International Olympic Committee news
By Marco Bonarrigo

It’s something we’ve known since childhood: that which history and geography separate, the Olympics unite. The Games bring opponents together on the podium; athletes of different languages, religions and ethnicities rub shoulders in competition; nations divided by ancient rivalries mingle in the opening and closing ceremonies. And this miracle takes place every two years, in summer and winter.

In 2026, a planet torn apart by conflict will be in real need of some miracles. But a minor miracle has already taken place here in Italy: the Games are uniting Italy’s mountainous regions like never before. These are regions that differ hugely in history and tradition in ways that are hard to believe given their proximity to each other.

The 1956 Olympic Winter Games were extremely brief (just 11 days of competition), taking place in a small area around the historic centre of beautiful Cortina d’Ampezzo. The 2006 Winter Olympics lasted 16 days and spanned an entire province – that of Turin – but went no further. The 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be the first in history to embrace the entirety of the Italian Alps, transcending ancient divisions that have become embedded in the country’s complex modern history.

The mountains around Cortina, one of the Games’ focal points – as well as Val di Fiemme, renowned for Nordic skiing and skating, and Anterselva/Antholz, the capital of biathlon – have only been part of Italian territory for just over 100 years (annexed in 1920 after the Paris Peace Conference).

The history of these areas is steeped in European traditions, and they bear the marks of the Great War when they served as border territories and endured bloody battles.

In brief, those who know our Alps understand that the notion of the “Italian mountains” is purely geographical, referring to regions enclosed within the national border. However, the reality is more complex.

Just look at the languages specific to where the Games will be held: in the mountains, Italian is always the second or third language. Ladin, Mòcheno, Cimbrian, Romansh, Camuno (almost extinct), Badiotto, Fodom, Sappadino, Sautano, Timavese and other languages are spoken in schools, public buildings and at home. These languages are still used in local newspapers and news broadcasts, and are rightly considered a source of pride by their speakers.

The languages of the Italian mountains (not dialects – that’s another story) are the wonderful legacy of around 1,000 years of history and embody ingrained traditions, secrets, rules and cultures. Local communities zealously preserve and pass on their languages. There have always been administrative rivalries between the different venues of the 2026 Games (special bylaws, differential privileges, imbalanced state investments), something that has also affected summer and winter sports tourism offerings, often creating disparities.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are the result of a long, intricate mediation process, culminating in a significant achievement: each of the six Italian Olympic sites has been recognised for its natural sporting vocation. From Val di Fiemme, which first adopted the tradition of Nordic skiing and ski jumping from Scandinavia in the 1950s; to Cortina, the cradle of bobsleigh and home to some of Europe’s most renowned Alpine ski slopes; to Anterselva/Antholz, an enduring centre of biathlon excellence; and to Bormio and Livigno, Alpine skiing paradises. And finally, to the arenas of Milan, making it the perfect venue for ice skating and ice hockey. The city also offers its temple of football, the San Siro, for the Opening Ceremony.

Italy is a nation where implementing large-scale sports projects, such as the Olympic Games, is extremely arduous due to the pervasive (and sometimes justified, given past experiences) fear of being unable to meet the challenges. Milano Cortina 2026 aims to be the first truly sustainable Winter Olympics in the Games’ long history, the first to leave a permanent, environmentally responsible legacy on fragile territories. That alone is already a huge achievement.

ANAHEIM, Calif., Jan. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Centaurus Financial, Inc.’s annual Sponsor Appreciation Day, held December 8, 2025, was a success in multiple ways: The golf tournament showed the independent broker/dealer’s vendors how valuable they are, and it raised $50,000 for Shamrock Rescue Foundation, an Orange County, California-based nonprofit group that rescues unwanted animals and finds them new homes.

The day dawned sunny and bright, if a bit cool by Southern California standards. More than 95 golfers hit the greens at Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine. As they finished their day on the links, non-golfers took to the putting green in a contest that saw a playoff among several duffers. A traditional barbecue dinner and silent auction finished off the day, Centaurus’s 22nd annual Sponsor Appreciation event.

Centaurus matched the $25,000 raised for Shamrock that day, bringing the total donated to $50,000. The rescue uses the money to provide shelter, medical care and behavioral rehabilitation to animals, mostly dogs, that otherwise likely wouldn’t make it out of shelters alive.

“We are so pleased to help innocent animals. We are also proud that one hundred cents of every dollar raised goes to the animals’ care,” said Centaurus CEO Ron King at the event. “No one takes a salary at Shamrock. All the work is done by volunteers.”

About Shamrock Rescue Foundation

Shamrock Rescue Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that saves dogs and other animals who are in danger of being put to death in public shelters. These animals often have little to no hope of a better life, or of a life at all. Without Shamrock Rescue’s intervention, many animals who are now living happy lives with loving families would not have had a chance. After the animals are rescued, they are examined by a veterinarian, microchipped, and spayed or neutered. If additional health care is needed, Shamrock provides it. The dogs are placed in foster homes or boarded until permanent homes can be found for them. For more information about Shamrock Rescue Foundation, please visit www.shamrockrescue.org.

About Centaurus Financial, Inc.

Headquartered in Anaheim, California, Centaurus Financial, Inc. is a national independent broker/dealer licensed to offer securities, investment advisory services and insurance products. Centaurus is a registered investment adviser with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and is a member of both FINRA (the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) and SIPC (the Securities Investor Protection Corporation). For more information about Centaurus, please visit www.centaurusfinancial.com. For registered representatives, financial advisors or insurance agents interested in joining Centaurus Financial, please visit Centaurus Financial’s website for financial professionals at www.joincfi.com or contact John Trentor at (800) 880-4234.

Media contact: Maryanne Dell, mdell@cfiemail.com, 714-456-1790

Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/centaurus-financial-thanks-its-sponsors-raises-50-000-for-orange-county-california-animal-rescue-302670289.html

SOURCE Centaurus Financial, Inc.

For decades, climate adaptation lived on the fringes of corporate strategy. It was typically addressed through insurance coverage, emergency protocols, and risk registers. These tools were helpful at the time as they helped organizations respond to disruption, but they often positioned climate considerations as something to manage episodically, rather than as part of how a business operates day-to-day and plans for growth.

In 2026, that distinction is becoming increasingly blurry. Extreme heat, water scarcity, flooding, wildfires, and energy volatility are affecting cost structures, disrupting supply chains, and constraining labor productivity and capital planning. These factors increasingly show up in routine operational and financial decisions and interact with broader economic dynamics. Climate impacts intersect with geopolitical competition, supply-side volatility, and regional fragmentation. At the same time, the transition to a low-carbon economy continues to progress unevenly across markets, with carbon increasingly subject to pricing, regulation, and disclosure expectations.

Together, physical climate impacts and transition pressures are influencing how companies plan, invest, and operate. Many organizations are approaching adaptation and mitigation as an integrated business capability, on par with financial management, supply chain planning, or cybersecurity.

Why adaptation and mitigation demand sustained leadership attention

S&P Global Energy Horizons projects that physical climate risks could more than triple corporate financial exposure by 2050, driven by asset damage, supply disruptions, and productivity losses. Despite this growing exposure, however, fewer than one in five companies have implemented adaptation measures at scale.

This widening gap between risk and readiness has profound implications for CEOs and boards, who recognize this threat. A new report from WEF found that business leaders identified extreme weather events as the greatest long-term business risk, with cascading effects across economic stability, supply chains, and social cohesion. Climate risk is now:

  • Financial, affecting margins, asset values, insurance availability, and cost of capital
  • Operational, disrupting production, logistics, and workforce availability
  • Strategic, influencing where companies invest, source, and grow
  • Reputational, shaping trust with investors, customers, regulators, and employees

For many leadership teams, climate adaptation and mitigation have become part of the broader challenge of enterprise readiness. In some cases, they are also influencing access to capital, insurance terms, talent attraction, and long-term market positioning.

Going beyond the contingency mindset

A common constraint on progress is how climate adaptation is still framed inside organizations.

When it is treated primarily as contingency planning, it tends to be reactive and episodic. Plans are developed, documented, and revisited only after disruption occurs, while ownership is often spread across risk, sustainability, operations, and finance teams with limited integration into core decision-making.

A capability-based approach works differently. Business capabilities are embedded and inform everyday decisions, supported by data, systems, governance, and incentives.

Climate capability emerges when organizations integrate climate risk, resilience, and carbon considerations into the core of how the enterprise runs.

The four pillars of climate capability

1. Supply chains designed for disruption

Global supply chains are increasingly exposed to climate volatility and regulatory pressure. Highly optimized, linear supply chains designed primarily for cost efficiency have shown limitations under these conditions. Many organizations are adjusting value chains to improve resilience and address emissions. Supplier diversification, regionalization, circular material flows, and better data sharing can reduce exposure to physical disruption and, in many cases, lower Scope 3 emissions. In practice, efforts to improve decarbonization and resilience often reinforce one another.

What this requires is more reliable, timely data across supply chains, so that COOs are empowered to turn insights into meaningful outcomes.

2. Assets and infrastructure built for a changing climate

Facilities, equipment, and logistics networks are increasingly exposed to chronic stresses, such as heat and water scarcity as well as acute events like flooding. At the same time, carbon-intensive assets face growing transition risk as energy systems and regulations evolve.

A capability-based approach evaluates assets through a dual lens: physical climate exposure and carbon intensity. This informs where companies locate facilities, how they maintain them, and when they invest in retrofits, electrification, or renewable energy.

Investments in energy efficiency and clean energy can reduce emissions while also moderating exposure to energy price volatility and supply disruptions.

3. Workforce resilience as a business priority

Climate impacts are also affecting people. Rising temperatures and extreme weather are already reducing labor productivity and increasing health and safety risks in many roles and regions.

The International Labour Organization estimates that heat stress alone could result in the equivalent of 80 million full-time jobs lost globally by 2030 under a 1.5°C warming scenario. Organizations that treat workforce resilience as a core business issue are adjusting schedules, working conditions, training, and safety protocols, protecting people while maintaining productivity.

4. Financial decision-making informed by climate reality

Despite growing awareness, climate data is often still disconnected from financial planning and analysis. CDP reports that while 67% of companies identify climate-related risks with potential financial impact, only a fraction can quantify those risks with enough precision to guide investment decisions.

A capability-based approach incorporates carbon and climate risk into financial models. This allows leaders to assess physical risk, transition risk, and return on investment together, turning climate action into a disciplined, value-driven decision process. SAP’s carbon accounting solutions, like SAP Green Ledger and SAP Green Token, can empower organizations to drive actionable climate strategies and unlock measurable impact by helping them integrate sustainability into core business processes through the combination of trusted financial data and granular carbon insights.

A C-suite framework for climate capability in 2026

Across industries, five leadership actions will define those organizations building true climate capability:

  1. Embed climate and carbon assumptions into core business planning and governance.
  2. Redesign value chains for resilience and emissions reduction.
  3. Protect assets and people with predictive, forward-looking insight.
  4. Align mitigation and adaptation with financial strategy.
  5. Measure resilience and emissions together, not in isolation.

Together, these actions help shift climate efforts from parallel initiatives into a managed enterprise capability, one that determines operational continuity, financial resilience, and long-term competitiveness.

Learn more about how you can build a more compliant, sustainable, and resilient business with SAP Sustainability solutions.

Sophia Mendelsohn is chief sustainability and commercial officer at SAP.

For decades, climate adaptation lived on the fringes of corporate strategy. It was typically addressed through insurance coverage, emergency protocols, and risk registers. These tools were helpful at the time as they helped organizations respond to disruption, but they often positioned climate considerations as something to manage episodically, rather than as part of how a business operates day-to-day and plans for growth.

In 2026, that distinction is becoming increasingly blurry. Extreme heat, water scarcity, flooding, wildfires, and energy volatility are affecting cost structures, disrupting supply chains, and constraining labor productivity and capital planning. These factors increasingly show up in routine operational and financial decisions and interact with broader economic dynamics. Climate impacts intersect with geopolitical competition, supply-side volatility, and regional fragmentation. At the same time, the transition to a low-carbon economy continues to progress unevenly across markets, with carbon increasingly subject to pricing, regulation, and disclosure expectations.

Together, physical climate impacts and transition pressures are influencing how companies plan, invest, and operate. Many organizations are approaching adaptation and mitigation as an integrated business capability, on par with financial management, supply chain planning, or cybersecurity.

Why adaptation and mitigation demand sustained leadership attention

S&P Global Energy Horizons projects that physical climate risks could more than triple corporate financial exposure by 2050, driven by asset damage, supply disruptions, and productivity losses. Despite this growing exposure, however, fewer than one in five companies have implemented adaptation measures at scale.

This widening gap between risk and readiness has profound implications for CEOs and boards, who recognize this threat. A new report from WEF found that business leaders identified extreme weather events as the greatest long-term business risk, with cascading effects across economic stability, supply chains, and social cohesion. Climate risk is now:

  • Financial, affecting margins, asset values, insurance availability, and cost of capital
  • Operational, disrupting production, logistics, and workforce availability
  • Strategic, influencing where companies invest, source, and grow
  • Reputational, shaping trust with investors, customers, regulators, and employees

For many leadership teams, climate adaptation and mitigation have become part of the broader challenge of enterprise readiness. In some cases, they are also influencing access to capital, insurance terms, talent attraction, and long-term market positioning.

Going beyond the contingency mindset

A common constraint on progress is how climate adaptation is still framed inside organizations.

When it is treated primarily as contingency planning, it tends to be reactive and episodic. Plans are developed, documented, and revisited only after disruption occurs, while ownership is often spread across risk, sustainability, operations, and finance teams with limited integration into core decision-making.

A capability-based approach works differently. Business capabilities are embedded and inform everyday decisions, supported by data, systems, governance, and incentives.

Climate capability emerges when organizations integrate climate risk, resilience, and carbon considerations into the core of how the enterprise runs.

The four pillars of climate capability

1. Supply chains designed for disruption

Global supply chains are increasingly exposed to climate volatility and regulatory pressure. Highly optimized, linear supply chains designed primarily for cost efficiency have shown limitations under these conditions. Many organizations are adjusting value chains to improve resilience and address emissions. Supplier diversification, regionalization, circular material flows, and better data sharing can reduce exposure to physical disruption and, in many cases, lower Scope 3 emissions. In practice, efforts to improve decarbonization and resilience often reinforce one another.

What this requires is more reliable, timely data across supply chains, so that COOs are empowered to turn insights into meaningful outcomes.

2. Assets and infrastructure built for a changing climate

Facilities, equipment, and logistics networks are increasingly exposed to chronic stresses, such as heat and water scarcity as well as acute events like flooding. At the same time, carbon-intensive assets face growing transition risk as energy systems and regulations evolve.

A capability-based approach evaluates assets through a dual lens: physical climate exposure and carbon intensity. This informs where companies locate facilities, how they maintain them, and when they invest in retrofits, electrification, or renewable energy.

Investments in energy efficiency and clean energy can reduce emissions while also moderating exposure to energy price volatility and supply disruptions.

3. Workforce resilience as a business priority

Climate impacts are also affecting people. Rising temperatures and extreme weather are already reducing labor productivity and increasing health and safety risks in many roles and regions.

The International Labour Organization estimates that heat stress alone could result in the equivalent of 80 million full-time jobs lost globally by 2030 under a 1.5°C warming scenario. Organizations that treat workforce resilience as a core business issue are adjusting schedules, working conditions, training, and safety protocols, protecting people while maintaining productivity.

4. Financial decision-making informed by climate reality

Despite growing awareness, climate data is often still disconnected from financial planning and analysis. CDP reports that while 67% of companies identify climate-related risks with potential financial impact, only a fraction can quantify those risks with enough precision to guide investment decisions.

A capability-based approach incorporates carbon and climate risk into financial models. This allows leaders to assess physical risk, transition risk, and return on investment together, turning climate action into a disciplined, value-driven decision process. SAP’s carbon accounting solutions, like SAP Green Ledger and SAP Green Token, can empower organizations to drive actionable climate strategies and unlock measurable impact by helping them integrate sustainability into core business processes through the combination of trusted financial data and granular carbon insights.

A C-suite framework for climate capability in 2026

Across industries, five leadership actions will define those organizations building true climate capability:

  1. Embed climate and carbon assumptions into core business planning and governance.
  2. Redesign value chains for resilience and emissions reduction.
  3. Protect assets and people with predictive, forward-looking insight.
  4. Align mitigation and adaptation with financial strategy.
  5. Measure resilience and emissions together, not in isolation.

Together, these actions help shift climate efforts from parallel initiatives into a managed enterprise capability, one that determines operational continuity, financial resilience, and long-term competitiveness.

Learn more about how you can build a more compliant, sustainable, and resilient business with SAP Sustainability solutions.

Sophia Mendelsohn is chief sustainability and commercial officer at SAP.

Discussions at Infocast’s recent Projects & Money Conference highlighted a growing sense of confidence across the solar and energy storage markets, signaling a continued shift toward a more mature, fundamentals-driven industry.

Across panels and conversations, industry leaders emphasized disciplined development, thoughtful capital deployment, and long-term value creation as key priorities — reflecting an evolution beyond reliance on incentives alone. While policy support remains an important accelerator, many attendees noted that solar’s competitiveness increasingly stands on its own.

Recent analyses underscore this shift. Independent studies from organizations such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Lazard show that unsubsidized utility-scale solar is now among the most cost-effective sources of new electricity generation, with levelized costs that often undercut conventional fossil fuel alternatives. In addition to cost advantages, solar’s relatively short development and construction timelines allow projects to move from planning to operation in months rather than years, providing a meaningful advantage in today’s capacity-constrained market.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) were also a prominent focus throughout the conference. As storage deployment continues to scale, its role in enhancing grid reliability and flexibility is becoming increasingly central to project development strategies. According to forecasts from Ascend Analytics, more than 30 U.S. states are expected to show strong market conditions for BESS over the next five years, reflecting growing demand for solutions that balance renewable generation and support grid stability.

The pairing of solar and storage is helping address longstanding concerns around intermittency and reliability. By storing excess daytime generation for use during peak demand periods, providing backup power during outages, and smoothing fluctuations in output, solar-plus-storage projects are increasingly viewed as comprehensive energy solutions rather than standalone generation assets.

Attendees at the Projects & Money Conference noted that this convergence of cost competitiveness, speed to market, and reliability marks a defining moment for the sector. As the energy transition enters its next chapter, the industry’s focus is shifting toward execution, risk management, and long-term planning — hallmarks of a maturing infrastructure market.

With continued collaboration among developers, investors, utilities, and policymakers, solar and energy storage are poised to play a central role in meeting future electricity demand while supporting broader decarbonization goals.

At BioStar Renewables, we’re encouraged by the conversations coming out of Infocast’s Projects & Money Conference, which reinforced what we’re seeing across our own development and financing efforts: solar and energy storage have entered a more mature, fundamentals-driven phase. The emphasis on disciplined capital deployment, execution certainty, and long-term value closely aligns with how we approach project development.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue the conversation at Infocast’s upcoming Solar + Wind Finance & Investment Conference in Phoenix, AZ, March 15 – 18. As developers, investors, and capital providers dig deeper into how renewable projects are financed and scaled, we see these discussions as critical to advancing bankable, resilient clean energy infrastructure nationwide.

Discussions at Infocast’s recent Projects & Money Conference highlighted a growing sense of confidence across the solar and energy storage markets, signaling a continued shift toward a more mature, fundamentals-driven industry.

Across panels and conversations, industry leaders emphasized disciplined development, thoughtful capital deployment, and long-term value creation as key priorities — reflecting an evolution beyond reliance on incentives alone. While policy support remains an important accelerator, many attendees noted that solar’s competitiveness increasingly stands on its own.

Recent analyses underscore this shift. Independent studies from organizations such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Lazard show that unsubsidized utility-scale solar is now among the most cost-effective sources of new electricity generation, with levelized costs that often undercut conventional fossil fuel alternatives. In addition to cost advantages, solar’s relatively short development and construction timelines allow projects to move from planning to operation in months rather than years, providing a meaningful advantage in today’s capacity-constrained market.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) were also a prominent focus throughout the conference. As storage deployment continues to scale, its role in enhancing grid reliability and flexibility is becoming increasingly central to project development strategies. According to forecasts from Ascend Analytics, more than 30 U.S. states are expected to show strong market conditions for BESS over the next five years, reflecting growing demand for solutions that balance renewable generation and support grid stability.

The pairing of solar and storage is helping address longstanding concerns around intermittency and reliability. By storing excess daytime generation for use during peak demand periods, providing backup power during outages, and smoothing fluctuations in output, solar-plus-storage projects are increasingly viewed as comprehensive energy solutions rather than standalone generation assets.

Attendees at the Projects & Money Conference noted that this convergence of cost competitiveness, speed to market, and reliability marks a defining moment for the sector. As the energy transition enters its next chapter, the industry’s focus is shifting toward execution, risk management, and long-term planning — hallmarks of a maturing infrastructure market.

With continued collaboration among developers, investors, utilities, and policymakers, solar and energy storage are poised to play a central role in meeting future electricity demand while supporting broader decarbonization goals.

At BioStar Renewables, we’re encouraged by the conversations coming out of Infocast’s Projects & Money Conference, which reinforced what we’re seeing across our own development and financing efforts: solar and energy storage have entered a more mature, fundamentals-driven phase. The emphasis on disciplined capital deployment, execution certainty, and long-term value closely aligns with how we approach project development.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue the conversation at Infocast’s upcoming Solar + Wind Finance & Investment Conference in Phoenix, AZ, March 15 – 18. As developers, investors, and capital providers dig deeper into how renewable projects are financed and scaled, we see these discussions as critical to advancing bankable, resilient clean energy infrastructure nationwide.

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

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

I was born and brought up in Kota, Rajasthan, often referred to as the educational hub of India. Growing up in a city where engineering dreams take shape, I naturally gravitated toward mathematics and science. I always loved building things from scratch, which eventually led me to pursue a B.Tech in Computer Science.

Over the past eight years, I’ve had the opportunity to work across diverse industries including ed-tech, job-seeking platforms, and product companies. As a Full-Stack Developer, I’ve contributed to platforms like Hirist and Chegg, where I worked on features that directly impacted users looking to learn, grow, and find meaningful careers, taking ideas from a blank screen to full-fledged products.

I joined GoDaddy a year ago, and it has been an exciting and meaningful chapter in my journey. I’m part of the Infrastructure Management & Automation (IMA) team, a globally distributed team that works quietly behind the scenes to keep GoDaddy’s foundation strong, scalable, and future-ready.

The IMA team focuses on:

  • Delivering secure, reliable, and economical infrastructure
  • Implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to drive consistency and scalability
  • Owning and maintaining GoDaddy’s Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

What makes the team truly special is its diversity and global presence. With teammates spread across India, the US, Europe, and Ukraine, we collaborate across time zones every day — and still find ways to stay connected. Whether it’s virtual catch-ups or fun team activities like pizza-making sessions, the sense of camaraderie never gets lost.

Cooking Class

Personally, my role focuses on automating CMDB workflows and building intelligent use cases around infrastructure data — work that sits right at the intersection of systems, scale, and automation, and constantly challenges me to think bigger and build smarter.

What’s the most challenging yet rewarding thing you’ve worked on at GoDaddy?

One of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on is building an AI Companion using GoDaddy’s internal Personalized AI platform.

This project challenged me technically and creatively — from understanding complex datasets to building intelligent workflows. But seeing it come to life, helping automate real processes, and knowing that it will scale to support teams across GoDaddy has been incredibly rewarding.

It has allowed me to blend my passion for automation with emerging AI capabilities, and it truly expanded my idea of what I can build.

How do you stay updated with the latest technologies and trends?

I strongly believe that small, consistent learning beats occasional bursts of effort. Every day, I spend at least 30 minutes reading tech blogs, AI updates, and podcasts. Beyond that, I actively attend tech conferences and enroll in annual training programs focused on emerging technologies. Outside of work, I’m also a co-organizer of an emerging AI and technology community — FutureGPT Bangalore. Through this community, we host meetups, discussions, and knowledge-sharing sessions focused on AI, automation, and the future of technology.

“Learning never really stops — it just changes form.”
This belief has quietly shaped every phase of my journey.

If you had to describe GoDaddy’s culture in one word, what would it be and why?

Belongingness. From my first day at GoDaddy, I felt welcomed, supported, and encouraged to be myself.

It’s a place where your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your growth is celebrated.

The culture allows everyone — regardless of background or experience — to feel like they truly belong.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to enter software development?

Say yes to challenges — even when you feel under-confident. You don’t have to know everything on day one. Growth happens when you step into complex problems, ask questions, and allow yourself to learn in public. Trust that confidence will follow effort. Ask questions. Build boldly.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, I’m passionate about traveling, painting and dancing.

In the past two years, I’ve traveled to more than 16 countries with my husband. Now, as new parents, we can’t wait to explore the world with our daughter, too!

Dance remains my favorite way to express creativity and stay connected to my cultural roots. I consider myself a lifelong learner — whether in technology, art, or life.

A special moment for our family this year was graduating together. While most parents attend their children’s graduations, our daughter attended our graduation ceremony, as both my husband and I received our M.Tech degrees in AIML. It was a beautiful memory we’ll carry forever.

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

CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Illinois Democratic leaders will host a milestone birthday celebration honoring Speaker of the Illinois House and 7th District State Central Committeeperson candidate Emanuel “Chris” Welch on Friday, February 6. The Harlem Renaissance–themed evening will celebrate Speaker Welch’s 55th birthday while energizing his campaign for State Central Committeeman and honoring Black American progress, leadership, and cultural legacy.

Inspired by the elegance and power of the early 20th-century Harlem Renaissance, the event will uplift themes of unity, resilience, and collective progress—values that continue to shape Speaker Welch’s leadership and public service.

“The Harlem Renaissance showed us the strength of diversity and the power of unity,” said Welch. “As the first Black Speaker of the Illinois House, I have seen how far our state and our country have come in the fight for equality—but I also know how much work remains. I am committed to continuing that fight and building a more just and inclusive future for every community.”

The celebration will be hosted by Governor JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Senate President Don Harmon, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, with a special appearance by Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

The event will take place Friday, February 6, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Chicago Athletic Association’s White City Ballroom. Guests are encouraged to dress in black and/or gold and embrace classic Harlem Renaissance style, including 1920s-era elegance and glamour—fedoras, feathers, pearls, tuxedos, and vintage flair.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at:
secure.actblue.com/donate/happybirthdayspeaker

RSVP: admin@hdemsIL.com 
Note: This event is closed to the press.

Broad Coalition of Support

Speaker Welch has received endorsements from more than 55 Democratic leaders across the 7th District and beyond, reflecting broad confidence in his leadership and vision. Endorsers include:

Congressman Danny K. Davis
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle
Former Secretary of State Jesse White
Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon
Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson
Hillside Mayor Joe Tamburino
Maywood Mayor Nathaniel Booker
River Forest Village President & Committeeperson Cathy Adduci
Westchester Village President Greg Hribal
State Representative Kam Buckner
State Representative Lisa Davis
State Representative Michael Crawford
State Representative Margaret Croke
State Representative Kelly Cassidy
State Representative Kimberly DuBuclet
State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado
State Representative Marcus Evans
State Representative La Shawn Ford
State Representative Edgar Gonzalez
State Representative Norma Hernandez
State Representative Lilian Jiménez
State Representative Theresa Mah
State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin
State Representative Yolonda Morris
State Representative & Committeeperson Aarón Ortíz
State Representative Jawaharial “Omar” Williams
State Representative Sonya Harper
State Representative Justin Slaughter
1st Ward Committeeperson Laura Yepez
2nd Ward Committeeperson Tim Egan
3rd Ward Alderman & Committeeperson Pat Dowell
4th Ward Alderman Lamont Robinson
11th Ward Alderman Nicole Lee
14th Ward Alderman Jeylú Gutiérrez
15th Ward Alderman & Committeeperson Ray Lopez
16th Ward Alderman & Committeeperson Stephanie Coleman
18th Ward Alderman Derrick Curtis
24th Ward Alderman & Committeeperson Monique Scott
25th Ward Alderman & Committeeperson Byron Sigcho-Lopez
26th Ward Alderperson Jessie Fuentes
27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett
36th Ward Alderman & Committeeperson Gilbert Villegas
37th Ward Alderwoman & State Central Committeewoman Emma Mitts
42nd Ward Alderman & Committeeperson Brendan Reilly
43rd Ward Alderman Timmy Knudsen
43rd Ward Committeeperson Lucy Moog
MWRD President Kari Steele
MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis
Cicero Township President & Committeeperson Larry Dominick
Cook County Commissioner & 11th Ward Committeeperson John Daley
DNC Member Dan Hynes
Former State Central Committeewoman Darlena Williams-Burnett
Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Famer & Former Personal PAC President Terry Cosgrove

Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/illinois-democratic-leaders-to-host-house-speaker-emanuel-chris-welchs-state-central-fundraiser-and-55th-birthday-celebration-302670213.html

SOURCE Team Welch for 7th District State Central Committeeperson

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Picarro, Inc., a global leader in real-time emissions monitoring and advanced gas analysis solutions, today announced the appointment of Haavard Oestensen as Chief Commercial and Product Officer. In this role, Oestensen will lead Picarro’s commercial and product strategy in Oil & Gas as the industry undergoes a critical shift — moving from historically passive, episodic emissions and volatile organic compound (VOC) management toward continuous, proactive, technology-led emissions control.

This appointment coincides with the launch of the Picarro Fenceline Solution, marking a major step in Picarro’s expansion into the Oil & Gas sector as a stated strategic priority. The solution establishes a new benchmark for real-time perimeter monitoring and emissions intelligence.

“For too long, emissions management across industrial sectors has been reactive, focused on periodic testing, delayed reporting, and post-event remediation,” said Alexandre Balkanski, President and CEO of Picarro. “With our Fenceline Solution and our expansion into Oil & Gas, Picarro is helping the industry transition to a proactive model, one driven by continuous measurement, real-time insight, and decisive action. Haavard Oestensen brings to Picarro the commercial and product leadership required to scale this vision globally.”

The Picarro Fenceline Solution is built on Picarro’s patented Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) technology, delivering unmatched precision-grade measurements with parts-per-trillion sensitivity. This level of accuracy enables operators to detect emissions events early, confidently distinguish signal from noise, and respond with speed and certainty — transforming compliance programs into operational advantage.

“Customers are no longer asking how to measure emissions, they’re asking how to prevent exceedances altogether,” said Haavard Oestensen, Chief Commercial and Product Officer at Picarro. “Picarro is uniquely positioned to answer that question. We are more than instrumentation. Our solutions combine precision hardware, integrated software, and advanced analytics to deliver real-time insight — from detection through root-cause analysis, mitigation, and proactive prevention. That is how emissions management leadership is built.”

Picarro’s approach reflects a hardware-enabled software excellence model, where best-in-class measurement is fully integrated with powerful analytics, reporting, and operational workflows. This capability allows customers, particularly in Oil & Gas, to move beyond compliance toward a clear, defensible roadmap for emissions management leadership, reducing risk, maintaining compliance, improving performance, and strengthening trust with regulators and stakeholders.

About Picarro

Picarro is a leading provider of high-precision measurement and monitoring solutions for more than 700 compounds. Combined with advanced analytics and expert services, our offerings deliver trusted, defensible data that helps organizations optimize operations, reduce emissions, simplify regulatory compliance, mitigate risk, and advance scientific research. For more information, visit www.picarro.com.

Media Contact:
Monica Marmie
Senior Marketing Manager
Picarro, Inc.
mmarmie@picarro.com

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SOURCE Picarro, Inc.

TOKYO, January 26, 2026 /3BL/ – Federal Express Corporation, one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, has expanded its zero-tailpipe emissions fleet with the addition of 17 electric trucks. This initiative supports the company’s broader goal of achieving carbon neutral operations by 2040 and the ongoing phased electrification of the company’s global pickup and delivery fleet.

FedEx deployed Mitsubishi Fuso eCanter and Isuzu ELF EVs to support parcel pickup and delivery in Tokyo, Kanagawa and Osaka, each with a 1.5-ton payload. The vehicles are estimated to reduce tailpipe emissions by about 3.3 metric tons per vehicle per year, based on the distance planned for routes compared with diesel-powered trucks.

“Our business strategy focuses on delivering reliable service to customers, and sustainability and efficiency are integral to how we operate.” said Kei Alan Kubota, Managing Director of FedEx Japan. “These new EVs will reduce emissions on high‑density urban routes while helping us maintain the speed and quality our customers expect. We will continue to accelerate the adoption of low‑emission technologies and contribute to cleaner air for local communities.”

This initiative helps contribute to Japan’s ambitious environmental targets, which include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2035 compared to 2013 levels and achieving net-zero by 2050. [1]

In addition to the initiatives in operations, FedEx supports customers in sustainable logistics by offering the cloud-based carbon emissions reporting tool FedEx® Sustainability Insights. The tool provides access to historical emissions data for eligible shipments across the FedEx network, enabling customers to inform future shipping strategies and make decisions that could reduce their environmental impact.

For more information about FedEx sustainability efforts and its commitment to a more environmentally responsible future, please click here.

[1] Japan Ministry of Environment Feb 2025

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

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