Tag: 3BL

Originally published on TriplePundit

The world needs to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by almost half this decade to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as recommended by climate scientists, the United Nation warns. As companies wrestle with how best to meet their net-zero targets, technology presents an important and powerful tool to determine which approaches will make the greatest impact.

“Technology plays a key role in untangling some of those challenges and helping organizations achieve net-zero,” says Salma Bakr, product lead at the sustainability software company FigBytes.

Several mitigation options costing less than $100 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent could reduce global emissions by at least half by 2030 compared to 2019, according to the sixth assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Examples include using more renewable power generated from sources like solar and wind, transitioning to more fuel-efficient vehicles, and using more energy-efficient technologies.

That’s good news for the more than 90 percent of business leaders who say they prioritize long-term decarbonization. “Companies play a crucial role in tackling climate change and benefit from decarbonization by reducing risks like extreme weather events and policy changes,” Bakr says. “In the long run, and as more low-carbon solutions are adopted and become more affordable, decarbonizing a business saves operational costs and enhances efficiency, for example, where you pay lower bills for your energy and waste.”

Why technology is key to unlocking solutions for climate action

In the context of decarbonizing businesses, technology comes under two categories, Bakr explains: digital technologies that enable a net-zero future, and physical technologies for climate mitigation or adaptation.

These technologies complement each other in support of net-zero targets. For example, digital technologies enable efficient and scalable processing of climate data, allowing for more informed problem detection and decision-making. They also allow companies to evaluate multiple decarbonization solutions virtually and chart the best path forward, Bakr says. Together, digital technologies have the potential to reduce emissions by up to 20 percent by 2050 if scaled and adopted in high-emitting sectors like energy, materials and mobility, according to the World Economic Forum.

Physical technologies, on the other hand, enable climate mitigation and adaptation. The IPCC’s sixth assessment report shows that several of these technologies have high potential for GHG reduction at scale. For climate mitigation, this includes solar and wind power, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, and fuel-efficient vehicles. For climate adaptation, a key example is building resilient power systems which provide a diverse and stable energy supply.

How digital technologies can accelerate progress to net-zero

Digital technologies enhance decarbonization efforts in multiple ways, Bakr says. Even more good news: Organizations of all sizes across every industry already use many of these digital tools to ease their progress toward strategic goals — making it fairly seamless to digitize their approach to climate action as well.

For example, most businesses use foundational technologies to support daily tasks of measurement, reporting, and basic analytics for data-driven insights. Examples include enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and supply chain tracking systems.

“This means organizations don’t have to start from scratch,” Bakr says. “For example, they can add sustainability solutions ‘on top’ of their existing systems.”

Organizations can also use decision-making technologies as part of the daily course of doing business, where machine learning can be leveraged, for example, to imitate how humans learn and ingest new data, which can improve decision-making accuracy, Bakr says. Such technologies also allow organizations to use historical data to forecast future events, or provide actionable recommendations to inform actions around decarbonization.

Another group of digital technologies increasingly embraced on the decarbonization journey are sensing and control technologies. These range from automation, robotics and drones to enhanced connectivity through the Internet of Things. By deploying these technologies, companies can more easily collect data from physical systems and more accurately control things like office temperature, humidity and lighting based on occupancy.

Yet another category are enabling technologies that support organizations to operate more efficiently. Examples include cloud computing and mobile communication, which allow organizations to scale their resources on-demand.

Technology advances ease climate accounting

“Tracking progress is crucial,” in pursuit of climate goals, “as net-zero is all about beating the clock and making progress,” Bakr says. “That’s why climate action needs climate accounting first, including a comprehensive emissions inventory. And the main challenge in establishing an emissions inventory is a data problem: data collection, consolidation, validation, verification and so on.”

This is where technology is an asset, she explains. A climate accounting solution collects, validates and verifies activity data, and conducts basic emissions modeling, reporting and analytics. Making that solution cloud-hosted “helps scale data collection, cross-collaboration across teams and geographies, and stakeholder engagement, where you can collect data from anywhere in the world and scale your computations as needed,” Bakr says.

Climate accounting systems can be integrated with decision-making technologies such as machine learning to augment the intelligence of an organization’s analytics, for example, to ensure the right emission factors are applied to calculate emissions data, she adds.

Companies and organizations that have set science-based targets should also keep watch on the “Progress Framework” under development by the Science Based Targets initiative, Bakr advises. It aims to advance the measurement, reporting and verification of science-based targets, providing clear and standardized expectations and guidance on how to measure, report and verify climate action progress against those targets.

This framework will support transparency and integrity by holding companies and financial institutions accountable for their climate targets. Development is expected to be completed at the 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP28) in Dubai in December.

Overcoming the challenge of future scenario planning

After the initial steps of streamlining a baseline emissions inventory and setting net-zero targets, an important but often challenging part of the decarbonization journey is the ability to forecast future emissions scenarios and understand associated risks and opportunities. “Many organizations find challenges in defining and analyzing net-zero scenarios,” Bakr says. “It’s a tricky and complicated process.”

But organizations can overcome that challenge by better understanding what is involved in a future climate scenario, she advises. “Scenarios should challenge business-as-usual assumptions about the future, but also illustrate a credible story comprising possible and consistent future events. Scenarios should also be relevant, meaning they explore future insights relating to the various implications of climate-related risks and opportunities. They should also be distinctive by exploring different permutations and combinations of key factors impacting future developments to generate multiple decarbonization alternatives for the organization to select from.”

Again, an organization can turn to technology to do this. “A solid climate accounting solution, coupled with decision-making capabilities, can help an organization forecast and visualize the future emissions associated with various scenarios based on the various data inputs considered,” Bakr says.

At the same time, technology isn’t a panacea, and it also has its own footprint to consider. “As we consider various technologies in the transition to net-zero, we need to also understand that those digital and physical technologies do produce emissions in one way or another,” she adds. “We need to take a systemic approach to tackling emissions reduction and stay on top of the latest research and development efforts.”

Inaction is not a possibility

Taking action is the only option, Bakr points out. “The journey to net-zero is bumpy but inevitable,” she says. Organizations can set themselves up for success with a solid climate action strategy that aligns net-zero targets with the latest climate science, and leverages technology to speed up the transition.

“This will make the net-zero journey as efficient, effective and consistent as possible,” she says. Crucially, the goal should be to invest in net-zero innovation that extends beyond any single organization’s value chain: “Focus on bold reductions, first and foremost. And if your progress strays, make sure you realign by identifying more reduction potentials.”

This article series is sponsored by FigBytes and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image credit: Anders J/Unsplash

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Andi Garten is a seasoned banker and market leader with more than two decades of experience in the industry, but banking wasn’t in her plans when she began her professional career.

Garten studied English in college and graduated with plans to attend law school, but the more she pursued that route, the more she knew something wasn’t right. 

“While I was figuring out my next steps, a friend let me know about an open U.S. Bank position for an assistant to the Ohio market president,” Garten said. In 2001, she took on the role, which mostly focused on event planning and project management.  

“I definitely was an accidental banker but fell in love with the industry and began to take on new opportunities,” she said.

In 2004, Garten, who grew up in Cleveland and attended Ohio University a few hours down the road, relocated to Seattle as an entry-level credit analyst. She served in that role for one year and met a female mentor through an internal development network focused on powering employees to connect across business lines and geographies. The mentor helped Garten create a development plan. 

“It definitely was a blessing to work with great leadership who saw something in me and pushed me,” Garten said. “I took some risks and that’s where you learn a lot about yourself, particularly when you move to a new city or into a new position where you must learn everything from ground zero. Leadership helped me realize my potential.” 

In 2006, she took on a client manager position and started to get a taste of leadership. She moved on to a sales manager job for several years and then into a Business Banking position in 2016 that required her to move with her husband and two young children to Los Angeles.

Within three years, she was able to move back to her Cleveland hometown to serve as market leader for Cleveland and Columbus. In 2022, U.S. Bank named Garten the Branch Banking Indiana-Ohio Market Leader, overseeing 210 branches. 

“My greatest advice is for people to trust their gut when it comes to their career path,” she said. “I never knew what the next step would look like. I find my joy in connecting with clients and our team, and watching people grow, develop and succeed. It’s important to figure out what makes you the happiest.” 

Serving customers – and tennis balls 
When she’s not traveling across Indiana and Ohio visiting with branch banking teams, Garten spends a lot of time on the tennis courts. While she didn’t start playing until 2018, Garten already earned a spot to U.S. Tennis Association’s NTRP National Championships in San Diego with her doubles partner at the 3.0 level.

“We did really well in the playoffs, winning our quarterfinal, semifinal and final match to win our playoff flight,” she said. “Overall, we left San Diego with a 3-3 record for our first Nationals experience and certainly look to earn a spot next year.” 

Garten is a member of the Cleveland Racquet Club, where she captains teams and met who she considers an amazing group of women.

“I think sports and leadership are intertwined in so many ways, especially in a sport like tennis where the mindset is more important at times than the skill or fitness level,” she said. “With sports, you learn how to win and lose with grace, how to be fair, how to problem-solve and how to adapt.” Playing tennis is the ultimate stress reliever, she said. 

“Tennis provides an outlet where I can channel my competitiveness in a healthy manner.  I also love clothes and fashion, so to me it’s a match made in heaven.”

Garten’s involvement with local tennis provides her with opportunities to teach and inspire her two young daughters. It also enables her to give back to the community and get U.S. Bank involved through organizations that include the Cleveland School District. In August, U.S. Bank will sponsor the Women in Business Forum during Tennis in the Land, which is part of the U.S. Open Series on the Women’s Tennis Association schedule. 

“Last year, 250 emerging leaders attended and that’s expected to nearly double this year,” Garten said. “It’s a great way to connect with women.” 

And just like in banking, tennis is a long game.

“I play a lot of doubles where you really have to be in lockstep with your partner and collaborate on the court,” Garten said. “There’s an element of teamwork like what you find day-to-day at work. Also, where are you putting the ball on the court? You must set yourself up for success.”

Originally published on principal.com

On Good Day DSM’s opening day at the mall, a line of people wound past several storefronts, all waiting to indulge their senses with the bakery’s colorful, sweet macarons.

Owner Anna Lam and her partners were stunned—and exhausted—after hours of nonstop transactions.

Fortunately, they were equipped with market data and practice to help ensure their readiness. Just five months earlier, they prepped and baked for the Des Moines Farmer’s Market—which attracts around 25,000 patrons each Saturday. Their tent, fees, and basic supplies were covered by the Spark DSM Minority Business Incubator program.

Launched in 2022, the program, sponsored by Principal®, supports small minority-owned businesses that operate in the Des Moines, Iowa area. Participating businesses receive help for one weekend of the farmer’s market season and have access to education and training opportunities throughout the year.

Blooming businesses like these are key to a thriving economy, as small businesses make up 99.7% of companies that pay employees in the U.S.1 Yet not all entrepreneurs have equal access to financial resources and support to get their businesses up and running.

“The incubator program provides a great opportunity to eliminate barriers by uplifting diverse businesses in our community and helping them reach new customers,” says Jo Christine Miles, director of Principal® Foundation and Community Relations.

Market to storefront 

Prior to opening Good Day DSM in Des Moines’ Valley West Mall, Lam was running shop out of a makeshift kitchen in her brother’s garage. In May of 2022, she and her sister-in-law and business partner started selling homemade macarons at a small weekly market. But they’d always had their eye on something grander, so when they heard about the incubator program, they jumped at the opportunity.

That October, they got their chance. The sisters-in-law spent weeks prepping, baking, and gathering spooky décor to stock their booth at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market—and sold out.

“It was a great experience and gave us the confidence boost we needed to move forward with opening a storefront,” Lam says. “We were able to reach so many new customers and see what it’d be like to sell at a busy market without having to commit to the whole season.”

That November Lam purchased her stand in the mall—becoming a second-generation vendor (her mother previously owned a nail salon a few storefronts down). She spent the next few months renovating and opened on Feb. 4, 2023.

Since then, business has been humming—selling macarons exclusively on Saturdays and offering signature coffee drinks and sweets during the week. Sure, people miss the macarons during the week, but that hasn’t shaken the strategy to only deliver fresh, quality product.

“We just do what we believe in, and people have been really responsive to that,” Lam says.

Believing in herself—and allowing others to, too

Lam is no novice when it comes to running her own business. Before launching Good Day DSM, she ran a wedding photography business. This time, though, she’s all in. And so is her fiancé, who recently left his corporate job to support Good Day DSM full-time. “It will likely be a pay cut, and we don’t have benefits now, and those are things we’re working through this first year,” Lam says. “But the tradeoff is doing something we really enjoy and spending more time together.”

For other aspiring entrepreneurs wavering on whether to take the plunge, Lam says, go for it.

“Des Moines is a strong, diverse community for small businesses,” Lam says. “No matter what your background is, if there’s something you’re passionate about, it’s worth pursuing.

“You don’t have to go 100% right away. That’s why things like the incubator program are great to test the waters and just see if you like it.”

Testing the waters has worked out great for Lam and Good Day DSM. The bakery has already outgrown its stand in the mall and is planning to move to a building across the city late this summer.

“We are so excited to make the next space our own and come back even bigger and better,” Lam says.

Learn more about how we support financial empowerment in the communities we serve. 

1U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), March 2023

This communication is intended to be educational in nature and is not intended to be taken as a recommendation. ​

Principal community relations supports the communities where affiliates of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392 operates. Insurance products and plan administrative services provided through Principal Life Insurance Company®, a member of the Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, IA 50392.

Principal Financial Group Foundation, Inc. (“Principal® Foundation”) is a duly recognized 501(c)(3) entity focused on providing philanthropic support to programs that build financial security in the communities where Principal Financial Group, Inc. (“Principal”) operates. While Principal Foundation receives funding from Principal, Principal Foundation is a distinct, independent, charitable entity. Principal Foundation does not practice any form of investment advisory services and is not authorized to do so. © 2023 Principal Foundation.

3009067-072023

Originally published by Walgreens Boots Alliance

DEERFIELD, Ill., July 11, 2023 /3BL/ – Walgreens announced its participation as the premier sponsor of Children with Diabetes (CWD), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and support to families living with type 1 diabetes, at their upcoming Friends for Life (FFL) conference. Walgreens will serve as the exclusive pharmacy sponsor for the annual event, hosted July 4th – 9th in Orlando, Fla. FFL gathers dedicated experts, adults, children, and families with diabetes for a weekend geared toward inspiring and connecting the community.

“As a person thriving with diabetes, I’ve experienced first-hand the difference it makes having resources and a community pharmacist available when navigating my condition,” said Tracey Brown, EVP and President, Walgreens Retail & Chief Customer Officer. “Walgreens is thrilled to be sponsoring Children with Diabetes’ FFL event as we work together to make a difference in the lives of the 122 million people living with diabetes and pre-diabetes so they can live a more joyful life through better health.”

Walgreens is proud to help children living with diabetes and their caregivers learn how to start and maintain an optimal regimen and routine to live a healthy life. As a trusted member of their healthcare team, Walgreens offers specialized comprehensive pharmacy expertise, services and products. The retailer is the largest provider of continuous glucose monitors and has an expansive assortment of diabetes products including Walgreens brand health and wellness items like blood glucose meters and testing strips, at-home A1C test kits, vitamins and supplements.

“Friends for Life is about empowering families and people living with diabetes to live healthy, enriched lives, and with Walgreen’s support, we’re able to do just that,” said Jeff Hitchcock, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Children with Diabetes. “Every year, the conference serves as an opportunity to educate the community about the variety of cutting-edge diabetes management tools, including some of Walgreens’ very own offerings. It’ll be great for our attendees to be check out those products in-person in Orlando.”

As part of its commitment to the event’s mission, Tracey Brown and Shauna Markes-Wilson, Walgreens director of pharmacy and retail operations for the Georgia/Florida North region, will be speaking throughout the conference. In addition, Walgreens will be showcasing how it is driving the next generation of clinical trials during a session led by Kendal Whitlock, head of digital optimization for Real World Evidence Clinical Trials, and Ebony Scott, senior manager of patient and community engagement digital optimization for Real World Evidence Clinical Trials.

Walgreens is also collaborating with Instacart to stand up an in-conference pop-up shop for Walgreens brand diabetes supplies, first-aid essentials and sun care items, and more at the retailer’s booth. The pop-up shop will be powered by Instacart’s Scan & Pay technology. To shop, customers may simply use their mobile device’s camera to scan product barcodes in their cart then check-out quickly using digital payment. This is the first time Instacart’s Scan & Pay technology will be used at an event.

For more information on diabetes management and support services at Walgreens, please visit www.Walgreens.com/Diabetes and www.Walgreens.com/DiabetesESP for Spanish in-language support. For the Spanish version of this communication click here.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader with a 170-year heritage of caring for communities. WBA’s purpose is to create more joyful lives through better health. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health destination serving nearly 10 million customers each day. Walgreens pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system by providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those that drive equitable access to care for the nation’s underserved populations. To best meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms supported by the latest technology to deliver high-quality products and services in communities nationwide.

About Children with Diabetes

Children with Diabetes is an Ohio-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and support to families living with type 1 diabetes. Our official corporate name is T-1 Today, Inc. (Ohio Charter 2231845) with a Trade Name Filing for Children with Diabetes. Most people know us as Children with Diabetes.

On Tuesday, June 13th more than 1,400 KeyBank Northeast Ohio teammates spent the afternoon volunteering at more than 130 projects on the 32nd annual Neighbors Make the Difference Day.

Neighbors Make the Difference Day launched in 1991, with a group of KeyBank employees in Alaska who volunteered for service projects. By 1993, KeyBank extended the concept to many of the communities it served, making it an official day of employee volunteerism. Now, Neighbors Make the Difference Day is a hallmark program and leading corporate volunteerism effort in America, showcasing KeyBank’s commitment to communities.

Watch the video above to see how Key teammates made a difference in Cleveland. Video can also be viewed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aCD7mTWB4Bs 

For more than 170 years, PNC has been committed to improving the financial lives of the people we serve and the places they call home. While we’ve grown in size and capabilities, we’ve remained true to our main street values — doing business with integrity and respect, making our customers the center of all we do, focusing on teamwork and performance, nurturing and growing a talented, diverse and inclusive workforce and improving quality of life for all our stakeholders. Today, PNC is committed to delivering on these values coastto-coast through our main street bank model.

We continue to serve as trusted advisors, responding to client demand for support in the transition to a low-carbon economy with a strategic approach that has deepened our relationships with clients. As an extension of our ongoing support for our clients’ transition plans, we expanded our environmental finance commitment announced in 2021 from $20 billion to $30 billion. This commitment mobilizes financing in renewable energy, green buildings, clean transportation, and sustainability-linked bonds and loans.

We’ve also made great strides in strengthening our strategy to manage our own environmental risks. We enhanced our approach to integrating climate risk into our overall enterprise risk management framework and established a new climate risk committee with a cross-functional group of impacted stakeholders. You can learn more about these efforts in this report and in our Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures progress update. From an operational standpoint, we’re proud to announce new, ambitious environmental targets inclusive of our significantly expanded footprint as a result of the BBVA USA acquisition.

Also stemming from the acquisition of BBVA USA is our $88 billion Community Benefits Plan, which began on January 1, 2022. Through this plan, we pledged $47 billion in financing for residential mortgage and home equity lending, $26.5 billion in small business loans, $14.5 billion for community financing loans and investments, and an additional $500 million in charitable giving over a four-year period. One year into the plan, we’ve deployed $35.1 billion to bring this commitment to life. That’s lending, investing and generational wealth-building that is empowering and transforming our communities. Building a more inclusive financial services system is important to us. It’s why we focus on financial wellness, accessible banking services, expanded access to capital and enabling customers to move forward financially.

In the past year, we’ve made significant progress toward many of our goals and objectives and it is a testament to the strength and talent of the 61,000 teammates who bring our values, priorities and business to life in our communities in the country. Over the past year, PNC has:

PNC partnered with Guild to give employees access to a catalog of tuition-covered professional certificates, college prep courses, and associate’s and bachelor’s degrees to help advance career mobilityPNC Employees volunteered a total of 64,072 volunteer hours and earned $154,000 in volunteer grants in 2022The launch of our Minority Business Development Group and PNC Certified Minority Business Advocate (cMBA) program with 1,000 PNC employees earning cMBA certificationWe expanded our previous three-year, $1.257 million commitment to Coralus (formerly SheEO), by $220,000 and launched the new PNC Bank + Coralus Collective, a cohort of entrepreneurs and financial advisors collaborating for growth and successThe expansion of PNC’s PartnerUP program from the Pittsburgh market to serve all 30 high schools in the Cleveland Metro School districtPNC Deployed $35.1 billion, nearly 40% of the total $88 billion CBP committed, deploying:$25.1 billion to affordable homeownership (of $47 billion total commitment)$5.2 billion to small business loans (of $26.5 billion total commitment)$4.8 billion to community development lending and investments (of $14.5 billion total commitment)$120.9 million in charitable giving (of $500 million total commitment)$335.7 million with diverse suppliers (Tier 1 and Tier 2) exceeding our goal of increasing spending with diverse suppliers by a minimum of 20 percentWe provided 1,000 financial education classes reaching more than 18,600 LMI individualsSaved our customers more than $425 million in overdraft and non-sufficient funds feesIncreased our commitment to mobilize environmental financing from $20 billion to $30 billion$9.1 Billion Environmental finance pledge committed (of $30B)Established new environmental targets inclusive of the BBVA USA footprint with a 2022 base yearEnhanced PNC’s data protection strategy, through the implementation of Data Vault, which is designed to maintain a cyber-resilient data storehouse that will enhance protection of critical PNC data and allow us to recover from cyber events

Media Contact
Kristen Pillitteri, SVP, Communications Director, Corporate Responsibility

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Within these pages are strong signs of progress toward our Thrive25 sustainability goals, starting with our outstanding safety performance. We furthered our ambitions to reduce waste, decarbonize and improve our overall energy efficiency. These achievements, together with our high-quality products serving customer demand, allowed Sappi to meet or beat all of our 2022 sustainability goals. I am pleased with the many efforts focused on employee engagement, training, communication, and work-life balance spearheaded by HR and many leaders. Because, simply said, without dedicated employees collaborating and connecting with our communities, none of this is possible.

While recognizing these strong results, I am also reminded that we are on a journey—one that focuses on progress, not perfection. So what is next?

An important dimension to that question comes on pages 14 and 15, where we illustrate Sappi’s connection to the UNSDGs and the importance of the full value chain in our work to help deliver more renewable products to our customers. We must think in a circular fashion and that the choices we make and the work we do impacts the full value chain. This commitment will help identify strategies that address the largest risks and open our eyes to opportunities across the value chain. In turn, this focus will discover the meaningful partnerships necessary to make next-level advances in sustainability.

This will prove particularly important with our commitment to SBTi. In 2022, we received full validation of our 2030 SBTi targets. This globally coordinated work has set Sappi on an ambitious journey to further decarbonize by 41.5% off a 2019 baseline. We see this is as a commitment to our customers and communities, and we now have a road map to help us reach this emission target. A second component to our emissions reduction pledge depends on our partnership with suppliers. Improving transparency of our Scope 3 emissions will be an important part of our work to further strengthen our supplier partnerships.

Another component of what’s next is how we assess climate-related risks. We have begun adopting a TCFD (Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures) framework. This will provide more visibility to some climate impacts that could affect vital forestland, our supply networks and our operating facilities. Preparedness with risk mitigation plans is a hallmark of a strong company and something our customers expect. We look to these frameworks to help identify early actions to protect our world-class investments and our overall sustainability.

In closing, I am very pleased to acknowledge that we will have a new sustainability director, Bakul Wadgaonkar, to help us accomplish our ambitious goals. Bakul will bring a unique industrial perspective as she joins Sappi and leverages her diverse experience against our circular economy challenges. We welcome her and have every confidence she will assist in our journey to live our company purpose: to build a thriving world by unlocking the power of renewable resources to benefit people, communities and the planet.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) has made a $20,000 donation to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts after a series of deadly wildfires erupted across Hawaii’s main island and Maui, damaging structures, forcing mass evacuations, prompting emergency rescues, and uprooting lives. Additionally, the company will match employee donations.

“The complete devastation of these wildfires, exacerbating the existing housing shortage, has long-term consequences for people who call this area home,” said Patricia Contreras, vice president, Community Impact. “We are proud to support the American Red Cross and their frontline efforts to help so many who are in need now and throughout the long recovery and rebuilding process.”

Winds associated with Hurricane Dora fanned the islands, exacerbating fire dangers. Firefighters struggled to reach some areas due to downed trees and power lines, and high winds grounded air rescue and fire control efforts. Hospitals are overwhelmed with injuries from burns and smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross immediately opened shelters for thousands of people seeking refuge from the fires, providing evacuees with a safe place to stay, food to eat, and emotional support, and teams are preparing to help with damage assessment and distribute relief supplies. A state of emergency has been declared, and the Hawaii National Guard was activated to support first responders in the impacted communities.

Published by Las Vegas Sands on July 11, 2023

LAS VEGAS /3BL/ – Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) announced 12 college students will participate in the inaugural Sands Hospitality Immersion Program, July 24-28 in Las Vegas. The intensive experience is designed to encourage interest in travel, tourism and leisure by exposing students to the inner workings of the Las Vegas hospitality industry.

Sands and TMCF, the only national organization exclusively representing the Black college community, established the Sands Hospitality Immersion Program to provide students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with a deep introduction to the travel, tourism and leisure industry and its wide range of professional positions, aiming to inspire them to consider one of the world’s fastest-growing and largest employment fields.

The 12 students selected for the exclusive summer program are all rising junior and senior college students at TMCF member schools and were chosen from a pool of candidates who applied through TMCF and were reviewed by Sands. Participants include Ta’Niyah Harris, Bowie State University; Erin Williams, Howard University; Jaida Robinson-Clark, Howard University; Jasmyn Love, Howard University; Joshua Williamson, Howard University; Nathanael Edwards, Langston University; Zay’Kori Jones, Norfolk State University; Brandon Smith, North Carolina A&T State University; Derrick Jacobs, North Carolina A&T State University; Joleen Buchanan, University of the Virgin Islands; Kayla Smith, Virginia State University; and Marquis Bell, Virginia State University

“As a first-generation college student, my career has always been the light at the end of the tunnel while at Howard University,” said Jaida Robinson-Clark, a rising junior at Howard University. “My participation in the Sands Hospitality Immersion is a glimpse into a promising industry where I could pursue my interest and learn about the many opportunities that may lie ahead. Considering how many applied to attend, this excites me, and I am grateful to have been selected.”

The multi-day experience curated by the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will feature in-depth seminars, tours of integrated resorts with back-of-house access, visits to other types of hospitality venues, presentations by experts in various disciplines and interactive events such as a cooking competition with professional chefs.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sands on this tremendous immersion opportunity in Las Vegas,” said Dr. Harry Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “Creating these unique experiences for our students is at the core of our mission. The hospitality field is one of the fastest growing in America, and this strategic partnership allows TMCF to provide our talented students with a chance to learn more about the various careers in this important industry.”

The travel, tourism and leisure industry continues to experience tremendous job growth and encompasses a wide range of professional positions. Beyond traditional hospitality tracks in hotel operations or restaurant, meetings and venue management, the industry offers career opportunities in finance, marketing, sales, human resources, information technology, legal and other professional service fields.

“I want to thank Sands and Thurgood Marshall College Fund for their critical investment in building a pathway that develops and showcases the talented students who attend HBCUs,” said Brandon Smith, a rising senior at North Carolina A&T State. “As I embark on this immersion experience, I look forward to professionally fostering relationships within the industry and absorbing significant insight regarding the trajectory and landscape of the hospitality, tourism and entertainment industry internationally.”

The Sands Hospitality Immersion Program was established through the Sands Cares global community engagement program and is one of the company’s many education and workforce development initiatives, which include contributions to and partnerships with higher education institutions, funding for scholarship programs, on-property and industry-supported training opportunities for students and hospitality professionals, and mentorship and instruction from company leaders and experts.

“Our goal for this program is twofold: to encourage the best and brightest students in all disciplines to consider hospitality as a career path and to ensure our industry cultivates a diverse and inclusive workforce that provides opportunities for people from all backgrounds and communities,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, who spearheads corporate responsibility initiatives at Sands. “This program is a foundation from which we plan to introduce other unique educational opportunities for HBCU students to experience our global destinations and gain even more perspective into the industry. We look forward to hosting this talented group of students.”

About Sands (NYSE: LVS)

Sands is the world’s preeminent developer and operator of world-class integrated resorts. Our iconic properties drive valuable leisure and business tourism and deliver significant economic benefits, sustained job creation, financial opportunities for local businesses and community investment to help make our host regions ideal places to live, work and visit.

Sands’ portfolio of properties includes Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, The Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao and Sands Macao in Macao SAR, China, through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd.

Sands is dedicated to being a leader in corporate responsibility, anchored by the core tenets of serving people, planet and communities. Our ESG leadership has led to inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for World and North America. To learn more, visit www.sands.com.

 About Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include publicly supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) which enroll over 80% of all students attending HBCUs. TMCF provides access to higher education through scholarships and financial support and prepares HBCU students to succeed in economically sustainable careers. These programs are particularly critical since over 75% of HBCU students are low-income, with 97% relying on financial aid – and over half are the first in their families to attend college. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: tmcf.org.

Contacts:

Kristin Koca
Sands
702.923.9142
Kristin.Koca@sands.com

Robert Knox
TMCF
202.216.2233
robert.knox@tmcf.org

MAUI, Hawaii, August 14, 2023 /3BL/ – Direct Relief, in response to the catastrophic Maui wildfires, announced today an initial cash commitment of $500 thousand to aid affected communities and facilitate the timely and sustained delivery of urgently needed medical supplies to clinics, shelters, and state and local emergency response agencies with which is working.

The wildfires in Lahaina – the deadliest disaster in Hawaii’s history – have resulted in the loss of over 2,000 structures and claimed the lives of more than 80 individuals. With thousands seeking refuge in shelters across Maui and Honolulu, Direct Relief is actively addressing the pressing medical needs of these evacuees and aiding search and rescue operations.

The organization’s initial deliveries of emergency medical essentials were deployed in shelters in Maui earlier this week, and Direct Relief staff today are delivering additional requested medical essentials to Maui via ROAM air.

Today’s shipment includes numerous wildfire kits. These kits, developed in consultation with medical and emergency-response experts, aim to prevent emergency room visits during significant wildfire events. They contain vital medications, including inhalers, nebulizer solutions, irrigation solutions, antibiotics, analgesics, wound care products, and chronic disease medications.

Beyond the immediate risks of burns, wildfires can exacerbate pre-existing health issues. Airborne particulates can worsen respiratory or cardiovascular problems, even sending those affected to the emergency room, and people with chronic conditions can face acute medical crises if they evacuate without their medications.

At the request of Maui Search and Rescue, Direct Relief is also dispatching 20 emergency medical backpacks to bolster on-the-ground relief efforts.

Based on years of disaster response experience, the packs are tailored for paramedics and health professionals to use in the field and are the standard for the State of California’s Medical Reserve Corps.

Today’s delivery follows a series of emergency shipments by Direct Relief this week, including requested medical resources that arrived with the local organization Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai’i.

The supplies were put to immediate use by medical personnel in Maui shelters and via a mobile medical unit caring for pregnant and post-partum individuals, newborns, and their families.

Direct Relief will continue to respond as the situation unfolds, coordinating with local clinics, Hawaii state health and emergency response officials, FEMA, and associations like the Society for Critical Care Medicine.

For more information on Direct Relief’s response to the wildfires in Hawaii, visit: https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/hawaii-fires/

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About Direct Relief

A humanitarian organization committed to improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty and emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the US and globally to communities in need—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. For more information, visit https://www.DirectRelief.org.