Tag: 3BL

Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) has been awarded a two-year $100,000 charitable grant from KeyBank Foundation to support NCEF’s Out-of-School Time Initiative.The grant will help provide groundbreaking programming that closes gaps in education and prevents learning loss during after-school, holiday and summertime hours for children in Immokalee.

Launched in 2012 in partnership with four Immokalee nonprofits, the initiative deepens children’s engagement in learning while improving their relationships with adults and contributes to better work habits and boosts students’ self-esteem. Additionally, children whose parents may not be home when the school day ends find a safe, nurturing haven. Over the summer break, fun and educational activities reduce academic backsliding among children who otherwise would be idle. To date, more than 57,000 students have attended out-of-school programs, with 66% of all Immokalee elementary school students participating.

“Out-of-school time programs are not merely a break from education; they are a gateway to unlocking untapped potential, fostering holistic growth and shaping the leaders of tomorrow. NCEF is proud to partner with KeyBank Foundation on this important investment in our youth,” said Maria Jimenez-Lara, NCEF’s CEO.

The Out-of-School Time Initiative plans to use KeyBank’s funding to expand and add depth to the programming that is currently provided. It will enable 40 students to attend this school year’s Lorenzo Walker Technical College (LWTC) Spring Break camp where each day is focused on a different career. Funding will also be used toward its two-week summer camp, which will serve a total of 100 middle and high school students.

“At KeyBank, we believe in investing in our communities, with focus on low- and moderate-income populations and communities in our service area,” said Michael Schneider, KeyBank Florida Market President and Key Private Bank Market Leader. “NCEF’s programming for the students of Immokalee is an investment in our future leaders and workforce in Southwest Florida and we are proud to support their work.”

KeyBank Foundation’s grant is part of Key’s community lending and investments across its national footprint supporting affordable housing and community development projects, home and small business lending in low- and-moderate income communities, and philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development and safe, vital neighborhoods. In 2022, KeyBank provided more than $213 million in community lending and investments in Florida, including $300,000 in charitable grants from KeyBank Foundation.

Key Private Bank provides banking and financial services to full-time and seasonal residents throughout Collier, Lee and Palm Beach counties through Key Private Bank’s offices at 3777 Tamiami North Suite 100, Naples; 3507 Kyoto Gardens Drive Suite 100 Palm Beach Gardens; and 12830 University Drive Fort Myers.

About Naples Children & Education Foundation 

The Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, is improving the educational, emotional and health outcomes of underprivileged and at-risk children. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCEF has impacted close to 90 of the most effective nonprofits in the community, providing more than 300,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel. NCEF’s unique approach, which emphasizes collaboration between organizations and bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community, one issue at a time.

About KeyBank Foundation 

KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation’s mission is advanced through three funding priorities – neighbors, education, and workforce – and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.

Key Private Bank

Key Private Bank is a leading provider of wealth management solutions and advice for high-net worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, including wealth advisory, investment management, trust administration, customized credit, family office and private banking services. Key’s wealth management platform combines the market insights of local advisors with a national team of wealth and investment strategists to deliver proactive and personalized advice and expertise to clients. Advisors also leverage partnerships with Key’s business banking and capital markets teams to build wealth plans tailored to meet each client’s specific need. Key Private Bank’s wealth management platform is delivered across 15 of the United States. Key Private Bank has $48.8 billion in AUM and $70.7 billion in AUA at September 30, 2023.

Originally published on bloomberg.com

Bloomberg and Riskthinking.AI announce the launch of the first physical risk indicators that account for every climate scenario endorsed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Combining Bloomberg’s data on more than 1 million physical assets with Riskthinking.AI’s highly granular dataset of global climate change projections and proprietary methodology, the indicators provide Bloomberg users with a new and powerful way to assess their exposure to floods, droughts, wildfires, and other climate vulnerabilities.

The impact from extreme weather events is of growing concern to investors as well as regulators who are requiring or planning to require the disclosure of climate-related risks in accordance with various reporting regimes. Those regimes include, for example, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Europe, the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards in a number of key jurisdictions, and more.

To help investors and companies better understand their exposure to climate-related risk, Riskthinking.AI uses Bloomberg’s physical assets data on nearly 50,000 companies—covering over 1 million manufacturing sites, energy plants, mining operations, office buildings, and retail sites—to calculate a company’s physical risk exposure level. Riskthinking.AI applies a bottom-up methodology analyzing the climate conditions at each asset location, which enables users to drill down to the individual assets of a parent company so specific threats can be analyzed. These indicators can also be used in combination with Bloomberg’s global supply chain data to reveal physical vulnerabilities of key suppliers that may negatively impact company operations.

By considering every climate scenario endorsed by the IPCC, the indicators are the first to take a truly stochastic approach that accounts for numerous possible future outcomes, including tail events that other models may ignore. The indicators intuitively express the physical risk exposure level for a company on a scale of 0 to 100 with high, moderate, and low classifications, and forward-looking projections up to the year 2050. Users have access to the documentation detailing the underlying calculations, so they can reference these indicators for reporting on climate-related risks, in line with the CSRD and the recommendations of the TCFD and the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.

“Achieving reliable assessment of exposure to physical hazards relies on large amounts of geospatial and climate data to effectively account for the uncertainty inherent in future projections,” said Patricia Torres, Global Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions at Bloomberg. “By bringing together cutting-edge climate science with investor grade physical assets data, we can help investors and companies to better navigate the increasingly complex financial and regulatory environment regarding physical risk.”

“Our pioneering methodology enables investors to use the uncertainty inherent in climate modeling as a strength to support better investment decisions,” said Dr. Ron Dembo, CEO and Founder, Riskthinking.AI. “We don’t rely on a single model or scenario when managing risks or defining a strategy. Our outputs consider climate projections from 51 leading climate research centers and universities to capture a broad range of possible future outcomes.”

The physical risk indicators are available on the Bloomberg Terminal and via Bloomberg Data License at data.Bloomberg.com for enterprise use. To learn more, enter {ESG CLMR<GO>} on the Bloomberg Terminal, or click here.

About Riskthinking.AI

Founded by financial risk pioneer Dr. Ron Dembo, Riskthinking.AI is a leading data and technology company repricing financial risk with the reality of climate change. Their innovative algorithms generate, curate, and maintain a detailed physical asset, infrastructure, and commodities database covering over two hundred thousand public and private companies. This data, combined with Riskthinking.AI’s patented stochastic and multifactor climate risk analytics, empowers financial institutions, corporations, and governments to capture unforeseen impacts of climate change that current models miss. Their climate risk data and analytics power a suite of integrated software solutions, called VELO®. Riskthinking.AI has operations in North America and Europe and provides its services globally. For more information, please visit www.riskthinking.ai.

About Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

Media Contacts:

US – Alyssa Gilmore, Agilmore7@bloomberg.net

US – Jennifer Molgano, jmolgano2@bloomberg.net

EMEA – Anna Schoeffler, aschoeffler1@bloomberg.net

Fresh fruit and vegetables are lost and wasted throughout the supply chain at higher rates than other categories of food. In part, this is because of their perishability and handling requirements, and in part, it’s because they are sold by the piece, and not aggregated like grains and milk, or cut like meat or fish.

In developed countries, like the US, there is a significant amount of food wasted but there is also massive potential to better utilize what’s grown on farms. Collecting data is challenging at both ends of the chain. Only a few studies have described food loss on farms for fresh produce. What we know though is that much more food could be directed to human use than has previously been estimated.

What is Driving Farm Food Loss?

In a series of grower interviews, the most common driver mentioned for why product was left in the field unharvested is economic: the price offered didn’t cover the cost of harvest. This means that a crop might be harvested only once or twice, instead of a possible five or six times, because there’s no economic incentive for the farmer to return to the field.

Take for example, this field of kale. Over 166,000 pounds of high-quality curly kale was lost in this 15 acre field because the price didn’t cover the harvest cost.

Or this 10 acre field holding a whopping 184,532 pounds of nutritious eggplant. It was harvested once, with the grower barely breaking even. When the price dropped further, the entire field became food loss and was plowed under.

Those are examples from just two small fields. What about larger fields? Here’s lettuce that has been left unharvested on a very large West Coast farm that grows on thousands of acres.

This happens every day in fresh produce production. The grower has produced at the top of their capacity, planning their crops to meet the market demand, and either the demand doesn’t materialize, or the price doesn’t offer a profit . Moreover, when weather conditions are excellent, the sad irony is that growers may have a bumper crop but the market can’t pivot quickly enough for all the fruits or vegetables to be used as intended — for feeding people. Months of planning and months of production cost (and the related inputs) can be lost. The grower didn’t decide to lose the rest of this crop, though. The market did.

Solutions From Beyond the Farm

So, what? What’s the solution here? The solution is not to harvest this and PUSH that supply into the marketplace. There has to be a PULL through the supply chain in order for this to be consumed by humans, rather than becoming a soil amendment. Growers can’t and don’t harvest just because the crop is “there.” It will just be lost further down the supply chain, which is more expensive, and more environmentally damaging.

As growers have explained to me, the solutions include higher prices paid by buyers, increasing the possibility for processing to extend the shelf life of fresh products, and increasing consumer demand for all types of produce. These are not solutions that growers have any control over. They have to come from other stakeholders.

More productive than blaming one group in particular for this wicked problem, is asking who has the power to change the situation. Procurement departments in retail, food service, and institutions have some strength in this area. There are a number of great ways to support grower-partners in reducing losses. If there were a retailer that partnered with growers to share in their risk, instead of maintaining a purely transactional relationship, that would be an incredible story to tell. It might just be the kind of story that draws in today’s consumer.

What if Retailers Partnered with Growers to Reduce Food Loss?

Produce buyers may consider employing one or more of these strategies in their policies and practices:

Be transparent about practices that drive or reduce food loss and wasteEducate procurement departments about the impacts of buying practices on farmsShare the financial burden of transporting rejected loads to food banksEnsure a larger share of fresh produce sales returns to farmsReduce waste in-store and redirect the savings to consumers and farmsModify specifications for produce SKUs to include a very slightly larger or smaller sizeIf taxes are high in your region, find out if VAT on fresh produce can be removedArrange contracts with growers that purchase the entire crop, use some for value-addAccept surplus produce for white-label processed products

What the Food Waste Coalition of Action Is Doing

CGF’s Food Waste Coalition of Action has launched a project with several of its members to engage their suppliers on the important issue of farm-stage food loss. This project includes using the beta version of a Global Farm Loss Tool to measure and collect data on the amount of on-farm stage losses for fruits and vegetables. Unique to historical estimates, the Global Farm Loss Tool utilizes Dr. Lisa Johnson’s in-field sampling methodology to collect accurate and consistent data in the field. For more information on our work to reduce upstream food loss, please see here.

American Airlines and the CR Smith Museum are teaming up to introduce a new education program to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals. The multi-year Aviation Career Pathways program is designed for middle and high school students and provides access to aviation STEM education and exposure to industry career opportunities. The program will initially engage students in seventh to 12th grade at multiple schools in the Dallas Independent School District. It has room to grow to other schools in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond long-term.

Multiple touch points translate science, technology, engineering and math concepts to aviation careers

Increasing students’ exposure and confidence to aviation STEM careers and skills comes with challenges, especially when working with schools in underserved communities, and most of the schools participating in Aviation Career Pathways are Title 1 schools. The CR Smith Museum, an independent nonprofit organization located on American’s campus in Fort Worth, has extensively studied these challenges and put solutions to them at the center of its education program development in recent years.

“The challenges we see in research and hear from school leaders are threefold. First, one touch point isn’t enough. Second, opportunities need to be more than a presentation. And finally, transportation at schools in underserved communities is limited,” said Marie Eve Poirier-Harris, Education Director at the CR Smith Museum. “Aviation Career Pathways brings the programming to the classroom, provides multiple touch points that include hands-on experiences and goes beyond presentations to creating connections with professionals.”

To help students build confidence toward future aviation career opportunities, students will engage in four to seven touch points with hands-on experiences that expose them to real-life scenarios. Touch points will range from in-classroom engagements to participation in the CR Smith Museum’s annual Aviation Career Day. Additionally, students will connect with American Airlines team members who faced similar life stories and can help guide students on their journey to an aviation career.

Team members provide relatable pathways that inspire students to believe in the possibilities

About 15 of American’s team members volunteer to coordinate and execute the Aviation Career Pathways program. Karon Washington, an engineer, partners on curriculum development and leads team member volunteer outreach that is instrumental to the program’s operation. Karon and other volunteers have stories of their own that relate to students’ circumstances and provide solutions to hurdles they may face.

“I didn’t have a role model in my immediate family or network of friends who could guide me into a STEM or aviation career,” said Karon. “When it came time to decide college majors, I searched ‘highest paying job with an undergraduate degree’ on Google. That’s how I stumbled upon engineering. It was a leap of faith, but that’s how I got started.”

After navigating the path on his own and earning a spot in the engineering program at The University of South Florida, Karon wanted to find a way to continue his volunteerism while at school. That’s when he got involved with a nonprofit in the area and the National Society of Black Engineers. Through both organizations, Karon grew a STEM outreach program that provided several weeks of engineering education to a local school.

“I want to make sure that kids have a role model,” said Karon. “Early exposure makes all the difference. At first, they may not think they can do it because they’ve never heard about it or known someone who has pursued an aviation career. That all changes when someone who is relatable can connect with them and encourages them to try it for themselves through digestible programming.”

Now an engineer at American, Karon wanted to continue his outreach as a professional.

“When the CR Smith Museum’s education team came to me with this program, I was all in,” said Karon. “With multiple touch points, kids enjoy having an outlet that lets them get away from things that may be happening around them. Plus, it reinforces confidence and helps increase the chances that they pursue the subject or career in the long run.”

Not only are Aviation Career Pathways program leaders hearing the impact of the program anecdotally from students and teachers, but preliminary survey results also show a 32% increase in students’ interest in pursuing a career in the airline industry from those who were unsure or had no desire to work in the field before engaging with the program.

“With a focus on equity, inclusion and belonging in our organizations, serving these students and providing them with the resources they may not otherwise have access to is something that can be life-changing for this generation and their families,” said Marie Eve.

While Aviation Career Pathways is currently limited to serving students in Dallas-Fort Worth, the CR Smith Museum has resources available to students around the country, including access to student professional organizations and information about career programs.

From its use in metrology and topography, lidar technology has come a long way to quickly become one of the key technologies in autonomous vehicle (AV) advancements. As automakers progress with real-world testing, it’s clear that next-generation sensors offer intriguing features but differ from the silver bullet many thought they’d be at first. Without driver/human inputs, AVs require sensors and computers to work together to read the road and surrounding environment. Most advanced driver aids in the world today use a combination of radar (microwave) and sonar (sound) to warn about unseen threats and help stop a vehicle before a collision occurs. Lidar can perform similar functions, developing an image of the environment around it while still representing the best option for AVs to see the light.

Lidar Technology in Automotive

The automotive industry is undergoing an existential transformation with autonomous driving (AV) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). To achieve a fully autonomous driving experience, sensor fusion is positioning itself as the key enabler in the automotive industry. While sensor fusion focuses on software algorithms combining the data collected from cameras, radar, and lidar to obtain meaningful decision-making information, data quality is paramount. It’s true that there is still a long way to go in mimicking the human senses and brain for level 5 driving automation, but sensor fusion is a further step in that direction.

Cameras and automotive radar have been the pillars for up to level 2 driving automation. Level 3 and higher require additional sensors and redundancy. For example, car manufacturers use radar in various systems – blind-spot monitoring systems to detect vehicles before lane change, automatic emergency braking systems to stop a vehicle before it touches an obstacle, and adaptive cruise control to maintain a consistent distance between two cars. Automotive lidar brings up high resolution and accuracy, low light effectiveness, and 3D mapping to the other two sensors. Lidar tracks obstacles and vehicles to maintain safe distances; it helps identify road signs, traffic signals, and road markings for real-time hazard analysis, ensuring autonomous vehicles’ effective operation. However, automotive lidar is yet to go mainstream due to its cost.

Lidar 101

Lidar, short for “light detection and ranging”, is a device that uses laser pulses for detection and ranging; it can operate at different wavelengths like 850nm, 905nm, 940nm, and 1550nm. The lidar sensor comprises a laser source acting as a transmitter, a photodetector acting as a receiver, and an assembly of lenses or optics to steer and collect the laser pulses. When the pulse touches an object, it bounces back to the lidar unit. The system then receives the pulse and calculates the distance with the object based on the time elapsed between the emission of the pulse and the reception of the return beam. As the beams return to the system, they begin forming a picture of the vehicle’s surroundings and use computer algorithms to piece together shapes for cars, people, and other obstacles. Lidar’s use of pulsed lasers allows it to map the 3D model of an environment quickly and more accurately than radar or sonar.

There are two types of lidar:

Time of Flight (ToF) lidar: uses the time difference between transmitted and reflected laser pulse to calculate the target’s distance, also called range.Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) lidar: uses frequency difference between transmitted and received modulated laser chirp to calculate distance and derive the target’s velocity. FMCW lidar uses coherent detection that helps achieve improved range resolution and the ability to measure dim and bright targets simultaneously.

We can also categorize lidars based on detection or scanning technology.

Lidar Test Challenges

As with radar-based systems, lidar sensor makers must ensure their systems quickly and reliably detect objects, enabling advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to work correctly before being commercially deployed. To properly test sensors, designers must often depend upon large floor spaces and traditional target boards for range and reflectivity tests. The industry also faces challenges in reducing sensor costs and scaling to mass production.

The main challenge for the mass adoption of lidar by automotive OEMs is bringing down the cost of lidar sensors and possibly making them comparable to radar. The price of lidar devices has decreased significantly in the last few years; however, there’s a scope to make it more competitive. Many factors are driving the cost up, such as R&D, material and production cost, and lower production volumes.

Keysight lidar target simulator (LTS)

Keysight lidar target simulator is a benchtop solution to test lidar devices in the design verification and manufacturing stages. The solution is designed to reduce the test cost by significantly reducing the floor space as it can simulate target distances from 3 to 300 meters and surface reflectivity from 10% to 94% while supporting volume production and accelerating the testing with full automation and analytics software.

The solution comprises two main building blocks and an optional third-party cobot: an LTS base unit, LTS remote optical head and a cobot that is optional with a mounting platform.

The LTS base unit is the heart of the test system, where distance and reflectivity simulations are performed. The remote optical head enables the base unit to receive the signal from the lidar sensor and transmit it back delayed (distance simulation) and attenuated (reflectivity simulation). In addition to target distance and reflectivity simulations, Keysight LTS solution is equipped with advanced features that enable automotive lidar makers to gain additional insights about the sensor performance. The solution allows for lidar testing under different conditions with physical target boards.

In addition to these benefits, Keysight LTS solution has an automated setup calibration algorithm that enables users to perform accurate and repeatable tests for lidar sensors. Opto-mechanical alignment is performed to align the centers of the lidar sensor and remote optical head. This setup calibration and alignment methods ensure accurate distance and reflectivity simulation.

A lidar sensor is tested for all its specifications and performance parameters in the design verification stage, which includes lidar calibration and lidar verification. The requirements for calibration are defined depending on the lidar sensor’s optical design, which the Keysight LTS target simulation capability and mechanical and optical alignment and setup calibration performance can accomplish. Then, for verification, the automotive lidar sensor testing occurs for range (minimum and maximum), range accuracy, azimuth and elevation angle accuracy, and field of view tests.

In the manufacturing stage, end-of-line testing ensures the lidar sensor is functional before shipment. These end-of-line manufacturing tests are typically a subset of verification tests. For an efficient yield and high-volume production, the solution shortens test time with software automation enabled by Keysight PathWave Test Executive for Manufacturing (PTEM)

Going forward

Automotive lidar is a promising step toward a fully autonomous driving experience. With sensor fusion and more precise algorithms, there will be higher redundancy of meaningful data streams. Data that one day will help reconstruct a decision-making process close to the level of complexity that a human brain can handle.

To learn more about Keysight’s Lidar Target Simulator, please visit the links below.

E8717A Lidar Target Simulator

How to Verify Lidar Sensors

Unlock the Power of Lidar: Streamline Design Verification and Manufacturing Test

E8717A LIDAR Target Simulator Target (distance, reflectivity with full field-of-view)

Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to celebrate the immense contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities to American culture, entertainment, and more all year long. This Hispanic Heritage Month, our company-wide campaign, “Be the Next Story Told” (“El Futuro lo Escribes Tú”), is highlighting bold and brave history-makers who use the strong foundation built by dreamers of yesterday to redefine what’s possible today.

NBCUniversal and Telemundo’s “Be the Next Story Told” (“El Futuro Lo Escribes Tú”) Campaign

NBCUniversal is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by revealing “Be the Next Story Told” (“El Futuro Lo Escribes Tú”) – a multiplatform bilingual initiative led by Telemundo honoring and recognizing the culture, spirit, and achievements of Hispanics in the U.S, and inspiring future generations to continue shaping our history.

The campaign’s new anthem spot features an original song delivering an inspiring message in both English and Spanish. The spot showcases special appearances by notable Latinos in the entertainment and news industry, including singer and songwriter Camila Cabello, Telemundo’s Award-winning sports presenters Ana Jurka and Andrés Cantor, prominent NBC News and Noticias Telemundo journalists Julio Vaqueiro, José Díaz-Balart, Alicia Menendez, Tom Llamas, Bertha Coombs, and more. For the third consecutive year, the campaign will be adopted across NBCUniversal channels and social networks, coming to life through activations, special content, and programming across the company all month long.

Xfinity Programming

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we are proud to announce Xfinity’s newest curated collection of bilingual and bicultural movies, TV shows, and more on X1, Stream and Flex. The destination, “Be the Next Story Told” (“El Futuro lo Escribes Tú”), highlights impactful stories, events, and people of both the past and present who have been bold enough to make history, allow the space for others to build on that progress, and dare to believe the best is yet to come.

The Black Experience on Xfinity Channel will premiere an exclusive documentary, John Leguizamo Live at Rikers, from award-winning Hispanic actor and activist John Leguizamo, who is also serving as a guest editor for this month’s content collection, providing his top picks for viewers (curated before the current strikes). Additionally, in partnership with Leguizamo’s digital media company NGLmitú, Xfinity will now offer the mitúTV streaming app. The new app offers a fresh programming lineup and expansion of its already massive digital footprint among the fast-growing English-dominant U.S. Latino population.

In addition to the thousands of hours of free on-demand choices already part of the Hispanic Heritage Month experience, Xfinity customers on X1 and Flex can enjoy access to more free content for everyone in the family through our “Free this Week” campaign. Watch featured content from Cine Sony, Televisión Dominicana, and Kids Street en Español (09/18-24); RCN Novelas, Video Rola, and Vme Kids (09/25-10/1); ViendoMovies, Canal Sur, and BabyFirst en Español (10/2-8); and Cinelatino, Kanal D Drama, and Primo TV (10/9-15).

A new collection, Comcast in the Community, spotlights the company’s diverse range of partnerships including Project UP, our comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity; a Philadelphia Latino Film Festival (PHLAFF) collaboration featuring exclusive films on Xfinity; and the Connection Through Creation social media creators program.

To access this great content and more, Xfinity customers can just say “Latino” into their bilingual Xfinity Voice Remote.

Comcast Newsmakers

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Comcast Newsmakers platform is releasing new interviews with leaders who are working to uplift Hispanic and Latino communities. For a second year, original content is offered in English and Spanish, with interviews recorded in both languages. Featured guests include Carmen Feliciano and Laura Arce of UnidosUS, Diego Deleersnyder of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society, and Christine Nieves of Esperanza. Conversations focus on issues including Latino economic mobility, Hispanic homeownership, and the digital skills divide among Latinos and other underserved communities. Watch on Xfinity platforms using the “Comcast Newsmakers” voice command, at ComcastNewsmakers.com, and on social media.

Connection Through Creation

Our Connection through Creation program highlights content creators who are using art and the Internet to create community, honor culture, and spark positive change. Stay tuned throughout the month to see inspirational artwork from Manuela Guillen, Juls Mendoza, Ayiana Porter, and Gonzo (Mario Figueroa) across Comcast’s social media and Xfinity platforms.

See the interviews here

Digital Equity & Social Impact

Comcast proudly partners with organizations that support Hispanic and Latino communities through Project UP. Our long-standing commitment to UnidosUS helps improve the well-being of Latinos across the country through programs that increase adoption of the internet and increased use of technology, and by honing digital skills among small business owners and entrepreneurs. Our investment in Esperanza, a North Philadelphia based nonprofit, supports digital skills training and educational and workforce career pathways in our local neighborhoods. Through our partnership with the Hispanic Federation, 20 Digital Equity Centers nationwide are helping to provide Internet access and digital skills training to Latino students and jobseekers.

We are also investing in small businesses through Comcast RISE as well as through a partnership with Prospera to support the growth of Hispanic-owned businesses. Additionally, our partners at Aspen Institute Latinos & Society recently released The Principles for Latino Digital Success to inform the design and implementation of effective digital equity efforts targeting the Latino community in the United States.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs is excited to sponsor VCFamilia events across eight cities, celebrating Hispanic innovation in tech. LIFT Labs sources tech startups worldwide seeking strategic long-term partnerships with Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Sky. In addition to supporting underrepresented founders through initiatives like Founding in Color – a three-part docuseries streaming on Peacock – LIFT Labs is a proud supporter of organizations such as LaFamilia Foundation, whose mission is to bridge resource gaps for Latine startup entrepreneurs and investors.

Our Employees

Comcast employees are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month across the country with local and national employee-led events exploring the diversity of Latino cultures from cooking and dancing, to professional development opportunities, allyship, and more.

We are honored to be recognized as a 5-star company by the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) on the 2023 Corporate Inclusion Index across all four pillars: employment, procurement, philanthropy, and governance. Our passionate employees inspire us all and we’re grateful for their commitment to making our company a place where people feel safe and valued. Meet a few of our employees below and learn more about how they celebrate their identities at work.

HOUSTON, October 30, 2023 /3BL/ – LyondellBasell is pleased to announce it received the Supply Chain Excellence Award from SC Johnson in recognition of its strong supply chain support during weather disruptions and the pandemic.

Winners were announced at an awards ceremony during SC Johnson’s Together We Win event in Milwaukee on September 19, 2023.

“We are honored to be the recipient of the Supply Chain Excellence Award, and we value our longstanding relationship with SC Johnson,” said Palmer Giddings, vice president, Polyolefins Americas at LyondellBasell. “Our customer-focused global supply chain organization provided exceptional performance to support SC Johnson with solutions during unprecedented times ensuring their products were able to reach consumers.”

Out of thousands of suppliers in SC Johnson’s network, LyondellBasell was among the seven recipients that were recognized at the award presentation event.

About SC Johnson

Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin USA, SC Johnson believes that a more sustainable, healthier and transparent world that inspires people and creates opportunities isn’t just possible – it’s our responsibility.

A heritage of innovation and bold, transparent decisions is why our high-quality products and iconic brands – including OFF!®, Raid®, Glade®, Windex®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Ziploc®, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day®, method®, Autan®, Baygon®, Mr Muscle®, Duck®, Lysoform® and more – are in homes, schools and businesses in virtually every country worldwide.

As a global, purpose-led company, we are committed to making the world a better place today and for future generations. That means relentlessly bringing our expertise in science, innovation and partnerships to bear on some of the world’s most pressing environmental and health issues like reducing plastic waste and eradicating malaria. Around the world, we use our resources to unlock greater economic and educational opportunities for people and communities where access may be limited, but curiosity and potential are limitless.

See how SC Johnson is a Family Company At Work For a Better World by visiting scjohnson.com or joining us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

About LyondellBasell

We are LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) – a leader in the global chemical industry creating solutions for everyday sustainable living. Through advanced technology and focused investments, we are enabling a circular and low carbon economy. Across all we do, we aim to unlock value for our customers, investors and society. As one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and a leader in polyolefin technologies, we develop, manufacture and market high-quality and innovative products for applications ranging from sustainable transportation and food safety to clean water and quality healthcare. For more information, please visit https://www.lyondellbasell.com/ or follow @LyondellBasell on LinkedIn.

Guided by Mary Kay Ash’s dream to enrich the lives of women everywhere, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation raises and distributes funds to invest in breakthrough cancer research to find cures for cancers affecting women and ending domestic violence against women.

Since 1996, the Foundation has awarded more than 270 cancer research grants totaling over $26 million to innovative, translational cancer research projects around the country. Each year, the Foundation funds research efforts, along with critical cancer care support programs and services. The Foundation remains unwavering in its commitment to focusing on finding cures for cancers affecting women.

The Mary Kay Ash Foundation takes a holistic approach to grant giving efforts to ensure supporting research programs that are innovative and help spark additional research throughout the world.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mary Kay Ash FoundationSM awarded 12 cancer research grants totaling $1.2 million in support of innovative/translational research efforts. Researchers from the country’s top accredited universities and institutes received $100,000 grants to further conduct groundbreaking research in cancers primarily affecting women, potentially leading to better detection, prognosis, and treatment options.

Click here to access a full list of 2023 Mary Kay Ash Foundation Cancer Research Grant recipients, and previous years’ recipients.

To learn more about our cancer research grants, eligibility, and requirements for applying, along with cancer-related programs and support services funded by Mary Kay Ash Foundation, visit our website.

By Lara Warren | October 5, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., October 25, 2023 /3BL/ – Regions Bank on Thursday announced the company has received the highest possible score of 100 on the 2023 Disability Equality Index®, the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. With this year’s distinction, Regions has now been named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the third consecutive year.

“Regions Bank has a strong commitment to providing a workplace where everyone can thrive,” said Clara Green, head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Regions. “We are proud of our score of 100, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have more work to do. We want to continue to create a workplace environment where associates of all abilities feel included, and our workforce reflects the communities we serve.”

The Disability Equality Index is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN. Participating companies receive a score on a scale of zero to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.” Since its inception in 2015, participation in the Disability Equality Index has grown six times – from 80 companies in the inaugural year to 485 in 2023.

Regions Bank has a strong commitment to providing a workplace where everyone can thrive. We are proud of our score of 100, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have more work to do.

Clara Green, head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Regions

Regions’ commitment to disability inclusion supports associates, customers and the communities the bank serves:

Regions has a dedicated Disability Services and Outreach Manager who manages external and internal outreach efforts.Regions celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month every year by hosting educational events for associates.Regions provides associates with the opportunity to self-identify as having a disability.Regions is dedicated to inclusivity and accessibility for its customers, providing accessible products and services both in person and online.

About Regions Financial Corporation 
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $156 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

About the Disability Equality Index 
The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN, the global business disability inclusion network, to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. The organizations are complementary and bring unique strengths that make the project relevant and credible to corporations and the disability community. The tool was developed by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates. Learn more at: https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/.

Originally published on Essity.com

The care economy

The care economy plays a crucial role in society in accelerating overall health and well-being as well as in shaping and creating resilience. The global demographic shift, with a rapidly growing older population, increases the need for care, and places pressure on an already strained care economy. Yet there is an opportunity for new practices and innovation within the care economy to make a big positive impact. More people will be able to look after themselves at an older age and the demand for care workers will also increase, including both professional and family caregivers. At the same time the financing of public healthcare systems is impacted by more elderly people in need and potentially fewer younger people in the work force. Globally, countries are witnessing a care gap, meaning there is a deficit in the number of caregivers compared to the growing number of people in need of care. If not addressed properly this deficit can create an unsustainable global care crisis and increase inequalities.1

Smart investments in care and preventive measures will not only strengthen the resilience of healthcare systems and contribute to more sustainable and better care as well as better health and well-being for persons receiving care and caregivers but also strengthen societies’ capacity to recover after disasters and crises.2

“The care economy encompasses direct care activities, such as nursing an ill partner or feeding a baby, and indirect care activities, such as cleaning, cooking and so on. Whether paid or unpaid, direct, or indirect, care work is vital for human well-being and economies and is yet to receive adequate attention in policy formulation.”

– Chidi King, Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Branch at the ILO

Recognizing the value of care

Recognizing and investing in care in a smart way creates value for society, as it contributes to better health and well-being for both care recipients and caregivers. According to UN Women, the care economy contributes to poverty reduction, elimination of inequalities in socioeconomic status, and sustainable and inclusive growth.3 However, the social and economic value that care creates is still not recognized to the extent that it deserves. A shift in mindset is needed; from seeing care investments as mere costs to recognizing them as valuable investments that generate tangible returns in terms of personal well-being and patient outcomes, as well as public health, societal and economic progress.

By acknowledging and prioritizing the value of care, societies can foster an environment conducive to inclusive and equitable growth. This could contribute to creating a society where individuals have equal access to opportunities and resources necessary for health and well-being.

Securing the right and best care for individuals increases independence and improves health outcomes. On the individual level, acknowledging the value of care fosters physical, mental, and emotional health. Individuals who experience quality care are more likely to possess higher self-esteem, improved coping mechanisms, and greater life satisfaction, ultimately leading to an enhanced quality of life.4 Care is a fundamental human rights component. According to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, every individual has the right to access healthcare, education, social protection, and active participation in public life.5 In order to uphold these rights, there is a need to foster a care economy that is rooted in human rights principles, responsive to gender disparities, inclusive of individuals with disabilities, and sensitive to the diverse needs of different age groups. Promoting a care economy that considers the diverse care needs of different individuals is essential for ensuring the health and well-being of all.

SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Investing in care in a smart way creates value for society, which is essential to ensure good health and well-being for both caregivers and persons receiving care. This drives progress in SDG 3.

What are the returns of investing in the care economy?

Investing in the care economy fosters a more inclusive and equitable society that benefits the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and the overall economy. This sets the foundations for stronger and more sustainable long-term economic growth.6Investing in accessible quality care allows individuals to participate fully in the workforce, contributing to productivity and economic stability.7Investing in care solutions and preventive measures strengthens the resilience in healthcare systems, which could increase overall health outcomes and avoid looming crises or speed up recovery after crises.8Investing in care jobs will increase the general health and well-being of the population while also promoting gender equality, as women make up over 70% of the care workforce.9

Download the Essity 2023-2024 Hygiene and Health Survey to learn more

Learn more about Essity here

1ILO (2018) Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/— publ/documents/publication/wcms_633135.pdf

2ILO (2022) How to make the care sector resilient after the pandemic? https://www.ilo.org/brussels/information-resources/news/ WCMS_859044/lang–en/index.htm

3UN Women (2018). Promoting women’s economic empowerment: Recognizing and investing in the care economy. Issue Paper, UN Women, New York.

4Malley, J., D’Amico, F., & Fernandez, J. L. (2019). What is the relationship between the quality of care experience and quality of life outco- mes? Some evidence from long-term home care in England. Social Science & Medicine, 243, 112635.

5UN General Assembly (1948). Universal declaration of human rights. 302(2), 14-25.

6Llena-Nozal, A., Martin, N., & Murtin, F. (2019). The economy of well-being: Creating opportunities for people’s well-being and economic growth.

7UN Women (2018). Promoting women’s economic empowerment: Recognizing and investing in the care economy. Issue Paper, UN Women, New York.

8ILO (2022) How to make the care sector resilient after the pandemic? https://www.ilo.org/brussels/information-resources/news/ WCMS_859044/lang–en/index.htm

9World Health Organization. (2021). Closing the leadership gap: Gender equity and leadership in the global health and care workforce: policy action paper, June 2021