Tag: 3BL

Name: Ana Fernanda Romero | Water Stewardship and Collective Action Senior Manager

Company: DIAGEO

Connect with Ana on LinkedIn

Welcome to our series aimed at spotlighting BIER projects.  As part of our Member and Stakeholder spotlight series featuring the individual leaders within BIER member companies and stakeholder organizations, our project spotlight series highlights BIER member companies and stakeholder organizations involved in the innovative Charco Bendito project.

Learn how these practitioners and their companies have collaborated to develop and implement this innovative, first-of-its-kind, basin-level watershed initiative addressing three main goals: water accessibility, quality, and availability. Gain insights into key learnings and what inspires each of them to advance environmental sustainability in the beverage sector and collectively, overall.

Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, how long you have worked with your company and your role/ involvement with the Charco Bendito project.

Two years ago, I was lucky to join the Corporate Relations team in DIAGEO Mexico as Government Relations Senior Manager, leading the Preserve Water for Life program in our communities. My responsibility is to ensure that our Tequila operations replenish more water than we use, invest in access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in communities near our site, and engage in collective action to contribute to a net positive water impact.

With great enthusiasm, a year ago, I took over DIAGEO’s representation for the Charco Bendito watershed project. Since then, I have been active in this unique collective action to ensure we expand our reach and impact within the Lerma-Santiago-Pacifico basin.

What were the initial drivers or incentives that committed you to the Charco Bendito project?

Water is a precious and shared resource that is facing increasing pressure. At DIAGEO we are committed to water stewardship. Our Spirit of Progress: Society 2030, a key part of our ESG agenda recognizes that collective actions like Charco Bendito will support building water resilience in a water stress basin in Lerma-Santiago-Pacifico, where our tequila operations are based.

How has the company’s involvement in Charco Bendito evolved over the course of the project, and what do you hope can be achieved in the future?

DIAGEO joined Charco Bendito in 2021 and has been highly active ever since. Together with our peers, we have participated in internal committees and engaged our Don Julio collaborators in this initiative, fostering strong collaboration and shared commitment.

In 2023, a fire unfortunately impacted Charco Bendito, requiring urgent action to restore the area. DIAGEO rose to the reforestation challenge, mobilizing 130 collaborators who, in just five days, planted over 12,000 plants across 24 hectares of the 40 hectares damaged.

This year, with the support of 165 collaborators, we planted an additional 13,000+ plants, contributing to 65% of Charco Bendito’s reforestation efforts for the year.

To date, we have supported the recovery of 50.4 hectares out of the 300 hectares the project aims to restore—an area equivalent to 76.4 football fields.

Learn more about Ana Fernanda Romero in this BIER Member Spotlight.

KFC

At KFC, we believe in feeding people’s potential – not only through our food but also by creating opportunities that drive change. As part of our unwavering commitment to gender balance and youth empowerment, we proudly partnered with Plan International to host a “Girls Takeover” — a global initiative aimed at amplifying the voices of young women and providing them with leadership opportunities — at our offices in Plano, Texas, U.S., and Bangkok, Thailand.

Empowering the Next Generation

From providing perspectives on key projects alongside senior executives to teaching ~100 KFC employees a TikTok dance, the youth participants gained insights into what it takes to lead strategy and drive culture at a global brand.

Throughout the day, KFC employees worked alongside these young women, fostering meaningful conversations about the importance of heart-led leadership and the role businesses play in driving change for future generations. It was a moment of mutual learning – while the participants gained confidence in their ability to lead, our team was inspired by their fresh perspectives and bold ambitions.

Check out the video to learn more about the Girls Takeover at KFC offices!

Feeding Potential: Unlocking Skills & Opportunities

We recognize that a one-day leadership experience isn’t enough; it’s a part of something bigger. KFC is committed to unlocking skills and opportunities for youth and young women worldwide. By investing in mentorship, leadership development and skill-building programs, we aim to pave the way for future generations to break barriers and achieve their fullest potential.

Why This Matters & What’s Next

The Girls Takeover was a powerful reminder that when young women have the opportunity to lead, they bring fresh ideas, new energy and a perspective that drives meaningful discussions and outcomes.

Beyond this latest activation, KFC remains committed to feeding people’s potential through:

Providing ongoing upskilling and development opportunities for youth, women, refugees and people with disabilities.Continuing to collaborate with incredible organizations, like Plan International, to create real, lasting impact.

We’re proud to have been part of this initiative and look forward to continuing our journey toward a future filled with opportunity and belonging for all.

Join us in celebrating the future of leadership – one where there’s room for all people and voices at all tables.

In honor of Women’s History Month, AEG’s Dignity Health Sports Park, LA Galaxy hosted two events aimed at inspiring and building confidence in young girls.

On March 7, nearly 5,000 middle school and high school girls gathered at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’s 4th Annual Girls Empowerment Day that was created to address the alarming dropout rate of middle school girls in sports. The event, held in partnership with AEG, the LA Galaxy, and the LA Kings, in addition to several other organizations including the LA Clippers, LA28, and LA84.

At the event, attendees had the opportunity to listen to panel discussions featuring industry trailblazers, participate in a variety of sports clinics and network with inspiring female leaders and athletes – all designed to help the girls stay active and build their self-belief. Notable women who participated in the event included:

Gisselle Sarur, Sports Reporter, Fox SportsAnnabelle Sedano, News Anchor, NBC/TelemundoBlake Bolden, LA Kings Scout & Former Pro Hockey PlayerManon Rhéaume, Olympic Silver Medalist and Former Pro Hockey PlayerAnna Konsmo, LA Rams Manager of Partner Development and StrategyTony Parrish, Former NFL All-Pro Safety and Co-Founder of AWSNNastia Liukin, Gymnastics Olympic Gold MedalistWendy Greuel, former Los Angeles City Controller and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles Chair of the Board

“Research shows that middle school is a crucial stage when girls’ participation in sports declines, often impacting their mental well-being and long-term health as they enter adulthood,” shared Tamala Lewis, Sr. Director, Community Relations, Dignity Health Sports Park and board member of the YMCA Gardena-Carson. “Girls Empowerment Day aims to encourage young girls to stay active, build confidence, and recognize their potential in sports and beyond. By having sports clinics like soccer, ball hockey, flag football, martial arts, track and field led by professional teams these young women were energized and eager to participate.”

Attendees also had the chance to meet with representatives from the sports franchises and panelists.

In addition, on March 20, the LA Galaxy will host another girl’s empowerment day at Dignity Health Sports Park in conjunction with Section Z, a nonprofit that leverages the excitement of live sports to provide access and opportunities for young women. The event will welcome 30 female students from Alliance Susan & Eric Smidt Technology High School in Los Angeles, CA, and offer them the opportunity to listen to panel sessions with members of the LA Galaxy and meet with professionals across various departments within the LA Galaxy and Dignity Health Sports Park to better understand career opportunities in sports.

“At the LA Galaxy, we believe in using the power of sports to uplift and inspire young girls,” said Mariah Rodriguez, Community Relations Manager, LA Galaxy. “These events allow us to provide mentorship, hands-on experiences, and a supportive space where they can see all the possibilities available to them in the world of sports and beyond.”

The YMCA (Y) of Los Angeles has been making a positive impact in Los Angeles communities for over 140 years. The Y is committed to providing programs and services that are inclusive and welcoming to all. The Y values an environment that fosters dignity, respect, fairness and appreciation for all aspects and dimensions of diversity. To learn more about The Y, please click here.

Section Z uses live sports as an engagement platform to foster critical competence, confidence, and collaboration skills to better level the playing field and set all girls up for lifelong career success. To learn more about Section Z, please click here.

Bacardi is proud to have four female Maestros shaping the future of the industry and its drinks. Through its Next Generation Blenders Club, Bacardi nurtures future talent, including incredible women who are training to become the next Maestros for the Bacardi portfolio of premium brands. 

This Women’s Month, Bacardi spotlights one such ‘Maestro in training’ – Luz Irizarry – who this month takes on the prestigious title of BACARDĺ rum blender. Here she shares how she honed her skills and harnessed her passion for science to create an exciting and rewarding career in spirits.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Every day is different – and that’s what I love about it. I get to call the amazing BACARDĺ rum distillery in Cataño, Puerto Rico my ‘office’ – the largest premium rum distillery in the world – that’s tough to beat! On a typical day I might be tasting our latest rum to check it meets our exceptional standards for taste and quality, or I’m getting oak barrels ready to be filled with our secret BACARDĺ rum recipe that’s been passed down over seven generations. Nothing tops that smell of the aging warehouse where our rums age under the Caribbean sun. 

Every day is a new adventure. Some days work like magic and other days bring a new opportunity to continue learning and growing.                                      

What was your path to becoming a BACARDĺ rum blender?

It’s been a 20-year journey to this point, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It all started with getting my Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Biology and Chemistry, before I joined Bacardi as a Quality Control Lab analyst. Since then, I’ve worked across every step of the rum production process – from fermentation and distillation to aging and blending – gaining in-depth knowledge of each. Every day, I gain more appreciation of the beautiful balance between art and science involved in making our incredible rum. 

For the last four years I have been training under Global Master Blender for BACARDĺ, Troy Arquiza and this month, I was promoted to a blender. It’s such a huge honor to hold this title and massive recognition of the work I’ve done to learn my craft.

When you started out in science, did you picture yourself here? 

Honestly no, I didn’t picture myself working in the spirits industry, much less becoming a BACARDĺ rum blender. When I decided to study science, I wanted to be a doctor. Later in my life, I decided to work in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2005, I had the opportunity to work at Bacardi as a Quality Control Lab analyst and it was love at first “preparation of a testing sample” for me! I didn’t look back.

What is your favorite thing about the job? 

I really love the process of blending and balancing the rum, from each nosing, tasting, mixing, through to the giving my final seal of approval on a batch. Added to that, it may sound crazy, but I still get goosebumps every time I see a bottle of BACARDĺ in the liquor store or being used at a bar. As part of the blending team, we put so much work and craftmanship into each bottle, so it’s a very satisfying experience to see people enjoying our beautiful rum. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“One day at a time.” This is powerful advice that helps and guides me every day. Sometimes we get lost in an intense moment and find things a bit more challenging, but a solution is always around the corner. 

Then, comes the second-best advice I received – “family always comes first”. This advice not only applies to our personal life, but to our work life too. Bacardi is family-owned and Family is one of our cultural pillars so we all treat each other that way and it honestly adds so much to the quality of my work and the enjoyment I get from my job. 

How do you pay it forward to other women?

My work ethics, disposition and dedication can serve as an example for others, and I hope it entices other women to challenge themselves to be the best in their field and who knows, even to take on the challenging but highly rewarding path to becoming a rum blender. 

I am also part of Women Leading Rum which is an organization all about acknowledging the contribution of women to the rum industry and creating opportunity for professional exchange to support other women working in rum.  

What’s your advice to other women wanting to work in crafting spirits? 

Believe that your capability, your knowledge and experience is a voice that can make a difference in the crafting world. With hard work, discipline and passion, as well as taking every lesson and learning you can as you go along – it goes a long way to helping you achieve your goals. 

In this latest blog, Lee Green, Cascale’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, delves into the collaboration challenges facing the industry. He poses tough questions that the industry must address to tackle these challenges, shedding light on the pivotal role events play in identifying what’s working, what’s not, and—most importantly—how to foster greater equity in decision-making. Green emphasizes the need for a collective focus on turning these critical conversations into tangible, meaningful actions.

Read the full blog, titled: The Collaboration Myth: Why Our Industry Still Struggles to Work Together

After making a big switch in her career, Tara Brandon loves the challenge of managing her team as the Plant Manager of GCP in Augusta, GA. 

About empowHERed

Saint-Gobain North America’s empowHERed series features the women in manufacturing of Saint-Gobain North America. Whether they work in product innovation, engineering, on the product line, or in development, they are making an impact in manufacturing. Discover your career at Saint-Gobain North America.

Watch the full empowHERed video series on YouTube.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group, celebrating its 360th anniversary in 2025, remains more committed than ever to its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.6 billion in sales in 2024
More than 161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 

DAVIDSON, N.C., March 20, 2025 /3BL/ – Trane® – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, is strengthening its thermal management system capabilities for data center environments through the new Trane® Fan Coil Wall platform featuring innovations designed and developed through close collaboration with data center owners and operators. Trane engineers leveraged decades of precision climate control expertise to deliver a platform that offers standard and custom models designed for performance, efficiency, and seamless systems integration. 

“The new Trane Fan Coil Wall reflects our close relationships with our customers, serving as a trusted advisor and comprehensive thermal management systems provider,” said Steve Obstein, Vice President and General Manager, Data Centers & High-Tech, Trane Technologies. “From ideation to co-innovation, working alongside our customers gives us key insights for designing, developing and manufacturing specific solutions to help them stay ahead of the dynamic data center environment.”

Trane maintains proximity throughout the ownership lifecycle through Smart Services, offering advanced monitoring, predictive maintenance, and performance optimization. Leading service capabilities give data centers access to proactive solutions designed to protect the uptime of their thermal management systems, backed by Trane’s network of highly trained service experts strategically positioned close to customers. 

Delivering proven, mission-critical performance: 
Data center owners require reliable performance and redundancy, as cooling is critical to business continuity. The Trane Fan Coil Wall is designed specifically for data center cooling, not repurposed from other applications. It integrates seamlessly with Trane thermal management systems and universal systems to deliver precise cooling and help maintain optimal conditions in AI-driven computing environments.

The units circulate conditioned air using chilled water from the chiller, which removes heat through a closed-loop system, often enhanced by energy-efficient cooling towers. Together, these Trane solutions offer exceptional energy efficiency, scalability, precise environmental control and lower operational costs.

Made to order with dedicated production capacity: 
Trane Fan Coil Wall units are manufactured at a U.S. Trane production facility, with dedicated production capacity for the data center industry to provide design flexibility to support unique specifications and design revisions. The data center-specific production capacity helps secure product availability and delivery of time-sensitive product needs to help maintain mission critical data center uptime and meet growing demand for cooling solutions driven by AI and 5G computing.

Energy efficiency for reduced costs and carbon emissions: 
The Fan Coil Wall’s lower-power fan array reduces energy consumption, enhancing power usage effectiveness (PUE), helping to lower operational costs, and reduce carbon emissions. A factory-installed Symbio® 500 controller enhances energy and system performance for reliable and efficient operations. This commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability aligns with the growing emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of data centers. 

Details and Specifications:

Performance & Durability: With a cooling capacity of 400 kW or greater (up to 110K CFM+), the Fan Coil Wall helps maintain favorable conditions and promotes equipment reliability. Standard 2” MERV 8 high-efficiency filters improve indoor air quality, with optional MERV 11 or 13 filters available.Flexibility & Ease of Installation: The standard two-piece units support easy installation and fast startup, ideal for new construction. Single-piece units are also available, offering greater flexibility for data halls or existing facilities with space or access constraints.Customizable Solutions: Designed for performance, efficiency and seamless integration, the customizable systems deliver cooling and reliability for unique applications. Flexible configurations and factory-installed piping with integrated water control valves help reduce installation time and help provide precise and reliable cooling.

# # # 
 

About Trane 
Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments through a broad portfolio of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems and controls, services, parts and supply. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

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

© 2025 Trane. All Rights Reserved.​​​​​​​ 
All trademarks referenced in this document are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Originally published on Principal.com

I started out with a challenging past, limited resources, and big dreams. My journey at Principal® has taught me that professional growth is less about achieving milestones on a prescribed path and more about channeling personal strengths. 

Here, the door is open to do so. 

A culture of accessible leadership 

My journey began with a chance encounter. I met a Principal Vice President while working at a careers fair, and we really hit it off. As a near-graduate with plans already set, I wasn’t looking to apply to a sales development program (not my field at the time) at a company I hadn’t heard of. But the connection stuck with me, and I sent in my resume. 

The night before my final interviews, I attended a happy hour and met a leader who would become instrumental in my career. She took the time to have a candid conversation and address some personal concerns I’d shared. This wasn’t just a professional courtesy—it was another real connection. 

Later down the road, the Principal CEO accepted a meeting with me simply because I asked. 

The willingness to take care of employees has gone above and beyond. Truly. When I didn’t have housing as a new hire, a colleague went so far as to welcome me into his home. This is not part of our employee benefits; it would never be expected. His gesture changed things for me and formed a lifelong friendship.  

Owning what you bring to the table

There’s a stereotypical image of a financial sales professional—a persona I simply don’t fit. But that’s never been a problem here. Principal doesn’t need its sales people to conform; it needs us to connect. 

My mentors consistently reinforced this message: Be who you are, not who you think you should be. Your authenticity is your greatest professional asset. Instead of trying to fit a mold, I learned to tap into my own skills, my own communication style, my own way of building trust with clients. 

There have been plenty of times I’ve advocated to try something new or work toward change. It isn’t just tolerated, it’s celebrated. 

Creating your own opportunities 

I work remotely, which could be seen as a barrier to growth. But I’ve found plenty of opportunities and visibility by volunteering for cross-functional projects, reaching out with innovative ideas, and consistently demonstrating my commitment.  

Take for example my work with the LGBTQ+ employee resource group. By showing genuine commitment and proactively pitching some ideas for organizational change—like addressing marketing language to be more inclusive and highlighting the purchasing power of the LGBTQ+ community—I made both an impact and an impression. I even wound up presenting to the Principal board of directors. 

I also lead a Career Development Network pod, helping colleagues navigate their professional growth. It’s an opportunity on both sides of the table. So many leaders and mentors have invested in me, and it’s important to me to invest in others in return. 

I’ve gone from foster care to presenting in the boardroom, but my story isn’t about being an exception. It’s about demonstrating that with the right mindset and support, potential exists for anyone. 

When you show up authentically, work hard, and remain curious, there are no limits.  

University of Georgia is not an affiliate of any member company of the Principal Financial Group® 

Principal® is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and an E-Verify participant. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion or religious creed, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic partner status, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also prohibit harassment on these bases.

Know your rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal (dol.gov) 

If at any stage of the employment application process you need a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, contact Human Resources at MyHR@principal.com or 1-866-524-6947. Read our employment policies for more information. 

Recruitment fraud is a scheme that offers fictitious job opportunities to people. This type of fraud is normally done through online services such as bogus websites, social media, or through unsolicited emails/SMS texts claiming to be from Principal or Principal employees. Only applicants who have filled out an official application on our career site (careers.principal.com) will be considered for employment opportunities. Principal will never ask for money during any stage of the employment application process. If you receive a communication (e.g., LinkedIn message, Facebook Messenger, SMS text, personal email, etc.) asking for money or personal financial information, don’t engage or respond. Please contact our Human Resources team at MyHR@principal.com or 1-866-524-6947, and your local law enforcement. For more information, review our recruitment fraud information.  

You can find our U.S. workforce privacy notice here. 

Insurance products and plan administrative services provided through Principal Life Insurance Company®, a member of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.

4107129-122024

Authored by Ed Ricks, Jessica Drexler

Adopting an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is one of the most transformative changes a healthcare organization can undergo. The promise of streamlined workflows, improved patient care and enhanced collaboration between care teams hinges on successful EHR implementation and long-term utilization. However, all too often, organizations overlook the critical role that change management and ongoing training play in maximizing the system’s effectiveness.

Effective EHR change management requires a comprehensive approach that begins long before go-live, fostering a culture where staff feel prepared to embrace the new system. This involves early knowledge development, real-time support and clear communication about the system’s benefits. By integrating change management from the outset, healthcare organizations can help staff feel confident in their new workflows, reducing stress and minimizing disruptions to patient care.

Empowering employees through early engagement

Change management in healthcare is about more than just training employees on how to use a new system—it’s about preparing them for change itself. The sooner staff members are familiarized with their new roles and responsibilities, the smoother the transition will be. By involving individuals who will be responsible for the change early on, organizations can tap into natural leaders who will champion the EHR implementation.

Rather than waiting until the months leading up to go-live to designate super users, organizations should identify and nurture these leaders throughout the project. Doing so not only prepares the team but helps alleviate the stress and resistance typically associated with major transitions.

Reducing resistance with a sense of control

One of the biggest challenges during organizational change is resistance, particularly when individuals feel a loss of control, which can overshadow potential gains. To address this, change management strategies that promote early readiness help empower staff and give them a sense of control throughout the transition process.

To reduce the emotional resistance that often accompanies change, organizations can assess and respond to readiness indicators, communicate clearly, actively involve staff in the decision-making process and offer autonomy in how they adopt the new system.

Continuous support and training: The key to long-term success

Training should not be a one-time event. Clinical workflows and the demands of healthcare professionals are complex, and training must reflect this. To ensure ongoing competency and maximize the long-term success of the EHR system, organizations must build in redundancy and offer continuous support.

Repetition and redundancy: Effective training involves repetition. Even after the initial training sessions before go-live, it’s critical to offer refresher courses, annual training sessions and follow-up support. Continuous reinforcement ensures that staff remain confident in using the system and don’t revert to outdated practices.At-the-elbow support: One of the most valuable support methods during go-live is at-the-elbow support. This involves having super users and other experts available to assist staff in real time as they use the system with actual patients. During this high-stress period, staff are dealing with both technical learning and patient care. Immediate assistance can help mitigate frustrations and improve the user experience.Multiple training modalities: Not all staff members learn in the same way, so a variety of training modalities is crucial. This could include in-person sessions, virtual training, recorded tutorials and digital adoption platforms (DAPs). These tools can be integrated into the system to provide in-context, guided support for users as they navigate the EHR.

Tracking competency and measuring success

It’s vital to monitor and measure how well staff are using the system post-go live. Most EHR systems don’t come with built-in competency tracking tools, so organizations must integrate third-party learning management systems (LMS) or other solutions to monitor training effectiveness.

By establishing clear key performance indicators (KPIs) from the outset — such as system adoption rates, utilization levels and user satisfaction — organizations can assess whether the EHR system is meeting its intended goals. Effective governance is crucial to ensure that these KPIs are tracked, and that there is an ongoing process for addressing any issues or challenges that arise.

Building a culture of continuous learning and governance

As with any system, ongoing post-go-live support and maintenance are necessary to ensure continued success. Prior to deployment, organizations must establish a governance structure that ensures role and responsibility clarity for regular system updates, ongoing training and continuous support.

This governance process also plays a critical role in helping maintain employee engagement and confidence. If employees know that their concerns and challenges will be addressed, and that the system will evolve with their needs, they are more likely to embrace the system in the long run.

Proving the value of your investment

When organizations commit to a significant investment like an EHR system, they must be able to demonstrate its value. This value isn’t just measured by its performance at go-live, but by how well it supports patient care, enhances collaboration, and improves workflow efficiency over time.

Governance, training and support are integral to proving the value of that investment. By maintaining high adoption rates and demonstrating continuous improvement in clinical workflows, organizations can confidently show that their EHR investment has been worthwhile.

How we can help

Successful EHR implementation is about more than just rolling out a new system, it’s about fostering an environment where staff feel supported, engaged and empowered to use the system effectively. At Baker Tilly, we work with organizations to ensure that their EHR implementations not only go smoothly but that the system remains a valuable tool for years to come.

From early engagement to ongoing training and support, we help organizations navigate the complexities of change management and build a foundation for long-term success. With the right approach, healthcare organizations can maximize the benefits of their EHR systems, improve patient care and enhance overall operational efficiency.

Connect with a Baker Tilly specialist to learn more

Mastercard

Working as a waitress in Greenville, a small city of less than 30,000 nestled in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Kenesha Lewis thrived off the strong connections she created with her regular customers and dreamed of one day starting her own business.

After working her way up to become a restaurant manager and later district training manager, she transitioned to a career in finance and banking. But entrepreneurship still beckoned, and in 2018, she started making fruit arrangements and then began experimenting with making smoothies after work to kick a life-long sugar addiction. And before long, she solidified her idea that would mix her passion for people with her growing interest in healthy eating.

When people started lining up at 6 a.m. for a taste of her fruit concoctions, Lewis and her husband Jason decided to use their savings to start their own smoothie shop.

But they quickly realized running a business demanded more than hospitality experience. They turned to the Higher Purpose Hub and Delta Compass — two local organizations with roots as business development organizations, whose resources, such as training and mentorship, help create economic opportunities in rural Mississippi.

Based an hour north of Greenville, Higher Purpose is one of several dozen business development organizations, known as BDOs, backed by Rural LISC, the rural arm of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, one of the biggest community development financial institutions in the country. CDFIs are specially certified financial institutions with a mission to provide services to vulnerable communities — from urban centers to rural regions often overlooked by traditional banks.

For entrepreneurs like Lewis, CDFIs like Rural LISC are a vital stepping stone to building the financial and digital skills needed to develop small businesses that are the lifeblood of rural areas where one in five Americans live.

Set up 30 years ago, Rural LISC focuses, in part, on helping business owners deal with challenges such as small markets, inadequate financing opportunities and, in recent years, lack of technology and internet connectivity, says Nadia Villagran, Rural LISC director and LISC vice president.

The child of Mexican immigrant parents who worked around the clock to provide for their family, Villagran understands the need for CDFIs to match the “sweat equity” people invest in their businesses with appropriate services and resources.

“In rural communities, people have these great ideas, but it’s a struggle to build the muscle of being a business owner,” Villagran says.

Organizations like Rural LISC are uniquely positioned to reach these entrepreneurs — not only with financial access but technical support, such as digital upskilling and access to digital tools, says Sandy Fernandez, who leads Mastercard Strive in the U.S., which aims to equip small businesses with the digital tools to build resilience and grow, in part through partnerships with CDFIs.

“Their deep-rooted local relationships enable them to customize solutions for their communities, helping deploy digital payment systems, cybersecurity resources, and other technology solutions more effectively,” Fernandez says. “Their community-centric approach builds trust and allows them to serve businesses operating on slim margins.”

Higher Purpose Hub helped the Lewises build the business leaderships skills they needed to get ahead, and it introduced them to local banks, opened the doors to getting the financing they needed, and sponsored billboards to support Kay’s Kute Fruit.

They now employ five staff members to serve acai bowls, veggie wraps and smoothies made with kale, pineapple, mango and other fresh produce.

A few years later, Higher Purpose and the entire community proved once again to be invaluable. When the smoothie bar was broken into and vandals wreaked havoc in 2023, the town’s outpouring of financial and emotional support allowed them to quickly repair the damage and re-open their doors.

“I don’t know if we would have survived or succeeded the way that we have without Higher Purpose,” says Lewis, who juggles running the business with being a mother of two boys — one a high school senior and the other a six-month-old.

“You can’t be in a business just for the money, as it won’t last. If your passion is there, love what you do and stick with it. You have to water your ground for it to grow.”

Kenesha Lewis

Rural LISC helps people develop business plans and strategize social media, and it makes sure they are ready to apply for bank loans. “We want to be the first ones in,” Villagran says, “but we don’t have to stay if they get so much attention they’re able to come to the market and be supported by the traditional world of small business investing.”

Now Mastercard is stepping up its collaboration with Rural LISC and other CDFIs to scale support for small businesses across rural America.

Ensuring that rural businesses have access to both short-term working capital and long-term growth financing remains a top priority, Fernandez says, but Mastercard is also helping equip rural businesses to compete more strongly in a digital-first economy. That includes supporting BDOs with technical assistance and peer learning networks, developing localized strategies to address unique challenges, such as a lack of broadband access, and even using Mastercard’s data-driven insights to help all CDFIs optimize lending, track impact and identify funding gaps areas.

Back in Greenville, Mississippi, Lewis pays her community forward by talking to local school children about building healthy eating habits and acting as mentor to others looking to start on their own business journey.

“The advice I give people is, you can’t be in a business just for the money, as it won’t last. If your passion is there, love what you do and stick with it,” she says. “You have to water your ground for it to grow.”

Originally published by Mastercard

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