditions and designed for effective implementation,” said Julie Wojnowski, Practice Leader, ESG & Sustainability, Citadel EHS. “By bringing environmental health and safety expertise into the conversation, the Healthy Building Policy Summit helps bridge the gap between policy goals and on-the-ground implementation, giving organizations clearer pathways to manage risk and create healthier indoor environments.”

“The tools to better understand, manage and improve indoor air quality are advancing rapidly, but technology alone cannot transform the market,” said Tony Abate, Chief Technology Officer, Atmos Air. “We are excited to support the Healthy Building Policy Summit because it brings together leaders from the built environment, public health and government to shape the policies, standards and incentives needed to accelerate progress toward healthier indoor air, which helps improve health, productivity and organizational performance.”

For more information and to register for the event, visit IWBI’s Summit registration page. WELL’s accelerating global reach reflects the growing momentum for policies that prioritize healthier spaces worldwide. Global adoption of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) has grown 12-fold since 2020, now representing nearly 6.5 billion square feet of real estate, demonstrating incredible market growth spanning nearly 100,000 locations across 138 countries that are realizing the positive impacts of people-first places.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

About Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative
The Georgetown Global Cities Initiative reaches across the entire University community to explore cross-cutting themes related to urbanization. Through this dialogue, Georgetown aims to align more than 60 faculty scholars and practitioners engaged in urban research who are not otherwise linked through their traditional academic disciplines. The Initiative matches Georgetown’s international research networks with our civic role as a leading local anchor institution in Washington, DC. Research themes include social equity, rapid urbanization, city diplomacy; urban governance frameworks; social entrepreneurship; public health; technology, data and ethics; and changing environmental resources. We invite you to join us in dialogue as we engage one of the most important global trends in the 21st Century.

Media Contacts:
media@wellcertified.com
globalcities@georgetown.edu

View original content here.

In partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, IWBI convenes leaders across public health, policy and industry to advance solutions for indoor air quality, brain health, schools, resilient communities and national security.

With nearly 30 confirmed speakers, the event features Harvard healthy building expert Dr. Joseph Allen and leaders from Georgetown University, ARPA-H, Intercept Fund, CannonDesign, the American Institute of Architects, Trane Technologies, HKS, SafeTraces, AAFA, Citadel EHS, Johnson Controls, Lutron Electronics, Attune and other organizations advancing healthier buildings.

NEW YORK, August 27, 2026 /3BL/ – As momentum accelerates around healthy indoor air, healthier schools and the role buildings play in supporting human health and resilience, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), in partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, will host its third annual Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 29.

Taking place at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy on its Capitol Campus, the full-day event will bring together policymakers, public health experts, researchers, business leaders and building professionals to explore how a new generation of policies can transform buildings into stronger assets for health, economic performance and community resilience.

“We are entering a new era for healthy buildings, defined not only by what the science tells us, but by what the market demands and what communities increasingly expect,” said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon. “The wave of momentum we’re seeing is a unique opportunity to turn that momentum into policies that help accelerate healthier buildings, strengthen indoor air quality, support brain health and longevity and elevate buildings at critical assets for national security and biosecurity.”

Opening plenary speaker Dr. Joseph Allen, Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of Healthy Buildings, will kick off the event in a fireside chat exploring how buildings influence human health, productivity and where we need to go next with policy, research and practice.

Additional discussions will explore how cities can advance healthier buildings and infrastructure, how public and private investment can accelerate progress and how policymakers can connect building performance more directly to measurable health and community outcomes.

“This summit convenes thought leaders who recognize that healthy building policies at all levels of government are a cornerstone for thriving communities,” said Uwe S. Brandes, professor and director of Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative. “How do we best align policy, planning and investment around this shared imperative?”

Among the nearly 30 speakers are:

• Joseph G. Allen, Director, Healthy Buildings Program and Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Yiselle Santos Rivera, the American Institute of Architects, President-Elect
• Al Bugazia, MD, Deputy Director Chief Medical Officer, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, HHS
• Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI
• Jason Mazzella, Head of Air Cleaning Technologies, Intercept Fund
• Shantee Blain, Principal and DC Office Director, HKS
• Eric Corey Freed, Principal and Sustainability Director, CannonDesign
• Jenna Riemenschneider, Vice President of Advocacy & Policy, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• Scott Tew, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy, Trane Technologies
• Rebecca Katz, Professor and Director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University
• Erik Malmstrom, CEO, SafeTraces
• Julie Wojnowski, Practice Leader, ESG & Sustainability, Citadel EHS
• Jason Schwartz, DC Experience Center Lead, Lutron Electronics
• Serene Almomen, CEO and Co-Founder, Attune
• Christopher King, Dean, School of Health, Georgetown University
• Georgia Lagoudas, Senior Fellow and Faculty, Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health
• Rick Fedrizzi, Executive Chairman, IWBI
• Marwa Zaatari, Chief Engineer, Poppy
• Matthew Biel, Director, Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities and Marriott Endowed Chair of Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health, Georgetown University Medical Center
• Whitney Austin Gray, SVP, Research, IWBI
• Uwe Brandes, Professor, Director of the Urban & Regional Planning Program and Director of the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative, Georgetown University
• Mark Lessons, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer, Johnson Controls
• Jack Noonan, SVP and Head of Asia Pacific, IWBI
• Bill Bridge, CEO, Global Green
• Jason Hartke, EVP, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI

The Summit will focus on critical topics and timely issues impacting the built environment including indoor air quality, the evidence-based return on investment (ROI) of healthy buildings, as well as the influence of legislation on market transformation. Other key topics include access to healthy environments, the leadership role of cities and states, and the contribution of professional organizations and technical standards in advancing healthy building initiatives.

The Summit is supported by leading companies committed to advancing health in buildings, including event sponsors Trane Technologies, SafeTraces, Citadel EHS and AtmosAir. IWBI global sponsors supporting the event include Attune, Daikin, Cisco, Johnson Controls and Lutron.

Media Partners include FacilitiesNet and BUILDINGS magazine. Supporting Organizations include the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), Global Green, Green Building Initiative, Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), ISSA – Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), ASHRAE, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

“The healthy buildings movement is reaching an inflection moment. More leaders are organizing, collaborating and taking action together, amplifying one another’s efforts, reaching more people and building more momentum that grows stronger with every new partnership, every new milestone, and, of course, every new policy,” said Jason Hartke, Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI. “Now in its third year, the Healthy Building Policy Summit has become the definitive gathering where this movement comes to explore and advance the policy solutions that will power its next chapter.”

“The evidence increasingly shows that buildings influence our lives in more ways than most of us realize. They shape how we think, learn, work and age,” said Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President, Research, IWBI. “As a growing body of research links healthy buildings to improved brain health, productivity, longevity and resilience, it is giving policymakers a stronger foundation for advancing solutions. Better building policy can deliver measurable returns for people, organizations and communities.”

What Our Supporters are Saying

“Organizations around the world are embracing opportunities to support human health and improve the efficiency and operational performance of their buildings,” said Scott Tew, Global Head and VP, Sustainability Strategy and the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Trane Technologies. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit provides an important forum for leaders to have the critical conversations, identify shared priorities and build momentum toward stronger, more resilient organizations, creating a healthier and more sustainable future.”

“How we think about healthy buildings and the air we breathe indoors is fundamentally a public health issue, but it is also critical to the future of national security and biosecurity,” said Erik Malmstrom, CEO, SafeTraces. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. is the leading forum where these essential conversations happen, ensuring policymakers recognize both the considerable health benefits of better indoor air and the urgency of positioning our buildings on the front lines of a national biosecurity strategy.”

“Protecting people inside buildings requires policies grounded in science, informed by real-world conditions and designed for effective implementation,” said Julie Wojnowski, Practice Leader, ESG & Sustainability, Citadel EHS. “By bringing environmental health and safety expertise into the conversation, the Healthy Building Policy Summit helps bridge the gap between policy goals and on-the-ground implementation, giving organizations clearer pathways to manage risk and create healthier indoor environments.”

“The tools to better understand, manage and improve indoor air quality are advancing rapidly, but technology alone cannot transform the market,” said Tony Abate, Chief Technology Officer, Atmos Air. “We are excited to support the Healthy Building Policy Summit because it brings together leaders from the built environment, public health and government to shape the policies, standards and incentives needed to accelerate progress toward healthier indoor air, which helps improve health, productivity and organizational performance.”

For more information and to register for the event, visit IWBI’s Summit registration page. WELL’s accelerating global reach reflects the growing momentum for policies that prioritize healthier spaces worldwide. Global adoption of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) has grown 12-fold since 2020, now representing nearly 6.5 billion square feet of real estate, demonstrating incredible market growth spanning nearly 100,000 locations across 138 countries that are realizing the positive impacts of people-first places.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

About Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative
The Georgetown Global Cities Initiative reaches across the entire University community to explore cross-cutting themes related to urbanization. Through this dialogue, Georgetown aims to align more than 60 faculty scholars and practitioners engaged in urban research who are not otherwise linked through their traditional academic disciplines. The Initiative matches Georgetown’s international research networks with our civic role as a leading local anchor institution in Washington, DC. Research themes include social equity, rapid urbanization, city diplomacy; urban governance frameworks; social entrepreneurship; public health; technology, data and ethics; and changing environmental resources. We invite you to join us in dialogue as we engage one of the most important global trends in the 21st Century.

Media Contacts:
media@wellcertified.com
globalcities@georgetown.edu

View original content here.

In partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, IWBI convenes leaders across public health, policy and industry to advance solutions for indoor air quality, brain health, schools, resilient communities and national security.

With nearly 30 confirmed speakers, the event features Harvard healthy building expert Dr. Joseph Allen and leaders from Georgetown University, ARPA-H, Intercept Fund, CannonDesign, the American Institute of Architects, Trane Technologies, HKS, SafeTraces, AAFA, Citadel EHS, Johnson Controls, Lutron Electronics, Attune and other organizations advancing healthier buildings.

NEW YORK, August 27, 2026 /3BL/ – As momentum accelerates around healthy indoor air, healthier schools and the role buildings play in supporting human health and resilience, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), in partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, will host its third annual Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 29.

Taking place at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy on its Capitol Campus, the full-day event will bring together policymakers, public health experts, researchers, business leaders and building professionals to explore how a new generation of policies can transform buildings into stronger assets for health, economic performance and community resilience.

“We are entering a new era for healthy buildings, defined not only by what the science tells us, but by what the market demands and what communities increasingly expect,” said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon. “The wave of momentum we’re seeing is a unique opportunity to turn that momentum into policies that help accelerate healthier buildings, strengthen indoor air quality, support brain health and longevity and elevate buildings at critical assets for national security and biosecurity.”

Opening plenary speaker Dr. Joseph Allen, Director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of Healthy Buildings, will kick off the event in a fireside chat exploring how buildings influence human health, productivity and where we need to go next with policy, research and practice.

Additional discussions will explore how cities can advance healthier buildings and infrastructure, how public and private investment can accelerate progress and how policymakers can connect building performance more directly to measurable health and community outcomes.

“This summit convenes thought leaders who recognize that healthy building policies at all levels of government are a cornerstone for thriving communities,” said Uwe S. Brandes, professor and director of Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative. “How do we best align policy, planning and investment around this shared imperative?”

Among the nearly 30 speakers are:

• Joseph G. Allen, Director, Healthy Buildings Program and Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Yiselle Santos Rivera, the American Institute of Architects, President-Elect
• Al Bugazia, MD, Deputy Director Chief Medical Officer, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, HHS
• Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI
• Jason Mazzella, Head of Air Cleaning Technologies, Intercept Fund
• Shantee Blain, Principal and DC Office Director, HKS
• Eric Corey Freed, Principal and Sustainability Director, CannonDesign
• Jenna Riemenschneider, Vice President of Advocacy & Policy, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• Scott Tew, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy, Trane Technologies
• Rebecca Katz, Professor and Director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University
• Erik Malmstrom, CEO, SafeTraces
• Julie Wojnowski, Practice Leader, ESG & Sustainability, Citadel EHS
• Jason Schwartz, DC Experience Center Lead, Lutron Electronics
• Serene Almomen, CEO and Co-Founder, Attune
• Christopher King, Dean, School of Health, Georgetown University
• Georgia Lagoudas, Senior Fellow and Faculty, Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health
• Rick Fedrizzi, Executive Chairman, IWBI
• Marwa Zaatari, Chief Engineer, Poppy
• Matthew Biel, Director, Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities and Marriott Endowed Chair of Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health, Georgetown University Medical Center
• Whitney Austin Gray, SVP, Research, IWBI
• Uwe Brandes, Professor, Director of the Urban & Regional Planning Program and Director of the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative, Georgetown University
• Mark Lessons, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer, Johnson Controls
• Jack Noonan, SVP and Head of Asia Pacific, IWBI
• Bill Bridge, CEO, Global Green
• Jason Hartke, EVP, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI

The Summit will focus on critical topics and timely issues impacting the built environment including indoor air quality, the evidence-based return on investment (ROI) of healthy buildings, as well as the influence of legislation on market transformation. Other key topics include access to healthy environments, the leadership role of cities and states, and the contribution of professional organizations and technical standards in advancing healthy building initiatives.

The Summit is supported by leading companies committed to advancing health in buildings, including event sponsors Trane Technologies, SafeTraces, Citadel EHS and AtmosAir. IWBI global sponsors supporting the event include Attune, Daikin, Cisco, Johnson Controls and Lutron.

Media Partners include FacilitiesNet and BUILDINGS magazine. Supporting Organizations include the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), Global Green, Green Building Initiative, Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), ISSA – Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), ASHRAE, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

“The healthy buildings movement is reaching an inflection moment. More leaders are organizing, collaborating and taking action together, amplifying one another’s efforts, reaching more people and building more momentum that grows stronger with every new partnership, every new milestone, and, of course, every new policy,” said Jason Hartke, Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Global Advocacy, IWBI. “Now in its third year, the Healthy Building Policy Summit has become the definitive gathering where this movement comes to explore and advance the policy solutions that will power its next chapter.”

“The evidence increasingly shows that buildings influence our lives in more ways than most of us realize. They shape how we think, learn, work and age,” said Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President, Research, IWBI. “As a growing body of research links healthy buildings to improved brain health, productivity, longevity and resilience, it is giving policymakers a stronger foundation for advancing solutions. Better building policy can deliver measurable returns for people, organizations and communities.”

What Our Supporters are Saying

“Organizations around the world are embracing opportunities to support human health and improve the efficiency and operational performance of their buildings,” said Scott Tew, Global Head and VP, Sustainability Strategy and the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Trane Technologies. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit provides an important forum for leaders to have the critical conversations, identify shared priorities and build momentum toward stronger, more resilient organizations, creating a healthier and more sustainable future.”

“How we think about healthy buildings and the air we breathe indoors is fundamentally a public health issue, but it is also critical to the future of national security and biosecurity,” said Erik Malmstrom, CEO, SafeTraces. “The Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. is the leading forum where these essential conversations happen, ensuring policymakers recognize both the considerable health benefits of better indoor air and the urgency of positioning our buildings on the front lines of a national biosecurity strategy.”

“Protecting people inside buildings requires policies grounded in science, informed by real-world conditions and designed for effective implementation,” said Julie Wojnowski, Practice Leader, ESG & Sustainability, Citadel EHS. “By bringing environmental health and safety expertise into the conversation, the Healthy Building Policy Summit helps bridge the gap between policy goals and on-the-ground implementation, giving organizations clearer pathways to manage risk and create healthier indoor environments.”

“The tools to better understand, manage and improve indoor air quality are advancing rapidly, but technology alone cannot transform the market,” said Tony Abate, Chief Technology Officer, Atmos Air. “We are excited to support the Healthy Building Policy Summit because it brings together leaders from the built environment, public health and government to shape the policies, standards and incentives needed to accelerate progress toward healthier indoor air, which helps improve health, productivity and organizational performance.”

For more information and to register for the event, visit IWBI’s Summit registration page. WELL’s accelerating global reach reflects the growing momentum for policies that prioritize healthier spaces worldwide. Global adoption of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) has grown 12-fold since 2020, now representing nearly 6.5 billion square feet of real estate, demonstrating incredible market growth spanning nearly 100,000 locations across 138 countries that are realizing the positive impacts of people-first places.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

About Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative
The Georgetown Global Cities Initiative reaches across the entire University community to explore cross-cutting themes related to urbanization. Through this dialogue, Georgetown aims to align more than 60 faculty scholars and practitioners engaged in urban research who are not otherwise linked through their traditional academic disciplines. The Initiative matches Georgetown’s international research networks with our civic role as a leading local anchor institution in Washington, DC. Research themes include social equity, rapid urbanization, city diplomacy; urban governance frameworks; social entrepreneurship; public health; technology, data and ethics; and changing environmental resources. We invite you to join us in dialogue as we engage one of the most important global trends in the 21st Century.

Media Contacts:
media@wellcertified.com
globalcities@georgetown.edu

View original content here.

Below is a recap of an article published by Forbes 

GoDaddy’s 2026 Most Entrepreneurial Cities data shows that the places where entrepreneurs are building businesses are changing. Rather than concentrating in established startup centers, entrepreneurial activity is growing across a broader range of U.S. cities, giving small business owners more flexibility to choose a location based on both business opportunity and quality of life.

San Antonio ranked No. 1 on GoDaddy’s 2026 list, followed by Tampa, El Paso and Albuquerque. Together, Texas, Florida and New Mexico accounted for half of the cities recognized, reflecting continued population shifts, business-friendly environments and the growing ability to operate a business digitally.

For today’s entrepreneurs, building a business no longer requires being in a traditional startup hub or maintaining a physical storefront. Digital tools, remote work and online business models make it possible to launch and serve customers from virtually anywhere. This gives founders more freedom to consider factors such as affordability, community, infrastructure, talent and lifestyle when deciding where to put down roots.

GoDaddy’s partnership with Zillow adds another important dimension to the picture: housing. Housing costs can affect an entrepreneur’s available capital, business runway and ability to hire and retain talent. Zillow data shows that cities such as San Antonio, El Paso and Albuquerque have home values below the national average, while other entrepreneurial markets, including Tampa and Miami, have higher housing costs.

Together, the Most Entrepreneurial Cities data helps small business owners evaluate not only where entrepreneurial opportunity is growing, but where they can build a business and a life that work together.

Click to read the full Forbes article.

To learn more about GoDaddy, visit www.godaddy.com.

Originally published on Guiding Stars Health & Nutrition News

Nutrient-rich berries are bountiful in the summer months. High in powerful antioxidants (polyphenols), berries support brain health, disease prevention, and even improved mental health. They’re also a great source of fiber (a cup of raspberries, for example, offers 8 grams).

I recommend keeping berries on your weekly shopping list and choosing affordable options that look good to you. You can also visit a pick-your-own farm or a farmer’s market, or grow them yourself. When berries are on hand, it’s easy to add them to your smoothies, salads, grain bowls, and more. And when you do, you’re boosting your diet with beneficial nutrition and likely to improve your current and future health.

Breakfast

Add berries to your morning parfait, oatmeal, or pancakes for an effortless, nutritious boost. Or go for a unique Berry Breakfast Bowl. You can also use berries to level up syrups, sweet toppings, or jams (like Chia Seed Jam made with fresh blueberries).

Lunch

Even the simplest summer salads are made brighter and more interesting when berries are added. Enjoy Guiding Stars-earning Blueberry Mint and Cucumber Salad with Feta or Blackberry Lemon Salad. Or use grains to make a unique side dish to serve alongside a simple protein.

Dinner

It’s easy to overlook the versatility of berries when planning a savory dinner meal. But when you pair Raspberry, Avocado and Mango Salad with grilled fish, you’ll see the creativity berries offer. For another unique dinner option, grill chicken and serve with Strawberry Salsa.

Dessert, Too!

I know, I know…of course the dietitian is going to recommend fruit for dessert. But until you try Guiding Stars-earning Cherry Cobbler or Frozen Yogurt Bark, don’t judge. Or keep it simple with fresh berries paired with a small serving of creamy ice cream or homemade whipped cream for an elegant, easy summer dessert.

Beverages

Berries bring color and flavor to beverages. Add a few to an ice cube tray for fun cubes that enhance drinks as they melt. Or simply add berries (along with basil or mint for additional flavor) to a pitcher of water. You can also make your own “refresher”-style beverage with sparkling water, green tea (brewed and chilled), and muddled berries. If mocktails are on the menu, go with Strawberry Mint Spritzer or Blueberry-Basil Tea Spritzer.

Wondering how to safely wash your berries? This resource includes the tips you may be looking for.

About Guiding Stars

Guiding Stars is an objective, evidence-based, nutrition guidance program that evaluates foods and beverages to make nutritious choices simple. Products that meet transparent nutrition criteria earn a 1, 2, or 3 star rating for good, better, and best nutrition. Guiding Stars can be found in more than 2,000 grocery stores, in Circana’s Attribute Marketplace, and through the Guiding Stars Food Finder app.

The global countertop industry is changing, and it is changing fast. Constantly evolving, the countertop surface conversation initially focused on design, gradually gravitating towards topics such as strength and durability. Over the last five years, with the appearance of unbranded materials and even cheaper fabrication, the low pricing discussion has taken precedence.

But over the past year or so, the conversation has altered once again, placing an emphasis on sustainability, transparency and concerns for workers’ health and safety. A prime example came in May 2026, as the UK’s Health & Safety Executive (HSE) issued a new guidance regarding respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and a nationwide inspection programme targeting engineered stone fabricators.

Crystalline silica-free surfaces: A new standard

The HSE’s latest guidance declares that dry cutting of engineered stone is an unacceptable practice, and identifies water suppression as how businesses are expected to meet their existing legal duty to control exposure. In addition, the HSE tells employers to switch to products containing the lowest crystalline silica content, alongside other best practices like mist control and regular health surveillance. 

Caesarstone launched Caesarstone ICON™ in 2025 – advanced fusion surfaces built on a patent-pending crystalline silica-free* material blend. Caesarstone ICON™ surfaces meet the market standards of product performance and its silica content is verified independently through XRD testing.

Backed by nearly 40 years of surface innovation, Caesarstone ICON™ represents a leap forward in new surface products – combining future-ready technology, premium aesthetics and commercial practicality in a constantly evolving surface portfolio. With Caesarstone ICON™, kitchen designers and retailers all over the world are able to stay ahead of changing industry expectations while continuing to deliver the durability, aesthetic quality and trusted performance customers expect.

The Caesarstone ICON™ range now spans 59 designs worldwide and is growing every quarter.

The new big questions

The new focus on surface materials means that today, retailers, designers, developers and homeowners are asking how products are manufactured, how responsibly they are fabricated, and whether they are aligned with the future direction of the industry.

What is this surface, what’s in it, and how was it made, have become the big questions on everyone’s mind.

As a result, retailers and designers should be, or already are, expecting greater transparency and technical reassurance from the brands they specify. Safety Data Sheets, Technical Data Sheets and independently verified third-party certifications are becoming increasingly important in demonstrating product compliance, performance standards and responsible manufacturing practices.

Caesarstone ICON™ is designed to meet these expectations.

Sustainability is becoming central to specification

Alongside HSE considerations, sustainability is also reshaping global customer expectations.

Caesarstone ICON™ contains ~85% recycled material content, including high-quality post-industrial glass, supporting more environmentally conscious specification without sacrificing performance or visual impact. The collection is also supported by Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and recognized third-party certifications including GREENGUARD, Declare and SCS certifications.

For developers, retailers and homeowners alike, this creates a compelling combination of design credibility, responsible manufacturing and future-focused thinking.

View Caesarstone’s environmental certifications  

* May contain up to 1% crystalline silica.

A child filling a water bottle before school. A farmer able to irrigate crops during a dry season. A mother spending less time collecting water and more time earning an income. A community gaining confidence that clean water will still be available tomorrow.

In places where safe water is not guaranteed, moments like these can change the course of a day and, over time, the future of a community. The consequences are measured in more than liters. They may show up in missed school days, hours spent collecting water, crops that cannot withstand another dry season and families forced to plan around uncertainty.

For more than 20 years, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have worked with local partners around the world to help make moments like these possible. From rural villages in China and India to communities in Colombia, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan, the company’s safe water access efforts have focused on one goal: helping people gain reliable access to one of life’s most essential resources. PepsiCo has reached 97 million people since 2010 through safe water access initiatives and related programs around the world, as the company works toward its goal of reaching 100 million people with safe water access by 2030.

Over those decades, local water projects have shown how access can reach far beyond the tap. Across communities, partnerships focused on safe water access are helping address the practical barriers that shape daily life, from whether children can focus in school to whether families can rely on water systems during periods of drought or environmental stress.

Every community has a different context, but a common theme runs through them: water is rarely only a health or infrastructure issue. It is also about time, opportunity and resilience.

More than water: Safe access gives communities back time

When clean water is close by and reliable, it can give people back time. For children, that may mean fewer disruptions during the school day. For families, it can mean less time spent searching for water and more time for work, study or care.

Near PepsiCo’s food plant in Kosi, Uttar Pradesh, India, work with FORCE on Water and WASH initiatives has focused on practical changes that communities can feel: safe drinking water access points, improved hygiene and sanitation infrastructure and local water management. In nearby schools, those improvements can help reduce barriers to attendance and create healthier learning environments, particularly for girls.

In rural China, severe water scarcity once placed a heavy burden on communities, with women bearing much of the responsibility for securing water for their families. To help address limited access to safe drinking water, the China Women’s Development Foundation launched the Mother Water Cellar Program. Since PepsiCo began supporting the program in 2001, what began with investments in household rainwater harvesting systems, community water infrastructure, and school water purification facilities has evolved into a broader effort aiming to encompass sanitation improvement, waste management, water conservation, irrigation development, environmental education, and water-saving agricultural practices.

Through these efforts, the program strives to strengthen communities’ capacity for sustainable water resource management, delivering lasting benefits and contributing to China’s rural revitalization agenda.

More than water: Reliable water can unlock education and opportunity

Water access can also shape opportunity. When communities have the tools and knowledge to manage water more reliably, the benefits can extend from household routines to education, livelihoods and local leadership.

At Ojodu Junior High School in Lagos State, Nigeria, access to water is closely tied to the basics of learning. Without reliable water, handwashing is harder, sanitation facilities are less safe, and students can lose time and confidence in the classroom environment. A solar-powered system developed with WaterAid and support from the PepsiCo Foundation has helped bring cleaner water and improved sanitation to the school, making the school day more predictable for students and staff.

Since 2022, the PepsiCo Foundation’s partnership with WaterAid Nigeria has moved far beyond a single school project to reshape how an entire community accesses water. Across Lagos State, the partnership has built water facilities, sanitation facilities, drinking water stations and handwashing facilities, delivering direct access to clean water and sanitation for schools, communities and a primary health center. The change goes deeper than infrastructure: women trained as area mechanics now operate and maintain these systems as a source of livelihood, while the partnership helped Ikorodu North Local Council Development Authority build Lagos’ first WASH Investment Plan, a long-term budgeting and asset-management tool now anchoring government advocacy for sustained water and sanitation funding. Together, these efforts show a program that has grown from isolated fixes into a lasting, locally owned system for water security in Lagos.

More than water: Local water stewardship builds community resilience

In water-stressed regions, resilience often depends on a mix of local knowledge, practical infrastructure and long-term maintenance. The most effective projects are rarely one-size-fits-all; they respond to the geography, culture and climate pressures of each place.

In Colombia’s Alta Guajira desert, that included the PepsiCo Foundation working with Wayuu communities to strengthen jagüeyes, traditional rainwater collection systems that are vital in an arid region. In Thailand’s Lamphun province, it has helped to protect a community water source at Huayhok Waterfall, where local environmental action helps maintain a weir that supports water availability for surrounding communities.

More than water: A foundation for possibility

The power of these projects is not only in the infrastructure itself, but in the ripple effect it can create: helping children stay focused in school, helping families plan their days with more certainty and preparing communities for conditions that are becoming harder to predict. It’s also a reminder that water is never only a solution for people or the planet; the two are deeply linked.

In the end, the story of water is rarely only about water. It is about the school day that starts on time, the field that survives a dry season, the hours a mother gets back and the confidence a community can carry into tomorrow. For companies, governments and non-governmental organizations working in water-stressed communities, the challenge is to support solutions communities can use, own and sustain. When safe water is accessible to meet local needs, it becomes something much bigger than a resource. It becomes a foundation for possibility.

• The event, held August 18-20, brought together 280 participants and showcased technologies aimed at the future of construction

From August 18 to 20, CASE Construction Equipment, a CNH brand, welcomed customers, partners, and the press to the Construction Experience Center (CEC) in Sarzedo (MG) to provide a hands-on demonstration of its product portfolio and the key trends and technologies shaping the future of the construction industry. Opened just over a year ago, the facility hosted the CASE Experience, which also featured the 721E ethanol-powered wheel loader—a concept project currently in the testing phase and the first machine of its kind to run on ethanol.

Held in a facility dedicated to experimentation and training, the event allowed guests to get an up-close look at equipment and projects representing different areas of the brand’s operations, including operational efficiency, electrification, sustainability, and innovation.

Among the highlights presented during the event is the ethanol-powered CASE 721E wheel loader, a concept design developed from the 721E platform and adapted to the needs of the sugar and ethanol industry. Still in the testing phase and with no immediate plans for commercialization, the equipment was developed to run on ethanol—a fuel produced by the mills themselves—with the potential to reduce dependence on diesel and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the full story here.