Project demonstrates the company’s depth of development expertise

BOSTON, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Advanced Power continues to cement its leadership in utility-scale power innovation with the sale of Rock Rose Energy Storage LLC (Rock Rose), its first standalone energy storage project. This milestone highlights the company’s expertise and deep commitment to enhancing grid reliability through modern power solutions.

Rock Rose is a 200-megawatt/2-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) located in Fort Bend County, Texas. The fully developed project, which is expected to begin operations in 2027, continues Advanced Power’s track record of success in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power region. Upon completion, Rock Rose will support grid reliability in the rapidly growing Houston and Freeport areas.

BESS facilities, such as Rock Rose, enhance grid reliability by storing surplus energy from the electric system. Grid operators can strategically dispatch power from BESS during periods of peak demand to support grid stability. BESS also accelerates the transition to cleaner, more resilient power infrastructure.

“The completed development and sale of Rock Rose Energy demonstrates the depth of Advanced Power’s capabilities,” noted Tom Spang, Advanced Power’s CEO. “ERCOT, like other major power markets in the U.S., has an urgent need for projects that enhance grid reliability. As a premier developer of thermal, renewable, and now, BESS technology, Advanced Power is committed to bringing these contemporary power solutions to regions with urgent and growing energy and capacity needs.”

Advanced Power was advised by PEI Global Partners, a leader in financing energy projects and infrastructure in the U.S.

Advanced Power is focusing on further development in the U.S.
Advanced Power manages energy projects through all stages of a project life cycle, including development, financial structuring, construction, and operations. Rock Rose is included in the company’s portfolio of thermal, renewable, and BESS projects proposed across the ERCOT, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection (PJM), Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC) grid management areas. These projects represent more than 12 gigawatts (GW) of thermal and renewable capacity, as well as over 9 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy storage.

For more information about Advanced Power, its projects, and core competencies in development, financial structuring, and asset management, please visit www.advanced-power.com.

About Advanced Power


Advanced Power
 is a privately-owned developer, manager, and owner of modern power infrastructure. Our experienced team is advancing a sustainable, reliable energy future through its deep expertise in project development, financial structuring, and asset management.

Advanced Power has successfully developed 6 GWac of thermal and renewable generation and BESS assets in the U.S. and Europe. Today’s development portfolio includes 12+ GW of thermal and renewable projects, and 9+ GWh of energy storage.

Founded in 2000, Advanced Power is bringing reliable energy to places that need it and providing economic benefits plus jobs to communities, all while making massive contributions to the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Advanced Power has offices in Boston and Houston with a registered office in Zug, Switzerland.

Advanced Power

Contact: Janine Saunders
Phone: +1 617 816 3119
Email: jsaunders@advanced-power.com
www.advanced-power.com

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SOURCE Advanced Power

In the latest effort to make cotton data more accessible and available, cotton programs have released an LCA position paper, with Cascale contributing additional expertise.

Together, Better Cotton, Cotton Australia, Cotton Incorporated, and U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol commissioned the report, with Cascale, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, and Textile Exchange as contributors. EarthShift Global, LLC prepared the report, “From Data to Impact: How to Get Cotton LCAs Right” which zeroes in on the importance of proper use and interpretation of cotton LCA data, especially in the context of differing growing regions and methodological parameters.

Cascale’s Joël Mertens, head of Higg Product Tools at Cascale, outlined the problem. “What can I really claim in terms of making change happen?” It is one thing to say, “This is my footprint,” and another to claim that switching from cotton to another fiber or blend has helped improve climate change or water scarcity. This last piece in particular is the one that is misleading. The approach that moves the sector forward is fixing the supply change instead of ignoring the problem by going somewhere else without moving the state of play.”

The work followed a joint workstream within Cascale: the Higg MSI Methodology Cotton Expert Team, to help collaboratively address cotton data gaps. The 40-page report captures a number of nuances, challenges, and positive indicators for change, hoping to help guide sustainability managers, policymakers, cotton programs, and growers.

”Real progress will come from investment in farmer-centered improvements backed by science and transparency, aligning around responsible use of LCAs,” read a line from the report’s summary.

Readers can find the report and press release on Better Cotton’s website.

Listen: Cascale’s “Source of Good” podcast featuring Jesse Daystar!

Increase in demand for food, medicine, cosmetics, and agriculture is driving the steady growth of the global seaweed market. Seaweed, which is valued for its nutritional and bioactive qualities, is used as an organic fertilizer and gelling agent. Production is dominated by Asia-Pacific, while demand is rising in North America and Europe.

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Allied Market Research published a report, titled, “Seaweed Market – Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2034″, valued at $7,476.0 million in 2024. With a projected CAGR of 9.5% from 2025 to 2034, the market is expected to reach $18,111.5 million by the end of 2034. Regional market expansion is also being fueled by health-conscious customer preferences and sustainable farming methods.

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Download Sample Pages of Research Overview: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4650

Market Introduction:

Food, medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, and biofuels are just a few of the industries that use and trade different marine algae species globally. This is known as the seaweed market. Red, brown, and green seaweeds are all rich in vital elements such as calcium, iron, iodine, and vitamins, which makes them an excellent addition to diets that prioritize health. As interest in plant-based and functional foods grows, seaweed, which has historically been consumed in Asia, especially in nations such as China, Japan, and South Korea is starting to gain momentum in Western markets.

Seaweed derivatives such as agar, alginate, and carrageenan are used extensively as thickening, gelling, and emulsifying agents in food preparation in addition to being consumed directly. Seaweed extracts are used more and more in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors due to its anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant qualities. Furthermore, the agriculture industry uses them as seaweed-based fertilizers and animal feed additives enhance soil quality and livestock health. Seaweed farming has become a low-impact cultivation technique as the demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable resources increases, which propels market expansion. It is anticipated that technological developments in farming and harvesting techniques, as well as encouraging government programs and investments, are projected to accelerate market growth. Since its sustainability and adaptability, the seaweed market is therefore expected to grow significantly.

Report Overview:

The seaweed market is divided into product type, application, and region. By product type, the market is segregated into red, brown, and green. By application, the market is categorized into food, medicines, chemical & fertilizers, animal feed additives, building materials, and energy sources.

Region wise, it is analyzed across North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and rest of Asia Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and rest of LAMEA).

  • By product, the red segment dominated the global seaweed market in 2024 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period.
  • By application, the food segment dominated the global seaweed market in 2024 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period.

Report Coverage & Details:


Report Coverage


Details

Forecast Period

2025–2034

Base Year

2024

Market Size In 2024

$7,476.0 Million

Market Size In 2034

$18,111.5 Million

CAGR

9.5 %

No. Of Pages In Report

259

Segments Covered

Product, Application, And Region

Target Regions/Countries

North America (U.S., Canada, And Mexico), Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, And Rest Of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, And Rest Of Asia Pacific), And LAMEA (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, And Rest Of LAMEA)

Drivers

  • Rise In Demand For Natural Food Additives And Hydrocolloids
  •  Increased Utilization In Pharmaceuticals And Nutraceuticals
  • Growth Of Organic Farming And Demand For Biofertilizers

Opportunities

  • Increase In Application Of Seaweed In Biofuel
  •  Gowth In Cosmetic Applications

Restraints

  • Volatility In The Prices Of Seaweed
  • Complex And Inconsistent Regulatory Standards

Buy This Research Report (250 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures):

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/seaweed-market/purchase-options

Factors Affecting Market Growth & Opportunities:

Growing consumer knowledge of seaweed’s health advantages is one of the major factors driving the seaweed market expansion. Seaweed, which is high in vital nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, is becoming more and more popular as a functional food, especially in the expanding plant-based and vegan industries. One of the main drivers is the food and beverage sector, since seaweed is utilized in a wide range of products, including ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and supplements.

Technological developments in seaweed cultivation and extraction techniques drives market expansion. The efficiency and productivity of seaweed production have increased due to sustainable farming practices and greater investment in research and development, making it more affordable and accessible. The need for seaweed-based hydrocolloids like agar, alginate, and carrageenan in sectors including agriculture, cosmetics, and medicines has also greatly fueled market expansion.

Environmental factors also play a role. Seaweed is an environmentally beneficial resource that presents prospects for the manufacturing of natural fertilizers, biofuels, and biodegradable packaging. Seaweed is a good substitute as concerns about plastic pollution and the demand for sustainable farming methods increase. In addition, growing consumer demand for clean-label and organic products continues to open new markets, particularly in North America and Europe, where there is a growing need for eco-friendly, healthy products.

Major Challenges in Industry & Solutions:

The seaweed industry is confronted with several obstacles that may hinder its expansion, such as supply chain problems, market fragmentation, and environmental concerns. Overharvesting wild seaweed poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Climate change makes this worse by affecting seaweed growth patterns through acidity and rising water temperatures. The absence of uniform rules governing seaweed cultivation is another difficulty and may lead to uneven production and quality standards.

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Inefficient supply chains are a further challenge because seaweed needs to be processed and distributed rapidly due to its high perishability. This may result in product deterioration and spoiling, especially in markets that are geographically remote from seaweed-producing areas.

The establishment of aquaculture systems, which enable the controlled and ecologically friendly cultivation of seaweed, is one example of the sustainable farming methods being promoted to address these challenges. Better drying and preservation techniques, among other technological advancements, are extending the shelf life of seaweed products. To provide uniform quality control procedures and guarantee traceability across the supply chain, improved cooperation between industry participants, including governmental organizations, farmers, and companies—is also crucial. These challenges must be resolved if the seaweed industry is to expand sustainably and satisfy the growing demand for its wide range of uses globally.

Regional Insights

The global seaweed market is growing in different ways in different parts of the world due to variations in industrial uses, consumption patterns, and production capacities. The highest market share is held by the Asia-Pacific region, mainly because seaweed has long been a part of the diets and economies of nations including China, Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia. With significant aquaculture operations and ideal coastal settings, these nations are not only major seaweed producers but also top consumers. Seaweed is a staple cuisine in South Korea and Japan, where it is used in sushi, soups, and snacks. China is the world’s largest producer of red and brown seaweed for food and industrial uses.

The increased demand for plant-based and functional foods is driving the seaweed market’s rapid expansion in Europe. Seaweed cultivation and research into new product applications are growing in nations including France, Norway, and Ireland. In addition, seaweed is being investigated as a sustainable substitute for biofuels and packaging. The European Union has supported several projects that should increase domestic output and reduce the need for imports to encourage sustainable aquaculture.

Seaweed consumption is rising in North America, particularly in the US and Canada, as health-conscious consumers look for foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories. Although the region imports more than it exports, there is a growing movement to grow native seaweeds in coastal regions like British Columbia and Maine. A wide variety of products, including snacks, vitamins, cosmetics, and fertilizers for agriculture, use seaweed.

Latin America exhibits moderate development potential, especially in Chile, a major producer of red seaweed, mostly to produce carrageenan. Providing raw materials for the global food and pharmaceutical industries, the region’s market is mostly driven by exports. Despite being relatively low domestically, consumption is predicted to increase as more people become aware of the health advantages of seaweed.

The seaweed market is still in its early days in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) area. Future demand, however, might be driven by growing interest in water-efficient crops and sustainable agriculture. In dry areas where conventional farming is difficult, researchers are investigating the possibilities of seaweed in soil conditioning and animal feed. Thus, a combination of traditional consumption patterns, emerging health trends, environmental initiatives, and aquaculture technology developments create regional dynamics in the seaweed industry. Other regions are spending more on seaweed production and innovation, even if Asia-Pacific still has a strong position in order to fulfill the rising demand globally.

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Key Players:

Product innovation and sustainability initiatives are key strategies in the seaweed market from 2022–2024. For instance, the U.S. Department of Energy began the “Harnessing Autonomy for Energy Joint Ventures Offshore (HAEJO)” program, partnering with South Korea to speed up ocean-based biomass production in U.S. waters and investing $25 million to scale up deep-water seaweed farming for energy and industrial applications.

The major players in the seaweed industry include Annie Chun’s, Inc., Brandt, Inc., Cargill, Incorporated, COMPO EXPERT GmbH, GimMe Health Foods LLC, Groupe Roullier, Irish Seaweeds, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, Inc., Qingdao Bright Moon Seaweed Group Co., Ltd., and Qingdao Gather Great Ocean Algae Industry Group Co., Ltd.

Key Strategies Adopted by Competitors

  • In May 2025, Atlantic Sea Farms collected more than 1.3 million pounds of regenerative seaweed through its network of 40 partner farmers. According to a national customer study, food-product inventors used these quantities to create well-known seaweed-infused snacks and meal ingredients.
  • In April 2025, the conferences for Seagriculture USA and Seagriculture Asia-Pacific combined to form “Seagriculture World,” a single international platform for showcasing the most recent developments in seaweed farming, legislative frameworks, and commercial-scale mariculture expansions.
  • In February 2025, about 70% of the world’s commercial seaweed production (about 24 million tons) came from China in 2024. The country increased the extraction of carrageenan and other high-value compounds by using machine learning-driven farm oversight and high-resolution satellite surveillance.
  • In May 2023, a strategic agreement was established between Oceanfarmr (Australia) and Coast 4C (Australia) to develop mobile and sensor-based solutions for small-scale seaweed growers throughout Southeast Asia. The cooperation is projected to concentrate on yield optimization and real-time crop-quality grading.

Explore AMR’s Extensive ongoing Coverage on Food and Beverages Domain:


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Seaweed Snacks Market

 : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2027


Seaweed Cultivation Market : Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032


Brown Seaweed Extract Market : Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides end-to-end solutions along with information, education, advocacy, and networking resources to SMEs and early-stage start-ups to bring excellence to their processes. In addition, we offer a nurturing environment required to develop and grow businesses, including business planning; virtual support; market intelligence; acquiring resources; and getting direct access to finance, suppliers, and other experts to boost the growth of businesses and entrepreneurs.

Our bundled and hassle-free business support systems are customized to meet the needs of SME consultants and industry leaders. Moreover, our large network of skilled consultants and experts help start-ups get the business on a roll.

Contact us:

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SOURCE Allied Market Research

Grassroots initiative raises nearly $38,000, catalyzes years of giving and momentum into a focused force for good

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The team at West Cary Group, a leading marketing, advertising, and technology firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, has officially kicked off WCG Gives — a dedicated volunteer and community engagement initiative. The unique program harnesses the united strength of the firm’s people, partners, and purpose. Rooted in a 2020 pivot to client-dedicated charitable giving during the pandemic, West Cary Group’s community impact has steadily grown. By 2024, employees facilitated 522 client-directed donations for regional nonprofits, totaling nearly $27,000.

“This is, without fail, my favorite holiday tradition that I’ve seen a company do,” said Rachel Constantinou, single-family digital products & solutions marketing strategist at Fannie Mae. “I appreciate West Cary Group including me.”

That same year, employees championed the launch of the agency’s Giving Fund, for individuals to support local causes through direct payroll deductions. By spring 2025, they had raised almost $11,000.

“WCG Gives is an extension of who we are—a community that is more than 100 members strong spanning 11 states,” said Kasey Brown, senior account director of West Cary Group and WCG Gives board chair. “We’re driven to make a difference — now we have the structure, resources, and support to make our collective impact even stronger.”

With a tagline that reflects the heart of the initiative, “Agency in Action,” WCG Gives focuses on three key areas: Education & Mentorship, Community Fellowship, and Environmental Conservation. Recent enhancements to the program include a new Time Off for Good benefit, granting employees four paid hours annually to support causes closest to them. Additionally, West Cary Group will host one onsite and one offsite volunteer event per quarter, with regional ambassadors coordinating efforts and expanding reach.

A fresh partnership with the United Way offers more flexible ways to donate to the Giving Fund — from Venmo to credit card. Upon introduction, employee participation doubled in a single day. The fund enjoys full backing from West Cary Group, with leadership initially seeding it.

“Here, we have something extremely rare: giving isn’t mandated — it’s motivated,” said Moses Foster, president and CEO of West Cary Group. “Our employees drive this. Our culture supports it. Our clients inspire it. And I couldn’t be prouder of the team and everything they’ve worked to accomplish.”

WCG Gives has contributed time and raised funds for 23 charities so far, including Feed More, NextUp RVA, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Maggie Walker Community Land Trust, Jacob’s Chance, and Greater Richmond SCAN. 

About West Cary Group

West Cary Group is a full-service advertising, technology, and communications agency founded in 2007 by Moses Foster. It specializes in merging award-winning creative with rigorous data analysis to create marketing campaigns with truly measurable outcomes. West Cary Group’s capabilities include digital advertising and media, mobile application design and development, web design and development, brand marketing and advertising, and direct response marketing. 

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SOURCE West Cary Group

Over two years, 620 days, and countless miles, laps, and hills later – she did it.

Ariana Luterman has set the world record as the fastest female to complete six Ironman Triathlons on six continents in one year. An extraordinary feat – and yet, for those who know her story, not a surprise. 

Ariana’s path began long before this record-breaking year. Her training started at just seven years old. By twelve, she founded Team Ariana, turning her passion for triathlon into a mission to support homeless children in Dallas, Texas.

Like the entrepreneurs GoDaddy champions every day, Ariana’s journey has been defined by grit, resilience, and purpose. 

Despite setbacks and obstacles, she stayed the course in pursuit of her dream – the same way entrepreneurs and small business owners press forward with theirs. GoDaddy provides the tools, guidance, and community that help them persevere, and congratulates Ariana on her remarkable achievement. 

Ariana may have crossed the finish line. But for her, and for every dreamer daring to push beyond limits, this is only the beginning.

 About GoDaddy

GoDaddy helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services, and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com

Greyparrot’s
 AI-powered waste intelligence technology is recognized globally for redefining how the world understands, manages, and recycles waste

LONDON, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — TIME today revealed its Best Inventions, naming Greyparrot’s Analyzer among the innovations set to change the world by unlocking waste intelligence. To compile this year’s list, TIME solicited nominations from around the globe with a special focus on emerging fields such as AI. Inventions were evaluated on several key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition, and global impact.

For decades, the waste industry’s lack of visibility and digitization has created a blind spot in understanding what happens to materials once they leave the bin – limiting recycling efficiency and obstructing the shift toward reusable, circular systems.

Greyparrot’s Analyzer is tackling this blind spot and reshaping the future of the global waste management industry. The AI-powered camera system captures and analyzes waste streams in real time within recycling facilities. It classifies materials across 111 distinct categories and identifies packaging types and brands at an industrial scale – far beyond the capabilities of manual sampling.

The Analyzer can track 99% of material passing through a recycling facility. What would take a person 375 hours to manually sample takes the Analyzer just six hours, giving recyclers live data to boost efficiency, divert waste from landfills, and recover more valuable resources.

This unprecedented visibility, generated from the analysis of over 100 billion waste items this year alone, unlocks actionable insights across the entire waste value chain. These insights enabled the launch of Greyparrot’s Deepnest platform – a first-of-its-kind analytics tool that lets brands and packaging producers measure the true recyclability of their products as they move through the global waste system.

The Analyzer is also purpose-built for sustainability, constructed from recycled materials, and features modular, replaceable parts for long-term durability.

“Waste has long been one of humanity’s greatest blind spots,” said Ambarish Mitra, Co-founder of Greyparrot. “The Analyzer doesn’t just see waste, it understands it. It turns chaos into clarity, giving us truth in real time about what we throw away, what gets recovered, and what doesn’t. Being recognized by TIME is more than an honor; it’s validation that AI can transform the post-consumption world into a visible, valuable system – one that helps solve our planet’s most urgent challenges. This also marks the next big conversation in climate action: moving beyond carbon and using waste intelligence to track, recover, and reuse the products we produce.”

About Greyparrot
Greyparrot (https://www.greyparrot.ai/) is using AI to revolutionize the waste value chain through waste intelligence – gathering previously unavailable data on waste streams to drive smarter decisions across the industry. Its AI camera systems collect real-time data on global waste streams in 20+ countries, detecting over 100 billion waste objects in 2025 alone. In the process, the company has created the world’s most comprehensive waste datasets. That data equips recyclers, brands, and regulators with actionable intelligence to improve efficiency, accountability, and sustainability in the global resource ecosystem.


Media Contact

Kyle Austin
BMV for Greyparrot
kyle@beantownmv.com

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SOURCE Greyparrot

Published by Action Against Hunger.

Contact media@actionagainsthunger.org for inquiries.

  • Action Against Hunger currently has over 2,000 food parcels awaiting entry in Amman and hundreds of staff members are on the ground in Gaza prepared to scale up operations the moment access is granted.
  • Action Against Hunger stresses the urgency of transforming this lifesaving opportunity into a permanent ceasefire.

October 9, 2025 /3BL/ – After more than two years of starvation, displacement, and extreme violence resulting from Israeli military operations in Gaza, today’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement offers a long-awaited flicker of respite. Action Against Hunger stresses the urgency of transforming this lifesaving opportunity into a permanent ceasefire – one that includes the release of hostages and detainees and guarantees unrestricted access into and within Gaza.

“The halting of hostilities alone will not save lives,” said Manuel Sanchez-Montero, Action Against Hunger’s CEO. “Our teams must be granted immediate and safe access to all areas of Gaza to reach families who have been cut off from food, water, and medical care for weeks.”

Very little, if any, food or humanitarian aid has entered North Gaza or Gaza City governorates in recent weeks, where famine is spreading rapidly. Action Against Hunger teams stand ready to respond – as they did just hours after the January 2025 ceasefire – but conditions today are far more severe. Destruction is deeper, hunger is sharper, and recovery will take much longer. “We stress the importance of making every effort to implement the agreement as quickly and effectively as possible – we have aid ready to go in as of tomorrow, and it is much needed,” added Sanchez-Montero.

Action Against Hunger currently has over 2,000 food parcels awaiting entry in Amman and hundreds of staff members are on the ground in Gaza prepared to scale up operations the moment access is granted.

“We take this moment to honor the tens of thousands of people who were killed before they could see this cause for hope, including some of our own colleagues,” said Sanchez-Montero. “Our teams will continue their mission in their memory – to save lives with dignity and compassion.”

Action Against Hunger also warns that violence and displacement in the West Bank must not be ignored. During the last temporary ceasefire, Israeli military operations displaced more than 40,000 people in the northern West Bank, marking the largest mass displacement there since 1967.

Action Against Hunger calls upon the international community to seize this moment to ensure that the ceasefire leads to a lasting solution that supports the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to all families in need and takes steps toward a meaningful Palestinian-led reconstruction process.

***

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

The best leaders are the ones who aim to inspire others to lead, like forklift aficionado and CertainTeed Shift Supervisor Rhonda Clink in Athens, GA!

Saint-Gobain is an industry leader with thousands of talented team members who are dedicated to one unified purpose: Making the World a Better Home. With more than 160 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada, there are so many robust and fulfilling career opportunities available. You’ll have the opportunity to work with colleagues from a wide range of businesses, cultures, and experiences.

About Success in the Making

Anyone can be a manufacturer! Whether you are just starting out or transitioning your career path, the manufacturing industry presents opportunities for success. Saint-Gobain North America’s Success in the Making series features the stories of team members who built their careers in manufacturing and thrived!

Watch the full Success in the Making series on YouTube.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group, celebrating its 360th anniversary in 2025, remains more committed than ever to its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.6 billion in sales in 2024 
More than 161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries 
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

Verizon

For some teens, a blank computer screen isn’t very daunting; but for these diverse learners — struggling with dyslexia, ADHD and other executive functioning skills — even writing one sentence can be tough.

Graff knows that feeling. Diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia at a young age, she remembers the sting of being written off. 

“As a student, I felt I had to work 10 times harder than everybody else,” she recalls. “Things just didn’t come easily to me.”

Now a special education teacher at Chicago’s Lake View High School, Graff wants to be the teacher she never had: one who can adapt the curriculum to her students’ strengths and help them find the path to becoming independent, confident adults.

Assistive technology is central to that approach. For one student, it’s dictating ideas through speech-to-text instead of struggling at the keyboard. For another, it’s breaking down complex assignments into smaller, achievable goals.

“Technology helps make content accessible for diverse learners,” she says. “As a teacher, we have to teach very rigorous skills like finding main ideas and writing claims,” she says. “If we didn’t have online tools like AI, spellcheck and text-to-speech, our diverse learners wouldn’t be able to access the content.”

Through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ’s professional development resources, Graff has refined how she blends tech and traditional teaching methods. “With the Verizon model, you’re not using technology every single day. You’re gradually building technology into your classroom so that students who need a blend of using technology and using paper-based materials can have that,” she says.

“It’s all about meeting students where they are,” she explains. “Utilizing supports such as graphic organizers, sentence starters and visuals paired with text that help reach all learners no matter if they have a disability or not.” 

That morning, essays took shape. One student explored the role of religion in her life; another explained how taking care of her siblings impacted her childhood.

“Do you want to use speech to text?” Graff asks Sheily Avelino-Gomez, one of her students who is more comfortable talking out her ideas rather than typing them. “Yes,” replies Sheily with a smile.

By the end of class, the students were much closer to having a complete essay than at the start. A couple of them used assistive technology; others shared their ideas with Graff by their side.

“The Verizon Innovative Learning resources have helped me become more flexible in my teaching,” says Graff. “That flexibility and patience helps students understand I don’t just value the content they’re learning; I value them as humans and that I’m meeting their learning needs in the classroom.”

Verizon Innovative Learning is a key part of the company’s responsible business plan to help move the world forward for all. As part of the plan, Verizon has an ambitious goal of providing 10 million youth with digital skills training by 2030. Educators can access free lessons, professional development and immersive learning experiences to help bring new ways of learning into the classroom by visiting Verizon Innovative Learning HQ. 

This blog is part of our focus on Cisco employees who are “Striving for Sustainability” by finding opportunities to integrate sustainability in their day-to-day work.

At Cisco, we are designing our products and packaging with circularity in mind, aligning them to our Circular Design Principles. Circular design means designing products and systems that enable reuse, minimize environmental impacts, drive innovation, and realize value for our stakeholders.

That’s where Tom Jackson comes in. Tom is the Senior Director of Supply Chain, Computing Systems, & Product Packaging, and Executive Sponsor of Circular Design at Cisco. His passion for sustainability is rooted in a lifelong love of the outdoors and shaped by visits to nearly 45 U.S. national parks. Learn more about how this has led to a career in advancing circular design:

How have your previous roles influenced your interest and involvement in circular design?

Tom: I think my previous roles really prepared me for this by giving me an outsider’s perspective. I’ve had around eleven different careers here at Cisco over my 25 years. I started early on in test development engineering, then moved into broadband cable routing, fixed microwave wireless systems, and later worked as a program manager. So I’ve had experience across a huge variety of businesses and operating models.

I brought deep experience in taking products from ideation to mass production, which proved valuable in sustainability because I understood how things get done at Cisco. Our sustainability experts taught me the principles and priorities, and my role was to systematically embed circular design into Cisco’s product development process, using my network to build the initial team and launch circular design. Changing 30 years of “how we’ve always done it” was no small feat, but we made progress — and this work will never truly end, as we’ll always be looking for what’s next.

Why is circular design important at Cisco?

Tom: What’s different about Cisco’s approach to circular design is that we’ve built a complete system. We have a process, guiding principles, training, a scoring methodology — and, most importantly, full buy-in from the design, new product introduction (NPI), and supply chain communities. It’s truly embedded into our business and is now just part of how we release every product.

This isn’t something we want to keep to ourselves. We’re all on the same planet, and progress on circularity only matters if everyone moves forward together. That’s why we’re transparent about our approach, openly sharing details about where we’re headed next.

To me personally, I think we all have that intrinsic drive — when we see the misuse of materials, or products not being made with recycled or recyclable materials. I love the movie Wall-E, and I don’t want my kids or grandkids to end up living on Wall-E’s trash planet. But honestly, that’s the direction the world was heading with its old linear cycle of “design, make, dispose.”

There were also some real “aha” moments. For example, we were doing a Cisco building refresh, which included updating the networking equipment in one of the labs. The amount of packaging waste that came from installing hundreds of Cisco products in a single day was eye-opening. That was a real catalyst for me — thinking about the thousands of customers who experience this as well.

Another big catalyst has been the way the market and our customer base are evolving. Brand value is often tied to sustainability now — being seen as a circular company really matters. When we’re responding to a request for quotation (RFQ) and can show we’re more sustainable than our competitors, that can be a real differentiator. In places like Europe, it’s becoming table stakes for customers and a focus of policymakers to emphasize recycled IT products and recycled material origins. So, it’s just good business, in my opinion.

How have engineers at Cisco responded to this type of initiative?

Tom: We’ve really altered our DNA — we’re different now in how we design things. When we first started this journey, there was a massive amount of reluctance and skepticism.

Training was key to overcoming that reluctance. We didn’t want it to be just another mandatory training. We knew it had to be interactive and engaging, something that would really draw people in and help them understand the principles. I loved choose-your-own-adventure books as a kid, so we modeled the training after them. Your choices reveal downstream effects, helping designers see how their decisions — like including every possible accessory — can create waste.

Then we introduced a scoring methodology, so every new product and packaging at Cisco could be scored against these principles. A product needs at least 75 points to be released. That really gamified the process. Our engineers and designers are competitive people, so it sparked this energy. We even added an innovation section where you could earn bonus points for coming up with new circular design ideas.

The design community’s creativity has been extraordinary — from making accessories opt-in to reduce waste, to eliminating paint and single-use plastic, using recycled materials, and rethinking packaging. We’ve seen big strides in power management, modularity, and product longevity. Once Cisco’s design engineers and architects understood the principles and what was at stake, they took off, delivering innovative ideas that exceeded our expectations. All credit goes to them — they’ve truly made it happen.

What is the most rewarding aspect about working in circular design?

Tom: Besides the amazing work from Cisco’s people, it’s about seeing the tangible outcomes. It’s one thing to score your products and have the data, but it’s another to look at the downstream impact these efforts are having. We continue to work on reducing plastics in our products. We used to include foam with many products’ packaging, but we’ve made good progress on our goal to reduce foam in product packaging by 75% (by weight) by FY25. We’ve also seen a 90%+ reduction in single-use plastic bags on accessories as well as changed default accessory options based on customer feedback, eliminating a ton of unnecessary waste.

There are real bottom-line benefits, too. Eliminating waste, unnecessary accessories, and cosmetic features has saved costs while improving sustainability. For example, eliminating oil-based wet paint from products not only reduced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but also cut out extra logistics, labor, and waste. Most of our products live in racks in data centers — no one sees them — so there’s no need for unnecessary paint or decorative features.

Overall, it’s been an evolution. Five years ago, a lot of these goals felt daunting. We didn’t know how we’d move away from certain packaging, but with trial and error, we figured it out. And we’re seeing the industry follow. When we started, we had to create our own recycled plastic supply, but now there are plenty of vendors. Now the industry is moving in this direction and we’re proud to be leading the charge.

Read more about Cisco’s Circular Transformation on our Purpose Reporting Hub.

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