Tag: 3BL

Originally published on bloomberg.com

Modern digital infrastructure relies on innumerable open source dependencies developed and maintained primarily by volunteers: The open source community is what makes the web work. Participating in these communities allows large organizations to help shape the latest and best technologies available.

To help maintain and sustain this ecosystem, companies and nonprofits alike have experimented with a framework called a FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) Contributor Fund. First piloted by employment website Indeed in 2019, a FOSS Fund is a mechanism that enables a company’s employees to nominate open source software projects they rely on (or participate in) every day. A FOSS Fund thereby identifies open source projects that are important to an organization and encourages its employees to participate more directly in the funding decisions the company makes.

Sustaining open source through democratic funding

When the first FOSS Contributor Fund was launched, documentation was published to encourage other companies to follow suit. In the four years since, numerous institutions including Microsoft, Johns Hopkins University, Salesforce, Sentry, Zeiss, and others have launched programs inspired by the original FOSS Fund. Such funds seek to have a direct impact on the sustainability and security of critical digital infrastructure.

In January of 2023, inspired by Indeed’s original initiative, Bloomberg launched its first round of employee voting for its inaugural FOSS Contributor Fund, a partnership between the company’s Open Source Program Office (OSPO) and its Corporate Philanthropy department.

“The goals of philanthropy and Open Source are very similar. Both are focused on building community and using your talent and resources for public good. This collaboration with our CTO Office to launch a FOSS Contributor Fund is a great way to leverage Bloomberg’s unique resources and connect our engineers to our culture of giving back,” says Francesca Romano of Bloomberg’s Corporate Philanthropy team.

Explaining the rationale behind Bloomberg’s inaugural FOSS Contributor Fund, Alyssa Wright of Bloomberg’s OSPO in the Office of the CTO noted, “There’s a huge use of open source being collectively built by people, and it’s the right thing to do, as well as the smart thing to do, to directly and democratically support the open source projects we’re using.”

Introducing Bloomberg’s inaugural FOSS Contributor Fund

Bloomberg has historically backed open source foundations, as well as provided direct financial support to individual projects. Its new FOSS Contributor Fund, which will run a quarterly election to award up to three grants of $10,000 each voting cycle, is a natural extension of these initiatives.

“To have a successful FOSS Fund, you need continual engagement,” says Wright. The five projects nominated during the inaugural round of voting were generated from a diverse cross-section of departments and disciplines. “You can’t see everything within a large organization,” she says, which is why the nomination and voting process is so crucial. Wright calls it a “creative way of gaining visibility” into open source infrastructure needs.

As FOSS Funds have developed across the industry, they’ve generated a number of frameworks for how best to vet projects and run the voting process. For the first round of nominations, Bloomberg invited anyone working in the company’s Engineering, Data, and Product departments, as well as the Office of the CTO, to nominate and vote for projects to fund.

Following an initial nomination period, a scoring rubric was developed to determine five projects that would be shortlisted as finalists.

“One of our primary goals is figuring out new and unique opportunities for our employees to get involved in philanthropy in ways that are personally meaningful to them,” says Romano. In the first round of voting for projects to fund, she says, engagement was even higher than expected: “It’s clear that we’re off to a great start in creating more opportunities that are valuable for our engineers,” she says.

Once the votes had been tallied, three open source projects integral to Bloomberg’s operations and beyond were chosen as the recipients of the company’s inaugural FOSS Contributor Fund grants:

Apache Arrow is a project that makes data transfer and analytics lightning-fast for a number of data-intensive applications. Its language-agnostic in-memory columnar format has been increasingly adopted both inside and outside Bloomberg. At Bloomberg, there’s a particularly engaged community around this project, which includes regular meetings and communication channels — a sign of exciting momentum around the software.Curl, a ubiquitous tool used to interact with web services that’s implicitly part of billions of interactions every day — yet is still essentially developed by one lead and a tiny group of contributors.Celery, a primary task management tool in the Django and Python ecosystem that is used broadly within the company.

The selection and scoring rubrics will continue to be tweaked, says Wright, as the new FOSS Fund develops better ways to impact important projects over the long term. But these sorts of funding mechanisms are an important complement to volunteering or supporting open source projects through foundations or other means: “It’s an investment in our projects, products, and people to make sure open source is secure, resilient, and healthy as we rely on it more and more,” says Wright.

Sustaining digital infrastructure in the long term

As Wright is quick to admit, a FOSS Fund isn’t the only way a company, or the open source community at large, can sustain the critical infrastructure supporting digital tools. “True sustainability comes from a multi-sided commitment,” she says. “While financial support is important, real engagement through contribution and dialogue is as crucial to the ecosystem’s survival as writing a check. We strive to do that too.”

The central construct of a FOSS Fund is that by encouraging employees to think critically about the open source communities of which they are a part, there’s an increasing opportunity to develop lasting relationships — to “have spaces for building direct engagement with projects,” Wright says. The Bloomberg FOSS Contributor Fund’s democratic financial support for Arrow, a project with significant momentum and engagement within the organization, is a particularly good example of where these two forms of support can meet.

Developing programs that support the open source community through a multi-pronged approach isn’t just philanthropy, says Wright: It’s common sense. “It’s an investment in our shared infrastructure,” she says. “It’s infrastructure that we all rely on and it needs to be taken care of.”

Cummins

Accelera™ by Cummins, a business segment of Cummins Inc., will supply a 90-megawatt (MW) proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system for Varennes Carbon Recycling’s (VCR) plant in Quebec, Canada – a key step in advancing North America’s green hydrogen economy. 

Varennes is a consortium between Shell, Suncor and Proman, with the support of the Canadian and Quebec governments. The biorefinery will be powered by the exclusive waste-to-methanol technology platform developed by Enerkem.

This electrolyzer system will be comprised of four HyLYZER®-5000s—Accelera’s largest electrolyzer product. Each HyLYZER-5000 utilizes 25MW of electricity and can produce up to 10 tons of hydrogen per day. This first-of-its-kind installation will provide the capacity needed to generate clean, renewable hydrogen and oxygen for VCR’s conversion of waste material to low-carbon-intensity fuels and circular chemicals. The facility is under construction and scheduled to be operational in 2025.

An electrolyzer splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can be stored as a compressed gas or liquid and used as an energy-dense, clean power source to help decarbonize a variety of hard-to-abate sectors. The VCR plant will use both the renewable hydrogen and oxygen to recycle carbon and hydrogen from waste materials. 

Cummins launched its zero-emissions technology brand Accelera on March 8, with a broad portfolio of market-leading renewable hydrogen solutions that have been part of many of the world’s hydrogen “firsts.”

They include powering the world’s largest PEM electrolyzer in operation at 20MW in Bécancour, Canada; the world’s first megawatt-scale demonstration plant for storing wind energy in the natural gas grid in Windgas Falkenhagen, Germany; and the world’s first hydrogen refueling station for ships, cars, trucks and industrial customers in Antwerp, Belgium.

“Our partnership with VCR illustrates Accelera’s role as a global technology leader and highlights our ability to scale hydrogen production across a variety of industries,” said Amy Davis, President of Accelera by Cummins. “This project will be the first installation of Accelera’s HyLYZER-5000, which generates five times more hydrogen than any of our PEM electrolyzer products currently in use and can accommodate the power needs for large-scale hydrogen production.

“Additionally, this is the first time our electrolyzers will power biofuel and circular chemical production, showcasing our unique capabilities to innovate and meet customer demands while accelerating the shift to net-zero emissions.”

By Jeremy King

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 3, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Regions Foundation and Jefferson State Community College on Wednesday unveiled a transformational resource connecting Jefferson State students with no-cost services ranging from emergency grants to food pantry access, mental healthcare, and more.

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the Regions Foundation, a nonprofit initiative primarily funded by Regions Bank.

“We are invested in the success of our students, and we want to remove as many barriers as possible to help them complete their education,” said Jefferson State Community College President Keith Brown. “The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is a one-stop hub where students facing a variety of challenges can receive valuable support – at no cost to the student. Many of our students are the first in their family to attend college, or they are adults who are working full-time jobs and managing households. These challenges often make completing an education and acquiring a stable career difficult. What we’re offering here helps keep them on the road toward earning their degrees and building a brighter future.”

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is a one-stop hub where students facing a variety of challenges can receive valuable support – at no cost to the student.

Keith Brown, President of Jefferson State Community College

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is more than a program. It’s a complete facility on Jefferson State’s Carson Road campus where students receive free, in-person support in a customized manner.

Services include:

Emergency grants for qualified studentsFinancial counselingFood pantry access, with a well-stocked pantry of nutritious food options on siteMental health accessConfidential peer-to-peer supportReferrals to additional Jefferson State services providing personal support, as well as to state and federal programs supporting student success

“Jefferson State Community College recognizes that, for students to truly succeed, they need support in ways that go beyond academics,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “Jefferson State is using this understanding to change the way things are done. They are taking a bold step forward, creating comprehensive support and outreach so every student knows the college is in their corner, ready to support them to graduate and build a successful career. That’s why the Regions Foundation is honored to support this truly innovative Student Success Center.”

Self said the Regions Foundation prioritizes funding for initiatives that advance three key priorities:

Education and workforce readinessEconomic and community developmentFinancial wellness

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center supports all three and, in turn, creates more inclusive prosperity, said Alan Register, Birmingham market executive for Regions Bank.

“The resources here have the power to change the trajectory of one’s family – for generations to come,” added Register, who volunteered on the fund-raising committee for the center. “Too often, only one life event or one financial challenge can derail a student’s plan for completing their degree. But here at Jefferson State, there is a best-in-class network of support that sends a powerful message to students. That message is, ‘You can complete your education, and we will stand behind you.’ That benefits not only the student – but also their families – in ways that will have a positive impact for many years to come. We appreciate our colleagues from the Regions Foundation for making such a significant investment for all who will be served.”

While the Regions Foundation Student Success Center is based in Lurleen Wallace Hall on Jefferson State’s campus on Carson Road, its services are also available to students who are based at Jefferson State’s additional campuses in Shelby, St. Clair and Chilton counties. Students can access services offered by the center at www.jeffersonstate.edu/ssc.

The center is open each weekday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Students interested in exploring services can also email successcenter@jeffersonstate.edu or dial (205) 856-7913.

About Regions Foundation
The Alabama-based Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $155 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.

About Jefferson State Community College
Jefferson State Community College has provided educational opportunities and workforce training in central Alabama since 1965. As one of the largest community colleges in the state, Jefferson State serves more than 13,000 students each year with campus locations in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Chilton counties. The college offers 116 transfer programs to four-year colleges, 39 career and technical education programs, 30 workforce education “fast-track” programs, and over 60 dual enrollment classes to more than 2,700 high school students. At $166 per credit hour, Jefferson State remains one of the most cost-effective options for an education and workforce training. Jefferson State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Cheri Kay Getz’s career at U.S. Bank began in September 1980 as a safe deposit attendant at the Lake Street branch in south Minneapolis. While she liked the bank, she quickly found the job itself – literally, manning the safe deposit vault all day – to be less than stimulating.

So when the role of maintenance worker at the branch opened up, Getz literally jumped at the opportunity. She had spent her childhood helping her father, a carpenter, doing all manner of plumbing and home repairs and knew she was qualified for the job.

The only problem: no woman had ever held a role in the bank’s maintenance department before, and her male colleagues and hiring managers were skeptical that she would have the strength or stamina required.

“It was not easy for me to get that job,” Getz said. Although she convinced them to hire her, she was on probationary status for an entire year, rather than the typical 90 days, all while receiving a lower wage than the $5 an hour her male counterparts received – a pay differential that was customary at many companies at the time.

Nonetheless, Getz loved her job and thrived in the role, expanding her responsibilities to handle maintenance for five branches in the area. The Lake Street branch remained nearest to her heart, and she got to a point where she could tell what was wrong with the building “simply by the sounds it was making,” she said – whether it was a plumbing issue or if the air handling system wasn’t working right.

Contrary to the initial concerns of her coworkers, she had almost no issues with the physical demands of the job, including moving heavy boxes around the stock room or cleaning up sewage from plumbing problems in the bathroom.

“The only thing I couldn’t do was go up a ladder vertically, like to replace a light in a stairwell – I was too much of a coward to do that,” she said.

(Check out the #usbankroadtrip video on some of the U.S. Bank memorabilia Getz has collected and curated over the years above.)

#usbankroadtrip: Lake St., Minneapolis

Every company needs a Cheri Kay. She’s a banker who loves history, and over the years, she’s made it her mission to save stuff. Thanks, Cheri Kay! #usbankroadtrip #usbanklife

During the 1980s, the Lake Street branch was bustling – it had 25 teller windows on the main floor, in addition to a basement, sub-basement and multiple corporate offices. Getz created a computer program to track all of the stock supplies in her five buildings at the appropriate levels, an idea that caught on with other maintenance workers.

Over time, though, consumer habits changed and the Lake Street branch reduced its footprint. Getz spent nine years in the role before the company decided to outsource maintenance to a vendor.

She then transitioned into a role as a teller and found she thrived in that position, too, because she loves working with people – especially the community around Lake Street she knows so well.

“That building was my home for 40 years,” she said. So it was heartbreaking when the property was damaged during civil unrest in May 2020.

Within weeks, U.S. Bank set up a mobile banking unit in the branch’s parking lot to help the community with banking services, and Getz was eager to volunteer to staff it because she knew the customers would want to see familiar faces when they came back.

She now works as a banker at the new branch about a mile away at 3600 East Lake Street, but before construction crews tore down the damaged old location, she got permission for a bittersweet final tour.

“I took one last tour through the building, and I could still see my name on some of the tags documenting work and maintenance on the air handling unit and all throughout the basement and sub-basement,” she said.

While the new building has none of the familiar sounds of the old Lake Street branch, Getz said, the welcoming feeling is the same.

“I live in this community, I work in this community, my religion is in this community,” she said. “This community knows and trusts me, and I want them to know that the bank is always going to be here for them.”

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

What does work-life balance mean for you?

Work-life balance means finding a happy medium — feeling fulfilled (but not overwhelmed) by your job, spending time with your family, and doing the things you love. Often times, it’s a balancing act, as you don’t want one aspect of your life to suffer for another. It’s important for me to find that place where you can get the most of all three at the same time.

How does GoDaddy help with this?

The culture at GoDaddy places such a high priority on our personal well-being. In the past five years, I can’t think of one time where I had to miss out on one of my kids’ performances for the sake of work or couldn’t take time when needed to take care of sick kids or family members. At GoDaddy, not only can I take the time off, but I don’t feel guilty about it upon my return. There’s also been a strong push to make sure that my leadership has visibility on my workload. This is to make sure that I am not being overworked or overburdened. In instances where I feel like there is too much work, we go back to the drawing board to see how we can reallocate things to avoid burnout.

How do you wind down after work?

After work hours, my dad duties pick up, including (but not limited to): picking up the kids, making them snacks, driving my daughter to gymnastics, making dinner, and then bedtime. Once those duties are done, I typically relax by either playing video games with my daughter or spending time with my wife, talking about our day, or strategizing on our side business.

What’s one thing you do to recharge your batteries?

Ironically enough, one of the things that recharges my battery is working more! To provide a bit more context, my wife and I have a 3D printing side business called Mage Gear. We typically attend event or shows on the weekends. Time spent working with her on the products or talking to customers really motivates me!

What does a perfect evening or ‘5–9’ look like for you?

For me, the perfect 5 to 9 would be making dinner for the family, hanging out with our kids before their bedtime routine, spending time catching up on the day with my wife, and then grabbing a bowl of mint chocolate ice cream while I work on other projects!

Who is Victor outside of being a Program Manager ?

Well, I like to joke around that my hobby is collecting hobbies. I am a huge nerd both in fantasy and in tech. I’m an avid Dungeon and Dragons player and play weekly with a long term group. My wife and I have been running our 3D printing company for five years, now. And most recently, I joined some friends from the gaming community to help form a group called Phoenix RPGS. We’re a local charity with the goal of helping enrich the Tabletop Roleplaying Game scene in Arizona.

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERG’s, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/GoDaddyLifeInstagram — https://www.instagram.com/godaddylife/LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/godaddylifeTwitter — https://twitter.com/GoDaddyLifeTikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@godaddylife?Career Page — https://careers.godaddy.com

A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds in the United States, with hundreds of deaths related to child abuse reported each year. Child abuse occurs through four primary categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.

Most runaways, adolescent prostitutes and teenage delinquent’s report having been victims of some form of child abuse, and it is reported that a majority of violent criminals suffered abuse, either physical and/or sexual as children.

Abuse robs children of the opportunity to develop healthy, trusting relationships with adults, contributes to low self-esteem, and impairs healthy psycho-social development.

We all have a role to play in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. You can be a partner in providing great childhoods for all children, whether by mentoring a child or parent, advocating for family friendly policies, or donating your time or money to child-serving organizations.

In recognition of #NationalChildAbusePreventionMonth, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members:

Prevent Child Abuse America: Founded in 1972, Prevent Child Abuse America is the oldest organization in the United States with the sole mission “to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children.” Learn what you can do to help support kids across the country — and around the corner — all year long.Youth For Tomorrow: Many of the children who come to YFT have been physically and sexually abused, abandoned by their families, struggle with anger management and display aggressive behavior. Founded in 1986 by Hall of Fame Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs, Youth For Tomorrow (YFT) is dedicated to providing children and families with the opportunity to focus their lives and develop the confidence, skills, intellectual ability, spiritual insight and moral integrity — based on Godly principles — resulting in positive changes to benefit the child, the family, the community, and the nation. Learn more.

Throughout the month of April, we encourage you to:

Join us in raising awareness about child abuse prevention! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members’ specific programs provide access to books and encourage reading.Donate & raise money for these nonprofits. America’s Charities is proud of the work our member charities do and proud to be their workplace giving partner. One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

In the last episode of Source De[Code], listeners got a glimpse into the ways in which digital twins are assisting auto manufacturers in developing safe, reliable autonomous vehicles (AV). This week, Ben shifts gears and, through his conversation with guest Albert Groebmeyer, shows listeners how Big Data is helping engineers accelerate innovation in electric vehicle (EV) battery design. Electric vehicles are poised to overtake their gas-fueled cousins in popularity and dependability within the decade. As automakers and consumers prepare for the EV revolution, it is up to engineers to design vehicles and components that are both cost-effective and dependable in the long term.

I come from a family of automotive engineers. Growing up, I would watch my grandfather build gadgets in the garage including, notably, a motorized shoe shiner. He built a motor and attacked thick metal dowels with thick bristled brush wheels that would spin to them. While he was fiddling with it– testing it, taking it apart, fiddling with some component or another, and putting it back together again– he would explain to my brother and me what he was doing and why. Each component in any design serves a critical function. If any piece is not working properly, the design can fail and potentially lead to injury.

My grandfather’s commitment to engineering went even further than just his profession and building gadgets in the garage to avoid claustrophobic family gatherings. During the long summers spent at the family cottage, my grandfather and I would clamber into his old truck and he would point out the engineering marvels all around us– bridges, tunnels, wind turbines, solar panels, and once, the shoulder of a country road to call my attention to the significance of the road’s slope for vehicle safety. I’d be lying if I said I listened in rapt awe when he waxed poetic about engineering feats or that I absorbed any of his knowledge during those adventures. That said, listening to the last two episodes of Source De[Code] resurfaced memories of our conversations and his clear commitment to engineering a safer future for his grandchildren.

BIG DATA: THE MOST VALUABLE INFINITE RESOURCE

If I were to paint my grandfather’s portrait, it would be of him at a table scattered with sheets of graph paper filled with notes, numbers, and figures. Everywhere he went, he had pads of graph paper and mechanical pencils he would use to note his thoughts on design optimization for whatever captured his whimsy in the moment. Twenty some-odd years later, I realize that these notes were data points he had observed in his environment that may or may not have been put to work in the garage he had transformed into a hobbyist lab. I wonder what he would think of the vast stores of data we can capture today through the Internet of Things (IoT), our cell phones, wearable tech, credit cards, and other ubiquitous creature comforts embedded with technology.

Data is captured everywhere all the time. As storage for that data becomes easier to afford and maintain, data sets are captured and stored in a digital purgatory waiting to be released for some higher purpose. Depending on how it is sliced, diced, and analyzed, the same large data set can be used to gain deeper insights into human behavior, how well an item functions, or to identify opportunities to optimize something on both micro and macro levels.

“Data is the currency of the modern age,” explains Source De[Code] host, Ben Coffin. Unlike other currencies whose value is determined by its scarcity, data is an ever-growing, infinite resource whose value is only uncovered when it is analyzed. I have never thought about data in this way, but what I consider that my banking, personal identification, and memories in the form of pictures and video are stored as data, it becomes crystal clear that data is indeed precious beyond measure.

Data only holds its value, however, if it is consistently accurate, trustworthy, and secure. “You have to be able to trust the data from suppliers, data tracking, and measurement instruments,” says episode guest Albert Groebmeyer. For the automakers and engineers developing electric vehicles (EV) and batteries, the data they mine is used to develop products that must withstand the test of time and carry their passengers safely to whatever their destination is. Because engineers rely on partners and vendors for components and materials, the data sheets that accompany those items lay the foundation for whatever research and development comes next. The accuracy of the parameters outlined in those data sheets is important for any manufacturing derived from the environment and can impact the success of the end result.

From there, important environmental data is created at the machine level– in the mixing process, electrode manufacturing, and assembly. Once the device prototype is assembled, you capture electrochemical data. This is “new data from the cell based on current, voltage– things you can get out of the cell like capacity, fast charging capabilities, resistance– all of which can be used for development,” Groebmeyer explains.

These data springs come together to create a lake that engineers dive into to extract insights and analytics which assist them in identifying correlations within established parameter sets that accelerate the R&D process. Excellent data analytics software and precision test and measurement instruments enable engineers to wade through the data lake and find the parameters that will produce the best battery cell possible. Leveraging data in this way accelerates time to market and keeps costs down.

UNLOCKING THE TRUST QUOTIENT WITH DATA

From the design process to the consumer’s decision to purchase an EV model, trust in the data behind the product is implicit. Inaccurate measurements or making decisions based on the wrong parameters will lead you down the wrong path. To mitigate this, data tracking is critical. During the development process, everything is meticulously documented and tracked. For EV batteries, their speed, pressure, humidity, and all other parameters are accounted for in detail. This ensures that when a defect is identified, the development teams can retrace their steps to find the root cause and correct the issue whenever it arises, even years after the vehicle leaves the lot.

Despite the sticker prices for EVs coming down, they are–like all car purchases– a long-term and large investment. Equipment failures and unanticipated component issues will inevitably arise from time to time. The data tracking done during the design phase allows manufacturers to identify which vehicles are affected by identified issues so they can contact affected owners and ensure the flawed components are replaced and the owners can continue to enjoy their investment for years to come. Trust in data is trust in the product itself– it is in essence, as Ben says in his summary of the importance of data accuracy, “our ability to trust that the car will charge safely and last for a decade or more.”

My grandfather’s exacting attention to detail and his ability to describe what works and doesn’t during our long summer drives have shaped who I am today. Because of him, I have an immense amount of respect and deep-seated trust in engineers, their processes, and the products they develop. In my work at Keysight and in listening to the engineers interviewed on Source De[Code], I understand more every day that those qualities I so admired in my grandfather are not unique to him. Rather, they are hallmark traits shared by all engineers. High-caliber data serves their scrupulous eye for detail and gives engineers the ability to make and act on more finely tuned observations now and down the line.

ABOUT THE GUEST: ALBERT GROEBMEYER

Albert Groebmeyer has worked in the battery industry since 2013. After joining Keysight in 2019, he has managed several projects in the field of cell production and testing. Currently, Albert serves as the portfolio planner for cell test solutions at Keysight.

What was the ‘aha’ moment that started you down your path or influenced your journey to where you are now?

During my time at university, two main points about battery research sparked my passion. First, battery research, from a science perspective, is super interesting because it requires multi-directional thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. Second, batteries allow for green energy storage in so many different applications ranging from small portable devices up to EVs and huge stationary energy storage systems which all come with unique requirements.

If you hadn’t chosen your current profession, what would you have pursued instead? Why?

If I had not focused on the development of battery technology, I am quite sure I would still have found myself in and around chemical engineering. For me, doing something completely different is really hard to imagine.

Where can we find you when you’re not innovating the future of technology?

You can find me spending time with my kids on playgrounds, cycling the forest paths with my family, or playing a game of pickup basketball with old friends.

LISTEN TO SOURCE DE[CODE] NOW

You can listen to this and all episodes of Source De[Code] anywhere fine podcasts live. For more information on the podcast, this episode, the host, guests, and more, visit Source De[Code] online. There, you will also find additional resources to help you dive deeper into the buzz-worthy technology trends shaping the future that are discussed on the podcast.

DAVIDSON, N.C., April 3, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Trane® – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, and Parkway School District, one of the largest school districts in Missouri, announced that the district has achieved a total energy savings of more than $1.1 million in the four years following comprehensive energy and infrastructure upgrades. This is 10% higher than the initial savings guaranteed by Trane.

Following the upgrades, the district is using less electricity and natural gas, resulting in a 26% reduction in energy usage annually. The project also reduced the district’s carbon emissions by more than 9,000 metric tons, the equivalent of nearly 23 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle.

These gains are the result of a long-standing relationship between Trane and Parkway School District. Over the past 18 years, they have collaborated on many energy efficiency projects across the district including LED lighting, roofing insulation, and heating and cooling plant infrastructure upgrades in support of the school district’s long-held commitment to sustainable technologies.

“Our district motto is ‘Higher Expectations. Brighter Futures,’ and what we have achieved working with Trane is an excellent example of what that can mean,” said Patty Bedborough, Chief Financial Officer, Parkway School District. “Through our collaboration, we have surpassed our already-high expectations for energy efficiency. Not only does this support our ongoing commitment to sustainability, it allows us to prioritize more dollars toward student education.”

Most recently, the district worked with Trane to install an on-campus geothermal energy plant at Parkway South High School, the district’s largest school and most significant energy consumer, when one of two chillers in its aging chiller plant became non-functional. The energy upgrade, completed in 2021, was the first of its kind in the Greater St. Louis area and reduced the school’s carbon footprint, while increasing energy efficiency, preserving campus aesthetics and minimizing architectural and acoustical impacts.

“It is a privilege to work with Parkway School District, a recognized sustainability leader in the education space,” said Jennifer Geen, senior account manager, Complex Solutions, Trane. “We are proud to support the district’s measures to implement highly-efficient solutions that help create a better indoor environment for students and staff alike while reducing the district’s energy use, carbon emissions and costs, all of which will benefit the community for years to come.”

Trane’s work with Parkway School District supports Trane Technologies’ 2030 Sustainability Commitments, including its Gigaton Challenge which aims to reduce one gigaton – or, a billion metric tons – of customers’ carbon emissions by 2030.

# # #

About Parkway School District 
The Parkway School District is one of the premier school districts in the Midwest and St. Louis region. Parkway’s 29 schools and Early Childhood Center are renowned for their achievements, with 17 Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence in Education from the U.S. Department of Education and 19 Gold Star Awards from the State of Missouri. All four traditional Parkway high schools are consistently named among the country’s Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report. While each school is unique, collectively they make up one of the highest-performing school districts in the country.

About Trane 
Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

About Trane Technologies 
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Visit tranetechnologies.com.

World Health Day takes place on April 7th each year, marking the anniversary of when the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded. WHO selects a different theme each year, focusing on one of the topics from their 6-point agenda and highlighting a priority area of concern.

1. Health and Development: advocate for greater recognition of the bidirectional links between poverty and poor health, and strengthen intersectoral work to address health risks and socio-economic determinants 
2. Health and Security: taking steps to reduce health risks from outbreaks of new, existing and mutating diseases, and providing assistance to countries in strengthening trauma care and mass casualty management systems 
3. Health Systems: Bridging the prevention and treatment gaps, and integrating management of chronic conditions, nutrition services, and mental health into primary healthcare, including prevention and community-based rehabilitation 
4. Information and Knowledge: Devising guidelines on evidence-based interventions for health promotion and risk reduction 
5. Partnerships: promote partnerships for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities. 
6. Performance: Monitor noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities, and their determinants and to evaluate progress at the national, regional and global levels.

In honor of #WorldHealthDay, America’s Charities is celebrating our member charities whose programs and health care services ensure that everyone, everywhere, can realize the right to good health.

Click on the nonprofit’s name to learn more about what they do.

AIDS FundAlzheimer’s Disease Research (BrightFocus Foundation)Alzheimer’s – Insight Memory Care CenterAmerican Red Cross Serving Central TexasBreast Cancer CoalitionCapital CaringCMT Research FoundationDiabetes Research Institute Foundation, Inc.Diabetes Research & Wellness FoundationFNIH (Foundation for the National Institutes of Health)Hope Connections for Cancer SupportInternational Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere RegionMelanoma Research AllianceThe Marfan FoundationMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterMontgomery Hospice, Inc.Multiple Sclerosis Association of AmericaNARAL Pro-Choice America FoundationNational Down Syndrome SocietyOvarian Cancer Research AllianceRonald McDonald House Charities®The Caring Foundation of TexasThe Children’s Inn At NIHYMCA of Metropolitan Washington

On April 7th and all year round through workplace giving, we encourage you to:

Join us in celebrating World Health Day! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members’ specific programs and impact.One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

SAN FRANCISCO, April 3, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Cool Effect, a Bay Area based nonprofit dedicated to supporting voluntary carbon projects around the globe, is releasing its first-ever video series to kick off Earth Month, dedicated to providing education for those interested in learning about tools for climate action. The short-form animated videos are a resource to help partners understand and explain carbon credits and the carbon market to their communities. The first video in this series, “What is a High-Quality Carbon Offset?,” is available today and makes the aspects of high quality carbon offsets easy to understand.

The market for carbon credits is projected to be worth upward of $50 billion in 2030 as more businesses turn to the voluntary carbon market as a tool for meeting ambitious climate commitments and supporting decarbonization efforts.

“The carbon market as a whole, and offsets’ place in it, can often feel overwhelming and confusing. With continued growth and investment into the voluntary carbon market, it’s important to understand where your money is going and how carbon projects are making a verifiable impact for the planet and its people,” said Jodi Manning, VP, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at Cool Effect. “We’re committed to helping our partners navigate the market, and our objective with this video series is to remove the mystery, cut down on complicated jargon, and make the world of high-quality carbon offsets easier to understand.”

Other videos in the series will be released weekly and will cover topics including:

Types of carbon projectsHow do I get started with carbon offsetting?Why are carbon prices inconsistent?The do’s and don’ts of carbon offsetting

“What our climate needs right now is urgency. The voluntary carbon market provides an efficient mechanism to direct funds toward communities most impacted by climate change in the global south, and can help us accelerate the path toward climate change mitigation,” said Dee Lawrence, Co-Founder and Director of Cool Effect. “Over the past two decades, I’ve seen first-hand how truly transformational carbon finance can be for both the environment and communities in need, and we’re committed to sharing that knowledge with businesses and corporations who can support and extend that positive impact.”

To view videos in the series as they are released, visit cooleffect.org/Carbon101. To support Cool Effect’s carbon reducing projects or learn more about how to partner with Cool Effect to develop a meaningful sustainability and carbon offset program, please visit cooleffect.org/for-business.

About Cool EffectTM 

Cool Effect is a San Francisco Bay Area 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reducing carbon emissions around the world. Endorsed by 1% for the Planet, its mission is to educate and then inspire businesses and individuals to take measurable action against climate change by purchasing scientifically verified carbon offsets from the world’s highest quality projects. It returns more than 90% of each donation directly to its project partners and, since its launch at the Paris COP in 2015, has helped projects receive compensation for three million tonnes of emission reductions. Like the Butterfly Effect, The Ripple Effect, and others, a single action can have global impact. To learn more, please visit cooleffect.org or follow Cool Effect on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Media Contact

Joey Hodges, Jenn Eiskamp 
Demonstrate PR on behalf of Cool Effect 
cooleffect@demonstratepr.com 
415.400.4214