Tag: 3BL

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the country’s most energy-efficient companies through its ENERGY STAR program.Marathon Petroleum is one of only two companies in the petroleum refining industry to receive the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award this year.It’s Marathon’s fourth consecutive Sustained Excellence Award, reflecting 2022 achievements like a reduction in refining energy use equal to conserving 14 tanker trucks of gasoline a day.

Energy efficiency and environmental compliance once again have put Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) in a select group of U.S. companies. MPC earned its fourth consecutive ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program. MPC is one of only two companies in the petroleum refining industry to receive the Sustained Excellence Award this year.

EPA chooses Sustained Excellence Award winners at its discretion. Winning companies must go above and beyond the criteria for Partner of the Year recognition by showing continuous improvement over time in organization-wide energy savings and environmental performance, demonstrating best practices and actively promoting the ENERGY STAR program.

“As we accelerate historic efforts to address climate change, public-private partnerships will be essential to realizing the scale of our ambition,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I applaud this year’s ENERGY STAR award winners for working with EPA to deliver a clean energy future that saves American consumers and businesses money and creates jobs.”

MPC’s award reflects company achievements in 2022, including:

The refining organization’s Focus on Energy program reduced energy consumption by about 20 billion Btu per day from baseline levels. This reduction amounts to conserving 14 tanker trucks of gasoline every day and avoiding 31,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per month.Six refineries (Anacortes, Washington; Canton, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Garyville, Louisiana; Robinson, Illinois; St. Paul Park, Minnesota) received 2022 ENERGY STAR certifications for energy efficiency performance in the top 25% of similar facilities nationwide. This was a record for the most certified refineries from a single petroleum refining company in one year.Four terminals (Cincinnati, Ohio; Jackson, Michigan; Lansing, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana) in MPC’s midstream company, MPLX, achieved the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry in 2022 by reducing their energy intensity at least 10% within a five-year period.A joint venture partnership with Neste was finalized to progress conversion of MPC’s Martinez, California, refinery into a renewable fuels facility. It joins the company’s fully operational Dickinson, North Dakota, renewable diesel facility, which is the second largest facility of its kind in the U.S. with a production capacity of approximately 184 million gallons per year.

MPC received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2018 and 2019 before earning the company’s first Sustained Excellence Award in 2020. For a complete list of 2023 award winners and more information about the ENERGY STAR awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

Maximillion Money® is the richest kid in America and he’s ready to take kids on a journey of financial education through the Fifth Third Bank Young Bankers Club®. Started in 2004, the Young Bankers Club®  was designed by Fifth Third to help reach kids at an early age and teach them about money, budgeting and the importance of saving for the future. It was taught inside the classrooms of local schools by Fifth Third volunteers.

In 2022, Fifth Third took the program fully digital to enable teachers more flexibility in teaching the course and to engage kids with a gamified platform experience where they can level up as they learn. The digital program also enabled the Bank to scale the program and reach more elementary-aged kids. The interactive experience contains both instruction and assessment, with multiple opportunities and included interventions to ensure that students learn the material before progressing further. Young Bankers Club® also introduces social functionality, including a leaderboard and personalized avatars.

The Young Bankers Club® digital format features a comprehensive curriculum that meets national and state Common Core educational standards for fourth through sixth grades. The curriculum also meets Jump$tart and Council for Economic Education National Standards in K-12 Personal Financial Education.   

Each lesson in the eight-unit curriculum, which is presented through a game, provides a unique, engaging approach to financial literacy that helps students apply their knowledge gradually as they work toward more complex scenarios. The program incorporates different facets of banking, while clearly identifying relevant math standards within each unit and outlining what students should know and how to use the information.

VMG Studios developed and programmed the educational, creative, and interactive elements of the reimagined Young Bankers Club® program. The digital learning platform, Tovuti LMS (Learning Management System) powers the curriculum and enables gamification, enrollment, tracking and reporting metrics of the students who participate in the virtual offering. 

The most innovative feature in the digital format is the introduction of the 10-year-old character, Maximillion Money®, the president of Young Bankers Club® and the richest kid in America. Maximillion Money® guides the participants and his friends on a journey that takes them to the New York Stock Exchange, the U.S. Mint, other financial industry landmarks and to a Fifth Third financial center. Students discover hidden clues, win rewards and badges, unlock avatars, level up to new adventures each week, take weekly trivia to test their knowledge and challenge themselves to be first on the class leaderboard.

Through the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA), major corporations will be purchasing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certificates for nearly 850,000 gallons of high-integrity SAF produced by World Energy and helping fuel JetBlue flights, reducing an estimated 8,500 tons of CO2 on a lifecycle basis. 

BOULDER, Colo., April 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – For the first time, companies including Bank of America, Boom Supersonic, Boston Consulting Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Meta and clean energy nonprofit RMI are joining together through the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certificates at scale. This leap forward from previous individual SAF certificate purchases by corporations dramatically strengthens the demand signal aviation customers are sending to the SAF market.

SAF is a drop-in fuel made with renewable or waste feedstocks that can significantly reduce the carbon pollution from flight. Currently, SAF makes up less than 0.1% of global jet fuel supply and sells at a significant premium to fossil jet fuel.

The SAF involved in the SABA transaction is produced by World Energy and reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by 84% compared to conventional jet fuel. SABA members are purchasing SAF certificates linked to 850,000 gallons of this high-integrity SAF, which is being used to fuel JetBlue flights this year.

“SAF is the most meaningful way we have to decarbonize the aviation industry, but it will take many stakeholders working together to bring the supply and cost of SAF where we need to meet our net zero goals,” said Sara Bogdan, Director of Sustainability & ESG at JetBlue, “We’re incredibly proud of the SAF commitments we’ve already made as an organization, but the collaboration and investment by businesses like those within SABA are what will supercharge our transition to SAF by allowing us to increase our offtake while also supporting those businesses’ own sustainability goals.”

“World Energy is honored to be the fuel producer for SABA’s first aggregated SAF purchase. At this pivotal moment SABA plays an important role in addressing aircraft emissions by cultivating trust in SAF and making corporate actions to decarbonize aviation possible,” said Adam Klauber, VP Sustainability & ESG at World Energy.

The competitive procurement process that led to this purchase, open to major US and international air carriers, required proposals demonstrate that fuel met key sustainability criteria, in alignment with SABA’s goal of scaling the market for high-integrity SAF. ENGIE Impact, a global consultancy specializing in sustainability transformation, provided expert support in managing the process and the final selection of the winning bid.

Corporations purchasing SAF certificates pay some or all of the premium associated with SAF, pursuing decarbonization efforts that directly reduce emissions in the aviation sector. In addition, SAF certificates provide the nascent market with:

Standardization and transparency for accounting and reporting certified GHG reductionsEssential funding to increase purchases of SAFA demand signal for fuel producers to make more high-integrity SAF, which in turn influences SAF cost competitiveness with conventional jet fuel

SABA, whose membership comprises several of the most ubiquitous names in corporate travel, was formed by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and RMI to accelerate the path to net zero aviation by building the system needed to credibly scale investment in and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel.

Following the successful completion of this first joint procurement, SABA is launching its second competitive procurement process where it seeks to procure SAF certificates across a five-year timeframe. This second process will be open to all airlines and fuel providers. SABA expects to increase its annual collective demand by more than 10 times compared to this first process.

SABA members will also be piloting a new registry to bring more transparency, consistency, and integrity to the emerging SAF certificate market. Building trust in the certificate system is crucial to convincing more companies to purchase SAF certificates.

The corporate and nonprofit leaders who participated in this historic first in aviation sustainability shared their thoughts on the work in question.

“Our support and purchase of SAF through SABA is one way in which we are working to meet our goal of utilizing SAF for at least 20% of the company’s annual employee aviation fuel usage by 2030, while spurring broader demand to make SAF more accessible and affordable,” said Alex Liftman, Global Environmental Executive at Bank of America. “We are proud to be a leader in the adoption of SAF and look forward to supporting further aviation advancements as part of the bank’s $1.5 trillion sustainable finance commitment.”

“As part of our commitment to achieving net-zero climate impact by 2030, we are supporting efforts to advance high-integrity sustainable aviation fuels and help to reduce aviation sector emissions. Our participation in this collective purchase agreement is another important step in that journey, contributing to the growing momentum across the market,” said David Webb, Chief Sustainability Officer of BCG.

“SABA’s SAFc registry and first round of SAF procurement enabled Boom to reduce our corporate travel emissions as part of our journey to net zero carbon by 2025. In addition to supporting our goals, SABA provides pivotal support to scale the SAF industry and decarbonize aviation,” said Ben Murphy, VP of Sustainability at Boom Supersonic.

“Achieving a sustainable, zero carbon future for aviation depends on the development and commercial deployment of fuels free from oil, gas, or ecosystem-damaging bio-feedstocks,” said Mark Brownstein, Senior Vice President, Energy Transition, at EDF. “SABA aims to play an important role in achieving this critical objective, and we’re glad to see this important first step in that direction.”

“ENGIE Impact has developed purchasing strategies and individual SAF RFPs for major companies and well-known brands, but we were honored to design and execute this first collective procurement process,” said Andre de Fontaine, director Sustainability Solutions, ENGIE Impact Americas. “Aggregating demand was a crucial step toward scaling of the SAF market and, ultimately, decarbonizing air travel. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with SABA and bringing this critical Scope 3 emissions abatement tactic to more of our clients as a way of accelerating their progress to Net Zero.”

“The advancement of innovative technology plays a central role in the transition to a lower-carbon economy,” says Brian DiMarino, Managing Director, Head of Operational Sustainability at JPMorgan Chase & Co. “JPMorgan Chase is pleased to be collaborating with SABA partners to further the development of the SAF market and support broader efforts for emissions reductions in the aviation sector.”

“SAF certificates enable corporate aviation customers like Meta to credibly and transparently contribute to decarbonizing the aviation sector. Buying SAF through SABA’s collective procurement process allows us to go one further and send a strong and coordinated demand signal to the market. Basically, if suppliers produce more high-integrity SAF, SABA members will be here to support its uptake,” said Devon Lake, Head of Net Zero Strategy at Meta.

“RMI is extremely proud to be part of this historic moment,” says Jon Creyts, CEO, RMI. “We began working on the concept of SAF certificates and market demand signals in 2019, and this procurement process is in many ways a culmination of that work. We are also putting our money where our mouth is by purchasing SAF certificates alongside SABA members to help address our own travel emissions from flying.” 
 

Media Inquiries please contact: 
Alexandra Wall 
Strategic Communications Manager 
T: +52 55 5050 1111 
E: awall@rmi.org

About SABA 
The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) is a joint initiative of RMI and the Environmental Defense Fund focused on accelerating the path to net-zero aviation by driving investment in, and adoption of, high-integrity sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and supporting companies, airlines, and freight customers in achieving their climate goals. More information on SABA can be found at www.flysaba.org or follow us on LinkedIn.

By Brea Burkholz

ISTANBUL, April 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Direct Relief and FedEx today announced the safe arrival of a humanitarian relief flight into Turkey carrying 80 tons of supplies in response to devastating earthquakes earlier this year. Aid aboard the FedEx MD-11 cargo aircraft included specifically requested antibiotics, respiratory medications, anti-seizure therapies, vitamins for children and adults, personal protective equipment, hygiene items, and more.

The Ministry of Health of Turkey will distribute the supplies to medical facilities located in the most heavily impacted provinces of Hatay, Adiyaman, Kahramanmaras, Malatya, and Gaziantep.

“Our hearts are with those who have been affected by the destructive earthquakes in Turkey, and Direct Relief is committed to answering urgent requests for medical support,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President and CEO. “Direct Relief is privileged to provide critically needed medical support to millions of people who have lost so much in the face of the earthquake and continue to endure tremendous hardship and uncertainty.”

Tuesday’s flight reflects the concern and personal support from people in over 107 countries and all 50 U.S. States and the same from multiple companies that have generously issued their support. Supplies on the flight were donated by companies including Baxter, Edenbridge Pharmaceuticals, Haleon, Henry Schein, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, TEVA, and Viatris.

Direct Relief and FedEx have been collaborating to deliver critical aid for more than two decades. Together, the organizations are able to assist communities in need around the world by leveraging logistical expertise to transport critical aid where and when it is needed most.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the millions of people who are still struggling in the aftermath of these tragic earthquakes,” said Richard W. Smith, FedEx Express President and CEO. “FedEx has a history of using its global network to provide relief, and we’re incredibly proud to work with organizations like Direct Relief who are committed to quickly responding to disasters when help and hope are needed most.”

With this latest infusion of support to the recovering region, Direct Relief has provided more than 215 tons of medical aid to Turkey in response to the earthquakes, from emergency medic packs — which contain items to address trauma, including tourniquets and wound dressings — to diabetes and cancer medications.

In addition to in-kind medical shipments, Direct Relief has also disbursed more than $800,000 in immediate emergency grant funding to enable and sustain the emergency response operations of six local healthcare and search and rescue groups working across Turkey.

-The Society of Critical Care Medicine received $500,000 to support specialized procurement of trauma care needs and supplies. The organization has active members working in hospitals in Turkey and Syria and is also mobilizing ICU specialists from multiple countries to provide emergency medicine and critical care services in support of the Turkish health system.

-The Turkish Midwifery Association received $100,000 to obtain UN delivery kits. The association has 3,910 members who provide pre- and post-natal home care as well as childbirth services at Turkish hospitals throughout the country. Pregnant women and newborns are particularly vulnerable to health risks in disaster settings, and the funding will pay for supplies to facilitate safe births, as well as personal care supplies for pregnant women and those recovering from birth.

-AKUT, the leading search and rescue team in Turkey with over 400 staff and volunteers, received $100,000 for urban search and rescue efforts. The group also received 100 Direct Relief field medic backpacks for triage care.

-Turkish Society of Nephrology – Renal Disaster Task Force received $20,000 for converted shipping containers to shelters for specialized teams cycling into Adiyaman, Hatay, and Kahramanmaras to provide medical care for crush wounds and resulting kidney issues that occur after acute traumas.

-The Turkish Society of Intensive Care and the Turkish Medical Association have each been awarded $50,000 for the procurement of 10 containerized housing units used for front-line medical doctors and staff.

New Holland Agriculture and Bennamann’s “Energy Independent Net Zero Farming Circular Solution” has won the Net Zero Circular Solution Award at the 2023 Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Industry Awards. Representing CNH Industrial, the companies collected the accolade at the World Biogas Expo in Birmingham, UK.

The awards, organized by the ADBA (Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association) and WBA (World Biogas Association), celebrate and honor contributions to excellence and innovation in the biogas industry. They take place alongside the 2023 World Biogas Summit and Expo.

The winning core technology suite has been developed by Bennamann. It enables farms to fully capture, process and use the fugitive emissions from their livestock manure slurry, turning an agricultural waste into biomethane as well as a range of off-take by-products, including biofertiliser and bio-CO2. By using these technologies on a farm, the resulting outputs can significantly reduce the site’s carbon footprint and be distributed locally to help establish further net zero outcomes.

New Holland’s contribution is the T6.180 Methane Power Tractor. It is still the only tractor fully fuelled by methane on the market.

New Holland Agriculture is a recurrent participant in the Expo, having displayed the T6.180 Methane Power tractor both last year and at this year’s event. The brand is now expanding the range with the recently announced T7 tractor, running on Liquified Natural Gas.

DALLAS, April 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – With a goal to diversify the talent pipeline in the financial services industry, Texas Capital Bank and The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) announced a new partnership to help provide college students a pathway to a commercial banking career.

Thanks to a partnership with Texas Capital Bank, UNT Dallas students will now have the opportunity to obtain the American Banker Association’s (ABA) Commercial Lending Certificate at UNT Dallas. This program gives these students an opportunity to obtain crucial credit analysis and commercial banking skills, ultimately opening doors to opportunities in the financial services industry.

UNT Dallas’ certification program can be completed as a track within the finance, business and accounting majors, and qualifies as ABA Training in Business and Commercial Lending.

“Not only do I appreciate the generosity of Texas Capital Bank, but I salute the intent behind this partnership. It is all about providing actionable and hands-on experience that may well lead our students into banking and finance fields,” said UNT Dallas President Bob Mong.

Becoming a commercial banker, where specially trained workers help growing businesses find financial solutions, also gives graduates an opportunity to make a difference in their own communities.

As a part of this partnership, Texas Capital Bank professionals will also host career development sessions, including “meet-the-banker” events on campus, a guest-speaking series and field trips. Graduates who obtain this certificate also will receive consideration for Texas Capital Bank’s internship program.

There are currently an estimated 73,800 credit analysts in the United States, with African American and Hispanic populations comprising the smallest percentage of those professionals. The job market is projected to grow by 8.3% by 2026. The State of Texas is the third-largest market for credit analysts.

“Texas Capital Bank is proud to support the Commercial Lending Certificate Program at the University of North Texas at Dallas,” said Effie Dennison, Head of Community Development and Corporate Responsibility. “We recognize the need for a more diverse talent pipeline in the financial services industry, and we are proud to help equip students with the skills and opportunities needed to pursue a successful career. We are excited to officially launch this program in Dallas and to continue empowering the communities we serve.”

The program is under the direction of Dr. Mujtaba Zia, UNT Dallas Assistant Professor of Finance and the Certification Program Coordinator.

“As educators, we strive to equip our students with career-ready skillsets and develop partnerships with the industry,” said Dr. Zia. “We are fortunate and excited that Texas Capital Bank is now a leading industry partner in our Credit Analysis program and directly supports it with this generous gift. Thank you, Texas Capital Bank.”

Enrollment for the Credit Analysis Certificate program is open to any current or incoming UNT Dallas student who has a minimum 3.0 GPA and meets additional qualifications.

About UNT Dallas

The University of North Texas at Dallas empowers students, transforms lives and strengthens communities. UNT Dallas is one of the most diverse public universities in the metroplex, the only public, four-year university in the city of Dallas and the most affordable four-year university in Dallas-Fort Worth. UNT Dallas includes the UNT Dallas College of Law (accredited by the American Bar Association) in Downtown Dallas and is part of the University of North Texas System. For more information, visit untdallas.edu.

About Texas Capital Bank 
Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ®: TCBI), a member of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P MidCap 400®, is the parent company of Texas Capital Bank, a full-service financial services firm that delivers customized solutions to businesses, entrepreneurs, and individual customers. Founded in 1998, the institution is headquartered in Dallas with offices in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Fort Worth, and has built a network of clients across the country. With the ability to service clients through their entire lifecycles, Texas Capital Bank has established commercial banking, consumer banking, investment banking and wealth management capabilities. Member FDIC.

Living Future 2023 in Washington, D.C. to Focus on Advocacy & Belonging 

In-person event to gather stakeholders from the built environment who are addressing climate, health, and justice issues.

Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center

May 3-5, 2023

MEDIA CREDENTIALS AVAILABLE – SEE BELOW

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – With a focus on advocacy and belonging, Living Future 2023 will bring 850 leaders together to address intersecting opportunities related to climate, health, and justice. Hosted by the International Living Future Institute from May 3-5, 2023, the annual conference will unite a community of deep-green thought leaders, practitioners, and healthy materials providers focused on the built environment.

This year’s keynote speakers include Erin Meezan, Chief Sustainability Officer of JLL, a global real estate services firm that manages 4.6 billion square feet of property. Peggy Shepard, co-founder and Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice and co-chair of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, will also deliver a keynote address.

Acknowledging that the climate emergency has differing social, economic, and health impacts, the event will focus on ways to address inequities through seven focus areas:

Biophilia + BeautyJustice + BelongingImpact Case StudiesHealth + MaterialsRestoration + ResilienceAdvocacy InnovationZero Carbon

Now more than ever, the world needs a community working towards a common vision to make progress on the biggest challenges of our time, climate change, health and justice. It’s time to move past individual projects to coalesce around holistic policy reform at the community scale, hence the focus on “Advocacy & Belonging.”

Media Credentials Available Now

A limited number of free, all-access media credentials are available to journalists on assignment or with regular bylines in mainstream or trade publications. Please contact media@living-future.org if you are interested.

LF23 Sponsors

The International Living Future Institute offers its sincere gratitude to LF23 sponsors, without whom the event would not be possible: Mohawk, HMTX, 3E/Toxnot, Arup, Skanska, Glumac, SmithGroup, Perkins&Will, Earthjustice, Superior Essex, Prosoco, HLW, Mitsubishi HVAC, Architectural Nexus, Collins, ECO2, Florim USA, Assa Abloy, Biohabitats, BlueGreen Alliance, Bruner/Cott Architects & Planners, Little Diversified, One Click LCA, WRNS Studio, NRDC, Group14 Engineering, Doors Unhinged, Moore & Giles, Building Green, Verdical Group.

More information about sponsorship is available here: https://www.livingfutureconference.org/event/28710dad-dc14-4b04-940c-6b6965cdb154/websitePage:bfef989a-988c-4bd0-8532-d4286d417c3d

CONTACT:

Brad Kahn: brad@groundworkstrategies.com; +1-206-419-1607

About the International Living Future Institute

The International Living Future Institute is a global nonprofit organization that inspires the greenest buildings for a healthy world. The Institute’s mission is to advance communities that are socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. ILFI operates the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most ambitious, advanced, and holistic performance standard for green, resilient, and healthy buildings. It is also a hub for many other visionary programs that support the transformation toward–and provide a compelling vision for–a living future accessible to all. Learn more at www.living-future.org.

### 
 

An estimated 1% of the world’s population is on the autism spectrum – a term that refers to a diverse group of conditions meaning that people may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways different from the majority of other people. And Sascha Dietsch is one of them.

“Everyone’s autism is slightly different,” Dietsch explains. Before the terms neurodiversity and neurodivergent became common currency to describe these differences in brain functions and behavior, autism was often classified as a disability.

Today, most individuals on the autism spectrum reject the “disability” label. Neurodivergent means just that: different, not disabled.

More often than not, says Dietsch, neurotypical individuals who view neurodivergence “as a disability and a hindrance” are the ones applying a disability label to an autistic individual’s differences in behavior, interaction, or communication.

Unfortunately, these differences can sometimes make it difficult for autistic individuals to shine in conventional job interviews, contributing to the higher rates of unemployment or under-employment in this group.

To make recruiting practices fairer and to promote an autistic-inclusive workplace, SAP founded the Autism at Work program in 2013.

Autism at Work Program

With a team dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace experience for autistic colleagues, the Autism at Work program offers tailored accommodations including, for example, the sharing of interview topics in advance and an Autism at Work buddy for new hires.

This global program not only signals a commitment to autism inclusion but provides robust tools and processes to deliver it. More than 215 colleagues have been hired in association with this program or have self-disclosed.

The program has been vital in hiring autistic employees who, in turn, often become role models and an inspiration to others.

The AHA! Moment: The Role Model

Dietsch recalls very clearly the moment when he realized that SAP could be the right fit for him and a workplace where he could thrive.

At an Autism at Work event in 2018, Dietsch met someone on the autism spectrum working in cybersecurity at SAP. Seeing this positive role model made him believe in himself and that he, too, could work in cybersecurity. He felt inspired to apply.

With a hiring format designed to set him up for success – no open questions, no group tasks, no relying on eye contact, for example – Dietsch secured an internship at SAP before applying to his current permanent position.

“I Do Not Have to Mask Myself”

Only 5% of disabled and neurodivergent employees choose to disclose. A culture that makes employees feel uncomfortable or vulnerable about being their true selves puts great pressure on the individual, increases the chances that employees will not reach their full potential, and increases the chances that companies will lose out on valuable talent.

By the time Dietsch joined SAP, he had experienced firsthand the strength of SAP’s commitment to welcome neurodivergent employees. He had first heard of Autism at Work in 2013, attended another Autism at Work event in 2016, and experienced a life-changing moment in 2018 when, at another Autism at Work event, he met the colleague who worked at SAP in cybersecurity.

By 2019, Dietsch had also experienced the Autism at Work hiring process that played to his strengths and had secured an internship.

Disclosing his neurodivergence was not an issue – there was no risk. SAP’s commitment to autism inclusion was already clear to him. He could be his true self with no need to adapt his behavior or endure the mental strain of trying to be someone else to fit in. He felt included and had a clear sense of belonging.

A Culture of Autism Inclusion

SAP has two important pillars for fostering inclusion of individuals on the autism spectrum:

Autism at Work: This program was Dietsch’s initial touchpoints with SAP. It acts as the external-facing arm focused on hiring and onboarding autistic employees as well as creating an inclusive workplace.Autism Inclusion Network (AIN): This is an Employee Network Group from SAP with Chief Technology Officer and Executive Board Member Juergen Mueller as the sponsor. AIN acts as the internal platform promoting belonging for SAP employees and driving workplace diversity and inclusion.

Workplace diversity focuses on the professional growth of autistic employees, supporting the Global Diversity and Inclusion Office to systemize inclusive hiring practices as well as create the conversation internally, colleague-to-colleague, about diversity. Workplace inclusion organizes internal events for autism inclusion, fosters engagements of belonging and leadership for autistic employees, and drives the colleague-to-colleague network.

Working with Our Strengths

Dietsch is clear about the strengths of autistic colleagues. For example, if you are looking for a frank, honest opinion, then your autistic colleagues will give you one each and every time – especially at SAP, where autistic colleagues are empowered to be their true selves. The important thing to remember, says Dietsch, is that even when the honesty feels brutal, it’s not personal.

Leave out the irony, the sayings, and any form of communication that requires “reading between the lines” to get the best out of your interactions with autistic colleagues. It is, says Dietsch, quite simple: “Let’s meet in the middle.”

RAHWAY, N.J., April 4, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been named one of Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies for the third consecutive year, ranking No. 1 in the pharmaceutical industry and advancing 38 spots in the overall rankings from last year—from No. 67 overall in 2022 to No. 29 overall in 2023.

“At Merck, we are committed to operating responsibly and moving with urgency to deliver value for patients, society and all of our stakeholders,” said Carmen Villar, vice president of Social Business Innovation for Merck. “We are pleased to see the impact of our work being recognized, and we will continue to make strides toward building a healthier, safer and more sustainable world.”

Earlier this year, Merck was also recognized as an industry leader among America’s Most JUST Companies by JUST Capital and CNBC, and America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek and Statista.

Barron’s worked with Calvert Research and Management (Calvert), a leader in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing to build its list of the most sustainable U.S. companies. Starting with 1,000 of the largest publicly traded companies by market value, Calvert narrowed the list to 100 by looking at more than 230 ESG performance indicators from seven rating companies, including Institutional Shareholder Services, MSCI and Sustainalytics.

Learn more about Merck’s ESG goals and progress at merck.com/company-overview/esg.

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. 

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Originally published on DICK’s Sporting Goods Sideline Report

While most people spent St. Patrick’s Day weekend watching parades or drinking green beer, Laurie “Lulu” Searles spent it trekking 100 miles through freezing temperatures and snow squalls.

Lulu, a guide at one of our Public Lands stores, recently finished the Rabid Raccoon 100 ultra-marathon at Raccoon Creek State Park in Hookstown, Pennsylvania.

Lulu’s love for sports and the outdoors began when she was just two-years-old, but she only started running ten years ago when her best friend, Sarah Sherman, asked her to train for a race with her. Since then, Lulu has done half and full marathons, 24-hour obstacle races, Obstacle Course World Championships and several 50-mile trail races, but her inspiration to run 100 miles did not come until years later.

On March 27, 2019, Lulu had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor sitting on her cochlear and vestibular nerves, which are responsible for hearing and balance respectively. Doctors removed the tumor but severed the nerves, leaving her completely deaf in her left ear and without balance on her left side. When she woke up from surgery, the room was spinning.

“I got super scared that I wouldn’t be able to do what I love, which is just being outside and doing crazy events,” Lulu said.

While in vestibular therapy, Lulu gave her therapist a list of all the things she wanted to continue to do, from biking and swimming to paddleboarding and running. Running proved to be the most difficult.

“I asked my therapist why are other things easier? And she said because your head’s not bobbing up and down.”

Instead of hanging up her running shoes, Lulu decided to lace them up tighter.

“I started looking for bigger things just to see what I could push myself to do,” Lulu said. That’s when she set her sights on a 100-mile race.

Lulu signed up for the Oil Creek 100 in Titusville, Pennsylvania. She trained with her service dog, Molly. Something Lulu and her team didn’t plan for, though, was running in the dark at the beginning of the race.

“Running in the dark is like another barrier,” Lulu said. “I didn’t really think about it being dark at the start until the start line.”

The race started before sunrise. Less than three miles in, Lulu fell.

“My vision became blurry in my left eye,” she said. “As the race kept going, my vision kept getting worse and worse and worse.”

Lulu kept going despite the blurry vision and was on pace to complete the race, but she missed the cut off at mile 75. After the race, Lulu learned the fall caused a hole behind her retina, which healed itself in time.

Determined to complete 100 miles, Lulu signed up for the Rabid Raccoon 100. This time she got permission to have pacers run with her in the dark, one of whom was her Public Lands Assistant Store Manager Sarah Brown.

“When Lulu called me two weeks before her race and asked me to be a pacer, I had zero hesitation to run six miles with her,” said Sarah. “Then the night before she texted me saying that it would be 11 miles. Again, without hesitation, I said yes! Let’s get you this 100!”

While Lulu was prepared to run in the dark, she was not expecting to run in brutal winter weather in mid-March.

“As I was watching the temperatures leading up to the race, I was like you’ve got to be kidding me,” Lulu said. “The course started turning into ice 24 hours into the race.”

The dangerous, slick conditions caused Lulu to fall more frequently, so she had to slow her pace on the trail. She also lost more time than expected at aid stations throughout the course. Instead of quick two-minute stops, Lulu said some lasted more than 15 minutes for her to eat and change into dry, warm clothes and shoes.

“But you get back up and you keep going,” Lulu said. “You have to keep moving forward.”

Around mile 83, Lulu realized once again she would miss a cut off, but this time, she wasn’t stopping.

“I said to my pacer if I get cut off, they can take my bib, but I’m going to keep going,” Lulu said. “We’re doing 100 miles today.”

Lulu’s Full Psych Adventure teammates talked to race organizers. They encouraged her to finish all 100 miles.

“We were just really impressed to see the determination and toughness of her to finish the whole distance,” said Andrew Mascio of Wolf Creek Race Management.

After 37 hours and 49 minutes, Lulu crossed that finish line with her crew cheering her on.

“It gave me chills to watch her cross her finish line,” said Sarah.

Despite not finishing in the 36-hour time limit, Lulu was marked as an official finisher.

“She was marked as an official finisher because she did finish. She ran all 100,” Andrew said.

So, what comes after a 100-mile ultra-marathon? Lulu said she has no idea.

“We try not to just jump into the next thing,” she said. “It needs to really mean something.”

In the meantime, Lulu plans to keep running. She is signed up for the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half-Marathon on May 7, and she’s hoping for no snow squalls.

To learn more about our company’s commitments and efforts, see our newly launched DE&I website