Tag: 3BL

Sensi Graves has made a splash in the swimwear industry, not just for her innovative swimwear but for her commitment to empowering women to embrace their own journey of self-belief. Sensi Graves Swim sells sustainable swimwear that women can actually be active in.

While her business started in 2012, Graves’ ambition to own a business was cultivated from a young age. “My dad was an entrepreneur, and my parents have instilled in me this love of learning and growth,” Graves reflected on her early aspirations.

Fast forward to Graves’ life after college, her passion for kiteboarding made her realize women also need comfortable and functional swimwear. “I remember being really tired of the swimwear on the market because, at that time, there were only a few options,” Graves recalls. “I wanted to start my business so women could actually do things in swimwear.” She wanted her brand to celebrate women in action, not just as glamorous beach bums.

Although Graves didn’t have a background in business or manufacturing, she embarked on her journey. She started sketching designs and ordered fabric to create prototypes. The swimwear collection for Sensi Graves Swim debuted with just six pieces.

Today, Sensi Graves Swim has become a well-established brand known for its functional and stylish swimwear designed for active women. However, Sensi’s journey to growth did not come without its challenges. She had to learn not only about building a business but to believe in her ability to make it happen. Thus, Graves continuously sought out resources and support.

It was during this search that Graves discovered the FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab. FedEx and nonprofit partner Accion Opportunity Fund offer this program to women and minority-owned small businesses to help them improve their online presence through hands-on learning, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

The FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab went over essential aspects of entrepreneurship, diving into the weeds of what she was really looking for. “I learned a lot about actually doing inventory management and looking at the cost of a warehouse versus doing another fulfillment center,” Graves said.

Learning how to promote her business online also made a big difference. As Graves shared, “We learned about SEO, and that really resonated with me, like how you can do really simple updates to the backend of your website to help customers find you.”

Graves expressed, “I think that they did a really great job of covering a lot of stuff I haven’t dug deeply into before.” Whether it be operations or marketing, the program allowed her to revisit and optimize various components of her business, providing a much-needed focus on the critical details.

The most valuable aspect of the Learning Lab for Graves was the vote of confidence it offered her. According to Graves, “Having support goes so far for an entrepreneur. So hearing them say, ‘Hey, we believe in what you’re doing,’ went beyond the learning in a way I think is so important.”

Sensi Graves Swim is not just a swimwear brand; it’s a testament to resilience and achieving self-confidence. The brand seeks to empower women to become the best version of themselves. The FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab is committed to reinforcing the power of determination in women’s small businesses. It gives them the tools and the strength to believe in themselves.

***Photos courtesy of Accion Opportunity Fund

Lenovo announced it has received its highest score in the annual Workplace Pride Global Benchmark, a comprehensive assessment of international employers’ LGBTIQ+ policies and practices. Lenovo scored 51.55%, marking a Year-on-Year improvement of 7.5%.

Launched in 2014, the Global Benchmark provides participants with concrete and tangible actions to ensure their workplaces are fully inclusive for LGBTIQ+ people. The findings from this year’s survey highlight a significant shift in how organizations worldwide perceive societal changes, global uncertainties, and their commitment to fostering diverse, inclusive environments.

Lenovo’s outstanding performance encompasses enhancements across all benchmark categories, with the most notable improvements in Policy and Communication (up by 15%), Societal Impact (up by 48%), and Workplace Awareness (up by 11%), for example, launching new Lenovo PRIDE ERG Chapters in Romania and South Africa. These scores reflect Lenovo’s dedication to fostering inclusion for its employee populations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Also at the Workplace Pride Impact Awards Gala, Razvan Bran, Senior Manager, Customer Demand, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Lenovo EMEA, was awarded the “Volunteer of the Year Impact Award.” The judges recognized him for his exemplary dedication to fostering LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion, leading workshops, volunteer activities, and advocacy efforts to educate Lenovo employees and the broader community about diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly concerning LGBTIQ+ issues in Romania and across EMEA for Lenovo.

Lenovo is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace for its LGBTIQ+ employees and signed Workplace Pride’s Declaration of Amsterdam in 2022. The company also continues to be recognized for its workplace. It has been included in several key indexes, including the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, and was recognized as a Best Employer for Diversity in the US by Forbes.

You can learn more about Lenovo’s efforts to provide an inclusive workplace and innovate for inclusion on Lenovo StoryHub.

Read the full Workplace Pride Global Benchmark 2023 report here.

It will be a beautiful building for beautiful people.

Located in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta, an abandoned building will be transformed into King Thunderbird Centre, a state-of-the-art, climate-resilient facility to support people experiencing poverty and homelessness in the city’s downtown core.

“When people are exhausted, when they’re hungry or they’re living on the streets, the design of a facility can have a significant impact on their ability to get the services they need,” says Laurel McCalla, Boyle Street Community Services’ director of development, who’s leading the $28.5-million capital campaign.

“The intention is to create a beautiful building for beautiful people—people who are often lost, forgotten, underestimated, stigmatized,” she explains.

The groundbreaking took place on Nov. 3 at the future centre’s site in Edmonton, which is within Treaty 6 Territory and within the Métis homelands and Métis National of Alberta Region 4. Elder Cliff Cardinal, who serves on the capital campaign committee, led an Indigenous ceremony at the event.

The project is eight years in the making—but the need has been there for decades.

Since 1971, BSCS has delivered its social services out of makeshift locations. For more than 30 years, the organization’s primary space was in an abandoned banana-ripening warehouse with no windows. It was visibly crumbling, had flood damage, and was inaccessible for the people they serve.

“We’ve always had to work against our infrastructure, against the deficiencies of our facilities,” McCalla explains.

With the centre, BSCS will have for the first time a purpose-built space to deliver its life-changing services.

Enbridge was proud to support this BSCS capital campaign with a $500,000 Fueling Futures grant.

Through our grant programs, we seek to help create vibrant communities. BSCS’s work in its new facility will make a lasting, meaningful contribution to the city and will help empower individuals, including a large number of Indigenous people.

With the head office of our Liquids Pipelines group based in Edmonton, we also see this grant as a way to show our commitment to finding solutions to complex issues in Edmonton’s downtown core.

“About 75% of the people we serve downtown are Indigenous,” McCalla says. “We wanted to ensure that (the centre) is a place of healing and refuge for them.”

King Thunderbird Centre’s design incorporates Indigenous influences, inspired by Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Architectural features, for example, pay tribute to the medicine wheel, as do the building’s colours.

The centre has been planned and designed “in collaboration with our community. Not for them but with them,” McCalla notes. “Our community has always been at the forefront.”

​The latest episode of The Sustainable Finance Podcast is now live.

This is the sixth instalment in a series of episodes sponsored by Acre. If you’re not yet familiar with Paul Ellis and The Sustainable Finance Podcast, it boasts a series of interviews with sustainable finance experts from top companies and global organizations like Schroders, FTSE Russel, The London Stock Exchange Group, Gitterman Wealth Management, and many more.

In this episode of The Sustainable Finance Podcast, your host Paul Ellis is joined by Anna-Lisa Miller, Executive Director of Ownership Works, and Acre’s Gloria Mirrione, Head of Sustainable Finance & Impact Investing to discuss how shared ownership can increase prosperity in the workforce.

Listen to the full episode above.

This month, American Airlines partnered with the Gary Sinise Foundation for the annual Snowball Express event that honors those who have lost a loved one while serving in our nation’s military. This year for the first time, the event was held over the course of two weeks, expanding the participants to include families of fallen first responders. American donated charter aircraft and tickets on already-scheduled flights to fly almost 3,000 participants from all over the world to Orlando, Florida, where they enjoyed an all-expenses-paid experience at Walt Disney World Resort.

More than a thousand American Airlines team members donate their time to make Snowball Express a meaningful experience for the families of fallen heroes. Every year since 2006, team members have volunteered to serve the families in the air or coordinate gate-side sendoff ceremonies in airports throughout the system. Volunteering for Snowball Express came full circle this year for Dani Fernandez, who works in IT at American, after having participated in Snowball Express as a child 11 years ago.

New NGO will Deliver Meaningful Private Sector Contributions – from Operations to the C-Suite – Through Science-based Approaches in Nature, Water, Climate Resilience and Social Impact

WASHINGTON, January 2, 2024 /3BL/ – Two of the leading NGOs working with business on sustainability and nature programming, the World Environment Center (WEC) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) have entered into a memorandum of intent (MOI) to combine the two organizations. As of January 1, 2024, Margaret O’Gorman assumed the dual role of CEO of WEC and President of WHC. The new organization name and branding is expected to launch in the fall of 2024.

The combined organization will be positioned as a leader working at the intersection of business and sustainability, offering meaningful private sector value through science-based approaches in nature, water, climate resilience and social impact. Through technical acumen and thought leadership, the new organization will deliver solutions and support for a wide range of corporate sustainability efforts – from operations to the C-suite, all under the same roof.

With the expertise of the two organizations, and their combined 75 years of experience, this new NGO will expand opportunities for best-in-class collaborations with companies to halt and restore nature loss, improve water stewardship, enhance climate and community resilience and support the transition to a circular economy. This combination will also include WEC Europe e.V., which will continue to serve as the Global Thought Leadership hub for the future global organization.

“We are bringing together two purpose-driven organizations working with corporations on sustainability and nature goals,” said Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Ecolab, Inc. and WEC Board Chair. “The new organization comes at a critical time for business as stakeholder and shareholder expectations related to planet and people grow, and intersections between issues like water, climate and nature are increasingly acknowledged. We expect to be a leader in this space from the start.”

Adds Connie Hergert, Vice President, Corporate Real Estate at Ontario Power Generation and WHC Board Chair, “The expertise of each organization complements the other, allowing for a distinctive approach by seamlessly connecting C-suite ambition to operational implementation and supply chain engagement. Companies will find a strong partner to advance their nature, climate and impact reporting. WEC and WHC members will see the benefit of the combined expertise almost immediately.”

Under the terms of the MOI, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, Margaret O’Gorman will be appointed CEO of WEC while remaining President of WHC. When the legal combination is complete, O’Gorman will be named CEO of the new organization. Dr. Neil Hawkins, interim CEO of WEC, completed his pre-determined tenure on December 31, 2023.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to lead this combination and build an organization that will better meet private sector needs while addressing some of the planet’s most pressing issues,” said O’Gorman. “I am thrilled to work in joining WEC’s global thought leadership and capacity building with WHC’s strategic pragmatism and technical know-how. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Neil Hawkins for the critical role he played in supporting and advancing this effort.”

Says Dr. Hawkins, outgoing President and CEO of WEC, “The new organization will become the ‘thought leader’ and the ‘do leader’ that is needed to support accelerated progress on climate change, water, circularity and nature challenges we all face. It is very exciting.”

The signature events of WEC and WHC, the WEC Gold Medal Award Presentation and WHC Conservation Conference respectively, will continue. The 2024 WEC Gold Medal event, commemorating 40 years of recognizing sustainable business excellence, will be moved from May 2024 to the fall of 2024. The WHC Conservation Conference will be held June 4-5 in New Orleans, LA. Additionally, all work related to funded projects of both organizations — currently underway or scheduled— will continue without interruption.

About Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)

WHC has been working at the nexus of business and biodiversity for 35 years and is the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature. WHC builds strategies and frameworks for companies to integrate nature with climate, equity and engagement to support sustainable ecosystems and healthy communities. WHC corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations. WHC-certified programs can be found in nineteen countries and 48 U.S. states.

About World Environment Council (WEC)

The World Environment Center is an independent, global, non-profit, non-advocacy organization that advances sustainable development through the business practices of member companies and in partnership with governments, multi-lateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities and other stakeholders. WEC creates sustainable business solutions through individual projects in emerging markets; convenes leadership roundtables to shape strategic thinking across a range of sustainability topics; and honors industry excellence through the annual awarding of its Gold Medal Award. WEC celebrates 40 years of impact in 2024.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Monica Keller, Chief Marketing Officer, WHC 
mkeller@wildlifehc.org | 240.247.0930

Zoie Gaidos, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, WEC 
press@wec.org | 202.939.3852

Combined Organization will Establish a New International NGO to Continue to Advance Sustainability through its Corporate Members with Innovative Solutions, Collaborations and Thought Leadership

New NGO will Deliver Meaningful Private Sector Contributions – from Operations to the C-Suite – Through Science-based Approaches in Nature, Water, Climate Resilience and Social Impact 

WASHINGTON, January 2, 2024 /3BL/ – Two of the leading NGOs working with business on sustainability and nature programming, the World Environment Center (WEC) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) have entered into a memorandum of intent (MOI) to combine the two organizations. As of January 1, 2024, Margaret O’Gorman assumed the dual role of President and CEO of WEC and President of WHC. The new organization name and branding is expected to launch in the fall of 2024.

The combined organization will be positioned as a leader working at the intersection of business and sustainability, offering meaningful private sector value through science-based approaches in nature, water, climate resilience and social impact. Through technical acumen and thought leadership, the new organization will deliver solutions and support for a wide range of corporate sustainability efforts – from operations to the C-suite, all under the same roof.

With the expertise of the two organizations, and their combined 75 years of experience, this new NGO will expand opportunities for best-in-class collaborations with companies to halt and restore nature loss, improve water stewardship, enhance climate and community resilience and support the transition to a circular economy. This combination will also include WEC Europe e.V., which will continue to serve as the Global Thought Leadership hub for the future global organization.

“We are bringing together two purpose-driven organizations working with corporations on sustainability and nature goals,” said Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Ecolab, Inc. and WEC Board Chair. “The new organization comes at a critical time for business as stakeholder and shareholder expectations related to planet and people grow, and intersections between issues like water, climate and nature are increasingly acknowledged. We expect to be a leader in this space from the start.”

Adds Connie Hergert, Vice President, Corporate Real Estate at Ontario Power Generation and WHC Board Chair, “The expertise of each organization complements the other, allowing for a distinctive approach by seamlessly connecting C-suite ambition to operational implementation and supply chain engagement. Companies will find a strong partner to advance their nature, climate and impact reporting. WEC and WHC members will see the benefit of the combined expertise almost immediately.”

Under the terms of the MOI, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, Margaret O’Gorman will be appointed CEO of WEC while remaining President of WHC. When the legal combination is complete, O’Gorman will be named CEO of the new organization. Dr. Neil Hawkins, interim CEO of WEC, completed his pre-determined tenure on December 31, 2023.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to lead this combination and build an organization that will better meet private sector needs while addressing some of the planet’s most pressing issues,” said O’Gorman. “I am thrilled to work in joining WEC’s global thought leadership and capacity building with WHC’s strategic pragmatism and technical know-how. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Neil Hawkins for the critical role he played in supporting and advancing this effort.”

Says Dr. Hawkins, outgoing President and CEO of WEC, “The new organization will become the ‘thought leader’ and the ‘do leader’ that is needed to support accelerated progress on climate change, water, circularity and nature challenges we all face. It is very exciting.”

The signature events of WEC and WHC, the WEC Gold Medal Award Presentation and WHC Conservation Conference respectively, will continue. The 2024 WEC Gold Medal event, commemorating 40 years of recognizing sustainable business excellence, will be moved from May 2024 to the fall of 2024. The WHC Conservation Conference will be held June 4-5 in New Orleans, LA. Additionally, all work related to funded projects of both organizations — currently underway or scheduled— will continue without interruption.

About Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)

WHC has been working at the nexus of business and biodiversity for 35 years and is the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature. WHC builds strategies and frameworks for companies to integrate nature with climate, equity and engagement to support sustainable ecosystems and healthy communities. WHC corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations. WHC-certified programs can be found in nineteen countries and 48 U.S. states.

About World Environment Council (WEC)

The World Environment Center is an independent, global, non-profit, non-advocacy organization that advances sustainable development through the business practices of member companies and in partnership with governments, multi-lateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities and other stakeholders. WEC creates sustainable business solutions through individual projects in emerging markets; convenes leadership roundtables to shape strategic thinking across a range of sustainability topics; and honors industry excellence through the annual awarding of its Gold Medal Award. WEC celebrates 40 years of impact in 2024.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Monica Keller, Chief Marketing Officer, WHC 
mkeller@wildlifehc.org | 240.247.0930

In the ever-evolving business landscape, the state of purpose has faced significant challenges over the past year, many that have led to troubling ramifications. The politicization of the term “ESG” has caused some companies to scale back their sustainability investments. An increasing number of DEI commitments and positions have also been reduced. And tensions between countries and political groups around the world continue to grow.

And yet, the desperate needs of our planet and society are only intensifying, demanding more urgent action. And so a pressing question arises: How can businesses balance their commitment to purpose amid these challenges?

We invited three purpose leaders to shed light on this crucial issue as we enter 2024. David Casey, Chief Inclusion and Social Impact Officer at Tapestry; Caryl Stern, Chief Impact Officer at LionTree and former Executive Director of the Walton Family Foundation and President & CEO of UNICEF USA; and Andy Pharoah, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Mars, provide key insights into the needs of purpose in 2024 and offer valuable advice on how businesses can continue advancing purposeful impact despite barriers on the horizon.

Listen to this and other episodes of Purpose 360 Podcast here.

Every year, the technology industry flock to Las Vegas to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where they unveil their breakthrough innovation and explore the challenges, opportunities, and policies shaping the future of tech. As the automotive and technology industries become more entwined, it is no surprise that some of the most exciting technologies unleashed during this four-day event are coming out of the auto space. Last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger was joined by Herbie and KITT– yes, the cars – to launch CES in the BMW’s opening keynote. In fact, automakers introduced more new vehicles at CES last year than at the 2022 Las Vegas Auto Show.

This year, CES attendees can expect to see even more auto innovation including technology advancing autonomous vehicle development and electric vehicle (EV) driving range, charging, and performance enhancements. With hundreds of new EV models brought to market every year, enabling technologies are critical for testing EV prototypes, batteries, charging stations, and optimizing production at gigafactories. Keysight will be showcasing groundbreaking emulation technology that is aiding automakers in bringing the next generation of electric vehicles to market.

EV Battery R&D

Range anxiety is a major concern for EV owners and a barrier to entry for many prospective customers. This makes researching battery technology a key priority for auto original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and battery makers. Researchers are investigating ways to improve battery designs, which impacts the overall price point and performance of the electric vehicle. Each battery is comprised of hundreds if not thousands of individual cells which are organized into modules and packs. Researchers are investigating cell chemistry, energy density, charging capabilities, and output characteristics to identify ways to optimize cell capacity and performance.

OEMs and battery companies attending CES will be looking for new tools and solutions to make characterizing and analyzing battery cells more accurate, efficient, and cost effective.

Battery Cell, Module, Pack, and BMS Testing

OEMs and battery companies are looking for ways to develop battery cells, modules, packs, and systems that increase EV range, last longer, and cost less to keep the price of electric cars down. Batteries are the heart of an electric car and ensuring that they operate effectively and efficiently is critical to the overall performance and safety of EVs. Engineers must conduct rigorous testing across the battery design lifecycle and identify opportunities to optimize their processes and resource use to ensure their batteries meet a host of performance and safety requirements and comply with industry standards.

CES provides companies with the opportunity to modernize their research labs with advanced automation and testing tools so their engineers can close the gap between their battery design goals and real-world performance.

EV Charging Conformance

The EV market is global and companies vying for a larger share of the international market must ensure that the vehicles and components they produce will adhere to the standards that govern EV technology internationally. Verifying the behavior and communication between electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and EVs ensures conformance with global charging standards and interoperability, but the number of EVs and EV standards is growing constantly. Companies are looking for ways to accelerate their EV conformance and interoperability testing without sacrificing accuracy.

Emulation solutions that will be on display at CES will allow companies to test their EVSE and EVs against a range of global standards and ensure interoperability.

Gigafactory Optimization

Gigafactories are critical to widespread EV adoption because they enable the production of these complex systems to scale dramatically to reduce costs. These facilities produce massive amounts of data from across their production facilities. Coordinating operations across the various aspects of these laboratories is complex but necessary to optimize resources, systems, and devices under test.

Gigafactory operators attending CES will be keenly interested in solutions that help them harmonize their workflows, modernize their labs, and improve their data integrity and traceability.

Meet Keysight at CES 2024

What happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas during CES. The breakthrough technologies on display from January 9th to 12th 2024 will touch every aspect of life. Keysight will be on hand to showcase sophisticated emulation technologies that enable automotive OEMs and battery producers to validate and ensure interoperability of EVs and charging stations faster and with less risk.

Learn more about how Keysight’s emulation solutions can address your EV and EVSE testing needs by visiting our booth (#7201) in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Learn more and register for CES here.

Energized by Edison

Staying committed to New Year’s resolutions may be difficult, but what if your actions can help create a better tomorrow? Consider these resolutions to make a lasting impact for a greener and cleaner new year for you and your community.

To contribute to a clean energy future, you can take small steps or giant leaps to help reduce your carbon footprint. Simple ways you can make a change include:

When shopping online, select the option to have your items shipped simultaneously to reduce the number of deliveries.Shifting as much electricity use as possible to before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m. (“On-Peak” hours for Time-of-Use customers).Use power strips to turn off electronic devices.Use energy-efficient kitchen appliances, for example, a microwave or toaster oven, instead of the stovetop to reduce energy consumption.

Consider switching to an induction cooktop or an electric vehicle to make a more significant impact. To meet California’s ambitious carbon-neutrality goals, 90% of vehicles and 95% of buildings will need to be electric by 2045. Edison International’s Countdown to 2045 analysis highlights the bold steps necessary to reduce emissions and slow climate change.

Induction cooktops are safer, healthier and more energy-efficient than gas ranges, which waste up to two-thirds of the energy used. Several studies have shown that gas stoves emit hazardous pollutants into your kitchen.If you’re already shopping for a vehicle, you can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change by choosing an EV. Southern California Edison customers can receive a rebate of up to $1,000 for purchasing a pre-owned EV or up to $4,000 for income-qualified customers.

No matter how small or large a commitment, you can take pride in your New Year’s resolutions that will leave an impression for generations.

To learn more about programs and rebates for going green at home, visit sce.com/rebates. 
For more information on what you can do and SCE’s commitment to clean energy, visit edison.com/cleanenergy.