Tag: 3BL

On April 10, AEG Sustainability hosted its Third Annual Sustainability Insights panel for employees, “Embracing Leadership & Inspiring Action in Entertainment,” which highlighted the intersectional challenges, trends and opportunities shaping the sustainability landscape in entertainment and the actionable strategies to drive positive change.

Moderated by AEG’s VP of Sustainability, Erik Distler, the panel brought together industry experts in recognition of Earth Month who discussed the challenges facing the industry and the practices at that are at forefront of environmental stewardship.

“It’s important to foster a culture of innovation and accountability, where sustainability is integrated into every aspect of business operations and decision-making,” said Erik Distler, VP of Sustainability, AEG. “By harnessing the power of collaboration, innovation, and advocacy, we can chart a course towards a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable future for all.”

This year’s panelists included:

Mary Harvey, the Chief Executive for the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, a group that works toward advancing a world of sport where human rights are respected and promoted. An athlete herself, Harvey spent eight years as part of the US women’s nationa soccer team and won Olympic gold with the team in 1996.Roger McClendon – Executive Director, Green Sports Alliance. In his role, he leads the Alliance of international sports and stadium executives, as well as sustainability experts, to use sports as a vehicle to promote healthy, sustainability communities throughout the world. Also an athlete, Roger was a McDonald’s All-American basketball player in 1984 and was induced into the University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.Jason Twill, LEED Fellow – Principal, Viridis Initiative. Twill’s career has spaned over 25 years in real estate development, climate change, education, sustainability, and urban regeneration. He has been at the forefront of social, ecological, and economic transformation. He has served as an advisor to multiple local and national governments on climate action, urban transformation, and social equity strategies including the development of a ten-year national legacy framework for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

AEG has been embedding sustainability into its global business since 2008. The company is committed to operating responsibly and to catalyzing the influence of live entertainment to preserve the planet for future generations. To learn more about the company’s sustainability initiatives, click here.

IBM announced the release of its 2023 IBM Impact report. The report summarizes the company’s ESG initiatives, partnerships and investments in 2023, making a lasting positive impact.

Over the last year, the world experienced widespread adoption of AI and other emerging technologies. IBMers have leveraged these technologies, creating new ways to address rising ethical challenges, empowering communities with skills, and protecting our environment while supporting our clients.

A few highlights from the 2023 IBM Impact report include:

Released watsonx.governance, a component of watsonx designed to accelerate responsible, transparent and explainable AI workflows, and leading the creation of the AI Alliance, an open community to accelerate responsible AI innovation.Trained more than 600 suppliers in technology ethics, which is on track to meet our commitment to train 1,000 technology suppliers in technology ethics by 2025.Engaged over 11 million learners with free IBM training content through our combined education initiatives since 2021, which is on track to meet our commitment to skill 30 million people by 2030.Invested over $100 million towards apprenticeships and new-collar programs, since 2022.Reduced operational greenhouse gas emissions by 68.5% against base year 2010, ahead of our goal of 2025 and on track to meet our operational net zero emissions goal by 2030.Completed, since 2021, 2,130 energy conservation projects, avoiding an estimated 256,000 MWh of energy consumption.

“At IBM, we believe that technology is a catalyst to unlock new and more powerful ways to make a positive impact. Innovation can address evolving demands and create a better future as new ethical, societal, and environmental challenges arise,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, IBM. “We continue to focus on making a lasting impact by using the power of technology, such as AI.”

IBM leverages its resources and expertise to live its purpose of being a catalyst that makes the world work better. We have a long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, and service, in which technology and innovation play a critical role in taking our positive impact further.

The IBM Impact Report 2023 report can be accessed here.

Media Contact:
Carmen San Segundo
Global Marketing and Communications Director for ESG and CSR at IBM

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Originally posted by Progressive Grocer.

By Bridget Goldschmidt.

“Albertsons Cos. is committed to providing our customers with high-quality and traceable seafood from environmentally and socially responsible sources,” said Anthony Snow, seafood director at Albertsons. “We are proud to partner with The Nature Conservancy and join the Tuna Transparency Pledge. Together, we can improve the transparency of the tuna supply chain while helping to protect the oceans and treating the people who depend on them for their livelihoods fairly and equitably.” 

See full article on Progressive Grocer and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

Energy for a better future: Entergy’s corporate citizenship impact

Entergy’s performance report integrates a comprehensive overview of our 2023 achievements, including financial results with economic, environmental, governance, and social performance and impacts. Learn how we power life for all our stakeholders at performancereport.entergy.com.

Positive economic impacts 
In 2023, our commitment to corporate social responsibility had a profound impact on our customers and communities, resulting in an economic impact of nearly $140 million. Through strategic partnerships with our community partners, we implemented a range of initiatives aimed at addressing poverty, promoting education and workforce development, providing financial assistance to vulnerable customers, improving our communities and caring for the environment.

Our dedicated employees played a pivotal role in our economic impact, contributing over 120,000 hours of volunteer service valued at $3.8 million across our service areas.

Tax preparation help for our customers 
Our commitment to addressing poverty has had a significant positive impact on approximately 25% of our 3 million residential customers who live at or below the poverty line. One of the most effective ways we make a difference is by helping qualified customers file for federal earned income tax credits. In 2023, our employees dedicated more than 2,880 volunteer hours to Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites.

As a result, more than 37,000 Entergy customers received $42.7 million in federal tax refunds through Entergy-sponsored VITA sites. This includes more than 7,000 customers who received $13.1 million in earned income tax credits. Since 2009, our support of VITA sites has helped return $333 million to almost 200,000 residents in our service area.

The Civic 50 honoree  
We were honored to be named an honoree of The Civic 50, Points of Light’s prestigious annual list recognizing the top community-minded companies in the United States. This is the eighth time we have been included on this list, and we were also named as this year’s Utilities Sector Leader. This recognition highlights our commitment to corporate citizenship and sets a national standard for driving social impact.

Read the full report here.

As originally published by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward Research Initiative

Since 2020, GoDaddy Venture Forward findings have consistently proven that microbusiness entrepreneurship makes an outsized impact on the economy, promoting job creation, boosting annual household median income growth and driving down unemployment. Every year, when the U.S. Census releases its most recent data, GoDaddy Venture Forward runs new analyses to capture the latest economic impacts.

Venture Forward is a research initiative that GoDaddy launched in 2018 to quantify the presence and impact of online microbusinesses on their local economies, providing a unique view into the attitudes, demographics and needs of these entrepreneurs.

This year, in partnership with UCLA Anderson Forecast economists led by William Yu, we’ve uncovered the following impacts made by microbusinesses (those having 10 or fewer employees, a domain and an active website).

At the county-level, every additional microbusiness entrepreneur adds about seven jobs, which has continued to grow based on data through 2023.
 Analysis of data from 2018 to 2022 found the effect of microbusiness entrepreneurship to be two or more new jobs for every additional entrepreneur, and from 2020 to 2022, about six new jobs.
 Adding 1,000 new microbusiness entrepreneurs in a county is associated with a drop of 0.11 percentage points in the unemployment rate.
 This means that studying Miami-Dade County in Florida, with almost 430,000 microbusinesses and 2.1 million people over the age of 18, adding just 1,000 entrepreneurs would reduce the region’s unemployment rate by almost 7% (from 1.6% to 1.49%).

Our research shows that entrepreneurship has only continued to grow in importance – from acting as a backstop during economic downturns like the pandemic, to being a catalyst for greater prosperity in current times, and the historically low unemployment rates we’re experiencing.

“We’ve learned that online businesses with 10 or fewer employees are creating more jobs than before – up to seven jobs for every one entrepreneur, compared to only two just a few years ago,” said Alexandra Rosen, senior director of Venture Forward. “Our findings show how even the smallest of businesses can significantly drive down unemployment rates in communities across the country.”

For more information about the state of microbusinesses across the country, visit the Venture Forward Microbusiness Data Hub.

About GoDaddy Venture Forward

GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative analyzes more than 20 million online businesses with a digital presence (measured by a unique domain and an active website). Most of these businesses employ fewer than ten people, categorizing each as a microbusiness. While these microbusinesses may be small, their impact on economies is outsized even though they are often too informal or too new to show up in traditional government statistics. 

Since 2018, Venture Forward surveyed more than 36,000 small business owners with a digital presence, making it the source for microbusiness data and insights.

At Motorola Solutions, inclusion is deeply ingrained in our identity as a company. Our commitment to solving for safer starts from within, with our dedication to creating an inclusive workplace where every voice is valued.

Our business councils (also known as employee resource groups) and diversity, equity and inclusion champions play pivotal roles in shaping our culture and ensuring that inclusion is not just a buzzword, but a lived experience. Already in the first few months of 2024, several of our business councils have hosted impactful events to celebrate and promote inclusion around the world.

The Motorola Solutions Black Inclusion & Diversity Organization (MBIDO) led efforts to honor and celebrate the contributions and impact of the Black community during Black History Month in February. They organized events featuring prominent speakers on Black men and women’s health, climate justice for Black people and the past, present and future of diversity, equity and inclusion. Throughout the month, MBIDO also campaigned to support Black-owned businesses. These initiatives aimed to raise awareness, foster dialogue and inspire action towards inclusion.

The Women’s Business Council (WBC) organized a series of events and volunteer opportunities to commemorate women and allies during March’s Women’s History Month. WBC events featured guest speakers on emotional residence, negotiation strategies and metabolic health. Several WBC chapters also led volunteer efforts in support of female-focused charities, including making letters, bookmarks and bracelets of encouragement for Girls Empowerment Network and creating care packages for women and children residing in The Star Shelter in Singapore.

One of the standout initiatives during Women’s History Month was our “Give a Flower” campaign, which led to more than 3,000 women being recognized for their leadership traits by colleagues and allies around the company. The campaign not only celebrated women’s achievements but also underscored the importance of allyship and collaboration in driving positive change.

In celebration of this year’s Lunar New Year, the Motorola Solutions Asian & Pacific Islander (MAPI) business council partnered with our sales team in Allen, Texas to provide an opportunity for employees around the world to learn, appreciate and immerse themselves in the traditions of Lunar New Year. MAPI also hosted a session on unlocking Asian leadership potential with a guest speaker from the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers. The presentation was a testament to the importance of recognizing and harnessing the potential within our diverse workforce. The presentation shed light on unique challenges faced by Asian professionals and emphasized strategies for inclusive leadership practices that create environments where every employee can contribute their best work and realize their full potential.

At Motorola Solutions we know that fostering inclusion propels innovation. By bringing together individuals from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and creating a culture where they feel that they belong, we harness the collective wisdom and creativity needed to tackle complex challenges that arise when solving for a safer world for our employees and our customers.

At Covia, prioritizing Safety First is a fundamental principle. We implement various measures to ensure that Safety and Health (S&H) are consistently at the forefront for our Team Members, contractors, vendors, suppliers, and customers. One specific area of opportunity is hand safety. Hand injuries are a common risk in our daily operations, which is why we are initiating a hand safety campaign to highlight this crucial aspect of safety and well-being for all Covia Team Members. This initiative underscores the significance of safeguarding our hands, as they are essential tools in all our tasks – protecting them is vital for maintaining a thriving and secure workplace environment.

In the upcoming months, Covia will offer a variety of resources for our teams to use, including articles, presentations, and interactive training sessions on various key hand safety topics. These resources aim to spark discussions across the company, empowering each employee to take proactive measures in preventing hand injuries.

Hand injuries can be avoided, but it requires effort and cooperation. At Covia, we are committed to meeting this challenge head-on.

To gain further insights into Covia’s Hand Safety Campaign, we invite you to watch this video presentation. For more information about Covia’s commitment to Safety and Health, click here.

For English Version click here

April 10, 2024 /3BL/ – Representantes del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos a través del World Environment Center (WEC) y sus socios: el Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC), Baastel y la Red de Innovación e Impacto (LaRed), llevaron a cabo el lanzamiento de la tercera y última edición del concurso “Empower Innovation Challenge” (EIC) en abril del 2024. 

Desde el año 2023, WEC y sus aliados estratégicos desarrollan el Empower Innovation Challenge (EIC), cuya meta es fortalecer 24 organizaciones con fondos no reembolsables a través de esta serie de concursos y pasarán a formar parte de un conglomerado de negocios que fomenta la competitividad en Latinoamérica denominado: “La RED de Innovación e Impacto” (La RED). 

El Empower Innovation Challenge (EIC) es un concurso único de innovación dirigido a organizaciones sin fines de lucro que estén enfocadas en fortalecer a las Micro, Pequeñas y Medianas empresas lideradas por mujeres (MIPYMEs), con el fin de lograr un crecimiento económico inclusivo a través de soluciones locales especializadas en economías verdes y azules para Latinoamérica y el Caribe.

El EIC ofrece pequeñas subvenciones por organización, para fortalecer proyectos que puedan escalarse y ampliar su alcance a través de capacitaciones, acceso a redes de contactos y oportunidades de asociación con empresas locales e internacionales.

El período de postulación de este tercer y último concurso está abierto desde el 1 de abril hasta el 28 de junio del 2024. Puede descargar las instrucciones y formatos del EIC en la página web https://www.eiclared.org/ 

Las organizaciones postulantes deben desarrollar proyectos en alguno de estos 10 países de Latinoamérica: Belice, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panamá, República Dominicana, Colombia, Perú y Ecuador.

Los proyectos que participen pueden ser de Organizaciones privadas sin fines de lucro, Organizaciones No Gubernamentales Sin Fines de Lucro (fundaciones, organizaciones de la sociedad civil, asociaciones, centros de producción más limpia, entre otros), Universidades e instituciones de educación superior privadas sin fines de lucro. 

Los sectores hacia los cuales va dirigido el concurso varían desde la agricultura, pesca, turismo sostenible, tecnologías de servicios creativos, manufactura ligera y pequeña, así como textiles, entre otros.

La más reciente premiación del segundo concurso se llevó a cabo en enero pasado donde ocho iniciativas resultaron ganadoras. Los beneficiarios del segundo concurso fueron:

Asociación Cooperativa de Ahorro, Crédito y Comercialización “Mujeres Dispuestas a Triunfar” (ACOMUDT)- El Salvador: “Iniciativas productivas de la zona norte”

Asociación Guatemalteca de Exportadores (AGEXPORT)- Guatemala: “MIPYMEs sostenibles”

Cámara de Comercio, Agricultura y Turismo Chiriquí (CAMCHI)- Panamá: “Crecimiento Empresarial para Mujeres Emprendedoras”

Comunidades de la Tierra (WAKAMI)- Guatemala: “Fortalecimiento de las cadenas de valor en Guatemala”

Empresa Campesina Agroindustrial de la Reforma Agraria de Intibucá (ECARAI)- Honduras: “Cerrando la brecha del mercado justo para la producción sostenible de hortalizas de las mujeres indígenas Lena de Honduras”

Libélula para el Cambio Global- Perú: “Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs from the Green and Blue Economies project (OMEEVA)”

Rural Commerce- Ecuador: “Innovación y Red Sostenible para Mujeres Rurales”

Travolution- Colombia: “Fomento de Mujeres para el Turismo Sostenible”

Los recursos para poner en marcha este proyecto provienen de uno de los fondos del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos denominado el Fondo GEEA (Acción Global para la Igualdad y Equidad de Género), e implementado por la Oficina de Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental, Oficina de Planificación y Coordinación de Políticas (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Office of Policy Planning and Coordination, WHA, por sus siglas en inglés).

Breve descripción de los proyectos ganadores: 

ACOMUDT (EL SALVADOR): Su propuesta consiste en ampliar, fortalecer y comercializar tres iniciativas productivas amigables con el medio ambiente y con enfoque de género. Uno de los objetivos es ampliar la producción. Capacitar a las beneficiarias en el adecuado manejo de sus actividades productivas del sector apícola. Los resultados esperados son una mejor interacción con el medio ambiente, la mejora económica de las personas involucradas y la difusión y comercialización de los productos obtenidos.

AGEXPORT (GUATEMALA): A través de su proyecto se proponen mejorar la competitividad de las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas lideradas por mujeres exportadoras o que participan en las cadenas de valor, a través de la adaptación de la cultura empresarial a favor de la sostenibilidad y la inclusión.

CAMCHI (PANAMÁ): La implementación de este proyecto busca promover el crecimiento de las unidades productivas bajo un enfoque de cierre de brechas, identificadas a partir de un autodiagnóstico, a partir del cual se establecen los respectivos planes de acción o planes de negocios individuales. Estas acciones de mejora son el resultado de la consulta de expertos temáticos y empresarios. Para lograr lo anterior, se implementará una hoja de ruta que incluirá talleres de capacitación, asistencia técnica individual y eventos de relación financiera. El trabajo estará enfocado en los siguientes temas: Administrativo Financiero, Marketing y comercialización, Gestión productiva, Capital humano y Sostenibilidad ambiental.

Comunidades de la Tierra (GUATEMALA): El proyecto tiene como objetivo fortalecer la cadena de valor artesanal de KIKOTEM, propiedad de las empresas certificadas B-Corp Wakami y Cemaco. A través de capacitación administrativa y productiva específica, el proyecto se enfoca en elevar la productividad, fomentar el acceso al mercado y establecer sistemas de trazabilidad alineados con los principios de B-Corp.

ECARAI (HONDURAS): Esta iniciativa tiene como objetivo empoderar a las mujeres y contribuir a mejorar su calidad de vida, a través de sistemas de producción más limpios que les permitan cuidar el medio ambiente y su salud, mejorar la disponibilidad de alimentos saludables. Asímismo, generar rentabilidad a través del acceso a nichos de mercado justo que valoren su esfuerzo; en una relación comercial ganar-ganar, a través de acuerdos entre las iniciativas privadas del Mercado Local (Restaurantes, Hoteles, supermercados). 

Libélula para el Cambio Global (PERÚ): El objetivo del proyecto ‘Oportunidades para Mujeres Emprendedoras de las Economías Verdes y Azules (OMEEVA)’ es doble: ayudar a 50 mujeres líderes de MIPYMEs verdes o azules del Perú a adquirir capacidades de gestión y liderazgo, prácticas de género y preparación para el cambio climático, además de respaldar las herramientas digitales necesarias para ayudarles a hacer crecer su negocio de manera exitosa y sostenible. En segundo lugar, es promover el uso de las herramientas de diagnóstico digital para el avance de las MIPYMES consolidadas por el proyecto apoyando a los participantes y socios de OMEEVA para promoverlo en comunidades más amplias.

Rural Commerce (ECUADOR): El proyecto tiene como objetivo establecer un ecosistema de apoyo para las mujeres rurales dedicadas a la agricultura familiar, en particular las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas (MIPYMES). Este proyecto se centra en alinear la producción con las tendencias del mercado y las prácticas climáticamente inteligentes a través de la digitalización democrática. Una red sólida maximiza la eficiencia de las herramientas y apoya a las mujeres emprendedoras rurales. Las tecnologías rentables de América Latina impulsan mejoras comerciales. Los resultados incluyen una mayor eficiencia de los recursos, una participación diversificada en el mercado, mayores ingresos, una mayor seguridad alimentaria y una reducción del desperdicio de alimentos debido al acceso limitado. Acceder a industrias comunitarias implica seguir la guía del proyecto.

Travolution (COLOMBIA): El proyecto tiene como objetivo crear, fortalecer y consolidar una red de mujeres líderes y emprendedoras en el área de turismo comunitario, cuidadoras del agua, de los mantos acuíferos y de sus territorios, en 7 departamentos de Colombia representando a 10 organizaciones de base social que constituyen el público meta del proyecto.

Para mayor información acerca de la iniciativa visite: https://www.eiclared.org/ y https://laredinnovacionimpacto.com/

Acerca de La Red de Innovación e Impacto (La Red)

La Red es una iniciativa que reúne a organizaciones, sin fines de lucro y con fines de lucro, para apoyar a MIPYMES con el fin de promover el crecimiento económico sostenible y la prosperidad en Latinoamérica y el Caribe (ALC). La Red nació en 2014 a través de un proceso de selección de organizaciones que han venido acelerando el desarrollo de negocios sostenibles y promoviendo el crecimiento económico en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. El proyecto fue financiado por el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos y ejecutado por el Centro Mundial del Medio Ambiente (WEC) y sus socios Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel) y RioSlum Studio hasta junio de 2021. A partir de julio 2021, La Red se sustenta a través del liderazgo de sus propias organizaciones miembros y coordinada por el Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC) de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso en Chile.

Acerca del World Environment Center (WEC)

WEC es una organización sin fines de lucro neutral, independiente, global, que fomenta el desarrollo sostenible a través de las operaciones de sus empresas miembros y en alianza con gobiernos, organizaciones multilaterales, organizaciones no gubernamentales, universidades y otras partes interesadas. La misión de WEC es promover los negocios y su valor social fomentando soluciones a problemas relacionados con el desarrollo sostenible.

Acerca de Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC)

NBC de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, es un Centro de I+D+i integrado por académicos y profesionales de excelencia, con más de 10 años de experiencia en desarrollo tecnológico, innovación y transferencia tecnológica en el área de ciencia y tecnología. El NBC busca hacer que las empresas sean más productivas, sostenibles y competitivas, visualizándose en tres años como un centro de referencia para apoyar a las pymes para que puedan aumentar su competitividad. NBCWe desarrolla tendencias innovadoras para afrontar los nuevos retos económicos, sociales y medioambientales para que mañana vivamos en un mundo más sostenible.

Acerca de Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel)

Baastel está reconocido por sus servicios de calidad en Monitoreo y Evaluación (M&E), Gestión Basada en Resultados (GBR), planificación estratégica, gestión de proyectos y programas y construcción de capacidad individual e institucional en estas áreas. La reputación sobresaliente de Baastel en la industria se ha estado construyendo sobre un historial de éxitos nacionales e internacionales y experiencia respaldada por la atención al detalle, calidad, transparencia y neutralidad. 

Versión en español

April 10, 2024 /3BL/ – The World Environment Center (WEC), and its partners, the Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC) and Baastel, launched the third and final competition of the “Empower Innovation Challenge” (EIC) in April, 2024.

Since 2023, WEC and its strategic partners have been implementing the Empower Innovation Challenge (EIC) to strengthen 24 organizations through a series of online competitions. The winning organizations receive small grants and become part of a business conglomerate that promotes competitiveness in Latin America and the Caribbean called “La RED de Innovación e Impacto”.

The Empower Innovation Challenge is a unique competition that identifies and awards innovative nonprofit organizations that manage projects benefiting micro, small, and medium-sized (MSMEs) enterprises led by women. It aims to achieve more sustainable and inclusive growth by generating local solutions that support green and blue economies in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The EIC offers small grants to strengthen projects that can be scaled and extend their scope through training and access to network opportunities with local and international stakeholders.

The application period for this third and final competition is now open from April 1 through June 28, 2024. To learn more or apply, visit: https://www.eiclared.org

Qualified organizations that wish to apply must be from one of the following ten countries: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.

The participating projects may come from non-profit organizations and institutions in general: civil society organizations, educational institutions, centers focused on developing small businesses, and organizations dedicated to implementing and promoting cleaner production.

The sectors targeted by the competition range from agriculture, fishing, sustainable tourism, creative services technologies, light and small manufacturing, as well as textiles.

The most recent award ceremony took place last January, when eight organizations were awarded as the winners of the second challenge. The eight winning organizations are:

ACOMUDT- El Salvador: “Iniciativas productivas de la zona norte”AGEXPORT- Guatemala: “MIPYMEs sostenibles”CAMCHI- Panamá: “Crecimiento Empresarial para Mujeres Emprendedoras”Comunidades de la Tierra- Guatemala: “Fortalecimiento de las cadenas de valor en Guatemala”ECARAI- Honduras: “Cerrando la brecha del mercado justo para la producción sostenible de hortalizas de las mujeres indígenas Lena de Honduras”Libélula para el Cambio Global- Perú: “Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs from the Green and Blue Economies project (OMEEVA)”Rural Commerce- Ecuador: “Innovación y Red Sostenible para Mujeres Rurales”Travolution- Colombia: “Fomento de Mujeres para el Turismo Sostenible”

This initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) through the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) 2021 Global Equity and Equality Action (GEEA) Fund and implemented by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Policy Planning Coordination Office (WHA/PPC).

Brief description of the awardees’ projects: 

ACOMUDT (EL SALVADOR): The project consists of expanding, strengthening, and marketing of a beekeeping productive initiative to be economically self-sustainable while integrating the gender perspective. The expected results are a better interaction with the environment, the economic improvement of the people involved, and the dissemination and marketing of the products obtained.AGEXPORT (GUATEMALA): The project aims to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs led by women exporters and/or those involved in value chains by adapting the business culture to favor sustainability and social inclusion.CAMCHI (PANAMA): The implementation of this project seeks to promote the growth of productive units under a gap-closing approach, identified from a self-diagnosis, from which the respective business plans are established. A road map will be implemented to achieve the expected results, including training workshops, individual technical assistance, and financial relationship events. The work will focus on the following topics: Administrative Finance, Marketing and Commercialization, Productive Management, Human Capital, and Environmental Sustainability.Comunidades de la Tierra (GUATEMALA): The project aims to strengthen the KIKOTEM artisanal value chain, owned by the certified companies B-Corp Wakami and Cemaco. Through specific administrative, production, and gender training, the project focuses on increasing productivity, promoting market access, and establishing traceability systems aligned with B-Corp principles.ECARAI (HONDURAS) – The project aims to empower MSMEs led by women by implementing cleaner production systems while also improving their quality of life and well-being. As part of the project, women-led MSMEs will raise their profitability, safeguard their health, preserve the environment, and improve the availability of healthy foods in their communities. In addition, it aims to generate market niches and fair financial returns for MSMEs led by women.Libélula para el Cambio Global (PERU)– The goal of the project is twofold. First, the project aims to support 50 MSMEs led by women of green or blue in Peru by strengthening their management and leadership capabilities, gender practices, and preparedness for climate change. Additionally, the project will support them with digital tools that will enable them to expand their businesses successfully and sustainably. Second, the project wants to promote the OMEEVA toolkit – a collection of digital tools for MSEMs- in wider communities through participants and partners.Rural Commerce (ECUADOR): The project aims to support the development of a sustainable ecosystem for rural women engaged in family farming, particularly MSMEs. Through democratic digitization, this project aligns production with market trends and the best climate-smart practices. The expected results are increased resource efficiency, diversified market share, higher incomes, improved food security, and reduced food waste due to limited access.Travolution (COLOMBIA): The project aims to generate a network of women leaders and entrepreneurs in the sustainable tourism sector. The project wants to make optimal use of water and positively impact the territories of seven departments of Colombia, representing ten grassroots organizations that constitute the project’s target audience.

For more information about the initiative visit: https://www.eiclared.org & https://laredinnovacionimpacto.com/.

For additional information please contact: 

WEC Team info@wec.org

About La RED de Innovación e Impacto (La RED)

La RED is an initiative that brings together nonprofit and for-profit organizations to support MSMEs in order to promote sustainable economic growth and prosperity in LAC. La RED was born in 2014 through a selection process of organizations that have been accelerating the development of sustainable business and promoting economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) and implemented by WEC and its partners Le Groupe-conseil Baastel ltée (Baastel) and RioSlum Studio until June 2021. As of July 2021, La RED is supported through the leadership of its own member organizations and coordinated by NBC of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Chile.

About World Environment Center (WEC)

WEC is an independent, global nonprofit, non-advocacy organization that promotes sustainable development through the business practices and operations of its member companies and in partnership with governments, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities and other stakeholders. WEC’s mission is to promote business and its social value by advancing solutions to sustainable development related problems.

About Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC)

NBC of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso is an R+D+i Center integrated by academics and professionals of excellence, with more than 10 years of experience in technological development, innovation and technology transfer in the area of science and technology. NBC seeks to make companies more productive, sustainable and competitive, visualizing itself in three years as a reference center to support Small and Mid-size Enterprises (SMEs) so they can increase their competitiveness. NBC develops innovative trends to face new economic, social and environmental challenges so we will live in a more sustainable world tomorrow.

About Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel)

Baastel is recognized for its quality services in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Results Based Management (RBM), strategic planning, project and program management, and individual and institutional capacity building in these areas. Baastel’s outstanding reputation in the industry is built on a track record of international and national successes and expertise that is backed by attention to detail, quality, transparency and neutrality.

Originally published in Qualcomm’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

This past year we launched the Africa Innovation Platform, a suite of mentorship, education and training programs created to support the development of Africa’s emerging technology ecosystem. The platform provides resources and support for local universities, small-to-medium sized startups and grant participants, exposing them to Qualcomm engineers and our state-of-the-art capabilities for mobile platforms and technologies, including 4G, 5G, IoT, AI and machine learning.

We have engaged governments, trade associations and other key stakeholders across the continent, and we collaborated with the African Telecommunications Union to launch the Africa Innovation Platform. This platform includes:

Qualcomm® Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program
An equity-free mentorship program that has identified promising early-stage startups keen on applying advanced connectivity and processing technologies to innovative endto-end systems solutions. We also provide these companies with business coaching, access to engineering consultation for product development and guidance on protecting IP.

Qualcomm Africa University Relations Program
This program bolsters the research and educational capabilities of select African universities, research labs and students by providing them with learning platforms, associated trainings and Qualcomm developer kits. The program also works with university faculty to develop courses and lab curricula. Qualcomm Academy plans to expand its 5G University Training Program to students at select African universities. The students will be able to receive 5G training and certification from industry-leading engineers. In 2023, Qualcomm Academy formed partnerships with companies and universities in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda, Zambia and Egypt, with the goal of training engineers across the continent.

Wireless Reach
Since 2007, our Wireless Reach initiative has invested in Africa, including a collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union’s Development Bureau. This collaboration focuses on building foundational digital skills for youth, with the aim of fostering the early stage of the talent pipeline to drive digital, inclusive economic transformation across the continent.

Learn more about how Qualcomm is driving innovation, societal advancement and sustainability in the 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report