Tag: 3BL

March 18, 2024 /3BL/ – On March 12, 2024, the World Environment Center (WEC) Europe Supervisory Board, elected Margaret O’Gorman as Managing Director of the organization. As President & CEO of the global WEC entity, O’Gorman will now also lead WEC EU to both implement its strategy to deliver thought leadership and capacity building to companies of all sizes and support the ongoing combination with WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council.)  

“I am honored to have been elected as Managing Director of WEC Europe and support its work convening and informing companies on emerging and important environmental sustainability topics,” said O’Gorman, “I am also looking forward to integrating WEC Europe into the efforts to combine WHC and WEC to create a resilient, global non-profit organization driving corporate excellence.”  

“I welcome Margaret as Managing Director of WEC Europe and look forward to working with her to continue the thought leadership efforts which WEC has built over its many decades of operating,” said Graham Lane, Managing Partner, Central Europe & Eurasia at ERM and chair of the Supervisory Board of WEC Europe.

WEC Europe’s signature Global Roundtable Leadership program has plans for member meetings on a variety of topics ranging from water infrastructure to circular economy as both in-person and virtual events in both the US and Europe over the next 12 months.  

“We are excited about the forthcoming combination,” said Frank Werner, Director of WEC Europe, “merging WEC’s and WHC’s missions, strategies and approaches will strengthen outcomes and deliver benefit for people and planet.”

Additionally, at the meeting the Board thanked outgoing Board member, Zoe Haseman, Head of Sustainability – Infrastructure at EQT for her many years of support and service and welcomed Dr Jihane Ball, Lead Sustainability Director EH&S at Dow. Graham Lane, Chair of WEC Europe’s Supervisory Board, was re-elected to his second term on the Supervisory Board. 

March 18, 2024 /3BL/ – On March 12, 2024, the World Environment Center (WEC) Europe Supervisory Board, elected Margaret O’Gorman as Managing Director of the organization. As President & CEO of the global WEC entity, O’Gorman will now also lead WEC EU to both implement its strategy to deliver thought leadership and capacity building to companies of all sizes and support the ongoing combination with WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council.)  

“I am honored to have been elected as Managing Director of WEC Europe and support its work convening and informing companies on emerging and important environmental sustainability topics,” said O’Gorman, “I am also looking forward to integrating WEC Europe into the efforts to combine WHC and WEC to create a resilient, global non-profit organization driving corporate excellence.”  

“I welcome Margaret as Managing Director of WEC Europe and look forward to working with her to continue the thought leadership efforts which WEC has built over its many decades of operating,” said Graham Lane, Managing Partner, Central Europe & Eurasia at ERM and chair of the Supervisory Board of WEC Europe.

WEC Europe’s signature Global Roundtable Leadership program has plans for member meetings on a variety of topics ranging from water infrastructure to circular economy as both in-person and virtual events in both the US and Europe over the next 12 months.  

“We are excited about the forthcoming combination,” said Frank Werner, Director of WEC Europe, “merging WEC’s and WHC’s missions, strategies and approaches will strengthen outcomes and deliver benefit for people and planet.”

Additionally, at the meeting the Board thanked outgoing Board member, Zoe Haseman, Head of Sustainability – Infrastructure at EQT for her many years of support and service and welcomed Dr Jihane Ball, Lead Sustainability Director EH&S at Dow. Graham Lane, Chair of WEC Europe’s Supervisory Board, was re-elected to his second term on the Supervisory Board. 

Originally published on Illumina News Center

In the early days of the pandemic, personal and professional aspects of Carlos D. Bustamante’s life were converging. His daughter had just fallen ill with a post-infectious condition at a time when he was partnering with a team at Stanford University to study why some children recover better from strep infections than others. So when the coronavirus came on the scene, Bustamante, a population geneticist by training, became curious about what patterns could emerge from individuals who contracted the virus and how they recovered. Very quickly, he asked his Stanford colleagues to keep all the coronavirus swabs they collected at the clinic so that he could study the valuable genetic material they held. “I viewed this COVID epidemic as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to follow people longitudinally,” he says. “We could sequence that material and link it to health record data to prospectively follow a person’s progress.”

When it came to collecting genetic samples, Bustamante prioritized diversity. As a Venezuelan American, he recognized the importance of representing Hispanic Latinos adequately in genetic datasets.

“We’ve known that we can do genetic mapping in Latin American populations for over 40 years,” he says, in a nod to the fact that the gene for Huntington disease was discovered in Venezuela. “I wanted to build that map, both for Latin America and for patients suffering from neuropsychiatric, cardiological, or metabolic conditions.”

Later in 2020, Bustamante cofounded Galatea Bio with Nicholas Katsanis and Alexander Ioannidis with the goal of expanding the diversity of genetic datasets beyond European communities to understand health disparities. The Florida-based company partners with organizations across the Americas to access genetic materials from Latin and South American populations to power research. It also offers ancestry-adjusted clinical genetic tests based on proprietary generative AI technology in-licensed from his work as a professor at Stanford and investigator at Chan Zuckerberg Biohub.

When Bustamante started the company, less than 1% of biobank samples that existed worldwide were from Latin American populations. The overwhelming majority—about 90%—were from individuals of European ancestry. And considering that over 650 million Latin Americans represent more than 700 ethnic groups across 33 countries, Bustamante saw the potential to understand and improve their health outcomes.

The genetics of those populations and individuals are recorded in the Biobank of the Americas—a key part of Galatea’s business and vision. The CAP-accredited biobank has the capacity to house 10 million DNA samples. Galatea uses Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and NextSeq 2000 Systems to sequence genomes. In the near future, Bustamante is looking forward to sequencing genomes on Illumina’s newly released NovaSeq X Plus System.

Galatea worked with hospitals that were collecting nasal swabs from patients coming in for COVID-19. These so-called COVID discards were invaluable for Bustamante’s team. The swabs were already stored in a medium that readily allowed researchers to extract and sequence the DNA. The original research team at Stanford and Chan Zuckerberg built an AI/machine learning model that included clinical, genomic, and epidemiological features to predict COVID severity.

Galatea has since expanded to partner with blood banks and hospitals in Colombia, Paraguay, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and throughout Latin America to collect genetic samples. Bustamante is especially interested in using this genetic information to understand how responsive a patient will be to a particular drug. For instance, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans bookend the spectrum when it comes to asthma rates in the Americas: Puerto Ricans have the highest asthma rates while Mexicans have the lowest. Puerto Ricans also have the lowest response to albuterol, which is the most prescribed medication for asthma. Bustamante says that a person’s response to the drug depends on a combination of environment, genes, and possibly epigenetics: “We’re trying to work with groups that are interested in these kinds of problems, and eventually improve the compendium of medications that can benefit everybody.”

In addition to sampling from relevant populations, he’s also looking to give back to the individuals and communities who contribute to the Biobank of the Americas. Currently, participants who submit their samples can access their own ancestry test results—or they can always opt out of the project if they later change their minds. “It’s all part of the right way of doing research, engaging the community, and being really upfront about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what people can learn,” he says. Galatea Bio also offers clinical genetic laboratory-developed tests, including whole-genome sequencing, whole-exome sequencing, and ancestry-adjusted panels for autism, hereditary cancer, immune dysregulation, cardiovascular disease, thyroid disease, and pharmacogenomics.

Bustamante hopes that the biobank Galatea is building can eventually facilitate an exchange of knowledge among investigators, individuals, and communities. Their goal is to have 10 million data points; the biobank currently has about half a million. “We’ll be at over a million by the end of this year, and we should be at 10 million by, say, 2026,” Bustamante says. “We already have one of the most diverse biobanks in the world. And we’re really looking forward to being able to make use of the health care data that’s been entrusted to us and do right by the communities we’re working with.”

Marathon Petroleum Personal Safety Professional Patty Furuseth received the Outstanding Safety Professional Award from the North Dakota Safety Council in February.She was recognized for her hard work and dedication to making the Bakken oil field region a safer place to work.Furuseth has worked to increase collaboration between the oil industry, regulatory agencies and contractors in North Dakota.

The North Dakota Safety Council presented Marathon Petroleum Personal Safety Professional Patty Furuseth with the 2023 Outstanding Safety Professional Award at its annual Safety and Health Conference in February.

Furuseth has worked as a safety professional for 11 years and has supported MPLX, Marathon Petroleum’s midstream segment, for six years. She oversees rail and pipeline operations and construction projects tied to those assets in North Dakota. Furuseth previously worked as a field technician and account manager in the oil and gas industry. She credits those roles for providing her the industry knowledge needed to be successful in her safety career.

“One thing I ask myself numerous times a day is what is the next best thing I can do to add value,” said Furuseth. “I focus on working with the people I serve and provide them with practical solutions, so they can get their work done safely. That gives you the inroads you need to help motivate change.”

Marathon Petroleum Safety Manager Todd Schulte said Furuseth receiving this recognition from the North Dakota Safety Council reflects her hard work and dedication to her field.

“I focus on working with the people I serve and provide them with practical solutions, so they can get their work done safely.”

“Patty has done a lot to bring together the oil industry, regulatory agencies and contractors to make the Bakken oil field a safer place to work,” said Schulte. “She has improved safety at Marathon by her ability to coach and mentor employees and contractors. She has a passion for safety and truly cares about the people around her, which has a huge impact on changing the safety culture.”

Furuseth leads Neutral Grounds meetings that connect operators, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ). She also leads the Bakken Basin Safety Consortium, helped launch the Safety Industry Alliance, and serves as a board member of the North Dakota Safety Council.

In her speech at the conference, Furuseth shared that she lost her father-in-law in a workplace accident when she was 20 years old. That loss devastated her family and now motivates her to keep others safe.

“I can confidently say that his passing has saved many other lives through the education and commitment to safety it inspired in me and my colleagues,” said Furuseth.

Today’s world is defined by an increasing environmental awareness and a growing sense of responsibility. When it comes to sustainability, organisations are evolving at an astonishing rate, and it’s particularly interesting to look at how sustainability has been embraced over the past few years.

At Lenovo, sustainability has been a key focus for a long period of time – it’s at the heart of what we do. While it’s always been an important topic for our customers as well, lots of businesses have struggled to turn sustainability ideals into action.

In fact, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), 90% of executives believe sustainability is important, but only 60% of organisations actually have sustainability strategies in place[1]. Thankfully, we are starting to see more and more companies find their feet when it comes to sustainability.

An increasing awareness of sustainability

Customers today are much better educated than they were a few years ago. They know about upcoming legislation, understand Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and they’re asking about carbon footprints and the energy usage of products. Customers also have very tangible targets, including reaching net-zero or reducing CO2 emissions by a given time. Along with specific sustainability goals, businesses are implementing targets that are very much measurable.

There’s now an expectation for technology vendors to play a role in the sustainability transition, in suggesting and providing solutions that can help customers meet sustainability targets. This has opened a door for Lenovo to go beyond simply providing technology and become a trusted partner, meeting customers at every stage of their sustainability journey.

In the past, prices and specs were naturally very important to customers, but we’ve seen an evolution in the market where sustainability attributes play an increasingly large role in technology requirements. This has led to stronger relationships with customers and working together to find the most efficient solutions.

Each customer is at a different stage when it comes to their sustainability journey. Some have just begun, and others are a lot more advanced. This variance is not industry or region specific and differs between organisations. Businesses can generally be divided into two groups: those that recognise sustainability as an investment, and those that see it as a cost.

There’s no doubt that legislation is a key driving force, making businesses look at sustainability from a broader perspective along with pushing them to act sooner than later. Those that act quickly will benefit while organisations that are slower to respond may face a lot more work to catch up.

Companies are creating entire business units to manage and implement their ESG targets which highlights the growing importance of sustainability. Being a sustainable business is also important when it comes to attracting the next generation of employees. According to Deloitte, 49% of Gen-Zs and 44% of millennials said that they had made career choices based on their personal ethics[2], and the WEF points out that 51% of US business students would take lower pay if the company is environmentally responsible[3].

Challenges and trends ahead

Although most companies are at different stages of their sustainability journey, implementing a sustainability strategy remains a relatively new challenge for many. Organisations need to work out where to begin this journey, set targets, and build a plan to make things happen.

Most sustainability initiatives come at a cost, but that’s where attitude can also make a huge difference. Organisations really need to look at sustainability as an investment that will benefit their company in the long term.

According to a Gartner survey in 2022, sustainability programmes are helping organisations to optimise energy consumption, business travel and customer transaction costs. 86% of business leaders say sustainability initiatives are protecting their business from disruption[4], with a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets creating new opportunities for enterprises to grow while mitigating cost and risk.

Data also has a large role to play in helping organisations make informed choices on sustainability. Data-driven decisions can enable businesses to analyse what works best, identity areas to improve, guide measurable and responsible practices, and deliver real progress. Just like any other part of your business, sustainability also needs to have foundations built around data.

Many companies are talking about AI, and there’s plenty of excitement around how the technology may evolve in the coming years. There’s no doubt that AI is going to play a significant role in sustainability.

Helping customers take tangible climate action

Over recent years, Lenovo has seen a large increase in customer requests that include a sustainability element, which led to the creation of our own sustainability solutions team.

This enables us to sit down with customers and carry out sustainability workshops where we can discuss the needs of a customer. Our focus is to first help reduce emissions resulting from IT purchases, and then offset remaining emissions. We look at everything from sustainable packaging solutions to ocean freight, the use of sustainable aviation fuel for airfreight, extension of device lifecycles, secure asset recovery services, and flexible as-a-service solutions such as Lenovo TruScale.

This 360-degree approach to sustainability helps us design sustainability solutions that best fit the needs of each customer, no matter where they are on their journey.

One thing is increasingly clear irrespective of business, sector or location – there’s no single solution that’s going to bring our customers to net-zero. It really is a combination of multiple incremental improvements along the way that will help customers to meet their sustainability targets.

[1] World Economic Forum, “Why sustainability is crucial for corporate strategy,” June 2022

[2] Deloitte, “A call for accountability and action,” 2021

[3] World Economic Forum, “Why sustainability is crucial for corporate strategy,” June 2022

[4] 2022 Sustainability Survey: Use Sustainability to Drive Value and Mitigate Disruption.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 18, 2024 /3BL/ – Ducks Unlimited (DU), the world’s leader in wetland conservation, and Dow (NYSE: DOW), a global leader in materials science, announce a collaboration to drive sustainability and conservation efforts in the Gulf Coast region of the United States benefitting wildlife habitat, water quality and outdoor recreation.

With the support of Dow and other conservation partners, DU will enhance approximately 2,030 acres of coastal freshwater wetlands between Cameron Prairie and Lacassine National Wildlife Refuges in Louisiana. This project will help protect critical natural infrastructure, enhance habitat for migratory waterfowl and wildlife and improve outdoor recreational opportunities for communities.

“Dow is committed to protecting the climate, and with that, the vital water and nature ecosystems humanity depends on,” said Andre Argenton, chief sustainability officer and vice president of Environment, Health and Safety at Dow. “We are excited to work with Ducks Unlimited to facilitate the revitalization of essential ecosystems in the United States.”

Wetlands are among the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world. Without the conservation of wetlands, the habitats they provide to countless species of plants and animals would cease to exist. Wetlands are a nature-based solution to help protect coastal areas from major weather events, like hurricanes and tropical storms.

The first phase of the Cameron Prairie Refuge enhancement project was completed in the Fall of 2023 and included infrastructure features such as levee refurbishment, electric pumps, water-control structures and water delivery systems for better habitat management of the refuge managed for waterfowl and waterbirds.

The second phase is set to begin later this year and will include work on an irrigation pipeline to reliably manage water between impoundments, as well as levees and other infrastructure needs.

“This partnership marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to address the steady decline of wetlands across North America,” said DU Chief Sustainability Officer Dr. Karen Waldrop. “Dow’s conservation investment will help pay great dividends in water sustainability, improved wildlife habitat and benefits to rural communities. Having partners like Dow helps Ducks Unlimited ensure important wetlands enhancement and restoration projects happen in places where they are needed.”

About Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 18 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent capital campaign, North America’s most extensive campaign dedicated to landscape conservation.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.

For further information, please contact:

KayLeigh Mitchell
Sustainability Communications Coordinator, DU
kmitchell@ducks.org

Alicia Harpham
Corporate Communications Advisor, Dow
aharpham@dow.com

Originally published on Built From Scratch

As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ongoing We’re for Water campaign, Fix a Leak Week takes place March 18-24, 2024. It encourages Americans to help put a stop to the nearly 1 trillion gallons of water wasted from household leaks each year.

The average home may lose almost 10,000 gallons of water every year, and 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. That’s enough water to wash 300 loads of laundry. As a WaterSense partner, The Home Depot is encouraging consumers to find and fix leaks to save water in our community.

“The most common leaks in the home that waste the most water include dripping faucets, dripping shower heads, and running toilets. Regular Maintenance can avoid losing thousands of gallons of water, and they’re easier projects than you might think” says John Hembree, associate product development merchant for faucet and toilet repair at The Home Depot. Fixing these common leaks can save about 10% on the average water bill. Here’s how to identify if you have a hidden leak and ways to fix the most common culprits.

Do You Have a Leak?

The first step is identifying the problem. Check your water meter before and after a 2-hour period of no water usage. If the meter changes, that means water is running somewhere and you have a leak. Toilet leaks can be subtle and quiet. Place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank and wait 10 minutes. If any of the coloring appears in the toilet bowl, then your toilet flapper is leaking.

Fix a Leaking Faucet

Inside of faucet handles are mechanisms called cartridges. These regulate the water supply line as it flows out of the spout. Cartridges include washers or “O-rings” that create a seal to prevent dripping. Over time, O-rings can wear out and will need to be replaced.

If replacing the washer does not fix the problem, try replacing the cartridge with a faucet repair kit. For single-handle bathroom sinks, you’ll likely need to replace the ball valve assembly instead. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to replace a bathroom faucet if the problem persists.

Fix a Leaking Shower Head: 

The source of leaking shower heads and bathtub spouts is similar to faucets. The water flow is regulated by a cartridge behind the faucet handle(s) on the wall. Check the washers, O-rings other internal components for rust and excessive wear and replace the bathtub cartridge if needed.

Fix a Running Toilet:

The most common failure point on a toilet is the flapper. It’s the rubber valve seal that holds water in the tank and releases water into the bowl after each flush. Failing flappers can often leak silently, causing you to lose thousands of gallons of water a year before you even notice an issue. WaterSense recommends proactively replacing your toilet flapper every 5 years.

While other types of leaks in the home are possible, these are the most common. If your in-ground irrigation system is leaking or if you have a leaking pipe, contact a licensed plumber to identify and fix the problem.

THE FACTS ON LEAKS

10% percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.A leaky faucet dripping at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year.Did you know? Minor water leaks account for nearly 1 trillion gallons of wasted water each year and is equal to annual household water use in nearly 11 million homes.A shower leaking at 10 Drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year.Repair leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replacing them if necessary.Replace old toilets with WaterSense models & save 13,000 gallons of water savings for the average family.Homeowners can save 10 percent on their water bills.Look for: WaterSense – Meets EPA Criteria!

For more information and tips about how to save water during Fix a Leak Week, visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense. The Home Depot offers helpful tutorials here on Eco Actions, and check out HomeDepot.com for WaterSense-labeled plumbing parts in and around your home.

Keep up with all the latest Home Depot news! Subscribe to our bi-weekly news update and get the top Built from Scratch stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Growing up in Zimbabwe, Happiness Ngwenya couldn’t have foreseen how his conventional path through school and higher education would lead to an unconventional journey of career choices. His tenacious and entrepreneurial mindset ultimately helped him find and excel in a dream job at Viatris drawing on his diverse background to lead and inspire those around him.

Happiness quickly learned from his early work experiences that making mistakes was part of the development process, a mindset that further helped him explore new opportunities and take risks. After studying how to run a taxi business, he took the leap to purchase secondhand cars in the United Kingdom, driving them from the port of Durban and exporting them into Zimbabwe where he ran his taxi service for 12 years with some success.

After high school and tertiary studies, he moved with his family to South Africa. Networking for Happiness became second nature: he was inquisitive, open to hearing about other people’s experiences and what they did professionally. Learning from them was an opportunity to gain insight into what might be possible. He worked a series of jobs ranging from a college teacher, a retail food franchise and a dairy company; eventually, he moved into sales for an office furniture and stationery company, all the while continuing to expand his networking circle.

Through an ex-colleague, Happiness learned about a job as a driver for Viatris in South Africa, a perfect role for an ex-taxi driver with ambition.

This was the opportunity that he had been looking for: an international organization with prospects to grow and develop.

“Starting at Viatris was a game changer for me,” he recalled. “As a driver, I was the first person every guest and company executive met in South Africa. I shook every hand and asked a lot of questions. I wanted to learn how they became successful, and they told me their stories.”

While still driving for Viatris, Happiness earned greater responsibilities in office services management. He took the opportunity to sit in company sales and training meetings while waiting for the executives that he’d driven to the meeting, listening attentively to learn more about what the sales team did. At one company conference, he shared accommodations with a sales representative colleague.

“I wanted to learn from him, I was curious and asked so many questions, trying to put together the things I was learning from observation and the conversations I was having,” Happiness said.

In 2014 a sales role opened, and Happiness applied and interviewed with an executive from the primary care division. He was delighted that he was able to share some of things that he had learned and got the job. He knew he was on a new path, one that meant a lot for his family’s future. Without formal training, he shadowed his colleague, went to every meeting, read every sales brochure and observed the important work they were doing.

He worked hard over the ensuing months and years to exceed targets, grow the business and become an exceptional member of the team — but he knew there was more to do.

“I’ve learned from being uncomfortable,” he said. “It’s been a journey; not an easy one, but perseverance and sustained focus is what has helped me develop in my roles.”

By 2020, Happiness was heading up sales for the Retail and Detail divisions, leading a team of eight representatives. He progressed to secure a more senior role as National Sales Manager, leading 12 colleagues. From 2016 to 2019, he won Sales Rep of the Year or was named a runner-up; in 2022, he took home the prestigious Sales Manager of the Year award in South Africa.

He thinks of three pivotal moments in his career: making the leap into sales when he was younger, getting the job at Viatris, and then his move into management.

“I learned to pay attention to detail,” he said. “It’s not easy coming from a different background, so you need to be agile and determined.”

The role at Viatris has not only impacted Happiness’ professional life, but his personal life as well: “What I’ve learned and the skills I’ve developed through work has strengthened me as a person, it’s changed my mental outlook. I’ve been able to provide for my family, I own properties and I’m proud my teenage son sees my motivation.

The advice I’d give my 20-year-old self today is to be patient, be resilient, be attentive. Your future personal and professional success revolves around development; you can’t be stagnant and you must always keep learning.”

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One of Yum!’s multicultural business employee resource group, UNITE, recently organized an event at the Louisville office to welcome students from W.E.B DuBois Academy. The event aimed to foster a sense of community and mutual support while providing the students with a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life at Yum! Brands. UNITE members and other employee volunteers sought to provide guidance and inspiration to the students through tailored career mentoring session and empowered them to pursue their future goals. Additionally, the students attended a campus-wide scavenger hunt & tour and made their own Smash’d Potato Bowl in the KFC Test Kitchen.

Access to higher education can sometimes feel like a distant dream for underserved high school students, but Andrew H. Ragland, CEO and Founder of 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation, is changing that narrative. We met Andrew through a collaborative skills-based volunteering initiative with Unum Group, a leading workplace benefits and services provider. The skilled volunteering event was focused on helping Andrew strengthen his organization’s operational capacity.

Andrew’s unwavering dedication and impressive career trajectory left a lasting impression on us, sparking our interest to learn more about his organization. The 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation is a beacon of hope for minority students in the U.S. who are striving to reach their full potential. Andrew’s 25-year journey in education, primarily serving inner-city communities, has fueled his commitment to empowering under-resourced students poised to make their mark on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Watch 5 Strong featured on Atlanta News First to experience the impact of Andrew’s organization on two students!

With only two full-time staff members, 5 Strong has supported over 200 scholars per academic year across 14 partner HBCUs. However, to foster even greater growth and sustainability for the organization, 5 Strong had operational challenges to overcome.

In a recent skills-based volunteering project with Common Impact and Unum Group, Andrew was matched to a team of Unum Group volunteers to address the business challenges of 5 Strong, including client relationship management and value proposition. We spoke with Andrew to dive deeper into his organization and his experience receiving help from Unum Group’s skilled volunteers.

The 84% graduation rate of 5 Strong Scholars is impressive, surpassing the national average. What key elements contribute to this high success rate, and how does 5 Strong continue to improve and maintain these positive outcomes? 

Our success stems from our thorough, three-round interview and selection process, which ensures each scholar fits our program. Our focus is helping young adults who have been omitted or overlooked for scholarship opportunities who tend to be first-generation and inner-city kids. Once accepted into our program, we provide eight weeks of college-ready prep sessions to equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to have a successful college career. Each school year, five students are matched to their preferred partner HBCU. We then work closely with the HBCU staff to help provide full-tuition scholarships, college readiness programs, monthly cohort meetings, and ongoing mentorship. The 5 Strong Staff and Beyond 12 College Coaches provide ongoing mentorship and support.

Four years later, we celebrate alongside each cohort as they graduate, marking a significant milestone in their academic journey. We recently got featured in the Atlanta News, where two scholars, Mario and Destiny, shared how our program helped them access the resources they needed to get into college and transformed them into more confident and capable individuals.

What is the biggest challenge your organization faces, and how do you overcome it?

The daily operations, from recruiting scholars to pursuing HBCU partnerships to tracking our scholars, is the easy part! The real challenge lies in ensuring the continuous flow of funding to sustain our initiatives year after year. To tackle this challenge, we secure funding in three primary ways. We apply for numerous grants annually, actively nurturing relationships with recurring donors who believe in our mission and organizing four annual fundraisers. These efforts are crucial in maintaining the momentum of our programs. We are grateful for the continued support from the Charles and Lynn Families Philanthropies, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and Unum Group.

While we celebrate our current achievements, we recognize the need for improvement, especially as we seek to expand our programs. We acknowledge the need to develop a strategic blueprint to cultivate new relationships with prospective donors and partners while managing those relationships effectively.

5 Strong recently participated in a skills-based volunteering event with Unum Group. Could you share details about the project you brought to the team of Unum Group volunteers? What concrete steps or outcomes emerged from this collaboration that you find particularly exciting? 

Recognizing the need to diversify our funding streams for sustainable growth, Unum Group volunteers guided us in communicating our value to potential corporate partners. Our objective is to strategically nurture these relationships and ensure the ongoing flow of funding we need to expand our reach across the United States.

Thanks to the skilled volunteer project with Common Impact, Unum Group, and Unum Group volunteers, we received a proposal letter and a strategic plan to nurture our relationship with donors. With these tools, we can eloquently articulate our mission, showcase our impact on HBCUs nationwide, and convey the immense value we bring to the communities we serve. These documents are helpful resources contributing to the success of funding our programs as we expand.

What are your goals for the future of 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation? 

We’re on a mission to grow our impact, which starts with growing our team! We aim to add at least two more staff members to our Atlanta and Houston locations. We are also super excited to open an office on the west coast and grow our HBCU partners in that region.

Expanding our team is a strategic initiative to bolster our capacity to support more students nationwide. We aim to provide high-quality programs and support for our staff and students while we expand. To achieve this ambitious goal, we recognize the importance of innovative approaches to funding. This is where skills-based volunteering with Unum Group and Common Impact has contributed to our efforts.

Consider supporting the 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation by donating. 

For more social impact content, follow us on LinkedIn and sign-up for our monthly newsletter. Ready to learn more about skills-based volunteering? Contact us.