Tag: 3BL

NEW YORK, July 5, 2023 /3BL/ – The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is pleased to announce new organizations that have joined its membership program, a global initiative that offers commercial benefits, as well as brand visibility and networking opportunities. These additions signify a continued prioritization of health and well-being of people across buildings, organizations and communities. The most recent additions to the network span industries including architecture, banking, construction, education, real estate and software technology.

“The IWBI membership community represents global leaders who are driving the movement to build a healthier world through creation of people-first places,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “We know that what’s good for people is good for business. By investing in their people through WELL, these organizations are using the power of a healthier workforce to drive improved financial and reputational returns.”

New members include:

Apath ResilienceBagmane GroupBPDose Health Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.e-lab consultingExcel DryerEXPO City DubaiFTA Group GmbhGeometrics (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd.GSKGuangdong ODAS Home Technology Co., Ltd.ISA International Education SeminarLombardini22 SpAMagnusson Architecture and Planning P.C.Numa Products LLCPathogen Reduction Solutions LimitedPolygonRoyal Bank of CanadaSAPShanghai Puen Lighting Electric Co., Ltd.SUMe Sustentabilidad para MéxicoThe Hongkong Land Company, LimitedTishman SpeyerWalker Corporation

These members join IWBI’s existing membership community, which can be found here.

The IWBI membership community accompanies the uptake of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) offerings including WELL Certification, WELL ratings and WELL at scale programs, which stand at nearly 5 billion square feet of real estate applying WELL strategies across 127 countries. Much of WELL’s adoption is driven by a global network of WELL Accredited Professionals (WELL APs) and exam registrants, a community now totaling over 23,000 people. Organizations have the opportunity to join IWBI’s membership community through its Works with WELL licensing program, which recognizes products and solutions that contribute to the achievement of specific features in the WELL Standard as indicated by a licensed Works with WELL trademark. Works with WELL enrollment includes IWBI membership.

There are two tiers of membership and a third designation for companies enrolled in the WELL at scale program. This allows companies to select the best fit for their organizational goals. Member benefits include discounts on the WELL Certification process and WELL AP credentialing program, specialized opportunities to publicize accomplishments and more touchpoints with IWBI leadership and across the broader community through members-only year-round events and enhanced digital engagement. The program creates opportunities for WELL advocates and champions to stay connected, share best practices, explore new shared initiatives and receive greater recognition for these efforts.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) 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.

Media Contact:
media@wellcertified.com

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CNH Industrial believes that everyone, everywhere, deserves an equal opportunity to thrive.

Every day, the company innovates and adapts to give farmers and builders across the world the tools they need to succeed. And it does the same for its people.

Celebrating Diversity

Differences are more than welcomed, they are embraced. CNH Industrial actively builds teams that reflect this diverse world.

Promoting Equity

CNH Industrial recognizes the different needs and preferences of everyone it interacts with – of every gender, nationality, ability, age, background and beyond. Giving everyone equal opportunities to succeed, no matter their starting point.

Championing Inclusion

CNH Industrial nurtures an open, respectful workforce where individuals are valued for who they are, as well as what they can do. The company listens to different ideas, values different voices and rejects discrimination in all its forms.

Building a diverse, equitable and inclusive business isn’t a one-off exercise. CNH Industrial knows it can always do better. But it is completely committed to the process.

Growing Together to build a better future.

July 5, 2023 /3BL/ – As part of a cooperative agreement to implement the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) has launched the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards to celebrate school food authorities (SFA) that have made significant improvements to the nutritional quality of their school meals.

The Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards will spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies that SFAs have used to provide meals that are consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. SFAs can apply for one or more of the following Recognition Awards categories:

Breakfast TrailblazerSmall and/or Rural SFA Breakfast TrailblazerLunch TrailblazerSmall and/or Rural SFA Lunch TrailblazerInnovative School Lunch MakeoverInnovation in the Cultural Diversity of School MealsInnovation in the Preparation of School MealsInnovation in Nutrition Education

The Recognition Awards application can be found at: www.healthymealsincentives.org. SFAs are eligible to apply for the Recognition Awards if they participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the United States Virgin Islands. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis over a two-year application period ending June 30, 2025.

“Action for Healthy Kids is excited to partner with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritional school meals,” said Rob Bisceglie, CEO of AFHK. “School meals are a powerful tool to help kids get the nutrition they need. We are committed to working with the USDA and school nutrition professionals to ensure that school meals continue to provide the very best for our nation’s children.”

SFAs meeting Recognition Award criteria will receive national and local recognition, as well as an awardee toolkit that includes digital assets and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit. In addition, FNS and Action for Healthy Kids will highlight and share diverse best practices from Recognition Awardees nationwide through traditional and social media, stakeholder engagement, training and technical assistance activities, and Healthy Meals Summits. 

“Supporting school nutrition professionals in providing tasty and nutritious meals is one of America’s best opportunities to improve child health,” said Cindy Long, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “Each school day, USDA school meal programs reach around 30 million children from all communities and backgrounds across the country. The Recognition Awards will highlight the remarkable achievements schools are making in offering nutritious meals that students enjoy.” Long added that the awards program will also encourage the sharing of best practices, so other schools can follow their success in meal quality.

USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The National Strategy provides a roadmap of actions the federal government will take to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030 – all while reducing disparities. 

ABOUT ACTION FOR HEALTHY KIDS

Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving children’s health and well-being by bringing together and mobilizing educators, families, and other key stakeholders to help children lead healthy lives. Through its core programming and family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to address systemic challenges in underserved communities. To learn more about its growing network of volunteers and champions, visit: actionforhealthykids.org

Houstonians have a giving nature.

And they’ve had plenty of chances to show their generosity over the years.

Since 2001, the Houston region has been hit with 16 federally declared disasters, from Tropical Storm Allison to Hurricane Harvey to the terrible Winter Storm Uri of February 2021.

At Enbridge, safety is not just a core value—it’s the very foundation of our business—and we see preparedness as an essential component of safety.

That’s why we’re supporting today’s establishment of the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance by the United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Community Foundation. The alliance will work to strengthen year-round overall disaster preparedness, ensuring that the greater Houston region has the social service network and systems in place to respond rapidly, equitably and effectively in times of disaster.

As part of our support, Enbridge is donating $250,000 per year for three years to the Disaster Alliance, as is fellow energy company Phillips 66—for a combined investment of $1.5 million.

A news conference was held today by both non-profits, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and representatives of Enbridge and Phillips 66 to make the announcement.

“It’s only a matter of time before the Houston region will be impacted again and the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance gives us the opportunity to take a more proactive and effective approach to disaster recovery and resiliency,” says Stephen Maislin, the GHCF’s president and CEO. “Having the generous support of Enbridge and Phillips 66 is extremely meaningful and we are grateful to them for prioritizing the safety and well-being of our community.”

The initial investment by Enbridge and Phillips 66 will allow the Disaster Alliance to:

Strengthen its community-wide philanthropic response in the aftermath of a disaster, and distribute funds raised.Create disaster recovery partnerships with other nonprofits to accelerate disaster relief.Promote continuous learning and preparedness among disaster recovery partners.Establish a council of public-private leaders to align disaster resiliency.Pursue seed funding for ongoing innovation.

The GHCF and UWGH first formalized their partnership two years ago, after raising and deploying $34.7 million in philanthropic support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Winter Storm Uzi, thanks to a network of hundreds of individuals, local foundations and businesses.

“With every disaster, we see that families and individuals who were already struggling to afford the basic necessities are disproportionately impacted when crisis strikes,” says Amanda McMillian, the UWGH’s President and CEO. “Recognizing the economic peril that many in our community face when disaster strikes compels us to develop the most effective and equitable social service response that we can now. That is why the work of the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance is so important.”

Notes Enbridge President and CEO Greg Ebel: “Enbridge is keen about safety and being prepared for events that may occur is a critical part of that. The Disaster Alliance gives hard-working Houstonians the tools and resources to navigate future natural disasters and their long-term impact. The partnership builds relationships and systems to improve resiliency, response, and recovery in our region. This is vitally important work that we are proud to support.”

By Veleka Finch

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 5, 2023 /3BL/ – Small-business owners in Middle Tennessee who are interested in growing their companies are encouraged to apply for a tuition-free business development program Regions Bank is bringing to Nashville for the first time in the program’s history.

Businesses accepted into the program do not have to be Regions Bank customers. Rather, the main qualifier is they need to be growth-oriented companies looking to build long-term success with a workable business plan. The program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs with a presence in or near urban or economically underserved areas.

The result is more business owners – in more neighborhoods – will be empowered to thrive.

While Nashville continues to experience incredible growth, we must ensure this growth reaches more neighborhoods and benefits more people.

Lee Blank, Nashville market executive for Regions Bank

The program is called Inner City Capital Connections, or ICCC. ICCC provides top-tier business training from nationally recognized experts, customized business coaching, marketing assistance, follow-up digital training, and more. ICCC is part of the nonprofit Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, which was founded by Harvard Business School Professor Dr. Michael Porter to strengthen communities through education and private-sector investment.

“While Nashville continues to experience incredible growth, we must ensure this growth reaches more neighborhoods and benefits more people,” said Lee Blank, Nashville market executive for Regions Bank. “That’s why Regions is bringing ICCC to Nashville as part of our commitment to create more inclusive prosperity. This program gives more entrepreneurs a seat at the table. It connects local companies with national experts on business growth – and it sews the seeds of success into more Nashville-based companies that are crucial to a healthy, vibrant and inclusive economy.”

Likened to a “mini-MBA in a day,” ICCC makes executive-level business education available to local entrepreneurs who often would not have the time or resources to receive such training in a traditional education setting. Instructors at ICCC events throughout the program’s history have included professors from institutions ranging from Harvard University to Dartmouth, New York University, and more. Training is customized to meet the needs of businesses that are accepted into the program, and it is delivered in a manner that minimizes the time investment business owners need to make – while maximizing results.

Consider these examples:

Since ICCC’s inception in 2005, more than 5,800 businesses have participated in the program in cities across the country.Those businesses have since raised over $2.4 billion in capital.Further, they’ve created over 26,000 jobs, according to ICCC.

“ICCC has a proven track record of uplifting and empowering small-business owners, overwhelmingly BIPOC- and women-owned. And this is about more than one day of high-impact learning. It is about building connections and even mentorships that often lead to long-term coaching and support,” said ICCC Director Diego Portillo Mazal. “Regions Bank is one of our most valuable community partners, and we are excited to work with Regions in bringing ICCC to Nashville for the first time in the program’s history. We are confident this will result in a more sustainable small-business ecosystem spreading prosperity to more people and communities in Middle Tennessee.”

Financial support from Regions Bank and co-sponsors is what makes ICCC tuition free for qualified companies that are accepted into the training opportunity.

Business owners can learn more about ICCC and the program’s qualifications at this link. Those who would like to participate can access the online application for the Nashville program here. ICCC will review applications and connect with qualified companies to discuss next steps.

ICCC will culminate locally with an intense, all-day business education and coaching session scheduled for Wednesday, September 20. This is not just an average seminar. As this video from a Regions-sponsored ICCC program in St. Louis and this additional video from Indianapolis show, ICCC is an action-packed program filled with aha moments and key takeaways for entrepreneurs.

The Nashville application deadline is August 25, though space is limited, and available slots could be filled before then.

“As Regions has seen through ICCC events the bank brought to Atlanta, Houston, Tampa and St. Louis, spaces fill up fast because people recognize the value – and the results – of this program,” Blank concluded. “We encourage business owners to explore how ICCC Nashville can help them grow – and apply early before space runs out.”

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $154 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

Originally published on bloomberg.com

News coverage should strive to be fair and balanced, yet the media continues to be dominated by male voices, both within newsrooms and in sourcing. As recently as 2018, 41 percent of bylines across print and digital news outlets in Europe were written by men, compared with 23 percent by women, with the remainder either non-bylined or citing an institution. More recent studies show significant under-representation for women in newsroom leadership. In the UK: just 30% of economics/business editors are women, 20% of political editors are women, and 37% of editors-in-chief are women.  

Clearly, there’s an urgent need to amplify the voices of women and other underrepresented experts across the news and media sector. That’s why at Bloomberg, we have a number of initiatives to ensure we are improving representation at every level of the newsroom and in sourcing across every platform, helping make the news industry more accessible to women and those from other underrepresented communities.

Our Global Business and Financial Journalism Education Initiative aims to provide career access and opportunities for journalists from diverse backgrounds. Through this, we work to inspire the next generation through bespoke mentorship schemes – for instance, our Bloomberg Journalism Diversity Program is targeted at U.K. students. We also invest in talent through our non-profit partner network, such as by contributing to the NCTJ’s Journalism Diversity Fund. And our support extends to experienced professionals through media fellowships and Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa’s financial journalism training program.

Bloomberg established the New Voices initiative in 2018, with the goal of increasing the representation of women and other under-represented experts from the financial industry as sources on our media platforms. Through this program, we sponsor intensive one-on-one media training workshops for female and ethnically diverse executives in business and finance worldwide, preparing them for interviews on Bloomberg TV and other news outlets. 

As a result of these efforts, we have more than tripled the representation of female guests globally on Bloomberg TV. At the end of 2022, 34% of external guests on-air were women, compared with 10% in 2018. To date, New Voices has sponsored media training for 500+ executives – from CIOs and CFOs to research analysts and venture capitalists – in more than a dozen cities around the world. In addition, we’ve created a definitive global database of female experts in business and finance with 8,500+ names, up from just 500 in 2018. Overall, feedback has been highly positive: In the words of a 2022 New Voices participant, “what you are doing to give voice to women in the business is fantastic.” 

However, we’re not stopping there. This year, the New Voices initiative expanded to more cities across EMEA, beginning with Paris in March and Frankfurt in May. To date, over 110 EMEA-based candidates have participated in the program, and we hope to train an additional 120 executives globally in 2023.

“We’ve launched New Voices in the world’s most important financial centers, and there’s no question this is the right time to be starting in Paris,” says Laura Zelenko, New Voices Founder and Senior Executive Editor of Standards, Training, Diversity and Talent at Bloomberg News. “It’s very clear there are so many more important female experts in France’s finance and business space whom we should be featuring in our coverage.”

This is reinforced by the city’s growing importance as a business hub. “Paris is booming. In the race to be the region’s financial capital, it’s gaining ground on London fast,” says David Merritt, Head of Media Editorial at Bloomberg. The Paris bourse has a total market capitalization of $3.13 trillion – exceeding that of London by $250 billion. “With more jobs, trading and capital moving to Paris, it’s urgent that Bloomberg showcases the best experts from the city on our platforms, and that means sourcing and promoting the newest voices too,” Merritt adds. 

As Jacqueline Simmons, Senior Executive Editor for EMEA at Bloomberg News, sums up, “this is an interesting moment for French finance and Paris in particular”. As such, it is more important than ever for news platforms to reflect the views and perspectives of local experts such as Caroline Connan, who has been a Paris correspondent for Bloomberg TV since 2012. 

“We need more women here in Paris to come on our radio and news platforms,” Connan says. She encourages all eligible female executives to apply for the New Voices program – even those who lack confidence when it comes to public speaking. “Don’t be ashamed of your accent. It is part of your diversity and you’ll be an asset for your local market,” she adds.

At the end of the day however, change begins with the people behind the camera: those determining what – and who – hits the airwaves. “We decide every day who gets to speak on our platforms, whose opinions get included in our storytelling, and whose voices get to tell our audiences what the state of play is in the financial markets and the overall economy,” Zelenko says. “We need to continue the critical work of pushing against the status quo of traditional sourcing. After all, our coverage is stronger, fairer and smarter when we include diverse voices that are representative of the industries we cover.”

Interested in News and Media roles at Bloomberg? Explore open positions now. 

Want to learn more about the New Voices media training program? Sign up for the mailing list, apply to one of the 2023 global cohorts, or nominate someone here. 

Originally published in Paramount’s 2021-2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report

Content for Change, first launched by BET and then rolled out company-wide, is an initiative to use the power of storytelling to transform how we see ourselves and one another, and to counteract the bias, stereotypes, and hate in our society.

In 2021, we extended Content for Change to more of our programming, developed new lines of research, and transformed how we measure success. The initiative is grounded in data-driven research and centered on three areas of commitment: Content, Creative Supply Chain, and Culture.

To tell stories that are true to the experiences of underrepresented viewers, and to change the ways that they’ve been represented in film and television, we are looking at how some of these stories have traditionally been told and using research as an important tool for change.

Paramount commissioned a study called Reflecting Me: Global Representation on Screen to explore how consumers around the world feel about how people like them are depicted in TV shows and movies. Seventy-nine percent surveyed globally, and nearly 90% of Black people surveyed, agreed that more on-screen diversity should be a priority. That insight isn’t limited to just what’s on screen: 83% of respondents said content creators should also commit to improving diversity off-screen, as well. These findings support our continued focus on improving diverse representation and engagement both in front of and behind the camera.

To further our research, BET has partnered with the Stanford SPARK Lab. Applying artificial intelligence and natural-language processing, the goal is to go below the surface to understand the ways that people of color have historically been represented on television, and how those representations can be improved.

Another area where we’ve focused on representation is the full continuum of mental health experiences. Historically, stories around mental health have focused on mental health conditions and crisis and at times deepened the stigma around mental health challenges. So, MTV Studios partnered with the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative to study the ways characters with mental health struggles have been portrayed across 29 shows in the Paramount portfolio.

In order to expand the representation of mental health storylines within entertainment media, MTV Entertainment (MTVE) led the creation of the Mental Health Media Guide, a resource developed in collaboration with coalition of leading mental health experts and entertainment industry peers that offers best practices for mental health storylines. It has been used on top-rated shows such as Catfish, Floribama Shore, Siesta Key, Cartel Crew, Teen Mom OG, and Love and Hip Hop Atlanta. The approach we’ve been able to develop from our research has spread organically to the way our other brands tell those stories.

At the same time, more of our brands are using research to tell richer stories about underrepresented constituencies. This includes our expanded partnership with the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative to analyze over 60 existing series across the Paramount portfolio to better understand how characters have traditionally appeared depending on their gender, age, LGBTQ+ identification, disability status, race, and ethnicity.

For example, that analysis showed there were nearly 20% more Black and underrepresented main cast members than U.S. census totals. In addition, our research found that when there is more representation behind the camera, it is reflected on screen. According to the Annenberg analysis, Paramount shows with diverse creators had nearly three times more diverse main characters than shows with white creators.

Taken together, we hope this information will not only help us to identify existing blind spots, but also to tell richer stories with relatable, diverse characters who are portrayed with freshness and authenticity.

Learn more in in Paramount’s 2021-2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report

Download the full MetLife 2022 Sustainability Report

Sustainability at MetLife

Our Approach

With our purpose at our core—Always with you, building a more confident future—sustainability at MetLife means sustaining people’s lives.

Sustainability is central to our business strategy and is ingrained across our operations. With the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as a guide, we are deploying the full strength of our people, products, services and investments to sustain our customers, our colleagues, our communities and our shareholders.

We demonstrate our commitment through the security we provide to customers by paying claims during times of need, our activities and investments in the communities we serve, and the long-term investments we make in the broader economy.

Sustaining people’s lives is what we do—and it has been this way since MetLife opened for business in 1868.

Strategic Alignment with the UN SDGs

Our sustainability strategy is closely aligned with the UN SDGs to contribute toward meaningful change around the world. We have prioritized five of the 17 UN SDGs, given their relevance to our business. Examples of how MetLife’s work contributes to the achievement of the UN SDGs are featured in the Appendix. MetLife is also a signatory to the UN Global Compact (UNGC). Please see the Appendix to learn more.

Originally published by Fortune.com on June 30, 2023

IBM is stepping to help with this learning process through its SkillsBuild courses and credential programs. SkillsBuild is a free education program primarily focused on underrepresented communities in tech and is designed to help adults, high school and university students, and university faculty develop new skills and access new career opportunities. The tech giant in 2021 committed to skilling 30 million people by 2030.

IBM sees itself at the forefront of training the future workforce, says Justina Nixon-Saintil, chief impact officer at IBM.

Continue reading here.

Originally published on Built From Scratch

Established in 1999, The Homer Fund is a nonprofit charity dedicated to helping associates at The Home Depot. From providing shelter after natural disaster strikes, to helping with the cost of burying a loved one, The Homer Fund seeks to make a positive impact on the lives of our orange-blooded team members. 

“It’s changed my life in so many ways,” shares Angie Richardson, an associate who received assistance when her home caught on fire. She adds, “it has allowed me to not uproot my son, my family. It’s made it easier.”

“The Homer Fund strives to improve the lives of our associates when they encounter unexpected hardships and during times of need. It’s part of doing the right thing and giving back to our associates when they need it most.”

– Sharon Robinson, Director of The Homer Fund

This employee assistance program is primarily funded by associate contributions and the company, and 100% of every donation by associates goes right back to help associates in need. Orange at Heart, the annual fundraising campaign, kicks off in July and celebrates the generosity of our workforce.

Since 1999, The Homer Fund has granted nearly $255 million to more than 178,000 associates in need, thanks to the collective support from fellow Home Depot associates. To learn about donation options, check eligibility or apply for a grant, visit THDHomerFund.org.

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