Tag: 3BL

LONDON, October 17, 2023 /3BL/ – The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for driving market transformation through healthy buildings, organisations and communities, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a leading representative organisation of the built and natural environment sectors in the UK and globally, today announced a strategic collaboration to raise awareness and encourage adoption of strategies that advance health and well-being in buildings and organisations globally.

IWBI and RICS will jointly engage their members and broader networks in opportunities to support occupant health and well-being through IWBI’s WELL Building Standard (WELL) and RICS’ International Building Operating Standard (IBOS). The two organisations will promote thought leadership around health and well-being in properties, and will work to advance benchmarking, regulatory frameworks and standards, with an emphasis on the built environment sector in Europe.

“At IWBI, we embrace the opportunity to collaborate with RICS and its vast professional network as a way to expand our response to the global demand for healthier places and healthier organisations,” said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon. “We look forward to continuing our work to drive market transformation together, helping professionals leverage our comprehensive suite of tools and cultivate a culture of health across the industry.”

“We are proud to expand our existing relationship with RICS, and to pursue alignments between the WELL Standard and IBOS,” said Ann Marie Aguilar, Senior Vice President, EMEA, IWBI. “Our joint efforts will help to highlight the rising importance of health and well-being in buildings, organisations and communities, and how strategies to integrate health into the valuation process can improve ESG performance.”

The collaboration builds on earlier efforts between IWBI and RICS to highlight the benefits of prioritising people’s health and well-being, through a new white paper titled “The design, delivery and management of healthy buildings,” as well as events and webcasts.

“Professionals are at the heart of RICS and what we do. As the way we live evolves and as the role of the built environment is quickly changing, there is a need for a people-centric approach to how spaces are managed,” said Paul Bagust, Head of RICS’ Property Practice. “Through this collaboration with IWBI, we are eager to support the industry by providing clarity in the ways we can use data to measure and benchmark buildings, and to deliver positive outcomes across social and environmental factors.”

WELL, the world’s leading roadmap for creating and certifying spaces that advance health and well-being, has been adopted by nearly 44,000 projects encompassing 4.85 billion square feet of real estate across 127 countries. The WELL ecosystem is grounded in the WELL Standard, a library of holistic evidence-based building and organisational strategies – organised into 10 impact categories – that can improve the health and well-being of people. WELL Certification is the highest pinnacle of achievement of strategies across all 10 concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community.

Certification is available through the WELL Building Standard and WELL Community Standard pilot, along with ratings that are targeted subsets of strategies from the WELL Standard, and which focus on thematic, goal-focused achievements that demonstrate an organisation’s commitment to health and well-being.

As a globally recognised professional body, RICS promotes and enforces the highest professional standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. Representing more than 134,000 professionals working in the built environment industry globally, and with offices in every significant financial market, RICS is ideally placed to influence policy and embed its standards within local marketplaces in order to protect consumers and businesses.

IBOS is a data-based approach that supports the measurement and management of buildings for strategic decision-making. Developed alongside the market, IBOS reaches beyond traditional ways of assessing building performance to add another dimension – user experience – and provides a consistent way to benchmark across a number of properties. IBOS revolves around five key pillars: compliance, economics, functionality, sustainability and performance.

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About the International WELL Building Institute 
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organisation focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilises its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL Standard) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Portfolio, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Performance Rating, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

About RICS 
We are RICS. Everything we do is designed to effect positive change in the built and natural environments. Through our respected global standards, leading professional progression and our trusted data and insight, we promote and enforce the highest professional standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.

Our work with others provides a foundation for confident markets, pioneers better places to live and work and is a force for positive social impact.

Media Contacts:

IWBI 
media@wellcertified.com

RICS 
press@rics.org

Living with a disability is filled with challenges that Akuma N. knows all too well. Akuma, a folder at the Rental Location in Union, N.J., is visually impaired.

The Nigerian-born employee-partner said his six-year Cintas career has provided critical personal validation. He has mastered folding multiple products in a welcoming and accepting environment.

“I enjoy a lot of things about Cintas, but what I enjoy most is it bringing me back to the workforce. It makes me feel like a human again,” Akuma said.

Cintas was recognized among the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” after receiving a qualifying score of 90 on the 2023 Disability Equality Index®, the leading non-profit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. 

At Cintas, where diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded in the culture, every October celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Employee-partners like Akuma are crucial to the company’s success and are valuable members of the team. 

Akuma said a misconception that people with disabilities “are useless in society” does not exist at Cintas. 

“When I came to Cintas and was able to move around and work like other people, it made me feel like I’m a human being again,” Akuma said. “My coming to Cintas kind of brought me back to life.”

Akuma arrived at Cintas through INROADS, a nonprofit that strives to foster diverse and inclusive workplaces. He said the organization helped him return to the routine of awakening early and going to work. It also provided training that prepared him for his Cintas career.

Nothing was easy at first as he acclimated to his role as a folder, but over time Akuma thrived personally and professionally. He grew accustomed to the layout of his environment. He said Cintas’ “strong feeling of family” lifted his spirits. 

Union, N.J.’s Rental Location General Manager Doug Rader said Akuma’s friendly demeanor is part of the positive culture. He called Akuma a great addition to the team.

“The (employee-)partners love being around him. He’s always cracking jokes in the cafeteria. When he’s walking around, everybody is trying to help him get where he needs to go. He always has a smile on his face and again, he loves to make jokes and keeps it very light,” Rader said.

Joking around, Akuma said, has helped his mental health as his eyesight has diminished over the years. 

“If I don’t (joke around), I’ll keep on thinking about my situation or my conditions,” Akuma said.

He doesn’t have time for introspection in the folding section, where different languages sometimes necessitate creative communication – but the employee-partners’ camaraderie is always strong. 

When Akuma isn’t working, he loves to cook. He has a particular affinity for Nigerian fare.

If he were to give advice to others with disabilities, it would be to seek assistance to find purpose and develop self-confidence. Akuma believes his story is just one example of what someone with a disability can do at Cintas.

“I don’t think I’m the only person that’s in this condition,” Akuma said. “I believe there are some other people, if given the opportunity, would gain this improvement in their life.” 

Watch the full video here. 

WALTHAM, MA and BROOKLYN, N.Y., October 16, 2023 /3BL/ – National Grid today is announcing the kickoff of a landmark study to support the electrification of commercial fleets, mapping out truck charging needs across nearly 3,000 miles of major highways in the U.S. Northeast. Funded by a $1.2 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the two-year effort to build a Northeast Freight Corridors Charging Plan will focus on highways with heavy trucking traffic, including I-95 and I-90, and areas with commercial activity, like the Port of New York and New Jersey.

The study led by National Grid will develop 20-year demand forecasts for more than 100 sites across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and all New England states. This analysis could guide investment and policy decisions, while providing a clear path for states, utilities, businesses, and local communities to plan and build a charging network that supports large-scale electrification of the largest emitting sector of the Northeast’s economy.

The Northeast Freight Corridors Charging Plan will expand upon National Grid’s first-in-the-nation Electric Highways Study released in 2022, which found that large highway fast-charging sites could require more power than a small town by 2045.

As more electric trucks enter roadways, grid and charging infrastructure must keep pace. Larger electric vehicles require frequent recharging on long haul routes, but charging options for electric trucks remain limited, with most charging stations only equipped to serve smaller passenger vehicles.

“Readying our grid infrastructure for electric trucks will require careful planning and close collaboration across state lines,” said Bart Franey, Vice President of Clean Energy Development – New York, National Grid. “This DOE grant award brings the right stakeholders into the same room to chart a clear course for electric truck charging across the Northeast. This roadmap will inform efforts by states, utilities, communities, and industry leaders to create a seamless truck charging network across the region.”

A Coordinated Effort to Ramp Up an East Coast Charging Network 

National Grid is engaging with industry partners to drive transportation electrification in the Northeast and help communities keep pace with policy- and market-driven demand now and in the future. The company is leading this groundbreaking study effort in partnership with RMI, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), Clean Communities of Central New York, and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

National Grid will also closely coordinate with CALSTART, the recipient of a similar DOE grant, to map out truck charging needs south of National Grid’s study area. The two studies are set to cover a combined 3,700 miles of highways and freight corridors, including 1,300 miles of I-95 from Georgia all the way to the Canadian border – plotting out what could be one of the longest truck charging corridors in the country. When integrated together, this broader analysis will span 15 states, supporting more than 300 million tons of freight moving through ports on the East Coast each year, as well as several of the largest cities in the U.S.

John Boesel, president and CEO of CALSTART said, “The I-95 Corridor project, once completed, will put into practice the integration of zero-emission vehicles, infrastructure, and addressing climate-change issues that has been carried out in other areas of the country. The successful implementation of this project will put to rest the unfounded concerns of zero-emission opponents by demonstrating that this technology is both economically feasible and a benefit to all.”

David Sandbank, Vice President of Distributed Energy Resources New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said, “This study will help deepen the understanding of electrification needs and help New York State and the region strategically put more medium and heavy-duty electric trucks on the road. Growing the number of charging locations throughout key travel corridors will lower emissions and pollution while ensuring goods and services are delivered in a cleaner, more sustainable way.”

Paul Miller, Executive Director of NESCAUM, a regional association of air quality agencies in eight northeast states that will help engage state governments in the Northeast Freight Corridors Charging Plan said, “A rapid transition to zero-emission freight transport is urgently needed to slash greenhouse gas emissions and to improve air quality and public health in the communities along freight routes that have long borne inequitable impacts from diesel-powered trucking. This foundational study will help to expedite a charging network that can scale quickly and cost-effectively as more zero-emission trucks take to the road.”

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find us on Instagram.

Media Contact 
Emily Demarest 
Massachusetts 
(781) 907-3980

Southwire’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goes beyond what happens in the workplace and extends into the communities in which its team members work and live across its entire footprint. As Southwire powers forward and establishes itself as an organization that is intently focused on DEI, the company has released its first DEI report.

The report focuses on 2022 results and openly communicates Southwire’s ongoing commitment to DEI. At the same time, Southwire is releasing a new version of its DEI website, updating its mission statement and refining its areas of focus — all of which are bold steps for a private company. The report and new website updates can both be found here.

“We recognize that this is a unique moment in our DEI journey at Southwire, one in which we have the opportunity to stand tall as an industry leader,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO. “As we continue to mature, we want every team member to have the knowledge and tools necessary to embed these DEI principles into their daily activities, and by continuing to empower, value and diversify our workforce, I’m confident that we will build upon our momentum and position Southwire to be generationally sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond.”

In recent years, Southwire has executed its DEI strategy through seven areas of focus: Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), Inclusive Recruiting, Talent Development, Suppliers, Giving Back, Advocacy and External Partnerships. The report focuses on key metrics within those areas of focus.

Southwire has continued to invest and promote ERGs by supporting an inclusive culture and providing opportunities for networking, engagement and professional development across its locations in Canada, Honduras, Mexico and the United States. The company’s efforts in this space have contributed to Southwire receiving multiple awards, including being recognized as a Top 10 Enterprise-Wide ERG recipient for the 2022 Diversity Impact Awards.

Over the past four years, Southwire has accelerated its commitment to DEI by focusing on its pipeline development, inclusive recruitment and external partnerships. The company is committed to supporting a more inclusive workplace for team members, communities and society at large. Southwire has worked to hire more women, individuals from underrepresented communities (URCs) and veterans, and for the fourth consecutive year, was recognized by DiversityJobs.com as a Top Diversity Employer.

As Southwire advances its DEI strategy, the company will continue to focus on creating an inclusive ONE Southwire culture. Looking toward 2023 and beyond, its areas of focus will transition to People Leaders, Inclusive Workforce, ERGs, Reputation and Community, Equity and Governance and Value and Supply Chain.

“At Southwire, we power progress. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is essential to our strategic plan, to create generational sustainability and continued growth in our industry,” said Cara Herzog, Chief DEI Officer. “We are an organization poised for tremendous growth, and an essential piece of that growth is our ability to attract, retain and engage a diversified workforce. We will continue to lead with our actions to influence positive change — not only for us but for our entire industry.”

For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom.

Funds provide professional development and scholarship opportunities to empower Hispanic students in central Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., October 16, 2023 /3BL/ – As Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations continue throughout Florida and beyond, the Duke Energy Foundation is committing $75,000 to the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund to create educational opportunities for Hispanic students in central Florida.

The grant will help Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund provide college scholarships for local Hispanic students and expand the number of professional development workshops to support transitioning to the workforce. A large portion of the grant will be used to award eight additional scholarships, with the remaining dollars to be used for Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund’s annual scholarship award ceremony in October.

“At Duke Energy, we understand the importance of an empowered, diverse workforce because it makes us stronger as a company and allows us to connect with our customers and communities,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.

“By supporting organizations like the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund and providing diverse students with educational opportunities, we are helping students of all backgrounds and abilities to develop the critical life skills to reach their full potential and contribute to a vibrant and diverse workforce,” said Seixas.

Since 2000, the scholarship fund and its partners have awarded 494 Hispanic Heritage Scholarships totaling more than $2 million. For nearly a decade, Duke Energy Florida and its Foundation have provided about $230,000 in scholarships and sponsorships to support the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund.

“We are so grateful to Duke Energy for their steadfast support that continues to cement our successful collaboration,” said Yamile Luna, Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund board chair. “This support allows us to further our vision of growth and economic impact from Hispanic scholars pursuing their educational goals in central Florida.”

The annual scholarship award ceremony is dedicated to celebrating the scholarship recipients and formally introducing them to the central Florida community. The event provides an opportunity for more than 300 attendees, including educational partners, event and organization funders, community leaders, and scholarship recipients and their guests, to learn about the value of community collaboration.

The annual award ceremony will be held at noon on Oct. 11, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. For information about the event, email info@hhsfmo.org.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund

The Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund is dedicated to investing in the college education of Hispanic youth in Central Florida. Our scholarships, student workshops and events are designed to help students earn their bachelor’s degrees, develop critical life skills, and connect to the local community.

Duke Energy media contact: Audrey Stasko
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

Hispanic Heritage Fund media contact: Carolin Requiz Smith
Phone: 317.457.6482
Email: carolin@hhsfmo.org

View original content here.

CTVacinas is one of the most important biotechnology research laboratories in Brazil. Located within the biotechnology hub of the Belo Horizonte Technology Park (BH-TEC), it was created in 2016 from a partnership between the René Rachou Institute of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz-Minas) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The institution has over 80 researchers from various areas of science and technology working on the development of vaccines for human and veterinary diseases, as well as kits for diagnosis.

With the high demand for immunizers to combat COVID-19, since April 2020, a group of over 40 researchers from the center has been working on SpiN-TEC UFMG MCTI, the first 100 percent Brazilian-made vaccine against the virus—from the production of inputs to distribution. For the development of the new vaccine, CTVacinas acquired a new spectrometer, a device that identifies molecules by measuring their mass and chemical structure characteristics, thus performing molecular composition.

Diana Paola Gómez Mendoza, postdoctoral fellow in Molecular Biology and the CTVacinas researcher who leads the mass spectrometry laboratory, explained that to work together with a robust device like the spectrometer, a workstation with high processing power, storage, and memory was needed. A common computer would be unable to support and analyze approximately 1GB per file, especially not with speed.

“We constantly generate data,” Mendoza said. “Without the support of a high-performance machine, we would not have enough backup capacity to maintain the programs that search in databases for chemical structure prediction and their compositions.”

Given the need for reliable equipment to support the development, CTVacinas initiated a bidding process in June 2022 to purchase a workstation to complete the operation. The chosen solution was the Lenovo ThinkStation P620, which directly performs the detection and analysis of data coming from the spectrometer.

The process for the implementation of Lenovo’s solution took less than three months to be completed, ending in September 2022. Mendoza reported that the differential in choosing Lenovo’s solution was its direct service, which was crucial to detail the technical specifications for use with the spectrometer. The ThinkStation P620, which is the first workstation in the world with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processor, was customized in Mexico for CTVacinas with 7 SSD disks and 256GB of RAM, and also includes two ThinkVision S24e monitors with integrated ergonomic adjustments.

According to Mendoza, “the process of reading data coming from the spectrometer demands a lot, so with this workstation, it is clear that we can perform analyses with more speed and efficiency, obtaining results in up to one hour.”

With the support of Lenovo’s solution, the SpiN-TEC UFMG MCTI had its first application in volunteers in November 2022 and is on the way to the second phase of tests this fall.

Leandro Lofrano, director of products at Lenovo for the corporate market, said, “It is an honor for Lenovo, in partnership with CTVacinas, to promote the development of Brazilian science through innovative technologies like those prepared for the ThinkStation line. Therefore, we work day after day to offer increasingly more solutions focused on helping companies and institutions in Brazil, of various sectors and sizes, to continue on the path of digital transformation for the benefit of our society.”

For greater peace of mind of the CTVacinas research team, the ThinkStation P620 was purchased with a five-year warranty and with Premier Support, Lenovo’s priority technical assistance service, which guarantees next business day assistance and priority access to parts for the ThinkStation, every day, at any time and place. Mendoza highlighted the importance of the added service and projects new acquisitions for the laboratory.

“The experience we are having with Lenovo’s support and solutions, something we didn’t have with other manufacturers, was decisive for us,” Mendoza said.

PORTLAND, Maine, October 16, 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank and KeyBank Foundation announce (21) twenty-one charitable donations made recently to nonprofit organizations in Maine. The gifts focus support to address homelessness, food insecurity, financial literacy, preventative healthcare and more. The charitable donations total $347,000 and are part of KeyBank’s community philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development, and safe, vital neighborhoods.

“At KeyBank, our mission is helping our clients and communities thrive, and that includes supporting local nonprofits that improve the health and vibrancy of the communities we serve,” said KeyBank Maine Market President Tony DiSotto. “With these recent donations, we have been able to invest in communities throughout the state of Maine. We value these community partners and are proud to support their work.”

The charitable donations announced have been made to the following community organizations:

Education

Aroostook County Action Program for its Connecting Aroostook Youth with Local Employment (CAYLE) program which supports to low-income Aroostook County high school and college-aged students with employment, job-shadowing, and on-the-job training with local employers.Junior Achievement for its high school financial literacy curriculum.Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute for its “My Values,” “My Voice” and “My Vision” program at Lewiston High SchoolPortland Housing Services Corporation to provide financial support for post-secondary education to low-income subsidized housing residents through its Portland Housing Scholarship Fund.The Mitchell Institute in support of its goal of increasing educational opportunity for Maine students.Tree Street Youth Inc. for their Motivating Adolescence Pursuing Leadership Experiences (MAPLE) providing social-emotional development, academic success, leadership skills, workforce development and college/career prep for at-risk teens and young adults.

Workforce Development 

Give It. Get It to support its Digital Inclusion and Equity Sponsorship Fund, which provides refurbished personal computers and technical training in an effort to help people break the cycle of poverty, underemployment, and dependence on social services through inclusion in digital community spaces and overall Digital Equity.Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center to support instruction in digital technology, financial literacy and online marketing as part of a comprehensive training and technical assistance program to stimulate new business startups led by immigrant women.McCauley House to support +MPower Workforce Development program which provides workforce and skills training and career pathway coaching for New Mainers.

Safe, Vital Neighborhoods (includes affordable housing, health and wellness, basic needs, and social equity)

Bangor Homeless Shelter under Neighbors for emergency shelter and supportive services to people who are homeless or at risk and to advocate for collaborative, locally driven solutions to end homelessness.Furniture Friends to support their furniture donation program to people in need throughout Greater Portland.Good Shepherd Food Bank to support the food bank’s procurement and distribution of nutritious, culturally relevant food for people in need across the state.Maine Inside Out supporting their theater programs about social change.Maine Medical Center to support the center’s Preventive Medicine Enhancement Program for Maine (PrevME).Portland Trails for the Healthier Neighborhoods for All (HNFA) program, which aims to improve the health of Portland’s neighborhoods, with a focus on low-income, BIPOC, and immigrant residents, by increasing awareness and usage of local trails and outdoor spaces.SCORE Maine for its small business workshop and webinar programs serving low-income business start-ups and current small business owners.Spurwink to help them provide behavioral health care, substance use disorder services and support services for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, and their families.Sweetser to support the organization’s statewide network of community-based mental health, recovery, and educational services.The Third Place for their coworking collaborative to support Black entrepreneurs, emerging leaders and creatives.Trinity Jubilee Center Inc. to support The Day Shelter and Resource Center, a client-directed and comprehensive hub for homeless, housing insecure, and low-income residents of Lewiston-Auburn.United Way Women United supporting education, financial stability, and health of single mothers and their children in Southern Maine.

About KeyCorp/KeyBank

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion at June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

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.

Originally published by Walgreens Boots Alliance

From Oct. 8 to 11, Las Vegas became the epicenter of healthcare innovation as more than 10,000 global attendees gathered for this year’s highly anticipated annual HLTH conference. At the heart of the action was Walgreens – making waves with the company’s first-ever booth experience at HLTH, a powerful Main Stage session, and insightful discussions on the intersection of healthcare and innovation.

Here are a few highlights from HLTH 2023:

Tracey D. Brown represented Walgreens collaboration in delivering empowered care solutions

“So we talk about about the future, but the future is actually right here, right now, and I think this demonstration shows that we are actually all committed to improving the overall health and wellbeing for all people.” 
– Tracey D. Brown, EVP, president of Walgreens retail & chief customer officer

Exciting news at HLTH this year: Walgreens announced an early collaboration with Samsung Health and b.well Connected Health Platform to provide Samsung users with a more connected, convenient and proactive health experience that is personalized, accessible and available to Samsung users in the palm of their hands.

Tracey Brown also graced the Main Stage, igniting impactful conversations

“We have an opportunity – and I dare say – a responsibility to drive transformation. It requires resilient transformative leaders…creating the partnerships that are required, the technology, and the data, so that we can create personalized effective care to improve the overall health and wellbeing for people in this country.”

– Tracey D. Brown, EVP, president of Walgreens retail & chief customer officer

Tracey D. Brown, EVP, president of Walgreens retail & chief customer officer, underscored Walgreens transformation into a healthcare company that solves challenges that face the industry. She emphasized the power of the fourth network and community-based solutions that make quality healthcare more accessible while improving outcomes and lowering costs – an approach with the potential to transform the way we engage with our health.

“We’re launching Virtual Healthcare at Walgreens this month because our goal is to be the most convenient health and wellness destination, whether you’re physically in stores or visit Walgreens virtually in stores.”

A defining moment on the Main Stage was a preview of Walgreens Virtual Healthcare offering set to launch in late October 2023. This digital solution will provide discreet, convenient and on-demand medical care for common health needs. It will make it easier for individuals to receive online diagnoses and prescriptions, making healthcare accessible and affordable at any time. Meeting patients where they’re at is core to Walgreens mission, and Walgreens Virtual Healthcare aims to improve access to fast, reliable, affordable care.

Some of the key benefits include:

An easier way to get care, when you need it: Patients will be able to connect easily with doctors and nurse practitioners through virtual or chat-based consultations. For certain conditions, video visits with healthcare providers will be available, all on the patient’s terms and from the convenience of their own devices.Care and treatment for some of the most common health needs: Walgreens Virtual Healthcare will provide on-demand medical care and treatment for some of the most common health needs, including respiratory illness, allergies, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and acne.Streamlined treatment access: After patients connect with a provider either via chat or video, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare enables them to get their prescriptions filled from their preferred pharmacy, including at Walgreens pharmacies or with Walgreens Same-Day Prescription Delivery.Affordable pricing: Most Walgreens Virtual Healthcare chat visits will be priced at $33 out-of-pocket, with pricing for video visits varying from $36-75, making healthcare more affordable and accessible. At this time, insurance is not accepted for Walgreens Virtual Healthcare visits, but it can be used to cover the cost of prescriptions. In the future, Walgreens Virtual Healthcare plans to accept insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts and Healthcare Savings Accounts will be accepted.

Patients in select states will be able to access Walgreens Virtual Healthcare at Walgreens.com beginning in late October. These initial states cover nearly half of the U.S. population and half of Walgreens pharmacy customers. Walgreens plans to expand the service to cover additional conditions and markets in the near future.

Dr. Kevin Ban shared his expertise during two enlightening panels

“I think that we’re exceptionally good at understanding customer needs and wants, and once they engage with us, that’s the moment when we can help navigate their care.”

– Dr. Kevin Ban, EVP & global chief medical officer

Dr. Kevin Ban, EVP & global chief medical officer, participated in two panels. The first, a MedCity News program, explored how retailers and other companies are improving consumer convenience through virtual, at-home and other non-traditional means. The second panel, on the show floor, tapped into the minds of leaders behind the retailization of healthcare, emphasizing personalization, convenience, transparency and experience in the digital age.

Walgreens debuted a first-ever booth experience at HLTH

Walgreens debuted its first-ever booth experience at HLTH, positioning itself at the heart of the HLTH community. Nearly 200 flu and COVID-19 vaccines were administered at the booth. Prior to the vaccine clinic, Walgreens hosted a “Healthy Hour” where attendees enjoyed healthy refreshments while learning more about Walgreens healthcare offerings.  

Reflecting on a successful HLTH 2023, Walgreens leaders seized the opportunity to step up on the national stage alongside fellow trailblazers in the healthcare industry to spark conversations, unveil forthcoming innovations and reaffirm our commitment to reimagining local healthcare and wellbeing for all.  

Shortly after the conclusion of HLTH, Walgreens Boots Alliance announced the appointment of Tim Wentworth as Chief Executive Officer, who will join the company Oct. 23.

As originally published in the 2022 .gay Impact Report

Founder’s Farewell

“We have been on a journey with .gay for 11 years and it is a bittersweet moment now that my time managing the .gay domain extension has come to an end. In 2012, we recognized the opportunity to create a new namespace for LGBTQIA+ communities, complete with industry- first policies that would separate .gay from the status quo. It was a big impossible dream, but thanks to our small but highly committed team, we were able to launch .gay three years ago. I’m so proud of the people in our company who made this happen. The very existence of .gay, and its potential to be a fresh new space to share gay joy and to show support of global communities is enticing. GoDaddy Registry is the right company to take .gay onto its next phase of growth, and we will be rooting them on, every step of the way!”

– Ray King, CEO, Top Level Design

.gay Gives

The importance of LGBTQIA+ community building is instrumental in growing the leadership of the movement; that’s why CenterLink was chosen as one of .gay’s beneficiaries. CenterLink provides training, resources, legislative advocacy and guidance for over 250 LGBTQIA+ community centers nationwide.

The other beneficiary, GLAAD, is doing work that is equally important. For over 30 years, GLAAD has been at the forefront of cultural change and accelerating acceptance of LGBTQIA+ communities. GLAAD’s critical culture- changing work continues to yield impactful results, and the GLAAD Media Reference Guide is also core to .gay’s marketing and policies.

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT CentersGLAAD

View and download the full 2022 .gay Impact Report here.

About .gay 
The .gay domain extension provides a distinctive digital space devoted to connecting and celebrating members of LGBTQIA+ communities and their allies. For individuals, organizations, businesses and brands, .gay serves as a virtual Pride flag and inclusive badge of honor. For every new domain registered, .gay donates 20% of registration revenue to LGBTQIA+ nonprofit groups to help address key issues facing these communities.

About GoDaddy Registry 
GoDaddy Registry is one of the world’s largest domain registry providers. We operate top-level domains (TLDs) on behalf of sovereign nations, city governments, global brands and other domain registries. With more than two decades of industry leadership, we serve as the Registry Operator for industry-leading TLDs like .co, .us, .biz and .nyc — and manage the backend registry technology for hundreds more.

Nominations are open to packaging designs from all industries and geographies; entries can be submitted here; deadline to submit is March 8, 2024Winners will be selected by an independent jury composed of professionals from the global packaging industry and sustainability experts

SINGAPORE, October 16, 2023 /3BL/ – Dow (NYSE:DOW) is back with its 2023/2024 edition of its Packaging Innovation Awards (PIA), the packaging industry’s premier accolade for recognizing breakthroughs in technological advancement, sustainability and enhanced user experience. As one of the industry’s longest-running independently judged awards, the global program – now into its 35th edition – will be held in Asia-Pacific this year as the region plays host for the first time to both the judging event and awards ceremony. This marks a milestone for the awards as it continues its purpose of highlighting innovative packaging across industries and geographies.

PIA shines a spotlight on designs that demonstrate what packaging can be when industry talent harnesses creativity and technology to solve contemporary challenges across the complete packaging value chain. The 2022 edition drew more than 180 packaging submissions from 30 countries, and 28 inspiring packaging solutions were recognized for their demonstrable excellence.

This edition marks the beginning of a new biennial format that provides a longer submission period to give participants more time to collaborate with relevant partners on building out a submission. The goal is to provide an accessible platform for a greater pool of packaging professionals to have their most innovative designs judged on the world’s stage, further accelerating innovation in packaging.

The submission period opens today and closes on March 8, 2024. Award finalists will be notified on August 28, 2024, with the awards ceremony set to take place in Tokyo, Japan in October 2024.

“Through the Packaging Innovation Award, we celebrate the best in packaging that meets protection, convenience and performance needs as well as being designed for sustainability. We continue to be inspired by the level of creativity and problem-solving each award uncovers, and we are looking forward to what this next edition brings,” Said Karen S. Carter, President of Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.

“Given Asia-Pacific’s well-established role as the manufacturing hub of the world, there is no better time or place to shine a spotlight on and underscore the importance of packaging innovation and the impact on our lives today. With the enhanced biennial format and more multiple engagement points for participants, I look forward to seeing even more aspiring innovators rise to the mounting challenges faced by the packaging industry amidst ever-growing consumerism globally,” said David Luttenberger, the 2023 PIA Jury Chairperson and Global Packaging Director for Mintel Group Ltd.

Entries for the 2023/24 Packaging Innovation Awards can be submitted here. Entry in the competition is free, and applicants are not required to use Dow materials in their products. All entries must be commercial products that have been on the market for more than six months by the last day entries are open to submission.

Deadline for submission is March 8, 2024, at 23:59 UTC

For media queries, please contact:

Caroline Huang 
+86 139 1771 3817 
chuang19@dow.com

BCW for Dow 
pia_bcw@bcw-global.com

About the Packaging Innovation Awards

The Packaging Innovation Awards has been one of the packaging industry’s premier awards competitions for over 30 years. Emerging up-and-comers and well-established brands alike have the opportunity for their most innovative packaging to be judged on the world’s stage. The Packaging Innovation Awards celebrates creations that challenge the accepted limits of what’s possible, showcase new technologies or techniques and inspire future innovation. The winning packages are celebrated and showcased across the global packaging industry—receiving recognition among industry peers and gaining exposure in new markets and with new audiences. You can learn more at https://pia.awardsplatform.com. 
Visual assets can be accessed here.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance leadership to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,800 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $57 billion in 2022. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.