Tag: 3BL

by Liz Normandy

Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating how quickly vulnerabilities can be discovered and exploited. Identity attacks are moving beyond passwords and traditional authentication. AI systems themselves are creating new attack surfaces. Across it all, organizations are balancing greater automation with the need for human judgment, resilience and trust.

Those challenges shaped conversations at the 17th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit, which brought together more than 3,500 leaders from government, industry and academia Sept. 8–10 in Washington, D.C. Leidos experts participated in discussions spanning AI, identity security, cyber deterrence and the future of cyber operations.

Here are five takeaways for organizations navigating what comes next:

#1 AI is compressing the cyber timeline

 

AI isn’t simply changing what attackers and defenders can do. It’s changing how quickly they can do it.

During a discussion on balancing innovation and risk, Leidos Intelligence’s Chief AI Officer Dr. Dan Taninecz Miller and fellow panelists explored how AI is accelerating both cyber threats and defensive capabilities.

For operators, that can mean having minutes or hours rather than days to understand an emerging threat and determine how to respond. It also increases the importance of faster intelligence sharing, vulnerability disclosure and collaboration between government and industry.

But greater speed doesn’t eliminate the need for human expertise. As agentic AI moves from recommending actions toward taking them, organizations need clear boundaries around what can be automated and where human judgment should remain central.

The takeaway: The goal isn’t automation for its own sake. It’s combining machine speed with the context and judgment needed to act responsibly.

#2 Securing AI requires protecting more than the model

As AI becomes embedded across operations, organizations also have to consider how the technology itself can be targeted.

During a panel on securing machine learning against adversarial threats, Leidos Parcata™ Program Manager Nicholas Vidovich joined a discussion about risks across models, training data and AI infrastructure.

AI systems don’t remain static. New data, retraining and fine-tuning can change how models behave, making security validation an ongoing process rather than a one-time checkpoint.

The AI supply chain adds another layer. Third-party models, open-source frameworks, pretrained weights and external datasets can introduce risk before an AI capability reaches an operational environment.

At the same time, AI can strengthen cyber operations. Leidos Parcata™ applies AI to continuously discover, validate and remediate software vulnerabilities.

The takeaway: AI security has to evolve alongside AI itself — from the data and models organizations use to the systems and supply chains surrounding them.

#3 Identity security has moved beyond the login

Strong authentication remains important, but today’s identity attack surface extends far beyond passwords.

Attackers are increasingly targeting session tokens, browser credentials and authentication cookies, allowing them to operate as seemingly legitimate users after authentication. Leidos Vice President of Defensive Cyber and Resilient Networks Josh Salmanson joined a discussion examining these weaknesses alongside privilege escalation and attacker movement across complex enterprise environments.

Protecting the login is no longer enough. Organizations also need visibility into what an identity does after authentication.

Once an attacker is using a stolen but valid identity or session, traditional security tools may see activity that appears legitimate. Behavioral monitoring can help identify deviations such as unusual login locations, simultaneous session use or access to systems an account has never touched before.

The takeaway: Modern identity security needs to extend beyond authentication, continuously evaluating access, behavior and privilege.

#4 Cyber strategy is bigger than offense versus defense

Cyber strategy increasingly requires organizations to think beyond a simple choice between defending systems and disrupting adversaries.

During Billington CyberSecurity 2026, Leidos Senior Director of Cyber Growth, Products and Solutions Sharothi Pikar moderated a discussion about balancing defense, resilience, offensive capabilities and deterrence.

The conversation explored the evolving relationship between government and industry, including the authorities, risks and safeguards that must be considered as the cyber operating environment changes.

There is no static balance. As technologies, threats and operational conditions evolve, cyber strategies have to evolve with them.

The takeaway: Defense, resilience, disruption and deterrence aren’t competing approaches. They are parts of a broader strategy that must adapt to the operating environment.

#5 The future of cyber will depend on people as much as technology

Technology may be changing quickly, but cyber advantage still depends on the people operating it.

In a fireside conversation on the future of cyber warfare, Intelligence Sector President Jason O’Connor and the Hon. Katie Sutton discussed integrating cyber across warfighting domains and the evolution toward a cyber force built around greater specialization and agility.

That workforce will operate in an environment increasingly shaped by AI, automation and strategic competition. The challenge isn’t simply developing new technical capabilities. It’s developing people who can apply them, make decisions under compressed timelines and adapt as technologies and adversaries evolve.

The takeaway: Technology can accelerate cyber operations, but people determine how that technology is applied.

Preparing for what comes next

Across these conversations, one theme cuts across AI, identity, deterrence and the cyber workforce: speed without adaptability isn’t enough.

Organizations will need to secure emerging technologies while finding new ways to use them, rethink defenses as adversaries change tactics and prepare people to make decisions in increasingly complex environments.

The technology will keep changing. So will the threat.

Cyber operations will have to change with them.

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Key takeaways:

• AI is shortening the time defenders have to assess threats and respond
• Securing AI, identities and critical operations requires continuous validation and human judgment
• Leidos leaders highlighted the need to develop cyber workforces alongside faster, more capable tools
   

EXPLORE LEIDOS CYBER CAPABILITIES

In Part 1 of IT SHOULDN’T BE THIS HARD, we met three fierce women founders who each turned a feeling they couldn’t explain away into a success purpose-driven business. In Part 2, we get into the less glamorous bit: growing it. Watch from the top (00:00) 

• Tessa Clarke, Founder of Olio, the neighbor-to-neighbor app tackling food waste
• Alessa Berg, Founder of Top Tier Impact, a global network for impact investors and entrepreneurs in 80+ countries
• Heather Terry, Founder of GoodSAM Foods, the ethical snack brand with zero middlemen

Founding an impact business takes conviction. Scaling one takes something else entirely: patience, profit, and a system that keeps you standing when the finish line is decades away.

The TL;DR

• Your biggest competitor is doing nothing at all.
• No impact without sales.
• The mission is the heart. The numbers are the blood.

Your Real Competitor Is Free

For anyone building an impact business: your biggest competitor probably isn’t another startup. It’s the status quo…and the status quo is very hard to beat on price. Tessa on competing with the bin (01:05)

“One of the biggest challenges is the fact that we’re competing with the bin. And the bin does have a number of unfair advantages… the bin is remarkably convenient and easy to use, even if it’s not pleasant to use… And also using the bin is far too cheap… For households it’s entirely free, even for businesses. We are nowhere near pricing in the true cost of throwing away food.”

So Olio made it a rule:

“We’ve got a philosophy which is certainly when we’re working with our business clients that we’ll never be beaten by the bin. And that just means that we have very, very, very little room for maneuver in terms of what we can charge for our service.”

When the “wrong” option is free, fast, and judgment-free, you’re not really pricing a product. You’re pricing against inertia. And inertia always wins on convenience, unless you make the right choice just as easy.

Steal this: Write down everything “doing nothing” gives your customer: zero cost, zero effort, zero awkwardness. That’s your real competitive set. Beat it on those terms, not on how much good you do.

The Long, Long Road to “Yes”

Even once you’ve made the case, landing the big clients can take longer than most startups survive. Tessa on selling into large corporates (02:20)

“The sales cycles are insanely long. So, you know, some of our largest clients have taken us between three and eight years to close a deal and roll out with them across their store portfolio. And that’s just incredibly challenging for a small startup with very limited funds.”

3-8 years. That’s not just a sales pipeline anymore, that’s a whole relationship! If your growth plan depends on enterprise clients, your runway, your cash flow, and your patience all need to be built for that timeline.

Steal this: Map your biggest deals against your runway. If the math only works when every corporate client closes on time, you need a plan B that pays the bills while you wait.

The Hidden Cost of Cheap

Heather Terry takes the “true cost” idea further. It isn’t just hidden in what we throw away. It’s hidden in what we’re willing to pay. Heather on the real price of cheap (02:53)

“I often say that when you buy something that’s so cheap that you’re like, my God, this is too good to be true- someone is suffering for you to buy it at that price. That’s what’s happening. We love cheap shit. Like we love it so much… Like that’s such privilege. We’re so privileged to be able to do that. And what we’re saying is: don’t do that.”

Every bargain has a bill. Somebody, somewhere along the supply chain, is paying it. Heather built GoodSAM Foods to make sure that somebody is no longer the farmer.

Profit Isn’t the Enemy of the Mission

A lot of social entrepreneurs treat “profitable” like a dirty word. Heather learned early that it’s the whole point. Heather on “no impact without sales” (03:25)

“You think, wow, we can’t actually impact anything if we don’t sell something. Ooh, shoot. So it was, you know, no impact without sales.”

That’s also why GoodSAM is deliberately growing slower than it could, scaling nuts and coffee carefully rather than chasing high-risk growth:

“We are doing it more slowly than we’d like to, but we also understand we don’t want to repeat the mistakes of a lot of people before us… If we’re profitable and we scale slowly into big numbers profitably, that’s what changes the entire system.”

Fast and fragile makes headlines. Slow and profitable makes precedent, and precedent is what a broken industry needs.

When Your Setup Stops Working

Growth has a sneaky side effect: the systems that got you here eventually break. Alessa Berg has scaled Top Tier Impact to more than 80 countries in just a few years, and she’s lived it. Alessa on outgrowing your systems (04:30)

“Growing your activities and then bringing in a team and then managing people and scaling with that, and like making your processes more effective because again, you grow and that’s great, but then at some point, the setup you had does not work anymore and you need a new setup.”

The modern reflex is to throw AI at the problem. Alessa’s take: the tool matters far less than the thinking you bring to it. Alessa on cognition over tools (05:17)

“I don’t particularly care if someone tells me they use code. I’m more like, how do you use it, right? That’s the universe. That’s the whole universe of how you can apply your cognition to using these tools. And I’m not just talking about the intentions you use them from, but the logic that you are able to put into it.”

AI won’t fix a broken process. It’ll just run it faster with a higher footprint. The real upgrade is the logic you feed it.

Steal this: Before adding a new tool, write out the process you want it to run, step by step. If you can’t explain the logic clearly, no tool will save you.

Words of Wisdom from Three Fearless Female Founders

So if you’re building something and it’s harder than it should be (and it always is), here’s what these three would tell you.

Tessa Clarke, Founder of Olio: Eat the elephant one bite at a time

Tessa’s advice for social entrepreneurs (05:53)

“Be kind to yourself… All I can do is show up every single day and do the best that I can within my sphere of influence. There’s that sort of, how do you eat an elephant? And the answer is in small mouthfuls, one mouthful at a time. And I think the same applies for systems change.”

And a reminder for anyone measuring progress in quarters: Systems change takes decades (06:15)

“We tend to overestimate how much change we can make happen in a couple of years and we underestimate how much change we can make in a couple of decades.”

Alessa Berg, Top Tier Impact: Find your roots

Alessa on community and belonging (06:25)

“Find your roots that make your branches grow, and so find your places of community… There is a lot of business and synergy that happens, but I would argue that there is also this sense of belonging and like-mindedness that makes it all feel better, even more meaningful.”

Heather Terry, Founder of Good SAM Foods: Know your numbers

Heather on why finances are the lifeblood (07:30)

“It’s always the same thing… What are your numbers? Do you know them?”

“Missions are beautiful. They’re the heartbeat. But the heart does not beat without blood and oxygen running through it. And the money and the financials and how those run through your business- that’s the blood and the oxygen. The heart will not beat without it.”

Scaling Impact Shouldn’t Be This Hard

Day by day. Find your roots. Know your numbers.

None of these founders pretend scaling impact is easy. They compete with free. They wait years for a yes. They choose profit over hype and community over going it alone. And they keep going.

If you’re trying to bridge the gap between purpose and performance in your own business, that’s exactly the work we do at Grounded. Visit grounded.world, or meet Gaia, Grounded’s sustainability AI.

Missed Part 1? Go back for the origin stories here~

• YouTube
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Some organizations aren’t just responding to the sustainability moment — they’re redefining it. What sets them apart isn’t just ambition. It’s a pre-competitive edge.

For many of them, there is Cascale membership in common. Be it supplier relationships, policy influence, or decarbonization, Cascale Corporate membership helps move their efforts from measurement to meaningful industry-wide change. Here’s how.

The Leaders Already In Motion 

Picture the fast-movers, serious investors, visionaries, and early adopters. Many established brands are already investing heavily in sustainable innovations, policy, design, and responsible supply chains. Yet they need their long-term suppliers growing alongside them: aligned on the same standards and speaking the same language.

But building those relationships across a global, fragmented supply chain is harder than it sounds.

Manufacturers feel this tension too. As one participant in Cascale’s Manufacturer Interview Group noted in May 2025: “The global North is driving all the main legislations but does not align and actively engage with the global South, where all production is located.” Another participant reinforced the importance of having a shared “middle ground.”

That disconnect has real consequences — for compliance, for supplier viability, and for the credibility of industry-wide progress.

The Limits of Going It Alone

Even the most decorated sustainability leaders are operating within a broader industry still reliant on coal-powered facilities. Individual progress matters but it doesn’t change the system. That requires shared standards, aligned policy engagement, and organizations willing to use their influence and expertise on behalf of the whole.

No single brand or manufacturer can move the needle at scale alone. Yet confidence comes from a proven track record. A 2025 Cascale awareness survey showed that the majority (over 86 percent) of respondents are somewhat or very confident in Cascale’s ability to guide crucial impact work.

What Corporate Membership Offers

Corporate membership is built for organizations ready to move beyond measurement and help confidently shape their industry’s future. Members gain access to:

• Sustainability performance acceleration: Move from measurement to action through benchmarks, guided improvement pathways, and collective initiatives that build ESG maturity and fast-track progress.
• Policy insight and advocacy: Stay ahead of regulatory developments through policy intelligence, practical guidance towards compliance, stakeholder engagement, and coordinated advocacy.
• Industry influence and recognition: Help set the sustainability agenda through governance participation and structured feedback channels, while building the visibility and credibility that reflects your leadership.
• Additional advantages: Expanded event access, preferential pricing on Higg Index tools and verification services, and deeper support for embedding sustainability across your operations.

Leadership That Inspires Action 

Sustainability leadership isn’t just about moving faster alone. It’s about helping move the entire industry forward.

For many organizations, the strongest move is to pair Cascale Corporate Membership with a Worldly supplier data or measurement plan — a natural complement that deepens value on both sides.

A common thread from shared value to shared ambition, Corporate membership is for those ready to shape the future of consumer goods.

And as of this month, we are proud to announce a new referral program to existing members that allows them to save some costs to their renewal dues for successfully referring peers to Cascale Corporate membership (get in touch with your member activation manager for more details).

Ready to Lead? Become a Corporate Member.

Key Takeaways

• Comcast joins the Cobbs Creek Foundation as a Founding Partner, investing in the revitalization of the historic 350-acre campus and new opportunities for Philadelphia youth and families.
• Comcast and TGR Foundation will launch a new AI and emerging technology curriculum in Philadelphia this fall, with plans to expand to TGR Learning Labs nationwide in 2027.
• The partnership will bring technology and connectivity to the Cobbs Creek campus while supporting its educational programs, historic restoration, and new community spaces.

October 20, 2026 /3BL/ – The Cobbs Creek Foundation (“Cobbs Creek”) today announced Comcast as a Founding Partner, marking a significant investment in Philadelphia youth and families while supporting the transformation of the historic 350-acre property into a vibrant public destination for education, recreation and community engagement. The partnership will bring new technology and educational resources to the campus, including an artificial intelligence curriculum developed with TGR Foundation to help prepare young people for future careers. 

As the exclusive Founding Partner in technology and innovation, Comcast will help advance the Foundation’s vision for a world-class public golf and education campus that serves Philadelphia residents and the surrounding community.

“We are thrilled to welcome Comcast as a Founding Partner of the Cobbs Creek Foundation. Not only is their commitment an investment in the project, but it is also an investment in the young people, families, and communities who will experience this campus for generations to come,” said Chris Maguire, Chairman of the Board, Cobbs Creek Foundation. “As a company deeply rooted in Philadelphia, Comcast shares our belief in the power of access, education and innovation to create opportunity. We are grateful for their generosity which will help bring our vision for Cobbs Creek to life.”

“Cobbs Creek is a terrific example of what can happen when people come together with the ambition to do something special for our great city,” said Brian Roberts, Chairman, Comcast Corporation.

“This project will restore an important part of Philadelphia’s history, bring people together through sports, and create opportunities for young people to learn and explore new technologies. We’re proud to be part of this effort and help to make it happen.”
Brian Roberts
Chairman, Comcast Corporation

A central focus of the partnership is expanding educational opportunities through the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab, which has served more than 12,000 students through free, hands-on educational programs since opening in 2025. Comcast and TGR Foundation will develop a new curriculum focused on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, designed to build students’ AI literacy through hands-on experiences with emerging technologies, strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and help students understand how AI can be used responsibly as a tool for learning, creativity and future careers. The program will pilot in Philadelphia this fall before expanding to TGR Learning Labs nationwide in 2027.

Comcast’s commitment also includes a recently opened co-working and lounge space at the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab equipped with laptops and soundproof pods, giving parents and caregivers a comfortable place to work, connect, and access programming while their children participate in classes.

“We are grateful to Comcast for investing in the young people we serve through our TGR Learning Labs, giving them opportunities to explore artificial intelligence with confidence and discover where it can take them,” said Hrag Hamalian, CEO of TGR Foundation. “What begins this fall in Philadelphia will soon reach students at TGR Learning Labs across the country, helping ensure young people are prepared not only to use the technologies shaping their future, but to help shape that future themselves.”

In addition, Comcast will support the restoration of the Cobbs Creek Golf Course and the establishment of the Cobbs Creek Heritage Center, a new public museum that will celebrate the landmark’s rich history through digital and interactive experiences. Comcast will also provide in-kind PSA inventory to raise local awareness of the Cobbs Creek Foundation’s work.

Comcast Business will serve as a campus technology provider, installing fiber-based connectivity, managed WiFi, and video solutions across the Learning Lab, Heritage Center, Lincoln Financial Center, and course facilities to give visitors reliable, secure network access throughout the campus. The Heritage Center’s interactive exhibits will run on Comcast Business Advanced Solutions, which will power connectivity across the museum.

The partnership builds on significant progress in revitalizing Cobbs Creek as a destination for Philadelphia residents and visitors. In 2026, the campus welcomed a new nine-hole par-3 short course and the Lincoln Financial Center, featuring a driving range, restaurant, pro shop and event space. Restoration of the historic 18-hole championship Olde Course is underway, with an opening planned for 2027, followed by the redesigned Karakung Course and new nine-hole Hanse Design course in 2028.

Together, these investments are helping restore Cobbs Creek as a place where championship golf, education and history come together to benefit generations of Philadelphians.

For more information regarding the Cobbs Creek Foundation and its work, please visit: https://www.cobbscreek.org/.

MELBOURNE, Australia, October 20, 2026 /3BL/ – Footscray Hospital has achieved WELL Core Certification Gold under the WELL Building Standard, becoming Australia’s first WELL Certified hospital and one of only 15 hospitals globally to achieve such recognition. The achievement establishes a new benchmark for Australian healthcare infrastructure and demonstrates how hospitals can integrate patient well-being, staff experience and environmental performance into a single design strategy.

Delivered as a public-private partnership by Plenary Health consortium, in partnership with the Victorian government and Western Health, the new Footscray Hospital opened in February 2026 and is one of Victoria’s largest ever health infrastructure projects. The new hospital is a major teaching hospital responsible for providing acute general medical and surgical, intensive and coronary care, subspecialty medicine, surgical services, mental health and related clinical support. Once fully operational, the 1.94 million square feet facility provides more than 500 in-patient beds and will enable around 20,000 additional people to be seen by the emergency department each year.

 

The WELL Building Standard developed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is the leading global certification system focused on health and well-being outcomes in buildings. Achieving WELL Certification requires extensive documentation, independent review and performance testing to verify that a building is delivering measurable outcomes for occupants. For healthcare facilities, the framework provides a verified approach backed by science to creating environments that support patient recovery, staff well-being and positive visitor experiences.

At Footscray Hospital, WELL principles have been embedded throughout the design and delivery of the facility. Enhanced ventilation and rigorous air and water quality testing have been implemented to prevent pollutants moving between areas. Designated quiet areas for staff and more than 20,000 sqm of landscaped spaces, terraces, green roofs and courtyard help create an environment designed to support health and well-being for healthcare workers, patients and visitors. More than 320 trees, 59,000 plants and over 80 community-sourced artworks have been integrated into the project, helping create calming surroundings that strengthens connection to nature and place.

Plenary Health Chief Operating Officer Chris Clifton said the certification reflected the consortium’s commitment to delivering infrastructure that creates a legacy for the local community.

“Achieving WELL Core Certification Gold is a significant achievement for the project, demonstrating how the hospital’s award-winning design supports health and wellbeing outcomes for patients, staff, visitors and the western suburbs community.”

 

“Footscray Hospital has redefined what is possible for hospitals in Australia and beyond,” said Jack Noonan, Senior Vice President and Head of APAC at IWBI. “By using WELL to embed health and well-being into a complex clinical environment, this project demonstrates that prioritizing human health drives operational excellence, and elevates care for patients and healthcare workers alike. With this achievement, Footscray Hospital reaffirms Victoria at the forefront of the healthy building movement, setting a new benchmark for future healthcare developments and public infrastructure worldwide.”

The WELL Certification complements the hospital’s broader sustainability ambitions, which are embedded throughout the facility’s design and operation. These include more than 1,500 solar panels covering 60% of the roof area, a large-scale rainwater harvesting system that enables 90% of roof-collected rainwater to be reused for cooling, irrigation and toilet flushing, and a high-performance façade that reduces heating and cooling demand.

The facility has achieved a 5 Star Green Star Design & As Built v1.3 rating, recognizing excellence in sustainable building design and construction.

Cundall supported the project from planning through to completion, developing the sustainability strategy and administering both the WELL and Green Star certification processes.

“One of the biggest challenges was embedding wellbeing outcomes into a highly complex healthcare environment without compromising clinical requirements or operational performance,” said Hannah Blossom, Director of Sustainability at Cundall. “Achieving WELL Certification required close collaboration across the project team, with well-being
considerations integrated throughout the design, construction and delivery process. Footscray Hospital demonstrates that wellbeing, sustainability and clinical excellence are mutually reinforcing objectives, establishing a new benchmark for future healthcare projects across Australia.”

 

The achievement was formally recognized at a WELL plaque presentation ceremony held at Footscray Hospital on October 14, 2026.

About Plenary Health:
Plenary Health is the consortium delivering the new Footscray Hospital in partnership with the Victorian Government and Western Health. Plenary is an independent investor, developer and manager of infrastructure and real assets, specializing in public-private partnerships, precinct developments and community infrastructure. Established in Australia in 2004, it has expanded to become one of the leadind financiers, developers and managers in its markets with assets under management worth more than $90 billion across Australia, the Middle East, the UK and North America. For more information visit Plenary’s website, LinkedIn or Instagram.

About Cundall:
Cundall is an international multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with over 1,300 staff in 29 locations around the globe. Established in 1976, Cundall’s engineering expertise, coupled with creativity, innovation and a deep-rooted understanding of people and communities, has allowed us to develop the best possible solutions for our clients’ projects for nearly 50 years.

Sustainability is integral to our approach. We provide our clients with practical advice and solutions, which reduce the environmental impact of developments, provide better spaces for people and add value for the wider community.

We always strive to invent new ways to create a more sustainable future for the built environment and back our ideas with action. In 2023, we have set ourselves an ambitious goal; by the end of this decade, all our projects will meet our zero carbon design criteria aligned with science-based targets. For more information about Cundall, please go to www.cundall.com. Alternatively, you can find us on Instagram or LinkedIn.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

Media contact:
media@wellcertified.com
For Cundall, Brooke Penman: b.penman@cundall.com

View original content here.

Verizon

By Gyrate Media

^{Students at Edgemont High School organized a scavenger hunt to get their peers involved in an activity where they could make new friends.}

At a glance

• A scavenger hunt to connect peers: Students at Edgemont High School organized an in-person scavenger hunt with hopes that their peers would meet new friends and find ways to connect without devices.
• The Phone Free Fund: This year, the fund awarded grants to projects that will reach 17,000 kids across New York State and support healthy digital habits.
• Student-led, in-person projects: Other student-led projects supported by the fund include digital detox rooms for screen-free downtime; upcycling clubs that teach students hands-on skills; and craft carts that give students access to high-quality art supplies.

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Lukas and Koko noticed a trend at Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, New York: Their classmates were together but not truly together—they were often heads down, focusing on social media instead of talking to each other. The two high school sophomores decided to do something about it, organizing a scavenger hunt to get their peers involved in an activity where they could connect IRL (in real life) and make new friends.

Lukas explains that the scavenger hunt was less about cutting screen time and more about spending time outside and being present in the moment. “I would define digital wellness as a healthy balance between using screens and not letting them take over your life,” he says. “It’s an aspect of your life. It’s not something that controls it.”

To fund the activity, Lukas and Koko applied for a mini-grant from The Phone-Free Fund, an initiative of the nonprofit organization #HalfTheStory, in partnership with the Verizon Digital Wellness initiative. #HalfTheStory helps students become empowered digital citizens through youth-led educational programs. Both Lukas and Koko are on the organization’s Teen Tech Council, which brings teen leaders together to design and implement solutions that foster real-world connection and community in their schools.

“This year, we awarded projects with grants that will reach 17,000 kids across New York State and create traditions in their school that will become fixed parts of their school communities,” says Daniella Ivanir, youth engagement lead at #HalfTheStory. “Verizon helped us build something that will shift the culture in New York schools’ digital wellness at large.”

Other student-led projects include digital detox rooms for screen-free downtime; upcycling clubs that teach students hands-on skills; and craft carts that give students access to high-quality art supplies. The aim, Ivanir says, is to help kids who came of age alongside screens during the pandemic to gain healthy digital habits, so they can “create more moments of focus and connection and preserve all the things that are critical to being human.”

For the scavenger hunt, Lukas and Koko grouped classmates into teams of five, pairing each student with one person they knew and several they didn’t. “Our hope was that they would connect, they would become friends and they would find that they could make these connections without devices,” Koko says.

Over two hours, the teenagers did just that, running around campus, behind school

buildings, down dirt paths and up a hill to the running track. The scavenger hunt challenges required them to solve riddles and hands-on puzzles while enjoying the thrills of working with a team toward a shared goal.

“I want people to leave this and say, ‘This person who I’ve never talked to is actually so cool. I think I could be friends with them,’ and we have a more connected community,” Lukas says. “This is something entirely new to our school. I hope it boosts school spirit and gives the community something to talk about.”
 

^{Verizon is empowering every generation to build safer, healthier relationships with technology by sharing knowledge, tools and support to navigate the digital world with confidence. Discover Digital Wellness tips and tools for the whole family at Verizon.}

NEW YORK and LONDON, October 20, 2026 /3BL/ – AccountAbility is pleased to announce the release of its annual discussion between Mr. Sunil (Sunny) A. Misser, Chief Executive Officer of AccountAbility, and Nareit, the leading voice for U.S. REITs and publicly traded real estate companies.

Conducted at Nareit’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., the conversation examines a business environment being reshaped by geopolitics, artificial intelligence, sustainability, stakeholder demands and an increasingly complex risk landscape. Building on themes discussed in previous years, Mr. Misser explores how these forces are translating into tangible business consequences and what they mean for leadership and corporate governance.

 

Five Key Takeaways

 

• AI can help Boards make better informed decisions. From capital allocation and risk assessment to executive compensation and director performance, AI offers Boards new and effective ways to evaluate decisions, track outcomes, and identify patterns with greater speed, consistency, and objectivity.
• The “Board of Tomorrow” requires a different “toolkit” of capabilities. Cyber, geopolitical, reputational, regulatory, and technology risks are becoming more interconnected. Boards should reassess whether their composition, expertise, and oversight capabilities are keeping pace.
• Nature-related risks belong to investor’s asset valuations. Biodiversity loss, water scarcity, soil degradation, and extreme weather are influencing insurance costs, financing conditions, and asset values. Investors and asset owners should factor these exposures into risk assessments and capital allocation decisions.
• Individual directors face greater accountability for their decisions. Greater transparency into voting records, committee participation, and decision outcomes are raising expectations for director accountability. Board members should be prepared to explain the rationale behind their decisions and demonstrate effective oversight.
• Stakeholder engagement requires evidence of action, not just consultation. Stakeholders expect organizations to show how their input has influenced decisions and outcomes. Business leaders need to demonstrate what was heard, what was done, and what changed as a result.

 

At the center of these shifts is a fundamental question: How can Boards fulfill their responsibilities in a business environment that demands more from their judgment, expertise, and accountability?

Mr. Misser points to the transition from the Governance of AI to Governance by AI, where technology will play a greater role in assessing risk, allocating capital, evaluating performance, and informing corporate decisions.

Yet, as AI assumes a greater role in governance, Mr. Misser maintains that human judgment will become even more consequential. Relationships, stakeholder engagement, and accountability remain essential to effective leadership, particularly when decisions carry the greatest risk.

“In 2-3 years, AI will get better regulated, better managed, and, perhaps, better harnessed to produce even more effective and greater outcomes for mankind.” – Mr. Sunil (Sunny) A. Misser, Chief Executive Officer, AccountAbility

The full interview is available here.

 

About AccountAbility

AccountAbility is an expert international Sustainability Advisory and Standards firm. Established in 1995 and structured as a Public Benefit Corporation, we work with businesses, investors, governments, and multilateral organizations to innovate and lead the global sustainability agenda by improving the practices and performance of organizations. We focus on delivering practical, effective, and enduring results that enable our clients and standards users to succeed.

AccountAbility operates globally from offices in New York, London, Riyadh, and Dubai, supported by a highly qualified team recognized by the Financial Times, Forbes, and Capital Finance International. AccountAbility is also acknowledged in the U.S. Library of Congress as a source of ESG & sustainability research and thought leadership.

 

About Nareit 

Nareit, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, serves as the worldwide representative voice for REITs and real estate companies with an interest in U.S. real estate. Nareit’s members are REITs and other real estate companies throughout the world that own, operate, and finance income-producing real estate, as well as those firms and individuals who advise, study, and service those businesses.

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For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Ms. Allison McKay

Allison.mckay@accountability.org 
Senior Associate
AccountAbility

Website: www.accountability.org

SLB technologies and projects were recognized with four awards at the 2026 Gulf Energy Information Excellence Awards®, demonstrating the company’s continued commitment to advancing innovation across the energy value chain. The 2026 program attracted a record 560 nominations, with 44 awards presented across the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors.

Presented by Gulf Energy Information, the awards recognize the technologies, projects and people advancing how the industry finds, produces, transports and processes energy more safely, efficiently and with a lower carbon footprint. SLB received honors in the following categories:

Energy Project of the Year – Midstream: Integrated Midstream System for Australia’s First Offshore Gas Storage Project

SLB’s integrated midstream solution – including flowline MEG regeneration, TEG dehydration, mercury and H2S removal, sand removal, and valves system – underpins Australia’s first offshore gas storage development. Designed to strengthen regional energy security and grid stability, the project is expected to increase southeast Australia’s gas storage capacity by more than 70%. SLB’s contribution combines engineering, global manufacturing, and equipment supply to accelerate project delivery, minimize risk, and establish a scalable blueprint for future sustainable gas developments.

SLB’s integrated midstream solution, including process technologies, chemicals, and valves, enabled Australia’s first offshore gas storage development.

Best Exploration Technology: AlphaSight™ 3D Reservoir Mapping and Look-Ahead Service

The AlphaSight™ 3D Reservoir Mapping and Look-Ahead Service provides real-time reservoir mapping transforming how operators understand and navigate the subsurface while drilling. By delivering earlier multi-depth insight into reservoir boundaries and geological changes, including visibility ahead of the bit, AlphaSight enables drilling teams to anticipate what is coming rather than react after it has been encountered. This greater subsurface certainty supports faster geosteering decisions, more precise well placement, reduced drilling uncertainty and increased reservoir contact.

Best Health, Safety or Environmental Contribution – Upstream: Cuttings Management and Recycling System

The Cuttings Management and Recycling System redefines conventional drilling-waste management through an integrated, closed-loop approach, turning waste streams into reusable resources. By recovering water and drilling fluids for reuse, it reduces freshwater demand, waste requiring disposal, transportation-related emissions, and personnel exposure while improving operational efficiency. The system demonstrates how circular resource management can deliver measurable environmental and economic value in well construction.

Best Production Technology: ExaCT™ Electrical Downhole CT Control System

The ExaCT™system is the industry’s first electrical downhole coiled tubing control system, providing operators with real-time downhole communication and control capabilities during well intervention operations. The technology enhances operational precision, improves situational awareness, and expands the range of intervention activities that can be performed efficiently and safely, helping customers optimize production and extend asset performance.

Together, these awards highlight the breadth of innovation across the SLB portfolio, spanning reservoir characterization, drilling, environmental performance, production optimization, and large-scale energy infrastructure. They underscore how SLB technologies and expertise are helping customers improve performance, reduce risk, and create value.

View original content here.

PORTLAND, Ore., October 20, 2026 /3BL/ – The Global Electronics Council’s (GEC) 2025 Annual Report reflects a milestone year for the organization and its international electronics ecolabel, EPEAT, which marked 20 years of advancing responsible electronics.

A central development in 2025 was the launch of EPEAT 2.0, the most significant evolution of the ecolabel’s criteria since its inception. The new framework addresses four sustainability impact areas: Climate Change Mitigation, Sustainable Use of Resources, Chemicals of Concern, and Responsible Supply Chains.

The report also explores GEC’s work to support the electronics value chain, including our new hosting role for the Circular Electronics Partnership, the launch of the Supplier Engagement Program for EPEAT, and the expansion of the EPEAT Retailer Program.

Since EPEAT launched in 2006, more than 3.2 billion EPEAT Registered products have been sold, helping purchasers save $39 billion and avoid 408 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

As digital infrastructure and AI continue to shape the electronics industry, the report offers a look at GEC’s progress, partnerships, and ongoing efforts to achieve 100% sustainable electronics by 2050 for everyone, everywhere.

Explore GEC’s 2025 Annual Report: https://globalelectronicscouncil.org/annual-reports/2025-gec-annual-report/

 

For more information or media inquiries, please contact:

Erik Fessler, Senior Manager, Global Communications, efessler@gec.org

 

What You’ll Learn 

• How to build a holiday marketing calendar from pre-Black Friday planning through Christmas
• Which SEO, promotional and content activities to prioritize
• How AI can help you create holiday campaigns more efficiently

 

The holiday season can be one of the busiest times of year for small businesses. But between managing orders, finding products and running day-to-day operations, planning your marketing can quickly become overwhelming.

A simple holiday marketing plan can help you focus on the right activities at the right time. From improving your website and researching seasonal keywords to creating promotions and email campaigns, a little preparation can help you reach shoppers throughout the season.

You don’t need a large marketing team to get started. With AI tools like GoDaddy Airo, you can create and update website content faster, leaving more time to run your business.

How Can You Build a Holiday Marketing Calendar That Works? 

Instead of trying to do everything at once, break your holiday marketing into manageable phases. Use this calendar as a starting point and adjust it to your products, customers and available time.

1. Eight or More Weeks Before Black Friday: Can You Prepare Your Website and Products?

   Start with the basics. Identify your best-selling products, review inventory and decide which offers make sense for your business. If you’re still exploring holiday product ideas, research trending holiday products and consider whether bundles, private label holiday products or new items sourced from suppliers fit your audience and budget.

   Next, begin your holiday keyword research. Look for Christmas and Black Friday keywords customers might use to find your products. Update product descriptions, category pages and gift guides as part of your holiday SEO strategy.

   Local businesses should also review their Google Business Profile, seasonal hours and location information to strengthen local SEO for small business.

2. Four to Six Weeks Before: What Holiday Promotions Can You Prepare? 

   Choose a few clear holiday promotion ideas rather than discounting everything. You might offer a gift bundle, free shipping above a minimum order, a limited-time discount or a gift card promotion.

   Create a dedicated holiday landing page that makes your offer easy to understand. Update your homepage and product pages, and prepare social posts, promotional graphics and email marketing for ecommerce.

   This is also a good time to plan SMS marketing for ecommerce if customers have opted in to receive your messages. Keep communications relevant, and make sure you follow applicable consent and messaging requirements.

3. Two to Three Weeks Before: How Can You Get Shoppers Ready to Buy? 

   Start promoting your offers across the channels your customers use. Publish gift guides, share product recommendations and send targeted email campaigns. Make sure your website clearly explains shipping deadlines, returns and other details that could affect a purchase.

   Use your ecommerce SEO work to help shoppers discover relevant pages, but don’t expect new content to rank immediately. Pair organic discovery with your planned promotional channels.

4. Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Which Marketing Activities Matter Most? 

   Keep your Black Friday marketing ideas focused. Make your best offers easy to find, direct shoppers to relevant landing pages and check that your website works smoothly on mobile.

   Monitor traffic, sales and customer questions. If shoppers are adding products to their carts but not completing purchases, review the checkout experience and consider abandoned-cart recovery messages for customers who have consented to receive them.

5. December: How Can You Keep Holiday Sales Going? 

   After Cyber Monday, shift your messaging toward gifting, best sellers, gift cards, last-minute presents and shipping cutoffs. Update your website so shoppers can quickly understand which options are still practical for their delivery timelines.

   Continue reviewing customer questions and campaign performance. Your holiday marketing calendar should evolve as shoppers’ needs change.

How Can You Use AI to Create Holiday Campaigns Faster? 

AI can help you get past the blank page when you’re planning promotions, writing website copy or creating campaign ideas. Start with a prompt that describes your business, audience, products and goals, then review the output to make sure it fits your brand.

Try this AI prompt:

“Act as a marketing assistant for my small business. Create a holiday marketing calendar from now through Christmas. My business sells [products or services] to [target customers]. Suggest weekly marketing activities, three holiday promotion ideas, website updates, SEO content topics, and email or SMS campaign ideas. Prioritize tasks that a small business owner can realistically complete with a limited budget and small team.” 

You can also use AI to draft promotional headlines, product descriptions, gift-guide content and landing-page copy.

GoDaddy Airo can help you put those ideas into action. Its AI-powered website experience can help you create and update website content, making seasonal changes more manageable when you don’t have a dedicated web or marketing team.

What Should You Do Before Your Holiday Campaign Goes Live? 

Use this quick checklist before launching your promotions:

• Confirm your featured products, inventory and offers.
• Update your homepage and holiday landing page.
• Review product descriptions and seasonal SEO terms.
• Prepare email, social and opted-in SMS campaigns.
• Check mobile usability, checkout and shipping information.
• Plan how you’ll adjust promotions after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

A clear plan helps you spend less time deciding what to do next and more time delivering useful offers to your customers.

Try GoDaddy Airo and start preparing your website for the holidays.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

When should a small business start preparing for holiday marketing? 

Start several weeks before Black Friday so you have time to plan offers, update your online store, prepare campaign content and check inventory. The right lead time depends on your products, supply chain and marketing resources.

What are some effective Black Friday marketing ideas for small businesses? 

Consider a limited-time offer, product bundles, free shipping thresholds, gift guides or a promotion for returning customers. Choose an offer that supports your margins and is easy for customers to understand.

How can you use SEO to prepare your website for holiday shoppers? 

Research the phrases shoppers use when looking for seasonal products, then incorporate relevant terms into useful product pages, category pages and gift guides. Make sure important pages are linked clearly from your website.

What AI tools can help small businesses create website content for holiday promotions? 

AI-powered website tools can help business owners draft and refine pages and promotional content. GoDaddy Airo can help generate and update website content with AI, giving small teams a practical starting point for seasonal changes.

What should a small business promote after Black Friday and Cyber Monday? 

Shift from major sale messaging to gift ideas, best sellers, gift cards, last-minute purchases and delivery deadlines. Review what customers respond to and adjust your promotions to match their needs throughout December.

How Can You Make Holiday Marketing Easier With AI? 

You don’t have to build every page or write every campaign from scratch. GoDaddy Airo can help you create and update your website using AI, so you can spend less time on website tasks and more time serving customers during the busiest season of the year.