Tag: 3BL

July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate and honor the diversity within the disability community, reflect on challenges that people with disabilities are facing, and inspire action to make the world more inclusive and accessible.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2022, around 21 percent of people with a disability in the U.S. were employed, which rose a bit from 2021, when it was about 19 percent. At the same time, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is still twice as high as for those without a disability.

The Proximity Initiative is a Cisco-original program that I lead that serves our purpose to power an inclusive future for all. A Proximity Meeting is a one-on-one authentic, and transparent conversation with someone different than you with the intent to understand their lived experience, challenges, and successes based on their identity.

Chris Riling, a pre-sales systems architect and I “got proximate”, as I was curious to understand his experience with cerebral palsy and learn how I can support my son Bryce who is also living with cerebral palsy. In this blog we’ll give you insight into our proximity meeting conversation.

Alex: Hello Chris! I’m a Black man. I grew up in America, 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia, my father was a chemist, and my mom was a school nurse. I have two siblings, one brother and one sister, and I am the youngest. Related to my race in America, it was always something I was aware of growing up. I finally realized some of the confusion I had as a child, early in my career, and so forth. And since I’ve been able to be authentic around my identity, I’ve been able to be more conscious related to my interactions now, and I’ve been able to elevate my career; it’s impacted everything. And a lot of that is because I had this realization through my son, who has cerebral palsy, around how he navigates the world and how he’s so authentic and honest with his expressions and his feelings, which has impacted me to be my authentic self. That’s who I am, and that’s what I wanted to share at the beginning so that you can understand my lens and perspective

Alex: Can you tell me more about yourself?

Chris: I grew up in Toledo, Ohio. Toledo is a small, midwestern city, but I live about 45 minutes south of Detroit. I was born with cerebral palsy. When I was younger, I thought I was invincible. You’re oblivious to everything and the impact of things, and you’re just trying to make your way through the world. I never put much thought into the disability aspect. I just had my mind set on taking my situation and doing the best I could with it. I never really put much thought into it until I started getting into the workforce, and I realized more people were questioning my ability because of the physical things they saw. So, I’m like, well, how do I counter that? So, you know, I went out and got all these certifications; I got three college degrees. I became a CCIE, and I did all this stuff. At least academically on paper, no one’s ever going to be able to dispute my ability to do this job technically, right?

I landed here at Cisco, which is a great place to be, but my limitations started to become more real to me. So, I realized it’s better to be more authentic and allow people to meet me where I am. It makes everybody on my team more comfortable because they can come to me and have an open conversation.

Alex: How did you realize that being more open about your disability made sense as a way of being?

Chris: I can’t say there was just one ‘Aha’ moment. I wanted people to know I was here because of my technical ability and not for any other reason. I was trying to work hard to be the best engineer on my team. And at Cisco, I was doing a lot of traveling for work (and still do), and as you travel, you come across these situations where, you know, maybe we have to walk from the hotel to the office and from the customer site to a restaurant. I started to have these experiences, and people could see that I was struggling with it more than most. Many people just coming from a good place would say things like, ‘Hey, is there anything I can do to help?’ And I realized I might as well be honest and stop trying to put on the tough façade and accept help when needed. I think it was a gradual process.

Alex: And in those interactions, you’ve found that most people are willing to help and be curious.

Chris: They don’t always know what to do or how to approach it, but it usually comes from a good place.

Alex: I also relate to you over-qualifying yourself regarding your academic degrees, certifications, and experience. There’s an interesting moment where you’re like, okay, now I have all these degrees and certificates, what do I do now?

Alex: Was finding employment challenging?

Chris: It was a little bit when breaking into the field, but I don’t know if it was more challenging than anybody else when you’re trying to get an entry-level job. Maybe a little bit. I did a couple of interviews before Cisco early in my career, where people would ask questions like, ‘How would you navigate this? Or how would you deal with going to customers’ offices? How would you navigate doing this, or would you be able to do these things?’ Anecdotally I heard after one interview that they were afraid about the perception of me going in front of their customers and what the customers might think.

So, that’s how I ended up getting a CCIE and a master’s degree because, at that point, they can’t deny your abilities; you’re going to be too attractive to turn down. I kept upgrading my skills, getting more certifications, returning to school, and doing more stuff. I went through the Cisco Networking Academy program in high school and got my CCNA when I was a senior in high school. And so eventually, I reached a point in my career where I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m studying for a CCIE. I can probably work at Cisco’. I interviewed about 30 times for different roles at Cisco until I found the right spot. But once I found the right position and got my foot in the door, it was a great place to be, and I haven’t looked back. It’s been almost 15 years.

Alex: How was it going through the Cisco Networking Academy?

Chris: It was awesome. I wish I had known, at the time, the impact it would have on my career and life. I was into computers because when I was a kid, that was one of the only things I could do. Other people were outside playing with their friends, and I was inside playing on a computer. Since I had that experience at a very young age, when I got to high school, I saw that they had a Networking Academy at the time. It was a junior and senior class for CCNA, and they allowed me to enroll as a sophomore. So, I did it during my sophomore, junior, and senior year. I had no idea that I would be into networking, and it set me down this path that I ended up being on. But I look back on it now, and I’m like, that was a serendipitous experience to have gone through that early in my life and career. If I had known it would have that impact, I probably would have gotten better grades and paid more attention. [laughs]

Alex: How has your experience been working with our customers?

Chris: Overarchingly pretty good. Early in my career, customers were more skeptical. But I don’t know if that was disability-related or age-related because I started here young. It was probably more age-related than anything else, but I would say most customers are pretty understanding and accepting, especially when you’re coming from a place like Cisco; it comes with a certain amount of credibility out of the gate. And when you hand them a business card with the CCIE logo, there’s an added layer of ‘I need to give this guy some time and attention.’

Like any other sales role, if you come in trying to help solve their problem, you know, most customers are willing to listen if you’re coming from a place where you’re going to make their life easier.

Alex: I shared earlier about my son, who has cerebral palsy. He is a high school junior, and for the next 2.5 years, he’ll take a bus to a voluntary job. So, he’ll get some job experience with the help of an aide with the idea that he can have a role after high school.

Alex: Do you have any thoughts or career advice for people with a disability or for those with a loved one with a disability?

Chris: I was very fortunate to have parents willing to go the extra mile for me. I remember them fighting the school systems to install ramps, make accommodations, all the support going through orthopedic surgeries, and seeking the right doctors. We were fortunate to have access to those resources when I was younger.

When it came to my mom (who is now a nurse), she took no pity for anything. She was like, ‘Don’t sit around and pity yourself, you’re going to go out there, and you’re going to do something, and you’re going to make yourself useful.’

That instilled a value in me from a very young age to not put self-imposed boundaries on myself. I realized that the biggest limitations were beyond the mental barriers you put up when you say, ‘I don’t think I can do this, or I don’t think I can be successful.’ Encourage your kids to say, ‘Yeah, sure, I have some physical limitations, but there’s no predetermined rule in life that says I can’t do X or Y or Z. Strive for whatever you can reach, and I guarantee you, you’ll get further than you thought you would.

Everyone’s lived experience, even if you have the same disability, can be very different. Much like my experience is different than Alex’s son at the moment. None of us are disability ‘experts’ — we all just do our best to navigate life based on our experiences and the experiences of others.

Alex: My son has had seven orthopedic surgeries. We do physical and occupational therapy, and he gets speech therapy in school. We’re trying to help him reach his potential. It’s the unknown things of what potential you could reach, and that’s what we’re navigating right now.

Chris: I appreciate that everything is always unknown, right? I wonder how mobile I will be when I get older, what I will be able to do, and what I will not be able to do. I don’t know if anybody knows the answer to that. The only thing you can do is keep moving, stay active, and keep pushing, and you’ll end up in a good place.

Alex: Thank you, Chris for this inspiring meeting and sharing a glimpse of your lived experience.  We all navigate the world through our identities and unique experiences. To power an inclusive future for all, and in honor of Disability Pride Month, take the inclusive action to have a conversation with someone who is different than you to seek to understand their lived experience.

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More than $14.5 million to Share the Light Fund® to help low-income customers with bill pay assistanceOver $40.4 million invested in energy efficiency programsLaunching new program to assist seniors with critical home repairs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. , August 10, 2023 /3BL/ – Duke Energy and its Foundation are marking the milestone of investing more than $70 million since the beginning of 2021 to support nonprofits and other programs dedicated to help those in need. The funding, which has been growing each year, focuses on three areas: current and new affordability-focused Foundation grants, bill pay assistance for low-income customers and energy efficiency programs.

“Affordability continues to be top of mind for us as our customers and communities continue to feel financial strain from the rising cost of basic needs, like food,” said Amy Strecker, president, Duke Energy Foundation.

“Continuing to listen to our neighbors about their needs is critical to how we show up in our local communities. With seniors struggling to safely age in place and making impossible decisions between critical home repairs and basic needs, our partnership with Rebuilding Together enables us to address this need by funding repairs and providing volunteers to work alongside licensed experts.”

Critical home repairs for seniors

This year, the Duke Energy Foundation expanded its affordability focus to include critical home repairs coupled with employee volunteerism for seniors. Providing home repairs helps to enable seniors to better afford other basic needs, including food, medical care and utilities. The $356,000 in 2023 Foundation giving is focused across its jurisdictions. Duke Energy employees will also volunteer more than 1,300 hours, alongside organizations like Rebuilding Together, to help provide improvements to senior homes.

Rebuilding Together is the leading national nonprofit organization repairing the homes of people in need and revitalizing our communities, with a network of affiliates across the country, and the primary grantee for senior affordability.

“The need for safe and healthy housing for older adults is critical because most of the existing housing stock in the U.S. is not designed to accommodate the physical and cognitive changes a person experiences as they age,” said Caroline Blakely, president and CEO, Rebuilding Together. “With support from the Duke Energy Foundation, we are providing older adults with critical home repairs and safety modifications to help them safely age in place.”

Share the Light Fund

In addition to the grant funding, the company is also providing support for customers through its Share the Light Fund and energy efficiency programs.

Since last year, Duke Energy and its Foundation have committed nearly $14.5 million in the Share the Light Fund, which serves low-income customers with utility bill pay assistance including connection/reconnection charges and deposits to more than 26,000 households annually. Employees, customers and Duke Energy shareholders contribute to these funds. Customers who would like to access funds can visit Share the Light Fund to learn more.

Energy Efficiency Assistance

The company’s customers – from families to factories – have depended on the energy efficiency programs to save both energy and money. Duke Energy is investing more than $40.4 million in these programs including our Neighborhood Energy Saver, Payment Plus, Refrigerator Replacement and Weatherization programs. To learn more about these programs, customers can visit income-qualified services.

Duke Energy will continue to engage with communities to learn how the company can make a positive impact for those it serves.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts, and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the foundation can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Shawna Berger 
24-Hour: 800.559.3853 
Twitter: @DE_ShawnaB

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The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples invites us to reflect on the importance of safeguarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights and ensuring their well-being. GRI Standards assist organizations in identifying impacts on the economy, society, and environment, providing guidance on how to identify individuals and groups whose interests are affected or could be affected by the organization’s activities, including Indigenous Peoples. This is true regardless of whether a direct relationship exists, as their interests are impacted or could potentially be impacted by the organization’s activities.

Indigenous Peoples are among the groups who have been most severely affected from historical injustices and violations of their rights have become a persistent problem. Indigenous communities face a higher risk of experiencing negative impacts more severely due to an organization’s activities. In addition to their collective rights, each individual belonging to Indigenous Peoples shares universal Human Rights. These Human Rights are inherent to all human beings and include, at a minimum, the rights outlined in the United Nations (UN) International Bill of Human Rights, as well as the principles concerning fundamental rights set out in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. GRI identifies Human Rights as a material topic for all organizations and to prevent from the risk of under reporting this impact, Human Rights disclosures are included in GRI Universal Standards.

GRI developed GRI 411 Rights of Indigenous Peoples Topic Standard, which leads organizations to specially report on incidents involving violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights (Disclosure 411-1). This Topic Standard is also recognized as a likely material topic in our Sector Standards GRI 11 Oil and Gas, GRI 12 Coal, GRI 13 Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fishing, and the Mining Standard that is currently under development. Companies who identify rights of Indigenous Peoples as a material topic report information for Disclosure 411-1, as well as additional sector-specific disclosures outlined in each sector’s standards. Additionally, the project to revise GRI’s Biodiversity Standard is reinforcing how biodiversity impacts can have consequences on Indigenous Peoples and local communities and incorporates organizational disclosures on these impacts.

Learn more about these standards and all of the GRI Standards, which are offered as a free public good to enable transparency and accountability on social, economic and environmental issues at globalreporting.org.

Note that the content disseminated via this newsroom pertains to information concerning the North America perspective. For global updates regarding our organization, please visit GRI’s global newsroom.

Gen Blog | Community

By Kimberly Bishop | Corporate Responsibility

Today’s children are part of the digital generation. According to Common Sense Media, an estimated 43% of children ages 8-12 own smartphones, giving them unprecedented access to the internet. This can help open their world to education, creativity, and socialization, but unfortunately, also comes with risks. To help teach Cyber Safety skills to children and caregivers across America, Norton, a leader in consumer Cyber Safety and part of Gen™, collaborates with National PTA. National PTA is the nation’s oldest and largest child advocacy association dedicated to making a difference for the education, health, safety and well-being of every child and making every child’s potential a reality. Norton became a Proud National PTA Sponsor in 2013 and is the Founding & Presenting Sponsor of National PTA’s PTA Connected initiative, a broader digital safety initiative of the association. 

As part of their work together, Norton and National PTA launched a free tool, The Smart Talk, which helps families have open, positive, ongoing conversations about digital safety and online privacy. The Smart Talk uses guided questions about social media and respect, using and downloading apps, texting and calling, and more to help families begin and continue conversations. Launched in 2015, The Smart Talk was then updated in 2022 to include inclusivity and content updates, and to extend its reach to new PTAs.  

Are your kids ready to go back to school? Not sure where to start when it comes to digital safety and your family? Use our free, interactive resource to set healthy tech limits together: thesmarttalk.org.

The Smart Talk Conversations Reach Schools and Families Across the U.S. 

To spread awareness of the tool, we provide local PTAs with funding to host The Smart Talk Conversations at their schools for families. In the 2022-2023 school year, National PTA chose 150 local PTAs to receive funding to implement the events for their school community. This is five times more than the previous year, and we are proud to have together met our goal to reach 180 PTAs over a two-year period. Grantees were in 33 different states and 56% were Title I schools (schools where many families live below the poverty line). 

Collectively, more than 11,000 people attended The Smart Talk events in the 2022-2023 school year. The program implementation was so successful that 87% of PTA leaders indicated they plan to run the program again in the future. 

Most importantly, students and their caregivers found The Smart Talk beneficial. From a sampling of nearly 400 respondents:  

98% of students found the program easy to understand 94% of students wanted to explore the topic more at home 97% of parents and caregivers now feel more comfortable exploring the topic with their student 

Supporting Our Youth and Volunteering Our Time 

With the back-to-school season now in full swing, Gen employees are also working to reach schools and families all over the world.   

From August through September, our employees in various locations – from the U.S. to Czech Republic to Ireland – will come together to lend a helping hand with in-person and virtual volunteer events. By packing school supplies, we’re able to make a take a small burden off of families and make a difference in the life of a young student.  

With resources like The Smart Talk and efforts to support young learners everywhere, we’re able to help keep kids safe and prepare them for the year ahead. Kicking off their school year with the knowledge and resources to be successful is just one way we’re able to give and empower our local communities around the world. 

We are excited to continue our volunteering efforts and our important work with National PTA, bringing tools like The Smart Talk to more young people and caregivers in the year ahead.  

Bath & Body Works is proud to be recognized as one of Central Ohio’s Most Generous Companies by Columbus Business First. The publication launched their Corporate Citizenship program in 2018 to highlight the generosity of Central Ohio companies and their employees. Each year, they honor the most generous in several size categories as part of their annual Corporate Citizenship Awards. See the full list here.

Bath & Body Works believes getting involved in their communities makes a meaningful difference. For more than 30 years the company has remained dedicated to this effort.

“We’re proud of our long-standing culture of giving back, and we’re committed to our goal of making a lasting difference in the communities where we live and work,” says Rhoe Fields, Bath & Body Works Associate Vice President of Community Relations and Philanthropy. “We believe that everyone can thrive when they have access to the things that make them feel safe, healthy and secure. At Bath & Body Works, we are truly working together for a brighter, better world.”

Since 2018, Bath & Body Works has partnered with Besa Community, Inc., a Columbus-based nonprofit, to help drive associate engagement through community volunteerism. They’ve worked together to engage more than 1,800 associates in nearly 10,000 volunteer hours and $250,000 worth in community impact. In 2022, we were proud to be recognized as Besa’s Corporate Partner of the Year, highlighting the company’s commitment and passion to giving back to their community.

The company is also a proud supporter of Pelotonia, which was founded in 2008 to fund innovative cancer research. Bath & Body Works has been there since the beginning, donating more than $45 million over the past 15 years, the largest of any Pelotonia funding organization. As a centerpiece of its year-round fundraising efforts, Pelotonia just hosted a multi-day experience that includes a weekend of cycling, entertainment and volunteerism.

For more information on Bath & Body Works philanthropic efforts in Central Ohio and beyond, visit bbwinc.com.

Hilary Fenton started as a dispatcher for Marathon Petroleum right after she graduated from college.After spending 10 years supporting drivers on the road, she decided to make a career change that would put her in the driver’s seat.Now she’s delivering fuel and loving the change of scenery she gets as a truck driver and the benefits offered by the company.

Hilary Fenton loved being a dispatcher for Marathon Petroleum in Ohio. She spent her days talking to truck drivers and helping them get from point A to point B delivering fuel to stations across the state.

“It was like coming into a puzzle each day,” said Fenton. “It was a job where you could come in and there was a different problem to solve.”

Fenton started working for Marathon Petroleum after college. She was a cross country runner at the University of Findlay in Ohio and graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. One of her teammates in college was a dispatcher for Marathon and invited her to a job fair. Fenton got the job and spent the next ten years supporting drivers on the road.

“They are such good people, a ton of hard workers. I think I stayed in that role for so long because I wanted to help the team I had talked to for years. I really felt like I was making a difference,” said Fenton. “I would hear drivers say how long they had been in the industry and what they liked about it. Drivers seemed to really enjoy what they were doing. That inspired me to think maybe I could do this.”

Fenton asked her managers about doing a ride along and started attending safety meetings to see if she would like driving. She realized that as someone who loves the outdoors and working with her hands, she wanted to change careers. She decided to get her Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and scheduled vacation time and switched shifts with other employees so she could attend a two and a half week driving school program.

Fenton credits her trainer at Marathon, Mark Drummond, for mentoring her and making her believe she could succeed as a driver. Drummond had worked with Fenton for four years and felt her work ethic would make her perfect for the job.

“She knew the back-office stuff, and everything always flowed with her,” said Drummond. “The way she understood the routes and the loading and unloading. It always made sense. Helping her transition to a driver was very easy. She absorbed everything like a sponge. She’s very intelligent.”

Drummond said that one thing that was different for Fenton than other drivers he trained was her petite size. He helped her adjust the settings and equipment to fit, but he let her figure out how to do other parts of the job.

“The hoses we load and unload with are heavy, but she had to figure out her own way,” said Drummond. “I was hands off and let her figure it out. I couldn’t do it for her, but I was there to build her confidence.”

Today, Fenton loves being on the road and being in control of her day. She drives a semi-truck that pulls a trailer with up to 9,000 gallons of fuel or ethanol. Her shifts start at 5 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and every other weekend. Her husband is also a truck driver, and their shifts give them plenty of family time with their three children and three dogs.

“I love working for Marathon as a truck driver,” said Fenton. “There’s great pay and benefits. As far as delivering gas, Marathon teaches you everything you need to know to do your job safely and efficiently. They lay everything out for us. We just have to follow the plan.”

Mark Clouse entered Campbell Soup Company in 2019 as its 14th CEO in the company’s 153-year history. Recognizing the upheaval that the food industry has been undergoing for the last decade and the need for a fresh strategic direction in a rapidly evolving business landscape, Mark sought to define a new, resonant purpose that would guide the company’s decisions and inspire employees, customers, and stakeholders alike. 

But as a long-lived company, it was vital for the purpose to evoke Campbell’s legacy while shaping a new chapter of the iconic company’s story. 

We invited Mark Clouse to share the journey behind Campbell’s purpose: “Connecting people through the food they love.” Accompanied by a set of new and compelling values, the purpose has become the driving force behind the company’s recent transformation — from their steadfast commitment to their hometown in Camden to its new employee value proposition. Through this lens, Campbell has embarked on a transformative journey that builds off the company’s impact over the last 150+ years.

Listen for C-level insights on:

Being a steward for a legacy company Absolutes and direction for re-shaping a purposeHow purpose enables a company to simultaneously create sustainable shareholder value and better society and the environmentAI and its role in business today

To listen to this episode and others, visit Purpose 360 Podcast.

The one-year anniversary of Lenovo and everywoman’s partnership marks a moment to reflect on the impact on Lenovo employees. Highlights include providing them with resources and networking opportunities to giving them spaces to discuss the challenges women still face within the industry and what can be done to overcome them.

Women make up 36% of Lenovo’s global workforce, putting Lenovo ahead of the curve when it comes to female representation in the tech sector. Still, the business continues to push hard to put equality and inclusion front and center and support female talent as it builds a technology brand fit for the future. Lenovo’s partnership with everywoman is testament to this.

everywoman is a professional organisation that drives the development of women at all levels. The business connects women, businesses and organisations all over the world, providing exceptional learning and development opportunities for employees, with a focus on women in tech.

Ahead of their first anniversary, everywoman sat down with Ana Maloskova, Program Manager, Global Sales LnD, and a member of employee resource group (ERG) Women in Lenovo, to discuss the importance of the partnership for driving a forward-looking DE&I agenda.

Why are you personally so passionate about diversity and inclusion?

When I was first part of the sales team, it was very male-dominated, and that raised questions for me. Even now that I have moved to sales training, there are still times when I’ll be the only woman in the room. It’s clear that change still needs to happen, and I approached ‘Women in Lenovo’ because I was keen to be part of that change. Luckily, there are amazing and passionate women driving this here. Historically, I think everyone has accepted that changes are needed, but the perception of how this should happen also needed to change. In the past, it has often felt as if women need to step up, change their attitude, or change their confidence and there hasn’t been as much of a conversation around changing the system. We do not need to change ourselves to fit in a mould – we need to change that mould.

Lenovo partnered with the 2023 everywoman in Technology Forum. What feedback did you receive from your women about how it enabled them to gain new perspectives and support for their career ambitions?

We had 41 women and one-man representing Lenovo at the Technology Forum. Some of us were there physically, some virtually, and it was a great chance to network. Reading through the feedback, the point that came up repeatedly was around the diversity of speakers and the impact that had. Seeing that ‘technology’ mould in all different colours and forms empowered everyone there. It didn’t matter if you were from a certain background or ethnicity – you had representation on the stage, and that was powerful. Personally, I loved all the speakers, but my highlight was the speaker from NASA because I’m passionate about space, and I always wanted to be a pilot. Many women also said they felt inspired by the number of women in tech, the roles that were represented and that it was more than they initially thought. That was important in inspiring the courage to continue the fight for diversity.

Three of Lenovo’s women were nominated at the 2023 everywoman in Technology Awards. Why was it important to shine a spotlight on these role models?

I think Lenovo is a little humble about presenting all the volunteering, diversity and inclusion work that it does. There is a lot of activity happening, and many stars are doing amazing work internally, but it is not always externally exposed. Jane Ashworth, who is leading the UK’s chapter of Woman in Lenovo, is a force of nature when it comes to bringing the topic of menopause into the spotlight and discussing the impact it has on women and the entire social and working ecosystem. Meanwhile, Jane Govindsamy, Lenovo South Africa, was nominated for the Tech for Good Award for her work in running several initiatives targeted at bringing young females into STEM, especially from underrepresented groups. Irene Acedo-Rico Gonzalez, EMEA Lenovo Channel Sales Executive Director, is one of our role model executive leaders, leading the relationship with business partners, and always supporting and encouraging new female talents. To see their efforts recognised and represented here is vital too, because it also reflects even more powerfully internally. Plus, we have so many more exceptional role models who were not nominated this time, but through events like this, we empower them to see how they could also be nominated in the future.

How important is it to specifically highlight female talent through everywoman’s awards programme?

Giving this talent visibility is crucial for those who may be just starting out in the industry, or may not have the courage to pursue a career, so they can see it is possible and that there are women in all different areas of tech. That representation gives them courage and empowers others to try. For example, I may not feel confident about going into artificial intelligence, but if I see several women who have had amazing careers in it and who have maybe started in this area later in life, I can relate, and I will have that courage as well. Importantly it should not necessarily be only women at an event like this, but men who are managers and leaders should be included too, so they can see female success in these areas.

How does your work with everywoman fit into your wider DE&I goals at Lenovo?

From the perspective of the Women in Lenovo ERG, we’re looking to offer insight and a voice to women, and everywoman supports that through all the resources it provides around topics such as impostor syndrome, confidence, how to ask for what you need, and dealing with stress. Many women will struggle with these things, but until now might not have had a platform to educate themselves and make changes. It also gives us resources to support our wider DE&I initiatives. In the UK, for example, we found there was a need to create a seminar to start discussing the menopause. The everywoman content on this was an amazing resource and helped us to understand, learn more and get additional information and inspiration.

What has been the biggest benefit to your DE&I work of partnering with a network like everywoman?

Partnering with everywoman means having exposure to resources all in one place. Here, you have everything you need to help support and uplift your female talent, and it’s not only information about careers but includes resources and support for different phases of life you may struggle with. It’s also very helpful to have a glance into an external source of information. Sometimes, in big organisations, we can just look internally, but through a resource like everywoman and events organised by them, we have a peek into what else is out there, what is trending and what is happening in other companies. And finally, it’s about giving our ambassadors and nominees a way to shine and to amplify Lenovo talent and initiatives.

GoDaddy proudly supports initiatives year-round dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Since its creation in 2014, GDUnited, a GoDaddy Employee Resource Group (ERG), has worked to help ensure that everyone – regardless of gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, or any other intersections – feels respected and can thrive at GoDaddy.

Employees designed the GDUnited ERG to help create an environment within the “walls” of GoDaddy where everyone can be true to who they are and stay informed on issues relating to LGBTQIA+ communities. GDUnited also identifies opportunities for GoDaddy to engage LGBTQIA+ consumers and recruit LGBTQIA+ employees.

For example, Geoffrey Brown, a member of GoDaddy’s Content Creation and Education team and passionate member of GDUnited shares that this summer he collaborated with GoDaddy Studio to create compelling content centered around the .gay domain GoDaddy offers. This strategic initiative showcased GoDaddy’s commitment to diversity and inclusion while contributing a portion of the proceeds to support various LGBTQIA+ causes.

Additionally, Geoffrey led a Pride in Business survey to better understand the needs and challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs. The survey aims to gather crucial insights that will enable GoDaddy to provide targeted support and address any existing gaps. “By identifying areas where support and resources are lacking, GoDaddy can work toward fostering an environment where LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs can thrive,” said Geoffrey.

According to GoDaddy’s Pride in Business survey, one in three LGBTQIA+ business owners encountered issues with online harassment or discrimination directed toward their business due to their identity. 

“This is a significant problem that not only affects the business owners themselves but also the wider LGBTQIA+ community,” said Geoffrey.

Harassment and discrimination can take various forms, including negative reviews, hate comments and cyberbullying, according to the survey. Geoffrey outlines three steps organizations can take to help combat this issue:

Create general awareness and highlight the need for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and acceptance in society. This can be done through campaigns, social media posts and events that celebrate the diversity and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ business owners.
 Provide support and resources for LGBTQIA+ business owners who face online harassment and discrimination. This can include recommending local nonprofits and community organizations who offer legal assistance, counseling and online safety training for small business owners. It’s also important to encourage those affected to report any instances of harassment or discrimination to the relevant authorities and social media platforms.
 As an individual, showcase contributions toward creating a more inclusive and accepting society for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and allow others to follow your path. This can be achieved by promoting diversity and inclusion in schools, workplaces and communities, as well as day-to-day support of people in the community.

Geoffrey’s passion for advancing inclusivity through GoDaddy’s initiatives serves as an inspiration for both GoDaddy’s employees and the wider community. His dedication aligns with GoDaddy’s mission to empower entrepreneurs everywhere, making opportunity more inclusive for all .

For more in-depth insights into GoDaddy’s Pride in Business survey, visit the link and discover how data-driven efforts can drive positive change.

Visit GoDaddy’s full Resource Library for additional stories, surveys and small business tips: https://www.godaddy.com/resources

Representatives from Whirlpool attended the 5th Housing and Habitat Forum, Latin America and the Caribbean in Bogota, Colombia July 31 to August 3, 2023. The event is organized by Habitat for Humanity with strategic allies and hosted by the Urban Housing Practitioners Hub (UHPH).

The focus of the 2023 event was housing as a necessary tool to address the current climate and social crises, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic that has increased the housing deficit.

Juan Carlos Puente, president of Whirlpool Latin America and executive vice president of Whirlpool Corporation addressed Private Sector Commitments in Support of Resilient Communities. In addition, Rosa Skinner, Whirlpool Corporation global social responsibility senior manager, was part of a high-level dialogue about actions toward carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation and presented the Whirlpool sponsored innovation award.

This global housing forum is a major feature of the multifaceted work between Whirlpool Corporation and Habitat for Humanity International. Whirlpool Corporation is a sponsor of these forums, which bring together a spectrum of thought leaders and experts to spur innovation that helps meet the housing needs of the planet’s growing population. In attendance were governors and mayors from many Latin American countries including the Mayor of Bogota and representatives from the UN World Habitat. Whirlpool representatives convened with leaders from governments, the private sector, academia, civil society, community, banks and Habitat for Humanity to discuss the status of housing in the region as well as gather knowledge and facilitate comprehensive, innovative and scalable solutions that contribute to the forum’s sustainability goals and agenda.

One key component of each of the housing forums is the Shelter Technology competitions, which Whirlpool Corporation also sponsored. Each forum will identify some of the most innovative initiatives in each region in the categories of shelter technology, public policy and inspiring practices.

After the forum, Whirlpool Corporation will have the opportunity to participate in the Acceleration and Collaboration Laboratory for the winners of the competitions and organize webinars with UHPH and the winners to find out more about their winning initiatives and how Whirlpool can help be a part of the initiatives.

For more information, visit the event site: www.uhph.org/en/forum

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