Tag: 3BL

Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP®, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop® restaurants, released its 2022 ESG report to provide a comprehensive overview of the continuation of their ESG journey, focusing on the pillars of People, Planet, Food, and Governance.

“We recognize the important role our company and brands play in creating long-term sustainable value,” said John Peyton, CEO of Dine Brands. “Our 2022 ESG report reflects our commitment to transparency and accountability as we strive to positively impact the world around us.”

A majority of Applebee’s, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, and IHOP locations are franchise-owned and operated, enabling entrepreneurs to establish and run their own enterprises while creating a strong relationship between their restaurants and the local neighborhoods in which they reside.

The 2022 Dine Together, Grow Together report highlights include the following:

Achieved the Great Place to Work Certification™.
38 metric tons of food donated by Dine Brands’ Glendale Restaurant Support Center as well as Applebee’s and IHOP U.S. Franchisees and their Distribution Centers.
More than $1.3M raised by Applebee’s U.S. franchisees to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
$872,000 raised by IHOP U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada franchisees to support children’s charities.
592,000 free meals served to U.S. active-duty military and veterans on Veterans Day at Applebee’s and IHOP.
Applebee’s and IHOP are currently 91% EPS-free and are on track to meet their goal of being 100% EPS-free by 2023, a year ahead of schedule.
29% (5,691 metric tons) of total waste was diverted from landfill at former company-owned Applebee’s restaurants.
911M estimated gallons of water saved annually by using more efficient dipper wells.
22.3% of eggs were cage-free, exceeding the 20% target set for 2022.

“We are proud of the continued progress we are making,” Peyton said. “We have a distinctive opportunity to make a meaningful impact and we are fully committed to our plans and the ESG work we are doing.”

For more information on the 2022 Dine Together, Grow Together report, please visit https://www.dinebrands.com/en/social-good.

About Dine Brands Global, Inc.

Based in Pasadena, California, Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries and franchisees, supports and operates restaurants under the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP®, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop® brands. As of March 31, 2023, these three brands consisted of 3,600 restaurants, across 17 international markets. Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world and in 2022 expanded into the Fast Casual segment. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company’s website located at www.dinebrands.com.

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Media Contact:
Susan Nelson
SVP, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer
Dine Brands Global, Inc.

Moved by a desire to enhance positive messaging and representation in the streetwear and athleisure industry, Sky’s the Limit entrepreneur Jonathan Makonnen created a brand that represents an essential mindset where everyone feels driven to be the best version of themselves: UNFAZED.

His brand is more than a fashionable moment; it’s a movement. UNFAZED is a unique streetwear/athleisure brand that focuses on empowering all human beings to be their best as often as possible by having a strong, powerful mindset when adversity arises.

“My motivation to keep working on my business stems from the potential to inspire and motivate millions of people through the brand. With 50 million organic uses of #unfazed, I see an opportunity to capitalize on this momentum. I am driven by a desire to leave a positive impact on communities globally and shift the youths’ mindset towards understanding that they can accomplish anything with the right attitude,” said Jonathan.

In 2018 Jonathan was diagnosed with colon cancer. This experience only served to reinforce his belief in his brand. When he received the diagnosis, he found himself demonstrating the values that he preaches, being UNFAZED, and focusing on controlling what he could, not what was out of his control. Confident that this was his purpose, he now spreads this message through his merchandise, and it’s that purpose that keeps him going each day.

“As an entrepreneur, I think the hardest thing is going through a situation and not having the resources or knowledge to correct your mistakes. Two individual mentors, both from Accenture, who have helped me are Shayna Michel and Amritpal Singh. Shayna has been instrumental in discussing marketing strategies for my business and arranging legal resources, while Amritpal assisted me in devising an SEO game plan and handling backend Shopify-related matters. With the mentors’ help, I can say more than anything they have given me the confidence that no matter what resources or questions I may have, I know I can present it to them, and it will get figured out. With their resources and help, it sounds cliche, but Sky’s the Limit for my business,” said Jonathan.

Read more about Jonathan here.

Sky’s the Limit offers opportunities for traditionally marginalized entrepreneurs – typically those who identify as LGBTQI+, BIPOC, women, veterans, disabled people, and people from low-income backgrounds – to connect with mentors to come together to foster, grow, and shape modern and future enterprise.

For more information about how to get your company involved in mentoring, please visit skysthelimit.org/partnerships.

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About SkysThelimit.org: SkysTheLimit.org is a digital platform that connects young, historically excluded entrepreneurs with one-on-one support from experienced business advisors and mentors, entrepreneurship training, and community-voted startup grants. SkysTheLimit.org is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Originally published in Pathway to Premier: 2022 Integrated Report

Entergy’s 2022 Integrated Report focuses on a number of key sustainability and ESG initiatives, including our business strategy. Read on for an overview of Entergy’s approach to sustainability and view our full report at integrated report.entergy.com.

Entergy is uniquely positioned to grow and support a rapidly expanding industrial base while creating a cleaner and more resilient system to serve our customers and communities.

Entergy is advancing our sustainable business objectives with a momentum fueled by Gulf region advantages and strategic alignment with the goals, desires and opportunities of our key stakeholders – customers, employees, communities and owners. For us, sustainability is our business strategy.

We’re working to build a more resilient future for our customers and communities. We’re helping our commercial and industrial customers achieve their interim and long-term carbon reduction goals, and leading a transition to cleaner generation resources that protect our environment. And we’re creating a diverse and skilled workforce to power outcomes that benefit us all.

A premier utility benefits all its stakeholders by delivering long- term, sustainable value. We measure that value through consistently positive customer interactions; high levels of service and reliability; superior and affordable products and services; environmental leadership; highly skilled and engaged employees; strong brand recognition; and industry-leading financial performance.

We aspire to become the partner of choice for our stakeholders by listening to our customers’ needs, innovating effective solutions and identifying opportunities to help them achieve their own goals.

In late 2022, we named a new CEO, Drew Marsh, who previously was our chief financial officer and a key leader who helped develop our current strategy. He is building on the momentum gained while working closely with Leo Denault, who retired as chairman of the board and CEO after nearly a decade leading the company. Marsh was named chairman of the board in early 2023.

Given our long-time and ongoing investment in low- to zero-carbon power sources, Entergy is well-prepared to advance the transition to a low-carbon economy while supporting economic growth and keeping electricity rates low. We’re seizing opportunities to collaborate with customers and suppliers to reach net-zero together. Clean electrification not only reduces emissions, but also can lead to more jobs, increased economic growth and a better quality of life in our region.

Read the full report here.

One of CNH Industrial brand CASE Construction Equipment’s dealerships has inaugurated a new branch of its Technical Training Center (CTT) in Goiânia, Brazil. Brasif Máquinas will offer young people in the region between the ages of 18 and 20 free training to become mechanics. Once enrolled, students are integrated into the dealership. There, they can apply in practice the skills they have developed in the classroom.

CTT began in 1993 in Belo Horizonte. Since then, the program has established 34 classes in different locations across the country. Through it, over 650 students have achieved professional qualifications, of which 80% are currently employed.

During the first three months of the program, students learn the concepts of geometry, mathematics, mechanics, hydraulics and computer science, among other disciplines. Following this, they can perform practical tasks in the dealership’s workshops, helping to prepare them for their careers as mechanical technicians.

In addition to technical training, Brasif’s CTT students also receive medical and dental care, breakfast and lunch, and lectures. They can participate in workshops on other important, relevant subjects too.

“It is a project focused on training in practice. We are looking to give opportunities to young people who want to enter the world of work. In 2023, CTT reaches its 30th anniversary. Inaugurating a unit in Goiânia brings us great happiness,” said Gustavo Avelar, CEO of Brasif Máquinas.

As published on the Pentair Blog

By Karla Robertson, Pentair Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Social Responsibility Officer

We are excited to have recently released our 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report highlighting our advancements toward being a leading sustainability company.

At Pentair, our social responsibility efforts and corporate responsibility program are guided by Making Better Essential. The decisions we make, the products we create, the solutions we offer, and the partnerships we form, are opportunities to make the world better. Central to our Purpose, we take this responsibility seriously as we believe that making life better for people and our planet is essential.

This Report highlights the work we did to advance our positive impact, including our continued progress on our social responsibility strategic targets that we announced in 2021. Highlights of our 2022 progress include:

A 29% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions compared to our 2019 baselineA decrease in our water withdrawal compared to our 2019 baseline, representing a 9.3% decrease over our 2021 water withdrawal100% of new products were assessed using our new Sustainability ScorecardThe release of an enhanced Supplier Code of ConductSustained positive progress in the representation of women in our workforce and in leadership positions

2023 and Beyond

We are continuing our great momentum in 2023, having already received the Real Leaders Impact Award for sustainability leadership in January. We plan to further instill sustainability within our culture and operations to well-position us for further advanced leadership, and remain focused on providing solutions to sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water.

I am very proud of the work we’ve accomplished to make progress toward our strategic targets and advance Pentair’s sustainability strategy. We could not have done any of this important work without our engaged and committed employees. I am grateful to them as well as to our customers, shareholders, and Board of Directors for their continued support. Together, we have an opportunity to make life’s essential resources better — for people and the planet.

Overview

Title: Healthy Employees = Healthy Business: Why Invest In Mental Wellness

Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Duration: 30 minutes

Join Paychex and Mental Health America to assess how poor mental health could impact your business. Learn six steps to improve workplace wellness.

Attend and explore:

What causes poor employee mental health.The business cost.What do employees need to be healthy?Four reasons to invest in mental wellness.What employers are doing that works?

Note: This webinar is not eligible for CPE or IRS CE credit

About the Speakers

America Paredes, PhD (She/Her/Hers/Ella)
Chief Social Impact Officer
Mental Health America

Dr. America Paredes leads the implementation of MHA’s forward-thinking equity-focused approach to change by developing and implementing innovative partnership strategies. She has over 20 years of experience in mental health and supports MHA’s programmatic, public engagement, and community awareness efforts.

Pamela Lacy
HR Services Human Resources Coach
Paychex, Inc.

Pamela has over 20 years of HR experience and has worked as an in-house HR coach and manager for various start-up companies – high-tech, transportation, and finance – before coming to Paychex. She will be sharing how Paychex can help businesses to create a healthier and more-balanced workplace. Pamela is PHR and SHRM-CP certified.

View original content here

TOLEDO, Ohio, May 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) today announced that it has been recognized by DiversityInc as one of its Top 50 companies as leaders in workplace fairness and inclusion practices and policy.

It’s the first time Owens Corning has earned a spot on this list, placing at number 44. It had been a DiversityInc Noteworthy Company for the past three years.

“I’m proud of our work to be a more inclusive and diverse company. By creating an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and appreciated, we unlock the full potential of our company by attracting, developing, and retaining the very best talent in the world,” said Brian Chambers, Owens Corning Chair and CEO.

According to DiversityInc, data submitted by companies for the annual Top 50 competition provides a trusted measure of employer and investor data transparency, equitable human capital outcomes for U.S. employers and the effectiveness of DEI strategy, policies and practices.

“It’s energizing to be recognized for the progress the people of Owens Corning have worked hard to achieve,” said Leah Maguire, OC’s vice president of Inclusion and Diversity. “Milestones are important to celebrate, especially since we’ve come a long way to get here. Even more importantly, we understand the work yet to be done and will embrace it with that same energy.”

Participation in the Top 50 survey measures overall performance in six key areas of diversity and inclusion management:

Leadership AccountabilityTalent ProgramsWorkforce PracticesSupplier DiversityPhilanthropyHuman Capital Diversity Metrics

In 2022, Owens Corning progressed and is on track for its 2030 goal to have people of color fill 22% of global mid-level leader, director, and vice president roles, and to have women fill 35% of roles at that same level.

More information about the methodology for the Top 50 can be found here.

About Owens Corning

Owens Corning is a global building and construction materials leader committed to building a sustainable future through material innovation. Our three integrated businesses – Composites, Insulation, and Roofing – provide durable, sustainable, energy-efficient solutions that leverage our unique material science, manufacturing, and market knowledge to help our customers win and grow. We are global in scope, human in scale with approximately 19,000 employees in 31 countries dedicated to generating value for our customers and shareholders and making a difference in the communities where we work and live. Founded in 1938 and based in Toledo, Ohio, USA, Owens Corning posted 2022 sales of $9.8 billion. For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.

Owens Corning Company News / Owens Corning Investor Relations News

Contacts
Media Relations:
Todd Romain
419.248.7826

Investor Relations:
Amber Wohlfarth
419.248.5639

The Fifth Third Bank Financial Empowerment Mobile (eBus) continued its tour in Southwest Ohio in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Avondale, one of its nine Empowering Black Futures neighborhoods on Friday, April 21, 2023 from 3-7 p.m. The eBus was part of the Avondale Empowerment Day in partnership with the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, Avondale Development Corporation, The Community Builders and other community partners.

Fifth Third’s eBus is a mobile financial classroom on wheels and is free for the community. Equipped with desktops and Wi-Fi, the bus is staffed by Fifth Third bankers who are on board to offer assistance with reviewing credit reports, one-on-one financial counseling, financial and homebuyer education, job search assistance and help accessing Fifth Third products and services.

“We are committed to improving the lives of our customers and financially empowering the communities we serve,” said Kala Gibson, executive vice president and chief corporate responsibility officer for Fifth Third Bank. “The eBus allows us to meet people at every age and stage of life where they live and work to provide the knowledge and tools to help them take control of their financial futures.”

“The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio was pleased to host Avondale Empowerment Day in collaboration with Fifth Third Bank, the Avondale Development Corporation, The Community Builders, and our community partner agencies,” said Christie Bryant Kuhns, President and CEO, Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio. “All are united by our mutual commitment to empower underserved communities with education, information and the resources necessary to help them thrive.”

“Our neighborhood residents need to be empowered financially in order to benefit from Avondale’s revitalization. We appreciate the partnership of Fifth Third Bank, The Community Builders and the Urban League in helping to make this happen,” said Russell Hairston, Executive Director, Avondale Development Corporation.

“We are making a powerful impact on families in Cincinnati through community outreach and engagement such as the Avondale Empowerment Day,” said Jillian Olinger, Great Lakes director of Community Life at The Community Builders. “This initiative is an innovative way for TCB to help connect families, particularly Black families, to financial coaching, and help increase economic mobility and housing stability. We’re helping residents reach financial goals and create pathways to homeownership.” 

As long-time supporters of University of Cincinnati athletics and the Fifth Third Arena, home of the Bearcats, the Avondale Empowerment Day included special visits from UC Men’s Basketball players, including 6-foot-6 freshman Dan Skillings and 6-foot guard David Dejulius.

JOHANNESBURG, May 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced the selection of 10 startups to participate in the inaugural Qualcomm Make in Africa startup mentorship program, as part of the Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform announced in December 2022. These startups are developing innovative products in clean energy, agricultural technology, computing for education, geospatial predictive analysis, medical technologies, and innovations utilizing electric vehicles. Several startups also feature women in prominent leadership roles.

The startups, based in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and Rwanda, were selected from a pool of 550+ applicants from 34 African countries. They were carefully selected by a global jury based on a variety of qualifications including technical capabilities, business factors, and potential for innovation and intellectual property generation. The Qualcomm Make In Africa startups will receive equity-free mentorship in business planning, engineering, intellectual property protection, and the application of advanced connectivity, sensing, AI/ML and other processing technologies for innovative end-to-end systems solutions. The program is the first of its kind in Africa and is designed to add to the continued growth of the continent’s technology startup ecosystem.

The shortlisted companies and their technology solutions are (sorted by alphabetical order):

Ecorich Solutions – patented organic composting in KenyaFixbot – Vehicle diagnostics and inspection via OBD dongle in NigeriaKaraa – e-Bike tracking, charging, retrofit, and rentals in UgandaMaotronics Systems Limited – IOT-enabled precision agriculture in NigeriaMicrofuse – Affordable plugin computers for the education sector in UgandaNeural Labs Africa Ltd – Deep learning and computer vision for healthcare diagnosis in Kenya and SenegalOneTouch Diagnostics – Diabetes patch and monitoring system in NigeriaQuadLoop – Leveraging e-waste for solar e-Lanterns and battery storage in Nigeria.SLS Energy – Recycled lead-cell battery storage banks in RwandaSolarTaxi – Electric vehicle (EV) taxi and fleet management in Ghana

Announced in December 2022, Qualcomm Make in Africa will provide 1:1 mentorship for the shortlisted companies with Qualcomm leaders on a regular cadence to guide startups to product realization, as well as provide masterclasses on product management, pitch clinic, IPR, and hardware architecture. The program will culminate in a finale demo day in December 2023, connecting startups with various industry leaders, venture capitalists, investors, and other accelerators.

“I’d like to applaud and congratulate these 10 startups for their innovative solutions,” said Sudeepto Roy, Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm Incorporated. “I am beyond excited to hear about their respective problem domains and innovative solutions. They have applied their talents and ingenuity to address Africa’s present-day needs in areas of reliable access to clean energy, precision agriculture to conserve water and other resources, adaptations of electric transportation for many last-mile needs, using AI and other innovations for accelerating disease pathology and treatment, and addressing energy efficient, affordable computing for the education market. Over the next few months, we will mentor them in areas of business development, technology applications and intellectual property law. We are honored to be able to participate in their entrepreneurial journey and their future impact in Africa.”

“As part of our new Africa Innovation Platform, the Qualcomm Make in Africa mentorship program is one of many initiatives we are working on in close collaboration with government and industry stakeholders in Africa, to help position African entrepreneurs and researchers to service markets throughout the continent and realize their global ambitions. We believe that startups based in Africa are best placed to identify uniquely African problems that can be solved through end-to-end systems solutions and new business models,” said Elizabeth Migwalla, Vice President and Head of Government Affairs (Middle East and Africa), Qualcomm International, Inc. “We congratulate the shortlisted companies and look forward to a fruitful collaboration for innovation in the coming months.”

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. Our one technology roadmap allows us to efficiently scale the technologies that launched the mobile revolution – including advanced connectivity, high-performance, low-power compute, on-device intelligence and more – to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations from Qualcomm and our family of Snapdragon platforms will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, and revolutionize how we experience the world, for the greater good.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business.

Qualcomm is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated.

Every Covia facility is responsible for upholding our high standards of safety and health performance. Every year, we recognize plants that display exemplary performance and dedication to Safety First.

We presented our 2022 President’s Safety Award to our plant in Elco, Illinois. The President’s Safety Award recognizes the Covia Plant that achieves that highest level of safety performance in all categories of our critical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including reportable incidents, lost-time Incidents, safety-related actions completed on-time, dust sampling (not just on-time, but exposures highly controlled), and near-miss reporting – all of which demonstrate an exemplary Safety First culture.

Through their collective efforts, Team Members at Elco achieved the following results, which led to their selection as the 2022 award winner.

Completed 8 Years without a lost-time incident (LTI)No reportable incidentsElco’s near-miss incident rate was better than the targetCompleted 100% of incident investigations within 28 daysCompleted 100% of incident investigation actions and incident alert actions on timeCompleted 100% of dust sampling on timeNo regulator or internal housekeeping citationsHighly controlled exposure to respirable crystalline silica

At a celebration for Covia Team Members at Elco, Andrew Eich, President and CEO, presented the President’s Award Trophy to the site. The trophy will be displayed on site as a reminder of their achievement and inspiration to continue their dedication and effort to Safety First.

Maintaining exceptional safety standards takes constant vigilance, improvement, and a high degree of commitment from all.

For more information about Covia’s commitment to Safety First, please visit https://www.coviacorp.com/esg/positive-social-impact/.