Tag: 3BL

Originally published in GoDaddy’s 2024 Sustainability Report

Customer Experience

Delivering top-tier personalized support.

Each entrepreneur’s story is unique. Whether that’s where they come from or where they’re going, we believe every idea deserves personalized solutions. We strive to provide positive customer experiences by offering user-friendly interfaces, around-the-clock support, educational resources, and continuous improvements to our offerings. We believe expectations should be exceeded, and our GoDaddy Guides work to achieve this by helping customers get maximum value from the wide range of products and services we offer.

• 20.5 Million: GoDaddy served 20.5 million customers in 2024.

Customer Conversations & Support

Our personalized support for every stage of an entrepreneur’s journey sets us apart from our competitors and helps to improve customer satisfaction and retention. We meet customers how, where, and when they need. GoDaddy customers can choose their preferred channel, including phone or messaging.

Our GoDaddy Guides are knowledgeable and responsive, assisting customers with their unique needs and upholding our reputation for outstanding customer service, driving value for the business. Every Guide is trained and eager to WOW our customers with an outstanding experience, whether helping with a simple password reset or building an entrepreneur’s complete web presence. While our Guides conduct millions of conversations per year, each interaction with a Guide is characterized by real, human interaction. Our Guides are located globally and provide in-region support in several local languages.

While conversations with our Guides are an essential component of our customer service offerings, customers also have access to the GoDaddy Resource Library, an on-demand knowledge base with practical and actionable resources, and the GoDaddy AI Prompt Library, a free resource for small business owners to boost their business. On third-party sites like YouTube, we host tutorials that cover the most up-to-date, in-demand topics that shepherd entrepreneurs along every stage of their journey.

Community is key to building a global network of entrepreneurs and experts. That’s why we support an active online community through our GoDaddy Community LinkedIn page where customers can connect, share experiences, and seek advice, allowing our whole community to tap into a broader network of users and experts who can offer insights and solutions.

• 12 Million: Nearly 12 million inbound voice conversations and messages with customers.
• 4.6: Trustpilot rating of 4.6 out of 5.
• 18.36: NPS score: 18.36.

NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING

With emphasis on innovation, we continue to upgrade our Natural Language Processing technology to further streamline customer interactions.

When calling in to get support, this technology allows customers to describe issues in their own words before being connected with a Guide, instead of being restricted to following a preset selection. Phrases like “I can’t get onto my website, it keeps giving me this error code,” will help our Guides assign the customer to a specialist more effectively, rather than the customer navigating a series of menu selections which may not be as targeted.

Our goal is to connect GoDaddy to our customers on a human level. Customers get better help faster. While this feature is currently only available in English speaking geographies, we aim to expand to additional languages in the future.

Voice It

Our customers deserve a voice that enables them to share problems and get fast solutions. Voice It, our internal customer feedback intake tool, allows customers to share their pain points with GoDaddy Guides. Through Voice It, GoDaddy Guides collaborate internally with our Care Product Team to address customer pain points and develop and share solutions to benefit our wider customer base.

WOW for Customer Care

We strive to satisfy and exceed our customers’ expectations and enable our customers to realize the full value of the products and services we offer. GoDaddy’s WOW Program is our specialized process designed
to maximize efficiency and value in our customer interactions. Each customer interaction is important to us, so operating a robust model of quality assurance allows us to ensure consistency and target areas for improvement.

In 2024, we introduced the latest version of WOW, amplifying our commitment to excellent customer care. We incorporated flexible voice and messaging guidelines enabling our Guides to deliver consistent
yet more authentic and personalized interactions. Our Customer Care team continually assesses the impact of this program to ensure we’re delivering the right results for our customers. The team found that a higher adherence to the framework leads to more satisfied customers and reduces the amount of time customers need to spend reaching out to us.

WE LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS EVENT

Being entrusted with our customers’ dreams is a privilege we take seriously. We Love Our Customers was an in-person event near our Kirkland, Washington office, hosted by GoDaddy leadership. We wanted an opportunity to connect directly with our customers, so GoDaddy leadership hosted the We Love Our Customers event near our Kirkland, Washington office.

The purpose of the event – to listen – was simple yet powerful. Small business owners are incredibly busy, and while we spend countless hours researching, watching trends, and spending time in the field, these face-to-face conversations allow us to dive deeper in a meaningful way. Here are the biggest takeaways and learnings from the event:

• Customers welcome ideas about how to make their business better. A great place to source ideas is through the GoDaddy Resource Library and GoDaddy Community LinkedIn.
   
• Trust is important to our customers, and we work hard to continue earning it because they trust us with their ideas.
   
• Customers are often hesitant to switch from the software they used when they started their business. New functionality we continually add to GoDaddy Airo® makes it easier for customers to keep up with the latest technologies through Generative AI.

To learn more, read our 2024 Sustainability Report.

About This Report

This GoDaddy 2024 Sustainability Report details our progress toward our corporate sustainability goals, strategies, and initiatives in support of our overarching corporate mission and values. Unless otherwise noted, this report reflects our corporate sustainability performance across our global operations covering the fiscal year period from January 1 to December 31, 2024. To demonstrate our commitment to transparent communication regarding our sustainability progress, we routinely share updates through our website and our annual Sustainability Report. We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback on this report by contacting ESG@GoDaddy.com.

This report references the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, includes select Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) metrics for the Internet Media and Services sector, and the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). We also disclose our contributions and progress toward priority UN SDGs. For additional information on how we align with these frameworks and key indicators demonstrating our sustainability performance, please refer to the Frameworks & Metrics section.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Dave Loparco has been interested in building and taking things apart since he was a kid.

“I’ve been building cars since I was probably 13 years old,” said Loparco, who co-founded Later Dayz Customz in 2018 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. “I used to work on bicycles, tear them apart. I never was happy with a bike I had… and it kind of escalated from there.”

That escalation took Loparco from working on hot rods and motorcycles in his driveway to a garage space that takes up half a city block, giving him space to work on everything from the guts of cars to custom paint work. Each car and truck is a passion project for Loparco’s customers, he said, but it can be expensive. 

“Everybody’s like, ‘Can I throw it on my credit card?’” said Loparco, who has banked with U.S. Bank for decades. “At first, I was like, there’s no way I possibly could but then BJ hooked me up.”

BJ Pirie is a small business specialist with U.S. Bank. He helped Loparco set up a credit card processing machine at his shop through Elavon, a U.S. Bank payments subsidiary, to make it easier for Loparco to accept payments as well as cover the cost of parts needed for vehicles quicker.

“Being able to have money on hand from his customers accepting cards instead of waiting for a check to clear or potentially bounce, Dave has more security and peace of mind,” Pirie said. “Having just one payments terminal was impactful to him and allowed him the flexibility he needed to grow his business.”

Loparco, who became 100% owner of Later Dayz Customz last year and whose team has hundreds of car show awards to their name, is also thinking about the future. That might be an expansion into nearby Omaha in a few years, he said, but he’s also thinking about what could be next for his industry.

“I’d like to bring in about another five employees to train them and teach them what we know [in the next couple of years],” said Loparco, not long before a local high schooler he and his team are teaching arrived at his shop. “Nobody knows our talent unless we pass it on, so – by passing it on to the younger generation – hopefully it keeps these cars around.” 

Check out the video above to learn more about Later Dayz Customz.

The Wesco Veterans Opportunity Liaison Team (VOLT) is proud to announce the launch of our annual Wesco Veteran Employee Scholarship program. This scholarship is open to the children of all full-time Wesco employees who are high school seniors (or equivalent) through age 25. The Wesco employee does not need to be a member of the VOLT business resource group; VOLT welcomes all military, allies and supporters. 

The Wesco Veteran Employee Scholarship program will award four (4) individual $1,000 scholarships to four (4) unique individuals who are pursuing military service, trade school or college.

This year, we received an overwhelming response to our 2025 VOLT Scholarship program this year topping at 20 applicants. The incredible academics and talent shown in this year’s students were impressive.

Congratulations to our 2025 Scholarship Recipients!

Payton Moore

Payton plans on attending Tarleton State University in Texas majoring in Construction and Engineering Management. She aspires to take over her grandfather’s construction business in the future. “Construction has always been a major part in my life, so I am happy to carry on in my family’s footsteps.”

Raul Alvarez

Raul will be attending The College of New Jersey located in Ewing, N.J. pursuing a degree in computer and electrical engineering. “My passion for technology, problem-solving and innovation drives me to explore how hardware and software interact to shape the future.”

Christopher Bruno

Christopher will be attending Syracuse University in New York majoring in business analytics. In addition, he was accepted into the accelerated Juris Doctor program to pursue his law degree after receiving his bachelors. “It is an honor to receive this scholarship.”

Adit Bhootra

Adit will be entering his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he will focus on cancer research. His future plans are to attend medical school and pursue oncology. “I am honored to be selected as a 2025 scholarship recipient.”

The VOLT Scholarship program is a great opportunity extended annually to students of Wesco employees. Visit the Wesco VOLT page to learn more.

A recent article by Sustainable Biz Canada spotlights DP World’s latest step toward greener port operations: the field trial of its first hydrogen-powered rubber-tired gantry (RTG) crane at the Port of Vancouver. Authored by business editor Tyler Choi, the article – titled “DP World Field Tests Its First Hydrogen-Powered Crane in Vancouver” explores how this innovation could help the global logistics giant significantly cut carbon emissions – starting in Canada, with the potential to scale worldwide.

RTG cranes are a common feature at container terminals, lifting and moving 40-foot containers. But they’re also heavy diesel users. At DP World’s Vancouver terminal, the 19 RTGs account for half of the site’s diesel consumption, contributing thousands of tons of CO₂ annually. To tackle this, the company retrofitted one of the cranes to operate on hydrogen fuel cells, making it the first of its kind in DP World’s global network.

“We realized that we need to find a solution to electrify or decarbonize our RTG yard cranes,” said Joel Werner, COO of DP World in Canada, in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada. The new hydrogen-powered crane emits only water vapor, eliminating up to 150,000 liters of diesel consumption per year. Werner added it’s also quieter, more reliable, and less polluting than its diesel counterpart.

The move is part of DP World’s broader plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. With over 1,500 gantry cranes in use across its global terminals, scaling the hydrogen solution could lead to major emissions cuts.

The crane is now in a year-long field trial to measure hydrogen consumption, productivity, and cost against a traditional diesel model. While the pilot initially used grey hydrogen (from fossil fuels), the ongoing trial uses green hydrogen sourced from HTEC, another B.C. company that produces hydrogen from renewable energy.

Hydrogen was chosen over batteries for several reasons. “We have a very energy-intensive application lifting 40 tons repetitively all day long,” Werner said. “If you go to the pure battery solution, we can quickly deplete that, so we needed a solution that could work in that use case reliably.” Vancouver’s role as a hydrogen innovation hub also made it an ideal launchpad.

If the trial proves successful, DP World plans to retrofit all 25 RTG cranes at its Vancouver and Prince Rupert terminals. The technology could then be deployed to terminals worldwide, including in the Netherlands and Australia. Hydrogen retrofits may also extend to other port equipment like reach stackers.

With port operations contributing up to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, DP World’s hydrogen-powered crane is a promising step toward cleaner, more sustainable supply chains.

Read the original article here.

Most small business owners are chief everything officers. Even when outsourcing or hiring to fill needs, their hands run deep in operations, finance, marketing, technology, and sales. Consequently, some meaningful relationships go underdeveloped—including the important relationship between small business owner and bank.

It’s not that small business owners don’t value their bank. Most do. Rather, for time-crunched owner-operators, the relationship is transactional. The bank is home to their accounts and the place to deposit and withdraw money. It’s where they turn to access capital and loans. For some, the bank is even a resource for managing cash flow. Yet for many, the bank—and by extension their banker—is not a trusted business advisor. It should be.

Conversations lead to more targeted solutions

At the close of 2024, there were nearly 4,000 FDIC-insured banks in the U.S. Most offer a range of similar solutions. Even rates and terms tend not to vary dramatically.

So, what differentiates one bank from another? What makes a bank feel more than simply a checking or savings account?

The answer is simple. It is the relationship. It is a banker understanding the specific demands of a business and being able to provide much-needed advice and a tailored solution to a unique problem to achieve a specific outcome to help the business run better.

In addition to being the wearer of many hats, business owners are experts in their trade. Often times, that expertise is not financial.

But that’s where business bankers come in. Their knowledge equips them to address a range of complex scenarios. From a knowledge of products that may improve efficiency and profitability to experience helping address a host of financial challenges, business bankers can offer advice and expertise that small business owners neither have themselves nor can easily access.

Examples include payments and receivables, invoicing, liquidity management, process automation, and fraud protection. Business bankers are also well versed in cash flow management—the lifeline of every successful enterprise.

The challenge is that financial operations is a bridge typically not crossed together. And this is a mistake, for the business…and the bank. In fact, the shift to a more consultative approach to business banking falls more on the bank than the business. Banks thrive when their clients thrive. Helping business owners understand how the money flows through their operation and where there may be opportunities to benefit from managing their collection and payable processes differently creates opportunities for all.

Of course, this starts with conversations and building a relationship.

Transforming the relationship between business and bank

Banks realize differentiation is about more than the products and solutions they offer. Differentiation is about changing the relationship from transactional to consultative.

KeyBank, for example, has launched a Certified Cash Flow Advisor Program. The program empowers business owners to navigate their financial operations by providing them with a highly trained advisor who can work with them holistically across the business to reduce friction, improve efficiency, and identify and act on opportunities for growth.

This advice-driven approach goes beyond traditional banking and offers strategic insights that help owner-operators make informed decisions to reach their financial goals. It puts small business owners first and product-driven solutions second.

This is as it should be. If business owners view their banks only through the lens of product catalogs to navigate and choose from, banking is just another ball to juggle and hat to wear.

Conversations that matter

Small business owners are accustomed to facing more challenges than their larger counterparts—the impact of COVID-19, high-interest rates, and tariffs are recent examples. Yet what makes small businesses vulnerable—size and scope—is also their strength. Typically free from the red tape and stakeholder interests, they can be nimbler and more quickly embrace innovative practices.

Here are some conversations small businesses should be having with their banks.

• Assessing the health of the business. What are concerns? How are payments?
• Exploring ways to improve cash flow. Capital is extremely valuable. Are business operations insulated from supply chain disruption? Can the business pivot to invest in technology to streamline operations?
• Addressing workforce challenges. Banks can offer a platform of benefits and specialized products to attract and retain employees.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. As the challenges continue to grow, there is no doubt they are up to the challenge. And with greater commitment from banks to collaborate more than sell, small businesses are equipped for greater resiliency and success.

About the author: Mike Walters is an Executive Vice President and President of Business Banking at KeyBank. He can be reached at michael_r_walters@keybank.com

This is designed to provide general information only. All credit products are subject to collateral and/or credit approval, terms, conditions, availability and subject to change. ©2025 KeyCorp. All rights reserved. CFMA #250521-3232428

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, intense, and costly. In 2024 alone, global natural disasters resulted in an estimated $368 billion in economic losses, with 60% of these losses uninsured, highlighting a substantial protection gap (Insurance Business). Looking ahead, a 2024 World Economic Forum report predicts that by 2050, climate-intensified natural disasters could lead to $12.5 trillion in economic losses worldwide (World Economic Forum).

At the same time, corporate exposure to climate risks is expected to triple by mid-century, with over $1.14 trillion in market value at risk for companies listed on major global exchanges (Axios).

However, there is also a massive opportunity on the horizon. According to a 2025 report by FIC and Bain & Company, global revenues from climate adaptation solutions are expected to grow from $1 trillion today to $4 trillion by 2050, while the investment opportunity could soar from $2 trillion to $9 trillion (GIC, 2025).

These figures highlight an investable frontier for the private sector. It is a space where impact venture capital can play a catalytic role in accelerating technologies that can save lives, protect assets, and create economic value.

The Power of Adaptation & Resilience Technologies

Cisco Foundation is answering this call through its Regenerative Future Fund and grants to nonprofits. The Foundation strategically invests in innovative technologies designed to help communities adapt, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.

The Regenerative Future Fund’s approach combines patient, catalytic capital with blended finance models, creating an enabling environment for companies to scale transformative adaptation solutions, even when immediate financial returns are uncertain.

Keep reading to learn more about five startups and organizations the Foundation is supporting and how they are helping communities adapt and build resilience.

Responding to Rainstorms and Hurricanes: Real-Time Flood Monitoring with Hohonu

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the costliest on record, causing approximately $200 billion in damages, with 20 named storms battering the United States and resulting in widespread damage (New York Post/ Fox Weather). Real-time water data at the neighborhood level is critical for life-saving decision-making. With hurricanes intensifying and moving more unpredictably, the difference of a few inches in water level can determine whether a neighborhood floods.

For example, many communities affected by storms like Hurricane Helene in 2024 lacked timely and localized water level data, leading to inadequate early-warnings, delayed responses, and increased damage.

Hohonu, which provides smart monitoring tools, fills this gap by delivering community-level visibility into changing water conditions. Their affordable flood-monitoring sensors deliver real-time, hyperlocal water level data to vulnerable coastal and inland communities, enabling swifter, more informed decisions around evacuations, infrastructure protection, and emergency response. The ability to track water levels on a block-by-block level can reduce emergency response times by up to 30% and has been shown to increase the efficacy of flood preparedness efforts by more than 40%.

With support from the Cisco Foundation Regenerative Future Fund, Hohonu is scaling rapidly and working with both government and commercial entities to bring real-time water monitoring to every community that needs it. As Kevin Mukai, Hohonu’s COO, noted, “With Cisco Foundation’s goal of building resilient and empowered communities – not to mention Cisco’s strengths in networking, IoT, and digital transformation – the fit could not be better.”

As of 2025, Hohonu has deployed more than 160 monitoring stations across 16 states, generating millions of hours of publicly available water level data. This open-access approach reinforces the importance of transparency and public engagement in resilient infrastructure and intelligent monitoring solutions. By helping communities build their own awareness and response capabilities, Hohonu’s platform strengthens local autonomy and preparedness in the face of rising weather and environmental risks. Learn more how Hohonu helps Lee County stay ahead of flooding in the video above.

Predictive AI Analytics for Wildfire Management: Vibrant Planet

In 2023 and 2024, the United States experienced some of its most destructive wildfire seasons in recent memory. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, wildfires burned over 8.5 million acres nationwide in 2024 alone. In California, Los Angeles County saw multiple wildfires exacerbated by dry conditions and fuel buildup. These fires displaced thousands of residents and caused tens of billions in insured losses — much of which might have been mitigated with a $9 million investment in fuels reductions along the wild-urban interface, according to post fire analysis on the Eaton Fire conducted by Vibrant Planet.

This is exactly where Vibrant Planet’s platform comes in. It is a first-of-its-kind decision support system that enables fire districts, states, counties, federal agencies and utilities to understand current risk and ecological health, pinpoint priorities for risk mitigation treatments, then simulate the effects of different treatments (such as defensible space, hazardous fuels reduction, forest thinning or prescribed burns) and, over time, quantify ecological and economic benefits. The platform also supports cross-jurisdictional coordination of plans and spending for implementation. In Placer County, California, which has the highest number of structures at risk of wildfire in California, local authorities used Vibrant Planet to prioritize and plan 20,000 acres of wildfire risk reduction treatments across forested communities. The result was a cohesive, community-supported roadmap that not only reduced fire risk but also improved water security, biodiversity, and carbon storage, approved within 14 weeks, compared to typical multi-year planning processes. Vibrant Planet is now contracted as an annual subscription across 73 million acres in eight western states, including about 30 million acres in California alone.

Vibrant Planet’s technology reduces the time it takes to develop and approve forest management plans from years to weeks and reduces conflict in complex socioecological environments. The platform provides forecasted outcomes of different types and intensities of treatment, and models their effects on wildfire probability and intensity, which helps managers weigh and communicate tradeoffs of different plans to drive public support and funding for implementation. Through numerous partnerships, Vibrant Planet provides a comprehensive wildfire resilience solution — from house-level defensible space to wildland-urban interface hazardous fuels reductions, to watershed-scale ecosystem restoration.

Cisco Foundation’s investment has supported the expansion of these capabilities, enabling broader adoption of Vibrant Planet and accelerating the development of new features, including slope stabilization planning and ecosystem recovery support. As fire risk increases, platforms like Vibrant Planet will be essential for building long-term resilience and protecting people, infrastructure, and nature.

Autonomous Wildfire Suppression: Rain

Through Azolla Ventures — an impact-first investor supporting early-stage technology companies that can achieve large-scale impact—Cisco Foundation indirectly supports Rain, a startup transforming wildfire response through autonomous aircraft. Building on the proven Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter and MATRIX autonomy platform,

Rain’s AI firefighting pilot enables aircraft to autonomously perceive, understand, target, and suppress emerging wildfires, reducing response times and improving safety for human responders. This blend of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous robotics represents a cutting-edge approach to fire mitigation/management, offering communities a rapid, reliable tool to combat wildfires effectively.

The autonomous technology behind helicopters equipped with Rain is crucial in tackling fires during hazardous conditions, such as nighttime or in rugged terrain, when traditional firefighting efforts face significant barriers. This advanced capability can save valuable response time and protect firefighters by reducing their exposure to extreme risks.

Advanced Forest Management: Earth Force

Earth Force is advancing forest management through remote-controlled machinery and real-time digital monitoring. By modernizing vegetation management, Earth Force enables safer and more efficient wildfire prevention at scale. This technology not only mitigates wildfire risks but also enhances local economic resilience by creating safer, technology-driven forestry jobs.

Earth Force’s remote-controlled equipment allows for safer and more precise forest clearing, significantly reducing the danger to workers in wildfire-prone areas. This modernization addresses labor shortages in forest management and positions communities to proactively address wildfire risk more effectively.

Cisco Foundation Regenerative Future Fund supports Earth Force through an investment in Third Sphere, an early-stage fund backing AI-native founders transforming global systems through climate-aligned technologies.

Empowering Communities to Build Resiliency: Open Future Coalition

Open Future Coalition (OFC) works alongside communities to design adaptable workflows, build capacity, and foster ecosystems of practice across sectors like regenerative agriculture, watershed restoration, and Indigenous land stewardship.This work has been especially impactful in Western North Carolina, where OFC is partnering with North Carolina A&T State University and Warren Wilson College to support flood response efforts, citizen participation in scientific research, and regional biocultural mapping as part of broader post-disaster recovery and resilience strategies.

The Regional Resilience Fellowship program—launched with grant support from the Cisco Foundation—played a key role in shaping these tools through real-world use across 35+ project sites, laying the groundwork for a “living library” of community-published resources, templates, and curricula from projects across the OFC network. By strengthening a common infrastructure for local action, OFC is helping communities from Appalachia to the Amazon scale their impact and mobilize the resources they need to build resilient communities.

Building a More Resilient Future

Cisco Foundation’s Regenerative Future Fund and resiliency-related grants are integral parts of the company’s broader environmental sustainability strategy, the Plan for Possible, as well as our long-standing disaster response efforts. This starts with employee fundraising campaigns and grants to nonprofits that support communities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. It extends to Cisco Crisis Response deployments that use our technology to support first responders, and to longer-term resilience and recovery efforts with our technology, our people, and our resources.

Learn more about how the Cisco Foundation supports resiliency on cisco.com

View original content here.

In part three of this three part series, we explore how the Columbus City Schools (CCS) student Green Team built an ambassador team that shared their community garden with other students and other clubs.  While the subject is about gardening, the gardening program is also about their social and emotional wellness.

The magic that grows as kids discover gardening

Our purpose to GroMoreGood takes many forms. One of those special moments happened with Columbus City Schools in Ohio, where the magic of a single idea blossomed beyond its original intent and became something bigger, something greater. The growth journey of the Columbus City Schools program epitomizes GroMoreGood. A new generation of kids is developing a lifelong connection to the earth.

The idea 
Early in her career, school teacher Katie Young had a writing assignment for her students that was based on a simple question: Do you know where food comes from? Not one of the students answered that it comes from the earth. Katie knew this had to change.

In 2018, the Columbus City Schools Farm to School program was born in partnership with ScottsMiracle-Gro, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and The Ohio State University Extension. Teachers were given tools and Miracle-Gro supplies to teach kids how to create, tend to and harvest gardens full of fresh vegetables.

Starting to grow 
The initial group of teachers embraced the program, and students did, too. Soon, more schools and teachers were brought into the program, and it started delivering results that exceeded all original expectations.

Benefits beyond expectations 
Students experienced mental health benefits from touching the dirt and taking care of the plants on a regular basis. 

High school students talked about the therapeutic aspect of gardening and the way working with plants brought them a sense of peace. 

Another group of students created ways to invite the community to participate in the gardens, which went beyond the classroom. 

While elementary school students discovered that fresh foods are delicious, sometimes on their own and sometimes when added to a smoothie or pizza!

Read more about ScottsMiracle-Gro and the partnership with the Columbus City Schools.

Watch the video here.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro 
With approximately $3.6 billion in sales, the Company is the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company’s brands are among the most recognized in the industry. The Company’s Scotts®, Miracle-Gro®, and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, The Hawthorne Gardening Company, is a leading provider of nutrients, lighting, and other materials used in the indoor and hydroponic growing segment. For additional information, visit us at www.scottsmiraclegro.com.

GileadNews: We’re joining with Kite Pharma to announce the presentation of transformative cancer research at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Hematology Association (EHA) annual meetings. Our more than 20 abstracts include late-breaking data in first-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, updated Phase 2 results in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma and early collaborative data on the delivery of a novel investigational CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma. 

We remain united in our efforts to pursue innovative therapies that can deliver improved outcomes for people living with cancer. Read more.

Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. 

Originally published by Gilead Sciences

More Than 11,000 Lives Transformed Through the Donation of Manual Washing Machines in Low-Income and Displaced Communities

In March 2024, Whirlpool Foundation President Pam Klyn traveled from Benton Harbor, Mich., to Puducherry, India, with a small Whirlpool Corporation team. They were there to take an important step in addressing the challenge that 60 percent of the world faces – washing clothes by hand, largely due to unreliable access to electricity and water. Previously, Whirlpool had explored ways to address this need but found the distribution of manual washing machines in remote locations to be particularly complex.

The group from Whirlpool were guests of Navjot Sawhney, founder and CEO of The Washing Machine Project. The two organizations came together in 2023 after discovering they had a shared mission. Sawhney, an engineer, had developed a manual washing machine to help lessen the burden of hand washing clothes, a burden that falls primarily on women and girls. The Washing Machine Project was there to distribute manual washing machines, the first in this area, and this moment would prove pivotal for the Puducherry community, where Whirlpool has operations, and for both organizations.

Whirlpool began supporting The Washing Machine Project to help address the global washing divide after realizing the potential impact of their combined resources, talents and efforts. The Washing Machine Project needed support in manufacturing manual washing machines at scale, and Whirlpool, which had previously developed its own manual washing machine, needed distribution support. Together, they could scale and reach populations who could greatly benefit from these time-saving machines.

“By teaming up with Whirlpool, we are able to have a much bigger impact. We are so grateful for their support. Together, we are committed to bridging the global washing divide and paving the way for a more equitable and prosperous future for women and girls around the world.”

“By teaming up with Whirlpool, we are able to have a much bigger impact,” said Sawhney. “We are so grateful for their support. Together, we are committed to bridging the global washing divide and paving the way for a more equitable and prosperous future for women and girls around the world.”

In the past year, 340 Whirlpool employee volunteers donated nearly 4,000 hours to build 645 manual washing machines using a manual assembly line thoughtfully developed by company volunteers. Whirlpool employees also participated in “Washout” events, where they were able to experience how grueling it can be to hand wash clothes, helping them build empathy with the majority of the global population who have no alternative but to do their laundry by hand. The Washing Machine Project and Whirlpool have distributed these machines to communities in India, Mexico, the Republic of Congo and Ghana – impacting over 11,000 lives and counting.

“Our employees have been fully engaged and generous with their time to help build manual washing machines because they understand the profound impact this innovation can have to help women and girls worldwide reclaim time and improve their lives,” said Klyn. “We have had an overwhelming response, and our employees are anxious to continue supporting this work with The Washing Machine Project.”

One such success story has been the Pottery Collective in Chiapas, Mexico. The Pottery Collective is made up of five households – around 20 people – who share a manual washing machine in their communal yard. Having a manual washing machine has freed up time for income-generating activities, allowing co-op members to focus on their pottery work and other tasks that enhance their livelihoods. This is one of many examples illustrating how this collaboration is helping women reclaim their time and improve their lives.

In April 2025, the collaboration between Whirlpool and The Washing Machine Project was recognized with a Gold Halo Award for Best Employee Engagement Initiative by Engage for Good. Whirlpool and The Washing Machine Project are also finalists for a National Manufacturing Leadership Award in the Collaborative Ecosystems category.

Whirlpool Foundation

Since 1952, the Whirlpool Foundation has been making real, positive differences in local communities where Whirlpool Corporation families live and work. This is accomplished through two central pillars: House+Home. “House” supports a decent and affordable place to live and plan for the future, and “Home” focuses on creating thriving, resilient communities with the essential services, quality education, and job training needed to help people dream bigger and do better. The Foundation has an absolute commitment to equality and fairness and takes an innovative approach to social investing that prioritizes impact with measurable results.

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• National Economic Development Week, May 12-16, recognizes the contributions made by local economic development programs
• Since 2020, the Economic Development team has helped expand or attract 57 companies to Florida, drawing more than 6,691 jobs and over $2 billion in capital investment to the state

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 27, 2025 /3BL/ – In honor of National Economic Development Week, May 12-16, Duke Energy highlighted the importance of its economic development program and the contributions made to Florida’s local economy throughout the years.

“Our Economic Development team has helped strengthen the communities we serve through their local knowledge and dedication to Florida’s success,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “Duke Energy is committed to creating economically vibrant communities and we look forward to exploring new innovative programs that will benefit all of Florida.”

Since 2020, the Duke Energy Economic Development team has helped expand or attract 57 companies to Florida, drawing more than 6,691 jobs and over $2 billion in capital investment to the state.

For 21 consecutive years, Duke Energy’s economic development efforts and programs have been recognized by Site Selection Magazine in the publication’s annual list of “Top Utilities in Economic Development.”

Some of the programs include:

• Site Readiness Program: Through the Site Readiness Program, Duke Energy identifies high-potential sites and partners with county officials, local economic development professionals and landowners to develop a strategy for getting sites fully ready to market to industrial prospects. In Florida, the Site Readiness Program has resulted in 1,650 new jobs and over $545 million in capital investment in Florida since 2013.
   
• Economic Development Grants: In 2024, Duke Energy Florida provided more than $890,000 in economic development grants to organizations in support of marketing, research, strategic planning, lead generation, product development and other initiatives. The funding was provided by Duke Energy Foundation, with help from Duke Energy Florida’s Economic Development group, which supports organizations that increase awareness of a community or region’s economic development strategies.
   
• Project Management: Energy can be one of the most significant drivers in a company’s location decision. Duke Energy’s team of professional project managers partner with local, county, regional and state economic development organizations to serve as the voice of energy in expansion and recruitment projects considering Florida. This program offers a wide range of resources to empower community partners, making them more competitive for business investment and growth.

“We are very fortunate to have so many professionals, leaders and businesses that are dedicated to supporting and growing Florida’s economy,” said Beth Cicchetti, executive director of the Florida Economic Development Council. “Duke Energy is one of those key players and we are proud to work alongside their Economic Development team to drive the state forward as a more competitive place to launch and grow a business.”

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. 

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Media contact: Laitin Sterling
Media line: 800.559.3853

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