Tag: 3BL

The opening of the Covia Innovation Center (CIC) in Concord, North Carolina is the latest example of Covia’s dedication to smart, sustainable solutions. This space serves as a hub where research, technical expertise, and customer partnerships intersect. While the CIC’s state-of-the-art technology and purpose-built design supports these endeavors, real solutions start with real people working side by side. We’d like you to meet four of the people who embody innovation as a mindset and bring a distinct blend of technical expertise, curiosity, and heart to the CIC.

Steve Schilling: Designing a Lab Around People, Safety, and Speed

Director of Technology & Application Development

It takes a lot of careful planning, attention to detail, and expertise to design a 20,000-square-foot facility. Thankfully, Steve Schilling and his team were up to the task.

“We designed it to be a world-class research facility, and it’s put together in a very thoughtful way,” Steve said. “We spent a lot of time making sure we got it right on paper to anticipate future needs.”

For Steve, the CIC is not just a building – it’s an ecosystem of people, technology, and ideas. Building the lab was a collaborative process that created a modular, flexible space where different perspectives can come together to accelerate product development and put people in the greatest position to succeed.

 “We want to make sure we’re learning as much as we can, as quick as we can.” Steve explained. “Each piece of equipment tells a unique part of a story, and we stitch those parts together to understand what our products can and can’t do.”

As with everything else Covia does, safety was the top priority when designing the lab. Everything from the placement of eyewash stations to the forklifts was carefully chosen to keep people safe and be more environmentally sustainable. The facility was also designed to be as efficient as possible, with a layout that accommodates sequential workflow, configurable labs, and collaboration spaces for both team members and customers.

“The sky is the limit on what we can do here,” Steven said. “It’s really only limited by our imagination. It’s symbolic of our commitment to product development, and that we’re willing to invest in a world-class facility, equipment, and people so that we can offer innovative new product solutions. When customers come and see the CIC, they know we’re serious about innovation.”

Outside of the lab, Steve channels that same curiosity into the outdoors. A former skydiver, he now spends his free time exploring North Carolina trails with his family. Steve and his family may be newer to the region, after moving to North Carolina in March of 2025, but they’ve already made an impact in building a place where people, safety, and science intersect.

Lauren Helton: Translating Innovation into Action

Director Sales – Coatings, Polymers, Exports

Lauren’s career with Covia began more than 13 years ago in Covia’s research and development team as a mineral process engineer. She later moved into sales, where her technical fluency helps customers see exactly how minerals can unlock performance.

“I love being close to the mining industry, but also getting to see how all the minerals are used in different applications,” Lauren explained. “It makes sales fun. I feel like I live in an episode of ‘How It’s Made.’”

For Lauren, sales isn’t about transactions; it’s about translation. In an industry where formulations can hinge on a single micron of particle size or a subtle pH shift, Lauren’s ability to bridge science and practical application allows her to connect customers’ challenges with innovative solutions.

According to Lauren, the CIC has enhanced her ability to work with the technical and marketing teams to map out customers’ challenges, regulatory shifts, and end-user expectations. When customers bring forward a need, Lauren and the coatings lab have the tools to quickly develop crucial data for them.

“Being able to understand what exact properties we’re improving on our own is critical to our success,” she said. “Having the CIC is extremely helpful because we can run tests upfront to develop data and show customers the value different formulations can bring to them and their customers.”

Outside of work, she’s a mom of two and married to a fellow Covia employee, making innovation a family conversation. Her weekends are filled with youth sports, outdoor adventures, and support for causes like Charlie’s Heart Foundation, an organization that gives families the resources they need to navigate through tragedy.

Rob Light: Building Bright-White Possibilities

Director of Sales for Engineered Stone & Ceramics

When Rob Light joined Covia nearly 30 years ago, he couldn’t have imagined how the engineered stone market would transform the look and feel of modern homes. In that time, Rob has witnessed, and has helped lead, that transformation firsthand.

“We had maybe a small market share back in the ‘90s of quartz countertops, and now we’re a much larger player,” Rob said.

Over this time, Rob became a trusted resource for Covia customers in the quartz and ceramics space. His work helped expand Covia’s cristobalite production capabilities, including the development of LUMINEX®, a silica-based, ultra-white filler that is used in engineered stone products. That growth was the product of collaboration both internally and with customers.

“What made it special was that this was the first time in my career that we’ve gone out and purchased a property and developed a new product that we didn’t really have much experience with,” Rob explained. “Our team did a good job getting it started, and then our customers gave us the feedback needed to tweak some chemical and mechanical properties to make a better product.”

The Covia Innovation Center will help Covia’s collaboration with customers evolve. The new facility gives Rob and his customers access to new tools for faster iteration and validation, including an engineered stone lab that simulates full countertops, enabling teams to test color, brightness, and mechanical strength before scaling up.

For Rob, the CIC is the latest example of what Covia does best: give innovative people the tools to keep moving industries forward. When he’s not thinking about new fillers or next-gen minerals, Rob enjoys golf, travel, and time outdoors with his wife and their French bulldog, Phoebe.

Scott Van Remortel: From Lab Technician to Customer-Focused Innovator

Senior Technical Sales Manager for Coatings, Polymers & Elastomers

Scott Van Remortel has spent more than three decades translating lab results into customer success stories. He began his journey with Covia right out of college, taking on a role where he helped establish the company’s very first paint and coatings lab.

Over the years, Scott’s curiosity and collaborative spirit have guided countless product developments, including playing an instrumental part in bringing both MINEX® ST, a surface-treated functional filler, and CRISTOBALEX™, a specialty ultra-white reflective filler, to market. These days, Scott is particularly excited about how the CIC will help teams to work quicker, better, and safer than ever.

“The Covia Innovation Center has the best testing and application lab space of any lab I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “The team has done an excellent job bringing it to life and putting in equipment. We’re already seeing benefits and providing value to the customers.”

That state-of-the-art environment has already helped Scott and his fellow team members simulate real-world applications for customers. In one recent project, they explored how CRISTOBALEX could reduce titanium dioxide in roof coatings while maintaining UV protection. This collaborative approach allows Scott and the team to demonstrate clear, data-driven advantages while serving as a true partner for customers.

“My favorite part of being a member of the innovation team is engaging with customers to see what their needs are and then developing solutions that help them succeed,” Scott shared.

Scott’s leadership also extends beyond the lab. He volunteers with the Appalachian Conservancy, dedicating weekends to clearing trails and preserving natural spaces. He and his wife also maintain a 30-acre hobby farm in North Carolina’s Mitchell County where he grows an assortment of crops including potatoes, corn, and grapes.

Innovation at Covia Starts with People

The Covia Innovation Center was designed to accelerate applied innovation, but its success comes from the people who listen, experiment, and bring customer ideas to life. It’s a space that can help customers achieve their goals, help train the next generation of minerals experts, and provide sustainable, long-term solutions.

Steve, Lauren, Rob, and Scott each exemplify what makes Covia the leader in the mineral solutions space: a combination of deep technical expertise and genuine human connection. Their work turns minerals into meaningful performance, data into confidence, and partnerships into progress.

Want to collaborate with Covia? Contact Covia today to turn ideas into innovation.

Las Vegas Sands

Now in its ninth year, tomorrow’s 2025 Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit, co-presented by Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and Sands, will gather service providers, local and state leaders, and youth with lived experiences of homelessness for an informative and inspirational day designed to move Nevada toward strategies and solutions for the thousands of vulnerable youth facing homelessness in the state.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, youth homelessness in Clark County increased 34% from 2023 to 2024. Statewide, the number of young people experiencing homelessness increased by 27% from 2023 to 2024.

As always, the Summit’s centerpiece is showcasing the voices of youth with lived experiences of homelessness so that attendees can build appropriate and thoughtful solutions. Young leaders will participate in a variety of ways, including creative performances, presentations and the keynote showcase – a Youth StorySLAM in which youth will perform five-minute pieces they have prepared with mentoring by faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.

Youth voices will be complemented by informative sessions examining homelessness in Nevada, including an update on progress in the statewide Movement to End Youth Homelessness; an overview of findings from the Nevada Youth Experiencing Homelessness (YEH) Study, a statewide, two-year needs assessment funded by the Nevada Department of Human Services; and details on two important youth homelessness initiatives, the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program and the Youth Homelessness System Improvement initiative. Both of these programs have been funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and aim to coordinate youth homelessness approaches and response systems in the state.

To further explore the status of and opportunity for federal resources, Darla Bardine, executive director of the National Network for Youth, will outline funding and programmatic changes at the national level, and her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion on how Nevada can respond to the changing federal landscape.

New for Summit 2025 is the Movement Microproject Competition, which will engage attendees in identifying immediate actions that can be taken for specific facets of youth homelessness. The interactive session is designed to engage collective audience creativity in designing innovative solutions and will result in a project that will be implemented after the Summit. Attendees also will be invited to visit the Movement Action Center where they can find ways to contribute their time and talents to the Movement to End Youth Homelessness.

“We have achieved many critical milestones on our path to making youth homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in Nevada,” Arash Ghafoori, CEO of NPHY, said. “Yet, factors such as a lack of affordable housing, food insecurity and other exacerbated challenges have kept incidence rates on the rise. Now we’re facing a pivotal moment – Nevada must respond to evolving federal priorities that are shifting resources, which young people and providers have counted on for many years. With the momentum we’ve built as a statewide coalition, we can and will tackle these uncertainties, and Summit 2025 once again serves as a critical juncture in our work for the year ahead.”

To learn more about 2025 Nevada Youth Homelessness Summit, visit nphy.org/Summit25.

Summit 2025 is presented by NPHY and Sands with support from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

National Recycling Day is just around the corner, and at WK Kellogg Co, we’re proud of the strides we’re making toward a more sustainable future – starting with our packaging.

• 98% of our U.S. packaging is recyclable or recycle-ready.
• In 2024, we reduced our use of paperboard by 1.9 million pounds.
• We eliminated 150,000 pounds of plastic by reducing film thickness – without compromising food quality or safety.
• We use the How2Recycle label to make recycling easier for consumers, with clear, actionable instructions right on our packages. We’ve used it on U.S. foods for years and expanded to Canada in early 2025.

Every step counts – and we’re committed to designing packaging that helps protect the planet while delivering the foods families love.

Working to Better Our Communities is one pillar of our sustainable business strategy – Feeding Happiness – and reflects how we’re helping create positive change for people and the planet, not just for today, but for years to come.

To learn more about these efforts, visit https://www.wkkellogg.com/our-impact.

ABOUT WK KELLOGG CO

At WK Kellogg Co, we bring our best to everyone, every day through our trusted foods and brands. Our journey began in 1894, when our founder W.K. Kellogg reimagined the future of food with the creation of Corn Flakes, changing breakfast forever. Our iconic brand portfolio includes Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes®, Rice Krispies®, Froot Loops®, Kashi®, Special K®, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran®, and Bear Naked®. With a presence in the majority of households across North America, our brands play a key role in enhancing the lives of millions of consumers every day, promoting a strong sense of physical, emotional and societal wellbeing. Our beloved brand characters, including Tony the Tiger® and Toucan Sam®, represent our deep connections with the consumers and communities we serve. Through our sustainable business strategy – Feeding Happiness® – we aim to build healthier and happier futures for families, kids and communities. We are making a positive impact, while creating foods that bring joy and nourishment to consumers. For more information about WK Kellogg Co and Feeding Happiness, visit www.wkkellogg.com.

Cascale members are among the top and high-scoring companies in the 2025 Wood Furniture Scorecard, an annual accountability tool from the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) and National Wildlife Federation (NWF) that evaluates furniture retailers on their wood sourcing and production policies.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has advanced from a high scorer to a top scorer since last year, increasing its sustainably sourced wood from 95 percent to 98 percent and diverting 400 urban trees from the waste stream in 2025, up from 300 in 2024. A Cascale member since 2014, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the parent company of many namesake brands, including Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Teen, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, and Rejuvenation.

Target, a consistently strong performer, has maintained its high-score status. Both companies are members of Cascale and the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC). Target has been a Cascale member since 2013 and is one of the organization’s founding members, operating from its Minneapolis-based headquarters with more than 1,800 stores and over 35 distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada.

Now in its eighth year, the Wood Furniture Scorecard — led by SFC and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) — highlights companies that are driving more sustainable and transparent wood sourcing practices across the furniture sector. The initiative recognizes three award levels: Top Scorers, High Scorers, and Most Improved. Scores are published annually on the SFC website in November. This year’s scorecard included analysis of 111 total companies. According to the scorecard’s methodology, Top Scorers earned 30 or more points across the three categories of Responsible Wood Sourcing Policy; Responsible Sourcing Practices and Performance; and Additional Actions. High Scorers include 19 to 29 points across the three categories. Most Improved includes companies that earn at least 10 points more than they have earned in previous years, though less than the threshold for High Score, though no companies scored in 2025 met this criteria.

This is the first Wood Furniture Scorecard to be released since Cascale acquired key assets of the SFC in September 2025, extending Cascale’s impact beyond apparel into the home furnishings sector and supporting its two pillars: combating climate change and promoting decent work for all.

Cascale commends the ongoing leadership of SFC and NWF in promoting credible, data-driven approaches to sustainability. Responsible material sourcing is a cornerstone of climate action and decent work across the consumer goods value chain — values shared across Cascale’s global alliance and embedded in its members’ pursuit of measurable impact for both people and planet.

By Sophia Mendelsohn, Brand Contributor for SAP
BRANDVOICE | Paid Program

Originally published by Forbes

Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, the world has undeniably changed course. The diplomatic feat of Paris reshaped markets and expectations, nudging billions into clean energy and building a powerful ecosystem of investors, companies, and NGOs. But changing course is not the same as arriving at the desired destination. The next decade is about converting direction into deliverable outcomes.

Continue reading here.

Originally published by Mastercard

The Asia-Pacific region is undergoing the largest middle-class expansion in history. By 2035, it will be home to 3.2 billion of the world’s 5 billion middle-class consumers. This transformation is reshaping global consumption, financial behavior and digital engagement, creating new demand for financial products and solutions such as mobile wallets, access to finance and savings accounts.

The growth of the middle-class in the region presents a generational opportunity to build inclusive economies — and to serve a rising consumer base that is increasingly connected, entrepreneurial and digitally enabled.

In particular, the nations that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are emerging as a powerful pillar of middle-class momentum. If the ASEAN region was a single economy, it would rank third globally in middle-class additions by 2035, adding 112 million people — just behind India (411 million) and China (163 million). This shift represents a critical opportunity to shape the future of inclusive economic growth. 

To unlock this potential, we are partnering to map the middle-class journey across geographies, generations and income thresholds. Our work together will unlock the insights and knowledge that will help policymakers, public sector leaders and organizations invest in systems that build resilient growth.

Defining the opportunity: The middle-class in Asia

ASEAN countries are at different stages of this transition to the middle class, which is rapidly becoming the majority in the region. More than 50% of the population in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are considered middle-class, with active participation in the economy and access to both disposable income and regular savings. In Malaysia, that figure goes up to 89%. Meanwhile, Indonesia and the Philippines will reach middle-class majority by 2031–2032. 

With incomes ranging from $13 to $120 daily, these individuals will have an outsized impact on economic mobility and outcomes for the ASEAN region. As incomes rise, people spend more on education, health, recreation and financial services. Asia’s discretionary spending is projected to grow from $23 trillion in 2025 to $35 trillion in 2035. And financial services spending will more than double, reaching $1.2 trillion.

This growth will reshape consumption patterns, increasing demand for secure products and services such as digital accounts. It will create new opportunities for small businesses — a new set of consumers that could drive demand and provide opportunity for scale. And it will drive more inclusive economic growth around the world — a stronger middle class means a path towards financial health, resilience and safety. 

As the majority of this region is either in transition or already middle-class dominant, we should seize the opportunity to make sure everyone is getting access to the benefits of a digital economy. That means millions of people are ready to access tools and resources — such as lines of credit, savings accounts, digital wallets and mobile payments — that can help secure their middle-class status and unlock economic potential.

Unlocking data for action

To understand how this expansion can shape our steps forward in supporting economic opportunity and growth, we’re identifying tipping points, such as the income levels at which people gain access to financial tools and start participating in the modern economy. For example, access to finance typically begins around $5 a day, while credit card adoption starts closer to $25 a day. These thresholds help us understand the journey towards economic mobility and what interventions can accelerate that journey.

Gaps in inclusion are also important, so we can take actions to bring everyone into the middle class. Low mobile wallet uptake in rural Asia to irregular savings in Vietnam shows why we need to come together to help businesses, governments and organizations design interventions that support upward economic mobility.

On October 24, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth hosted its inaugural ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit, where private, public, governmental and social impact leaders will come together to discuss the opportunities in the ASEAN region — and more importantly, understand how to drive financial health and inclusive growth for the people there. This is a generational opportunity to move beyond financial inclusion to invest in systems that make prosperity sustainable and durable.

This shift is a story of economic mobility, financial inclusion and inclusive economic growth. The emerging middle class is not just a statistic or trend. It’s a story of ambition, resilience, and transformation — and ASEAN is writing the next chapter.

Originally published by Mastercard

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.

A new study conducted by SolAbility examines – while simultaneously creating sustainable materials and economic opportunity.

We are currently seeing temperatures on a global scale that were not experienced in the last 125’000 years; CO2 concentration is higher than at any point in the last 3 million years. We urgently need to remove 10 billion tonnes of CO2 annually to limit warming to a somewhat acceptable level.

Current carbon removal technologies face severe limitations: Direct Air Capture costs $600-1,000 per tonne and requires massive energy inputs – and is, after more than 20 years of heavily subsidised research, still in its infancy. Nature-based solutions like forests take decades to mature and remain vulnerable to fire and disease. Hemp biochar offers something different: a solution that works with today’s technology, creates permanent carbon storage, and generates revenue rather than just costs.

Hemp is an highly undemanding crop, does not need fertiliser and is resistant against pest and fungi. It grows in all climates, and reaches heights of up to 4 meters in only 100 days, absorbing 8-22 tons of CO2 per hectare in the process. We already have the technologies (pyrolysis) to produce biochar, construction materials, and textiles from hemp, meaning hemp carbon sequestration could start immediately.

The goal of this study is to examine the feasibility of using hemp to remove the 10 billion tons of CO2 required to keep global heating at an acceptable level. The key findings include:

• Using ~10 billion meadows/grazing land would allow to grow enough hemp to absorb 10 billion toned of CO2 per annum
• Deployment to achieve this scale would require 10 years
• Total capital investment requirements (including agricultural measurements, transport, processing, R&D) would require U$ 4.8 trillion distributed over 10 years
• Hemp carbon sequestration is 10x cheaper than DACCS ($45 vs $600/tCO2)
• Hemp co-products offset costs (even with price collapse due to increased supply): hemp products could create a market worth several trillion dollars by 2025
• Yield per hectare of hemp crop: 3-4 tonnes of biochar for permanent carbon sequestration and soil improvement; 2.5-3.5 tonnes of fibre for textiles and composite materials worth $800-2,000 per tonne; and 3.5-5 tonnes of hurds for construction materials and insulation worth $200-500 per tonne
• Global deployment of hemp biochar as carbon removal would create 100-150 million jobs globally (taking into account job replacement in agriculture, construction material and textile industries) – one of the largest job creation programs in history. These jobs would primarily benefit rural communities in developing countries where employment is most desperately needed.
• Overall pay-back time of the investments is expected to occur after 11 years under the most conservative scenario, and less then 3 years in the most optimistic case
• Low energy requirements (feasible with current grid infrastructure)

Hemp biochar represents more than a climate solution – it’s an opportunity to demonstrate that environmental restoration and economic development can align. By creating value from carbon removal, generating employment for millions, and producing sustainable materials for the growing bio-economy, this approach offers a pathway to both climate stability and shared prosperity.

The full article and report can be accessed here.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., November 14, 2025 /3BL/ – On World Diabetes Day, embecta Corp. (NASDAQ: EMBC), the largest manufacturer of insulin injection devices in the world, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Direct Relief, the leading humanitarian aid organization and largest charitable insulin provider in the United States.

In 2022, embecta was spun off from Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), and BD-branded pen needles and insulin syringes became part of the embecta portfolio. In 2025, the packaging was updated in North America from the BD brand to the embecta brand, and there was a significant opportunity to donate the injection devices that carried the previous brand to those most in need. Following the packaging transition across North America, embecta has donated approximately 15 million units of pen needles and insulin syringes to Direct Relief. Through 2026, embecta and Direct Relief.will continue their partnership to provide pen needle and insulin syringe access to those in most need across the globe.

This major commitment represents embecta’s largest humanitarian partnership since becoming an independent company and will support Direct Relief’s comprehensive diabetes programs serving vulnerable populations both domestically and internationally.

“As we mark World Diabetes Day, embecta is proud to deepen our commitment to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes—regardless of their ability to pay or where they live—has access to the supplies they need,” said Dev Kurdikar, Chief Executive Officer, embecta. “Since becoming an independent company, we have focused on empowering people with diabetes while paving the way for a life unlimited for all. This partnership with Direct Relief helps extend that mission to those who need it most.” 

Supporting Underserved Patients Nationwide 

embecta’s donation will significantly expand Direct Relief’s ability to serve uninsured and low-income patients with diabetes through the Safety Net Support Program. Direct Relief partners with more than 1,600 community health centers and free and charitable clinics across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, serving more than 36 million patients—including one in five of America’s uninsured.

Through this program, embecta’s diabetes products, including syringes, pen needles, and diabetes management supplies, will reach patients who cannot afford insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid, ensuring they have consistent, uninterrupted access to the tools essential for managing their diabetes.

“Direct Relief welcomes embecta’s extraordinary commitment to expanding diabetes care access,” said Amy Weaver, CEO, Direct Relief. “We are one of the largest charitable insulin providers worldwide and in the U.S., and embecta’s support will help us impact thousands of lives—from children with Type 1 diabetes through our support of the international Life for a Child program to increasing access for underserved patients at safety net clinics nationwide.”

Global Impact: Supporting Children and Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Internationally, embecta’s products support Direct Relief’s partnership with Life for a Child, which provides life-sustaining diabetes care to children and young people with Type 1 diabetes in resource-limited countries. Direct Relief has supported Life for a Child since 2011 and currently helps provide care to more than 53,000 children and young people with Type 1 diabetes in 45 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Through Direct Relief’s Global Diabetes Partnership with the International Diabetes Federation, embecta’s donated pen needles and syringes support people living with diabetes in more than 30 countries experiencing crises or facing significant gaps in healthcare access.

Most recently, in collaboration with Direct Relief, embecta donated 2.7 million insulin needles and syringes to support an upcoming humanitarian response campaign in Sudan. This campaign is organized by the Sudanese Diabetes Federation and other regional charitable stakeholders. The donation highlights embecta’s and Direct Relief’s shared commitment to providing life-saving diabetes care in regions affected by humanitarian crises.

Empowering Young People Through Diabetes Education

embecta’s commitment also extends to Direct Relief’s support of the Diabetes Education & Camping Association’s (DECA) network and diabetes camps nationwide. These camps provide children and young adults with diabetes with the opportunity to learn diabetes management skills, build confidence, and connect with peers while enjoying outdoor activities in a medically supervised environment. embecta’s past donations of pen needles, insulin syringes, sharps containers, and other essential supplies ensure these life-changing camp experiences can continue serving thousands of young people each year.

Emergency Response and Ongoing Support

The partnership includes continued emergency response capabilities, building on embecta’s July 2025 grant of $25,000 to Direct Relief for Texas storm and flood relief. This ensures that people with diabetes receive uninterrupted care even during natural disasters and humanitarian crises.

The Diabetes Crisis

According to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 537 million people worldwide are living with diabetes—a number projected to reach 783 million by 2045. In the United States, approximately 38 million Americans have diabetes, yet access to affordable care and supplies remains a critical challenge, particularly for uninsured and underinsured populations. Diabetes is responsible for 6.7 million deaths worldwide annually, with mortality rates directly correlated to economic stability and healthcare access.

About embecta

embecta is a global company that is advancing its 100-year legacy in insulin delivery to become a broad-based medical supplies company, helping to improve lives through innovative solutions, partnerships, and the passion of approximately 2,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit embecta.com or follow our social channels on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Direct Relief

Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 U.S. states and more than 90 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or disasters—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. Direct Relief is nongovernmental, nonsectarian, and not-for-profit. As the largest charitable insulin provider in the United States, Direct Relief operates the largest charitable medicine program in the country and is the first U.S. nonprofit accredited to distribute prescription medications in all 50 states. Recipient of the 2025 Seoul Peace Prize, Direct Relief is ranked by Forbes as the fifth-largest U.S. charity and maintains a perfect 100% rating from Charity Navigator. For more information, visit www.directrelief.org.

Packaging Engineer, Rebecca Verdon, is making a difference at work and in the world by designing innovative packaging solutions and inspiring a more sustainable community.

Since joining Trane Technologies nearly two years ago, Rebecca Verdon has found more than just her first job – she’s discovered a place where she’s empowered to grow while uplifting others. Today, she’s boldly challenging what’s possible for a sustainable world… and, like the packaging engineer action figure she created, she’s doing it in steel-toe boots.

With a focus on sustainable design and rigorous testing, Rebecca’s role is one of precision, safety, collaboration and out-the-box (pun intended) thinking. She takes pride in ensuring that Trane Technologies’ products reach customers as safely and sustainably as possible.

WATCH: How Rebecca Guides Innovation and Sustainability as a Packaging Engineer

Joining a culture of sustainability and support

Rebecca was drawn to Trane Technologies because of its reputation for bold sustainability leadership. “Sustainability really drove me to come work at Trane Technologies. I was excited to bring packaging sustainability to a company whose products are already sustainable,” she says.

But our values around people and culture were just as important to her decision.

Turning curiosity into action

That sense of belonging and empowerment gave Rebecca the platform to explore new ideas, drive change and explore alternative solutions to greener packaging. She even took the initiative to reach out to colleagues in the sustainability department with a bold idea: creating a CO2 tracking tool for packaging.

This proactive mindset led her to the Sustainability Ambassador Network, where she found a community as passionate as she is about embedding sustainability into all business areas. “The Sustainability Ambassador Network is full of people excited about sustainability. There are so many opportunities to learn and understand how sustainability impacts different parts of our business,” she explains.

Empowering the next generation

Rebecca’s passion for sustainability is matched by her drive to inspire others, which is why she extends her support to the Women’s Business Resource Group, which is open to all employees. Here, she helps host events to connect people in the Trane Technologies’ community, facilitating encouragement, professional growth and camaraderie.

Rebecca also takes the time to regularly mentor new hires and interns, helping them navigate the packaging engineering space and encouraging them to bring forward their own sustainability ideas. What’s more, she’s equally committed to inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in sustainability-focused engineering, even going so far as to create her own packaging engineer action figure – complete with steel-toe boots, pink safety glasses and a recycling bin.

Living our purpose, one package at a time

Rebecca’s story is an admirable example of how sustainability, creativity and community come together at Trane Technologies. Her work helps us deliver on our bold 2030 Sustainability Commitments while fostering an inclusive culture where all employees feel empowered to lead.

In this way, Rebecca isn’t just designing packaging that protects our products, she’s building a career that helps protect our planet. “Now that I’m here, there are so many opportunities for me,” she says. “I could keep on the technical route and become a lead packaging engineer, or I could go into management. I’m excited for my future.”

Rebecca isn’t the only one excited for her future; we’re all looking forward to seeing what she does next.

Explore careers that make a difference at Trane Technologies.

Published by Action Against Hunger.

Contact media@actionagainsthunger.org for inquiries.

Nasteexo’s Recovery

When Abay Adan Adow arrived at the Bayhaaw Stabilization Center with her three-month-old daughter, Nasteexo, she was desperate to find care. She had carried Nasteexo a long distance to reach the facility. Her daughter had been vomiting and had diarrhea for over a week, and a few days ago, began refusing her bottle. She was growing thinner and weaker each day.

Once they arrived that the center, medical staff quickly examined Nasteexo and confirmed that she had severe acute malnutrition – a life-threatening condition in which the body lacks sufficient vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed to survive. Staff knew they had to act fast to treat Nasteexo. They started her on a strict therapeutic feeding regiment, oral rehydration solution, and other essential medicines to safely reintroduce essential nutrients to her body. “They checked on Nasteexo at all times, even late at night,” Abay recalled.

While Nasteexo was being treated, Abay was given food, counselling, and psychosocial support by stabilization center staff. “They are so concerned with everyone’s well-being,” Abay said. The stress of caring for a sick child takes a toll on caregivers like Abay, so mental health support is provided in the stabilization center.

In discussion with Abay, staff learned that she was having trouble breastfeeding. Breastmilk is the optimal source of nutrients for babies, providing all the nutrients they need for growth and development. The World Health Organization recommends that parents practice exclusive breastfeeding for babies’ first six months of life for the best health outcome. Breastmilk is especially powerful for infant health in impoverished communities where nutritious diets are not always accessible.

“When my breasts couldn’t produce milk, I asked the father to buy formula — an extra expense we were not expecting,” Abay says. Formula is also susceptible to contamination in regions that have limited access to clean water or handwashing facilities.

Action Against Hunger staff provided Abay with specialized breastfeeding guidance, teaching her effective techniques to stimulate and restore her breastmilk production. Alongside this practical support, the psychosocial care she received helped her emotionally navigate the process of breastfeeding again.

A few days later, Nasteexo’s was showing significant improvement. Her weight was back to an acceptable level for her age, and she regained strength. She began babbling and laughing again. “Seeing her smile again touches me every time,” Abay says with relief. With continued guidance and psychosocial treatment, Abay regained the ability to breastfeed Nasteexo — a promising sign for maintaining Nasteexo’s recovery.

The Bayhaaw Stabilization Center is managed by Action Against Hunger through the CaafimaadPlus Consortium, with funding from EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO). So far this year, the consortium has treated more than 54,000 children for malnutrition, including about 9,000 children like Nasteexo who were admitted to stabilization centers.

Over 97% of children with severe acute malnutrition treated through the consortium are cured – a powerful reminder of what can be achieved with accessible healthcare.

Breaking the Cycle of Hunger with Integrated Programs 

Nasteexo’s recovery was joyous, but Abay feared that the malnutrition would return. For her family to break out of the cycle of hunger for good, a longer-term solution would be needed.

Abay’s family lives in a temporary shelter within an internally displaced persons (IDP) settlement, where her husband generates limited income as a stonemason. Abay and her husband used to be farmers, but irregular rainfall and deteriorating climate conditions destroyed their livelihood. For four years, their farm had been barren. Every day became a struggle to find work and afford food.

Going back to the same circumstances would put Nasteexo at risk of falling back into malnutrition. To ensure families like Abay’s avoid future challenges with hunger, the CaafimaadPlus Consortium integrates its health and livelihood programming. Abay has been linked to other Action Against Hunger programs that promote livelihood strengthening. She will receive drought-resistant seeds and emergency cash assistance through livelihood grants aimed at improving household food security in the coming months. These opportunities will help her start a garden, rebuild income, and provide more stable meals for her family.

Fighting Hunger in Somalia 

Somalia faces overlapping crises driven by conflict and climate change, affecting 9.1 million people — 47% of the population. Across Somalia, recurrent drought, flooding, and conflict continue to threaten vulnerable populations. Families like Abay’s try to rebuild their lives amid unpredictable weather and limited income opportunities. Access to healthcare is also limited, and women often have to walk long distances with children to reach health facilities. Families face a constant fight to meet basic needs.

Through the CaafimaadPlus Consortium and with support from EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), Action Against Hunger is helping families move from emergency to self-sufficiency, ensuring recovery extends beyond treatment toward a more secure and resilient future. We operate nine stabilization centers across Somalia that provide lifesaving care to children affected by hunger, displacement, and climate shocks.

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The CaafimaadPlus Consortium is the largest health and nutrition consortium in Somalia. Led by Action Against Hunger, it is a group of five international and four local humanitarian organizations working together to deliver life-saving assistance to communities affected by drought and conflict in Somalia’s hardest-to-reach areas. We combine our expertise and resources to provide food and nutrition assistance, water and sanitation services, and healthcare for vulnerable communities.

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.