Tag: 3BL

Originally published on GoDaddy Newsroom

TEMPE, Ariz., April 3, 2024 /3BL/ — New research from GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY) shows that entrepreneurs are quickly embracing generative AI (GenAI) and increasingly using the rapidly evolving technology to run and grow their small businesses. 

GoDaddy’s January survey of over 500 U.S. small business owners found that they expect GenAI to give them a competitive edge over other small or similar-sized businesses (75%) and anticipate it will also allow them to better compete with larger businesses (68%).  

GenAI usage among entrepreneurs is on the rise, with 73% of survey respondents indicating they have tried the technology, and 26% of those using it for business purposes. This is a drastic increase from GoDaddy’s inaugural survey of U.S. small businesses on GenAI*, published in May 2023, which revealed only 38% of respondents had used GenAI at that time. Of those, only 11% had tried applying GenAI to their business. 

In GoDaddy’s 2024 survey, small business operators’ satisfaction and consistency using GenAI for their business remained consistently high (78%) – the same as in 2023 (78%).  

Small businesses are also experimenting with how they’re using GenAI tools. Outside of content creation or marketing, entrepreneurs are increasingly leveraging it to help boost sales for their business (44% in 2024 vs 22% in 2023).  

“We’re at the beginning of the AI revolution and small businesses are already taking advantage of the technology, which is really unprecedented,” said Amy Jennette, senior director of marketing at GoDaddy. “Small businesses usually lag big business in getting the most out of cutting-edge tech, but with easy-to-use GenAI and solutions like GoDaddy Airo, the playing field is finally leveling out.” 

Much has been written about concerns around AI technology, however GoDaddy’s survey found that apprehension is low among small business owners. Only 1 in 10 respondents believed GenAI could do their job better than them. Similarly, 89% said they are not worried about negative consequences associated with using AI technology for their business – a rise from May 2023 (83%).   

Looking ahead, entrepreneurs are feeling optimistic about the future, with 47% sharing enthusiasm about their business overall.  

“Small business owners expect to save more than $4,000 and 300 hours of work this year using generative AI,” Jennette said. “The best part about this is we’re at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s possible with GenAI.” 

On Feb. 26, GoDaddy unveiled its AI-powered solution that makes leveraging the power of AI easy for anyone. In mere minutes, GoDaddy Airo™ can help entrepreneurs start a business or take their existing one to the next level, with no tech skills required, by automatically generating a logo, website, email, payment capabilities, social posts and more.  

To learn more about GoDaddy Airo™, visit www.godaddy.com/airo.

To explore the survey results, visit www.godaddy.com/ventureforward/spring-2024-generative-ai-survey-results. 

About GoDaddy 
GoDaddy helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers, sell their products and services and accept payments online and in-person. GoDaddy’s easy-to-use tools help small business owners manage everything in one place and its expert guides are available to provide assistance 24/7. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com. 

*January 2024 (Total Surveyed: 504) and April 2023 (Total Surveyed: 1,003) 

Source: GoDaddy Inc. 

Originally published on GoDaddy Newsroom

TEMPE, Ariz., April 3, 2024 /3BL/ — New research from GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY) shows that entrepreneurs are quickly embracing generative AI (GenAI) and increasingly using the rapidly evolving technology to run and grow their small businesses. 

GoDaddy’s January survey of over 500 U.S. small business owners found that they expect GenAI to give them a competitive edge over other small or similar-sized businesses (75%) and anticipate it will also allow them to better compete with larger businesses (68%).  

GenAI usage among entrepreneurs is on the rise, with 73% of survey respondents indicating they have tried the technology, and 26% of those using it for business purposes. This is a drastic increase from GoDaddy’s inaugural survey of U.S. small businesses on GenAI*, published in May 2023, which revealed only 38% of respondents had used GenAI at that time. Of those, only 11% had tried applying GenAI to their business. 

In GoDaddy’s 2024 survey, small business operators’ satisfaction and consistency using GenAI for their business remained consistently high (78%) – the same as in 2023 (78%).  

Small businesses are also experimenting with how they’re using GenAI tools. Outside of content creation or marketing, entrepreneurs are increasingly leveraging it to help boost sales for their business (44% in 2024 vs 22% in 2023).  

“We’re at the beginning of the AI revolution and small businesses are already taking advantage of the technology, which is really unprecedented,” said Amy Jennette, senior director of marketing at GoDaddy. “Small businesses usually lag big business in getting the most out of cutting-edge tech, but with easy-to-use GenAI and solutions like GoDaddy Airo, the playing field is finally leveling out.” 

Much has been written about concerns around AI technology, however GoDaddy’s survey found that apprehension is low among small business owners. Only 1 in 10 respondents believed GenAI could do their job better than them. Similarly, 89% said they are not worried about negative consequences associated with using AI technology for their business – a rise from May 2023 (83%).   

Looking ahead, entrepreneurs are feeling optimistic about the future, with 47% sharing enthusiasm about their business overall.  

“Small business owners expect to save more than $4,000 and 300 hours of work this year using generative AI,” Jennette said. “The best part about this is we’re at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s possible with GenAI.” 

On Feb. 26, GoDaddy unveiled its AI-powered solution that makes leveraging the power of AI easy for anyone. In mere minutes, GoDaddy Airo™ can help entrepreneurs start a business or take their existing one to the next level, with no tech skills required, by automatically generating a logo, website, email, payment capabilities, social posts and more.  

To learn more about GoDaddy Airo™, visit www.godaddy.com/airo.

To explore the survey results, visit www.godaddy.com/ventureforward/spring-2024-generative-ai-survey-results. 

About GoDaddy 
GoDaddy helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers, sell their products and services and accept payments online and in-person. GoDaddy’s easy-to-use tools help small business owners manage everything in one place and its expert guides are available to provide assistance 24/7. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com. 

*January 2024 (Total Surveyed: 504) and April 2023 (Total Surveyed: 1,003) 

Source: GoDaddy Inc. 

Tax season is a time when scammers are on high alert — which means you should be too. The IRS warns of upticks in scams meant to deceive individuals, businesses and tax professionals, but fear not — we’ve got your back! Meet Carrie Kerskie, the identity theft security expert extraordinaire. As the president of the renowned Kerskie Group and author of the eye-opening book Your Public Identity: Because Nothing is Private Anymore, she’s a pro at sharing how people can keep their identities safe from those pesky scammers. She’s also the host of the super informative podcast “Privacy Mentor,” where she spills all the secrets on how to outsmart those fraudsters.

“This stuff can be overwhelming to people,” she says. “In 15 years of meeting with victims, I’ve worked with people who’ve seen their entire life savings gone overnight. It can be devastating. With these types of crimes, it feels like you’re being played by a ghost,” Carrie adds. “You never know who did it. You don’t know how they got your information. You don’t know where they are.”

Here are some of Carrie’s top tips to stay one step ahead of these sneaky criminals.

Prioritize your privacy. Make it tough for the bad guys by using strong and unique passwords with at least 12 characters. When it comes to PINs, opt for random numbers and take advantage of extra security measures. Adding multi-factor authentication to your apps and accounts adds an extra layer of protection against potential threats.Leverage the resources available to you. Take advantage of the free anti-fraud safeguards provided by your mobile carrier. For example, T-Mobile’s Scam Shield offers enhanced caller ID, scam ID and blocking, which helps identify and block suspicious calls. Download the app and simply follow these steps to get all the protections! T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers can download the Scam Shield app for free on the App Store or Google Play. To learn more about how T-Mobile helps protect customers from scammers, check out the 2023 Scam and Robocall Report.Report anything suspicious or fraudulent. You can report phishing emails or websites to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov, or report phone scams to the FCC at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. You can also file complaints with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Smishing texts, the text version of phishing emails, have become increasingly popular. If you receive a suspicious text, don’t click on any links or reply. T-Mobile customers can forward Smishing texts to 7726, a service that screens out these types of messages.

Validate a sender’s information. When encountering any potential threat via email, text, letter or phone call, it’s crucial to confirm its authenticity or legitimacy. If it seems suspicious, it’s best to discard it, block the number or email address, and report it as spam or junk mail. Also, don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown or suspicious sources. They could contain malware or viruses that could compromise your device or data. And remember that the IRS — and many reputable companies — will never initiate contact via phone, email or social media to request personal or financial information or immediate payment. If you owe taxes, you will receive a bill in the mail, and you can pay online or by mail using the official IRS website or address.

Get even more last minute tax season tips from financial experts helping you learn ways to make the most of your tax return HERE.

Tax season is a time when scammers are on high alert — which means you should be too. The IRS warns of upticks in scams meant to deceive individuals, businesses and tax professionals, but fear not — we’ve got your back! Meet Carrie Kerskie, the identity theft security expert extraordinaire. As the president of the renowned Kerskie Group and author of the eye-opening book Your Public Identity: Because Nothing is Private Anymore, she’s a pro at sharing how people can keep their identities safe from those pesky scammers. She’s also the host of the super informative podcast “Privacy Mentor,” where she spills all the secrets on how to outsmart those fraudsters.

“This stuff can be overwhelming to people,” she says. “In 15 years of meeting with victims, I’ve worked with people who’ve seen their entire life savings gone overnight. It can be devastating. With these types of crimes, it feels like you’re being played by a ghost,” Carrie adds. “You never know who did it. You don’t know how they got your information. You don’t know where they are.”

Here are some of Carrie’s top tips to stay one step ahead of these sneaky criminals.

Prioritize your privacy. Make it tough for the bad guys by using strong and unique passwords with at least 12 characters. When it comes to PINs, opt for random numbers and take advantage of extra security measures. Adding multi-factor authentication to your apps and accounts adds an extra layer of protection against potential threats.Leverage the resources available to you. Take advantage of the free anti-fraud safeguards provided by your mobile carrier. For example, T-Mobile’s Scam Shield offers enhanced caller ID, scam ID and blocking, which helps identify and block suspicious calls. Download the app and simply follow these steps to get all the protections! T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers can download the Scam Shield app for free on the App Store or Google Play. To learn more about how T-Mobile helps protect customers from scammers, check out the 2023 Scam and Robocall Report.Report anything suspicious or fraudulent. You can report phishing emails or websites to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov, or report phone scams to the FCC at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. You can also file complaints with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Smishing texts, the text version of phishing emails, have become increasingly popular. If you receive a suspicious text, don’t click on any links or reply. T-Mobile customers can forward Smishing texts to 7726, a service that screens out these types of messages.

Validate a sender’s information. When encountering any potential threat via email, text, letter or phone call, it’s crucial to confirm its authenticity or legitimacy. If it seems suspicious, it’s best to discard it, block the number or email address, and report it as spam or junk mail. Also, don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown or suspicious sources. They could contain malware or viruses that could compromise your device or data. And remember that the IRS — and many reputable companies — will never initiate contact via phone, email or social media to request personal or financial information or immediate payment. If you owe taxes, you will receive a bill in the mail, and you can pay online or by mail using the official IRS website or address.

Get even more last minute tax season tips from financial experts helping you learn ways to make the most of your tax return HERE.

Two accomplished Franklin Templeton leaders— President and CEO Jenny Johnson; Sonal Desai, CIO, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income—were selected for Barron’s fifth annual list of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance.

The list honors women who have achieved positions of prominence in the financial services industry and are helping to shape its future. The list, chosen by a panel of Barron’s writers and editors, is based on external and internal nominations, and includes executives at major U.S. companies, investment managers and securities analysts, and public servants and policy makers. All are based in the U.S.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Johnson and Desai have been named to the list, having been selected each year since the list was introduced in 2020.

Franklin Templeton did not provide compensation to Barron’s for the ranking.

View the full 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance feature here.

Sonal Desai

CIO, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income

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Jenny Johnson

President and CEO, Franklin Templeton

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About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is an international investment management firm with subsidiaries that operates as Franklin Templeton serving clients in more than 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s goal is to help clients achieve better outcomes through expertise in investment management, wealth management, and technology solutions. Thanks to its specialized investment managers, the company has developed expertise in all major asset classes on a global scale – including equities, fixed income, alternative solutions and custom multi-asset solutions. With offices in over 30 countries and over 1,400 investment professionals, the California-based firm has over 75 years of investment experience and approximately $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of February 29, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Two accomplished Franklin Templeton leaders— President and CEO Jenny Johnson; Sonal Desai, CIO, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income—were selected for Barron’s fifth annual list of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance.

The list honors women who have achieved positions of prominence in the financial services industry and are helping to shape its future. The list, chosen by a panel of Barron’s writers and editors, is based on external and internal nominations, and includes executives at major U.S. companies, investment managers and securities analysts, and public servants and policy makers. All are based in the U.S.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Johnson and Desai have been named to the list, having been selected each year since the list was introduced in 2020.

Franklin Templeton did not provide compensation to Barron’s for the ranking.

View the full 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance feature here.

Sonal Desai

CIO, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income

View profile.

Jenny Johnson

President and CEO, Franklin Templeton

View profile.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is an international investment management firm with subsidiaries that operates as Franklin Templeton serving clients in more than 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s goal is to help clients achieve better outcomes through expertise in investment management, wealth management, and technology solutions. Thanks to its specialized investment managers, the company has developed expertise in all major asset classes on a global scale – including equities, fixed income, alternative solutions and custom multi-asset solutions. With offices in over 30 countries and over 1,400 investment professionals, the California-based firm has over 75 years of investment experience and approximately $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of February 29, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Committed to Stewardship

Sustainably managed private working forests are healthy and resilient and provide forest habitat that supports a significant amount of the forest species. Our forest stewardship commitments include the responsibility to conserve wildlife species and their habitats.

CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY

Forests are diverse ecological systems with habitats for plants, animals, and organisms. Active forest management is a valuable tool for creating and maintaining a wide range of biodiversity benefits, enabling forests to stay healthy and productive. Across a landscape, a mosaic of forest ages from recently harvested to old-growth can be maintained – these forests in turn support long-term viability of wildlife species, plants, and biodiversity. At a broader scale, managed forests can provide habitat connectivity and help maintain and enlarge intact forested areas.

Markets for forest products provide an incentive to conserve forests as forests compared to alternative land uses that are not as beneficial to water quality, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration and recreation. Healthy and vigorously managed forests are also less susceptible to catastrophic loss from insects, disease, and wildfire.

Our commitment to conserving biodiversity on our forest lands is based on this recognition that well-managed working forest lands provide a broad range of habitats for aquatic, avian, and terrestrial biodiversity. Four main components comprise our approach to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity: (1) landscape-level management; (2) stand-level diversity; (3) protection of ecologically unique sites or species; and (4) research.

We provide habitat diversity at the landscape level by utilizing stand size and age class adjacency restrictions for final harvest, identifying streamside management zones, maintaining a diversity of cover types, and replanting native species. The managed landscape provides a mixture of forest structure, age classes, and cover types, intermingled with less intensively managed riparian areas and embedded conservation of unique sites. Diverse working forest landscapes provide abundant habitat for large ungulates such as deer, elk and moose and a wide diversity of birds such as red-bellied woodpeckers, prairie warblers and wild turkeys.

We achieve stand-level diversity that enhances habitat for a variety of wildlife species through site-specific forest management including planning, implementation, and evaluation. Stand level diversity techniques include retaining unharvested areas, retention of den trees or snags, retention of slash piles, utilizing irregularly shaped openings, and protection of non-forested areas such as glades, meadows, and non-forested wetlands. We identify sites with species or communities that are unique, rare, or listed as federally threatened or endangered through exchange of data with state natural heritage programs, NatureServe, state wildlife agencies, and by internal discovery. Site locations are then mapped and included in our Land Resource Manager system. Foresters use this proprietary, real-time information when preparing detailed harvest plans to ensure these unique features are incorporated into our management plans. PotlatchDeltic has a long and continuing commitment to investing in and utilizing research to improve biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. We actively participate in and fund research with NCASI, universities, and fish and wildlife organizations to understand habitat and biodiversity response to forest management and then integrate research findings into our management. In addition, we actively advocate for laws and regulations that protect fish and wildlife and promote practical approaches that recognize the benefits of working forest lands.

Working at the console that runs the glass coating line at the Guardian Glass manufacturing facility in Geneva, New York, is an intense job. It requires extreme focus and the ability to problem-solve in real time as giant sheets of glass make their way through the football-field-sized coating machine.

“One of the engineers we used to have said it reminded him of what you’d expect in an air traffic control tower,” says console operator Dean Stephany.

He’s worked at the Geneva Guardian plant for more than 20 years. That’s given him a lot of practical knowledge, which he recently used to help improve a part of the coating process and reduce the amount of defective glass produced. This is an example applying the principle of personal knowledge. While it takes an enormous team of talented engineers, operators and office staff working together to allow the plant to produce more than 200,000 tons of float glass a year, Dean’s actions show that personal knowledge can make a huge difference.

Fewer coatings, more debris

A few years ago, the engineers and operators on the coating line recognized there was a recurring quality problem every time the machine transitioned from one specific coating recipe to another.

Coater process engineer Nancy Bassett wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, but she had a hypothesis. ClimaGuard® 80/71 is a single silver coating and doesn’t use all the different materials the coater is capable of applying. Nancy believed when they shut off the chambers that contained material that didn’t need to be applied, the chambers would cool down. As they cooled, excess material that had built up on the walls and various other parts inside of the machine would begin to release and flake off onto the passing glass.

“[These flakes] basically form debris voids in the coating,” Nancy says. “This became a big problem after startup. Each time, we would lose a lot of glass to this debris.”

It could take as long as two hours for the debris from the unused parts of the coater to stop flaking off and ruining the glass.

That’s two hours of hearing the near-constant sound of shattering glass as defective pieces would crash and break into bins near the end of the production line.

The issue caused this specific coating to have some of the lowest yield numbers, or the amount of usable glass coming out at the end of the process versus what was put in, of any of the products they made.

Even though they had a pretty good idea of what was happening — unused chambers would cool, causing built-up material to flake off onto the glass — there wasn’t an easy or obvious solution.

Practical knowledge, useful solutions

In his role as a console operator, Dean wanted to find the best way to produce glass. It pushed him to look for ways to reduce the amount of glass wasted due to debris. He had an idea — maybe if they could cool the unused chambers faster, they could reduce the amount of time it took for all the debris to fall off.

Dean wasn’t sure how to do that, though. The whole coating process is done in a near vacuum — no air pressure and very little oxygen — so installing fans would cause several other problems.

Then, Dean recalled another process he’d learned at the plant that might hold the solution. Sometimes, when there’s a mechanical problem or issue, glass has to stop inside of the coater. If it sits in there for too long, heat can build up in it, and the glass will warp. To prevent this, the team flows more argon gas, a basic and crucial part of the coating process already, into the chamber. Dean wondered if that could work here, too.

He took this idea to Nancy and Bryce Corsner, another one of the coating process managers.

“It sounded like a pretty viable idea,” Bryce says. “It’s not going to hurt anything, so let’s go ahead and give it a shot. See what happens and track the results.”

With the engineers on board and the idea approved, it was time to put it to the test.

Dean wasn’t working the shift when the team first tried the new method. He says he expected the first sheets of glass that would come through would have a ton of debris on them, and it would validate his theory. But when he talked to Gabe Baker, the console operator who ran the experiment, he said that wasn’t the case. Dean froze, worrying it might not have worked.

Gabe said even though the first sheets weren’t covered in debris like Dean thought would happen, they ran with a fraction of the amount of loss that they usually saw. The time it took for debris to stop flaking off onto the glass after the transition had been reduced significantly.

Dean got the result he wanted, even if it didn’t happen exactly how he thought it would.

Nancy continued to run analysis and monitor what, if any, yield improvements they were seeing. She found that the amount of loss due to debris decreased by about three-quarters of a percent. That might seem insignificant, but at this scale, even a small improvement can result in major gains.

“Having even a half to 1% yield improvement on it saves us more than 100,000 square feet of glass a year,” she says. “We’ve been doing this for two years, so we’re getting close to a quarter of a million square feet of glass saved by this small process.”

Dean says he’s proud his knowledge and experience contributed to improving the process. He says it’s empowering to know the engineers and supervisors are so open to receiving ideas from people, no matter where they work in the facility.

“From my perspective, not being a chemical engineer, it allowed me to look for a simple solution first because that’s all that was open to me,” he says.

Dean’s background brought different knowledge to the table — a different way of looking at the problem. Exploring the hunches of employees with relevant and practical knowledge can lead to discoveries and better results.

“There’s no harm in trying something,” Bryce says. “Assuming you make sure you’re not endangering the process or doing anything unsafe, then sure, why not? It doesn’t work – OK, fine. I know one more way it doesn’t work.”

Dean’s idea is estimated to save his facility about $65,000 a year. All because he wanted to make a difference, wasn’t afraid to share his ideas and was part of a team that valued his personal knowledge.

The team at Geneva has shared their results and process changes with other Guardian facilities. Now, they say it’s time to move on to the next potential improvement.

“You always want to be continuously improving your process, even if you have to rip it down and start over from scratch,” Nancy says. “OK, we conquered this one. What’s our next biggest problem?”

Latino Leaders magazine has once again named Wesco as one of the best companies for Latinos to work. Latino Leaders made the announcement on March 18, in its January/February edition. Wesco has been named to the list since 2022.

“We are deeply grateful and honored to be recognized as one of the best companies to work for Latinos,” says Darryl Castellano, Vice-President – Global Inclusion, Diversity & Engagement at Wesco. “We’re proud to celebrate the contributions and talents of our Latino employees, whose diverse perspectives enrich our workplace culture every day.”

Each year, Latino Leaders compiles a list of best companies for Latinos, using such criteria as employee diversity, programs to recruit, promote and retain Latinos, ERG programs, and Latino representation in the boardroom and C-Suite level.

Wesco is committed to fostering diversity, inclusion and equitable opportunities within its organization. Wesco celebrates the vast diversity of its team members, suppliers and customers around the world.

You can learn more about Wesco’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion on its website.

As our nation and our company recognize Women’s History Month, I’m drawn to reflect on barriers that exacerbate the gender digital divide. Those barriers have economic and educational impacts, both immediate, and intergenerational.

In 2022, 62% of men around the world regularly used the Internet, while only 57% of women did. In the U.S., those who lack digital skills earn lower incomes — 92% of job postings now require basic digital skills and jobs requiring even one digital skill can earn an average of $8,000 more a year compared to jobs that do not require them. We will not be able to close the gender pay gap unless we acknowledge the need to close the gender digital divide by helping to empower women with the skills and tools necessary to get online.

For many families, a tight budget can be a barrier between them and a reliable home connection. That’s why over a decade ago, Comcast introduced our Internet Essentials program (IE) as a low-cost solution for qualifying households, offering home Internet for as low as $9.99 a month. In D.C., I met Alisha, a single mother of two, who was able to get her family online through IE. With her new home connectivity, she pursued her associate degree to advance her career, and her sons were able to do their homework and apply to college. For her family, their home Internet was what Alisha described as a “game changer,” providing access to education that puts them on a path to success.

Access to a device is another formidable barrier. In Miami, I recently met Fani, an immigrant from Honduras, whose 11-year-old son, Yariel, was unable to do his schoolwork at home because the family did not have a working laptop. Lacking access to a device that can get online is a common barrier to connectivity, but for Fani, the solution was only a partnership away. Over the last four years, through NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprise’s El Poder En Ti initiative and Comcast’s Project UP, we’ve donated a total of 10,000 laptops to Latino-serving organizations — the last 150 were given to Amigos for Kids, a community partner that runs Yariel’s after school program. There, he received a free laptop and he can now complete his schoolwork from the comfort of home. For Yariel, a free laptop opens the door to endless opportunity; for Fani, it’s one less stressor for her to bear.

Another barrier to connectivity is the lack of digital skills. One solution sits with digital navigators—these trusted community members are trained to help get people connected, operate their computer, and navigate the Internet. According to a study by Boston Consulting Group, digital navigators helped increase Internet usage for 85% of the clients they helped get online. Through strategic partnerships, Comcast has supported the deployment of thousands of digital navigators in communities across the country. In Houston, I visited a digital navigator pilot program launched by the city and our local community partner, SER Jobs. There, I met Mary, a retired x-ray technician who enrolled in the digital skills class for seniors. A 29-year breast cancer survivor, Mary is now using her digital skills to help support others in the breast cancer community online.

Connectivity opens new doors to opportunity for everyone. Each new affordable and reliable home connection, each laptop, and each digital navigator are investments in our future. I’m immensely grateful for the partnerships that allow us to address digital equity from every angle, but we can’t do this work alone — we need ongoing collaboration across all sectors.

As we close out Women’s History Month, it is imperative that the public and private sectors continue to work together to ensure access to the knowledge, resources, and technology women need to close the gender digital divide, for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Broderick D. Johnson is Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and Executive Vice President, Digital Equity for Comcast Corporation.