Tag: 3BL

NEW YORK, October 21, 2025 /3BL/ – TruFund Financial Services, Inc., a leading mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), has been awarded a $2,000,000 grant from Wells Fargo & Company to launch its Open for Business Growth – TruFund Real Estate Acquisition Program. The initiative is designed to help small business owners transition from tenants to property owners by making commercial real estate ownership more accessible and affordable in Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; and the New York City metropolitan area.

Beginning July 1, 2025, TruFund will deploy the grant over a three-year period to provide small businesses financing terms that help owners overcome some oof the traditional barriers to ownership. The funds will be directed toward loan capital, loan loss reserves, bad debt expense, and program operations, ensuring that entrepreneurs not only gain access to financing but also receive the resources and education necessary to achieve long-term stability through property ownership.

“This grant from Wells Fargo marks a transformative moment for TruFund and the communities we serve,” said James H. Bason, President & CEO of TruFund Financial Services, Inc. “By bridging the gap between renting and owning, we are helping small business owners build wealth, strengthen their businesses, and secure their place in the economic fabric of their cities.”

The initiative reflects Wells Fargo’s commitment to economic development and TruFund’s mission to create pathways to prosperity for historically underserved and distressed entrepreneurs. “TruFund’s vision aligns with the Wells Fargo Open for Business Growth program’s goal of empowering small business owners to thrive and grow,” said Kimelyn Harris, Head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “Wells Fargo is proud to support TruFund in its efforts to help businesses position themselves for continued growth through asset ownership.”

The Open for Business Growth – TruFund Real Estate Acquisition Program is expected to catalyze small business stability and generational impact in communities where commercial property ownership has traditionally been out of reach.

 

 

Originally published by GoDaddy

TEMPE, Ariz., October 21, 2025 /3BL/ — As talk about the government shutdown continues to dominate the national conversation, a new poll from GoDaddy and HarrisX finds that Americans, including federal government employees directly affected by the shutdown, are responding with resilience and turning uncertainty into opportunity.

The survey of more than 1,100 American adults and over 200 U.S. federal government employees reveals that economic instability could fuel a new wave of self-reliance, with many Americans prepared to turn their skills and ideas into income streams.

“Anxiety over personal finances is high right now, but we’re also seeing remarkable resolve from Americans more broadly, and from federal employees in particular, to create their own earning opportunities,” said Jared Sine, GoDaddy’s chief strategy and legal officer. “In times of uncertainty, the best thing you can do is bet on yourself.”

The national survey, conducted October 9-12, 2025, reveals:

The Shutdown Is Rattling Americans’ Confidence in Their Finances – And That’s Especially True for Federal Employees

Americans are feeling the impact of economic uncertainty on their own finances.

• 61% of American adults and 76% of federal government employees are concerned about the impact the government shutdown may have on their personal finances.
• 56% of federal employees and 34% of U.S. adults say the government shutdown has already made them less confident about the stability of their income.
• Concerns about the potential impact of the government shutdown extend beyond personal finances: 71% of Americans are concerned about the potential impact on small businesses and 64% are concerned about the potential impact on consumer spending.
• Among federal employees those concerns are even more acute. 90% are concerned about the impact the shutdown could have. 75% are worried about small businesses and 73% believe the shutdown could negatively impact consumer spending overall.

Consumers and Federal Workers Say They’re Pulling Back on Spending

Economic anxiety, rising amid the federal government shutdown, is spurring caution when it comes to spending.

• 63% of federal employees and 41% of Americans report reducing spending in response to the shutdown.
• 44% of government employees and 29% of all consumers say they are delaying major purchases.
• 39% of federal employees say they are already dipping into savings to cover expenses because of the government shutdown.

The Shutdown Could Fuel Entrepreneurial Intent

Economic uncertainty could drive many to pursue greater financial independence.

• 70% of Americans and 67% of federal employees surveyed agree that the shutdown underscores the need to be self-reliant when it comes to finding ways to generate income.
• 74% of U.S. adults and 79% of federal employees polled agree that in challenging times, people benefit from creating their own financial opportunities.
• 50% of Americans and 41% of federal employees who responded to the survey say they would likely start a business or side hustle if their income were to be disrupted by the federal government shutdown or another negative economic event.

Sine said: “These findings appear to reveal a trend: when confidence in the economy falters, Americans are eager to seize control and create their own earning opportunities.“

GoDaddy is making it easier than ever to start: for just $4.99, new customers can choose a domain and use ai-powered GoDaddy Airo® to launch their business online in minutes. Visit planme.godaddy/usa.

“Even amid economic uncertainty, Americans aren’t losing faith in themselves,” added Dom Bartkus, managing director at HarrisX. “The data shows that while concerns about the potential impact of the government shutdown are real for many, people are ready to adapt and navigate disruption rather than be defined by it.”

Methodology
HarrisX, commissioned by GoDaddy, conducted the nationally representative study online across the United States with 1,129 U.S. adults and 236 U.S. federal government employees. The interviews were conducted October 9-12, 2025. The sampling margin of error of this poll is +/-2.9 percentage points for U.S. adults and +/-6.4 percentage points for federal government employees. The general population results reflect a nationally representative sample of U.S adults. The survey sample was weighted for age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, income, and region where necessary to align it with the actual proportions in the population. Respondents for the study were recruited through opt-in, web-panel recruitment sampling. Recruitment occurs through a broad variety of professional, validated respondent panels to expand the sampling frame as wide as possible and minimize the impact of any given panel on recruiting methods.

About GoDaddy 
GoDaddy helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services, and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by enabling them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com

About HarrisX
HarrisX is a leading strategic research, data analytics and AI consultancy focused on emerging technologies, business and social trends, social impact, public policy and politics. HarrisX conducts multi-method research in the United States and over 50 countries around the world on behalf of Fortune 100 companies, public institutions, NGOs, global leaders and philanthropic organizations. HarrisX was one of the most accurate pollster of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and one of the most accurate outfits in the 2024 presidential election, correctly calling the results in 5 out of 7 battleground states and the national vote. For more info visit: www.harrisx.com.

Source: GoDaddy Inc.

In 2024, Environmental Community Action, Inc. (ECO-Action) received a two-year Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions and Equity Grant to engage community members from low-income, previously disinvested communities in Atlanta to access and participate in climate mitigation strategies to reduce energy burdens, optimize food waste diversion strategies and enhance their quality of life with ecological awareness, education and benefits. 

Over the past two years, the grant has enabled ECO-Action to collaborate with residents and leaders in Peoplestown (South Atlanta), Intrenchment Creek (Southeast Atlanta) and Proctor Creek (Northwest Atlanta) to offer monthly community-wide training on issues where climate change and health intersect.

They’ve partnered with community garden leaders to collect food scraps and establish free neighborhood-based composting programs in multiple neighborhoods across Atlanta. They’ve trained young adults and other community members on weatherization techniques to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy burdens in aging housing stock, and they’ve educated residents on issues and vulnerabilities at the intersection of climate and environmental justice.

Through monthly gatherings in their own communities, ECO-Action is empowering Atlanta residents to recognize issues and take action. Some of the activities residents have engaged in include planting trees where urban deforestation has occurred, reducing food waste sent to area landfills, and gaining insight into mitigating heat island effects.

A multigenerational approach has been successful for the ECO-Action team as they’ve trained young adults from the local communities to weatherize the homes of seniors and others in the community that they might not otherwise interact with. They’re not just sharing knowledge and improved thermal comfort; they’re forging lasting relationships.

The ECO-Action staff and volunteers recently took funders on a tour of multiple locations in their targeted neighborhoods, exemplifying the grant in action. Some examples included:

Grove Park Community Gardens – This garden included raised beds and fruit trees maintained by community members. The site is equipped with a shed, gardening tools and a central compost collection area where residents can take their food scraps. They’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing feedstock for compost that is processed locally at Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture. Finished compost is provided back to the community garden and to highly engaged residents who regularly contribute their kitchen scraps.

Parather-Williams Home in Collier Heights – Ms. Catherine Parather-Williams is a member of the ECO-Action Weatherization Team, and she participates in the household composting program. She has also been the recipient of some weatherization work at her own home. Weatherization interns demonstrated the weatherization upgrades that were made there, sealing cracks and ductwork, installing new dryer vents, replacing filters, and adding insulation.

When asked if she noticed a difference, Ms. Parather-Williams said, “I sleep a lot better at night, it’s more comfortable.” The compost she receives from ECO-Action is used in her front porch container garden where she grows peppers, collards, tomatoes, okra, and herbs.

Rick McDevitt Youth Center in Peoplestown – This is the hub for composting efforts in the neighborhoods of the Intrenchment Creek Watershed, and a portion of the grant was used to make weatherization upgrades to the Center.

The funders had a chance to hear from Donna Stephens, program manager for the Proctor Creek neighborhoods. Ms. Stephens reported that the Proctor Creek team continues to run educational sessions on composting, as well as supporting a cohort of youth ambassadors to recruit community members to participate in the weatherization and composting programs. Between March and August of 2025, neighbors in the Proctor Creek Watershed collected roughly 1,500 lbs of compostable materials.

George Epps, program manager for the Drawdown Georgia efforts in the Peoplestown and Intrenchment Creek neighborhoods also reported great success with the program. Mr. Epps is responsible for picking-up the food scraps at a central point, delivering them to Truly Living Well, and redistributing the collection buckets. Between March and August, Intrenchment Creek residents collected roughly 4,500 lbs of compostable materials, thereby diverting them from landfill, and helping avert the associated methane emissions. 

Neighbors in the Intrenchment Creek community are also focused on developing intergenerational learning via spring and fall break workshops on weatherization, composting, and urban gardening. The community has also partnered with Pike Nurseries and Trees Atlanta to plant fruit trees in the Peoplestown and the Intrenchment Creek watershed to help address heat island effects from previous urban deforestation. 

The weatherization interns presented on their ongoing work after the tour. They participated in training at Southface Institute, learning how to patch and apply mastic and foam to seal gaps, and how to safely construct scaffolding in attics to support insulation work. The Rick McDevitt Youth Center, Little Five Points Community Center, and 12 residents’ homes received a variety of weatherization improvements during the summer.

About the Funders: 

ECO-Action’s 2024-25 Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grant was supported by a funding cohort that included Atticus Fund, the R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation and its Dobbs Fund, Ghanta Family Foundation, The Ray C. Anderson Foundation, Reilly Family Fund, Tull Charitable Foundation and The Wilbur & Hilda Glenn Family Foundation.

About ECO-Action:

Environmental Community Action, Inc. (ECO-Action) helps communities organize to confront environmental health threats, and to strengthen & facilitate participation of communities in preventing and resolving such threats. ECO-Action serves the general population, with special focus on assisting residents of vulnerable communities – most often rural residents, people with limited formal education, those with few resources, women, and people of color.  ECO-Action’s work is based on the intersection of three things – threats to human health, environmental degradation and social injustice.

Viatris has a long history in the fight against infectious disease, which accounts for eight of the top 10 causes of death in low-income countries.¹ We are working with global and local partners to help prevent infections, increase access to diagnosis and treatment, provide healthcare solutions and work on local manufacturing initiatives with partners to transfer technology to expand access where it is most needed.

In 2024, Viatris focused on expanding access to HIV treatments, second-line tuberculosis (TB) treatments, anti-malarial products and injectables to Africa, North and South America, Eastern Europe and East Asia, regions that are experiencing an increase in new HIV infections and high-burden countries for drug-resistant TB.

We are also working with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) for the development of Flucytosine SR formulation, which will be used in the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis, a devastating fungal infection that people with HIV are especially susceptible to developing. Often, treatments for cryptococcal meningitis are not available or affordable in areas where the burden is most severe.²

Supplied ~50% of medicines on the WHO EML anti-infective medicines section and ~45% of medicines on the WHO EML for Children anti-infective medicines section

The Need to Remain Focused on HIV Treatment 

Progress in preventing and treating HIV has been uneven across the world. While sub-Saharan Africa has experienced the steepest reductions in new infections, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa are experiencing an increase. Overall, the global numbers of new HIV infections are not declining fast enough. Almost a quarter of people living with HIV are not receiving lifesaving treatment and every minute a person dies from AIDSrelated causes.³

Viatris provides access to high-quality and more affordable ARVs to approximately 125 countries. Viatris has 32 HIV/AIDS products on the WHO’s list of prequalified products.

The market dynamic is evolving and, in 2024, we saw regimen consolidation for pediatric patients on anti-retroviral therapy, with most of the HIV programs across the low- and lower-middle income countries transitioning to triple combination drug: Abacavir/Lamivudine/Dolutegravir 60/30/5. Regarding the PrEP (Pre exposure Prophylaxis) market, there is a considerable push for adoption of long-acting injectables for prevention therapy. Over the years, Viatris has procured license to develop, manufacture and commercialize the following long acting PrEP injectables in low- and middle-income countries: (i) Lenacapavir from Gilead Sciences Ireland UC (2024); and (ii) Cabotegravir from the Medicine Patent Pool (2023).

Product registrations are important to expanding access to ARV products as it helps global procurement agencies deliver the medicines to customers faster. This is important especially for meeting the UN SDG target of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.

We consistently file our ARV treatments with the U.S. FDA and the WHO Prequalification pathways to enable procurement by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, as well as other international agencies. Many countries require local registration in addition to these global approvals. To meet this need, we have steadily filed for local market authorizations of our ARV products based on country guidelines across all key high-burden HIV countries.⁴ 

We have local manufacturing facilities in Zambia, South Africa, and via Viatris’ partners in Mozambique and Kenya. Technology transfer agreements were made for key antiretrovirals to help expand access. By having presence for manufacturing and packaging in South Africa, Viatris is helping to develop local capacity, competency and experience with high-quality production. In addition, we have been working with global procurement agencies and distributor partners to store essential and high-priority products at the South Africa warehouse to enable supply with a short lead time.

Approximately 25% of the world’s adults and >50% of the world’s children on treatment for HIV use a Viatris product. We supply products that address HIV/AIDS for all lower- and lower-middle-income countries in which this is a leading cause of death.

In 2024, we launched the fixed-dose combination of isoniazid, pyridoxine, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim and pediatric and adult formulations of the fixed-dose combination of abacavir, dolutegravir and lamivudine, helping to reduce the pill burden across low- and middle-income countries.

Through our ongoing work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, we progressed work on development of a dual oral pill for HIV and birth control. The Dual Pill (TELE) has been submitted for WHO prequalification approval.

Barriers to effective treatment for people living with HIV include limited testing and lack of data for TAF-based treatments. TAF-based treatment in HIV involves the use of Tenofovir Alafenamide, a prodrug of tenofovir, which is preferred for its improved safety profile. It is used in combination with other antiretroviral agents in certain treatment regimens to effectively suppress the HIV virus and improve patient health. Viatris is helping to address these barriers through the promotion of HIV Self-Tests and scaling up of TAF-based treatments in various countries.

• We have >700 registrations of infectious disease products across LMICs.
• Viatris has seven licensing agreements with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) for HIV (including PrEP), hepatitis C, and COVID-19. For ARV and infectious disease products, Viatris also has license agreements with Gilead, Viiv Healthcare, MSD, TB Alliance and Otsuka.

Our HIV Treatment Access Goal

Goal: Provide ARV therapy equivalent to a total of 30 million patients, including >2 million children living with HIV/AIDS, between 2022 and the end of 2025.*

Our Progress: In 2024**, we provided treatments for ~7 million patients, including ~320,000 children living with HIV/ AIDS. Since 2022, we have provided treatments for >24 million adults and children.

^{*Our ability to make progress on our goal depends on several factors, some of which are outside of our control, including the existence and funding of our distribution partners. 
** The remediation activities at the Indore site have impacted our ARV therapy supply in 2024. We are aiming to be back on track by the end of 2025.}

Expanding access to Malaria Treatment

In 2024, Viatris signed a volume agreement with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and MedAccess for a daily dose treatment as a replacement for the existing combination medicine used to treat non-severe malaria, which is facing growing resistance.

The new treatment – artesunatepyronaridine (ASPY) – is indicated for all malarias, including multidrugresistant falciparum malaria.

Malaria is visibly impacted by the changing climate – as the climate warms, mosquitoes able to transmit the disease are spreading to new areas and living year-round in places where they were formerly only seasonally active. People who previously were not at risk for malaria, and who have no immunity to the disease, will be increasingly susceptible. Instead of reaching an end to malaria by 2030, we may be facing a global resurgence.

Viatris’ portfolio holds treatments for malaria, with two products on the WHO list of qualified products and collaboration with partners to expand access.

The Fight Against TB

Viatris works to help end TB, one of the leading causes of infectious disease deaths worldwide. In many cases, TB can be cured with an antibiotic treatment regimen for six months; however, non-adherence is a challenge for TB control and prevention programs. Non-adherence to TB treatment increases the risk of morbidity and mortality and fuels drug resistance, impacting both individuals and communities.

In 2024, we continued to expand access to pretomanid, specifically approved for adults with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). When it was launched in 2020 through partnership with TB Alliance, a nonprofit organization that develops and delivers new TB treatments, it was the third new anti-TB drug approved in the past half-century.

We work with key procurement agencies like the Global Drug Facility to provide accessible pricing and expand our reach to more than 100 countries. We also have an agreement with MedAccess for pretomanid that enables us to supply the product to all emerging market countries at a single access price.

In 2024, we completed five registrations for pretomanid and we are awaiting approval in six countries. In all, we have 64 current registrations for pretomanid spanning across multiple continents and income levels. Further, we have seven TB products on the WHO’s list of prequalified products. Partnerships like the one with TB Alliance are essential to providing more sustainable access to medicine.

Tackling HIV in Thailand

HIV/AIDS is a key public health priority for the government in Thailand. Viatris continued its collaboration in 2024 with the Government Pharmaceutical Organization to provide ARVs at a reduced cost to improve access for patients.

Understanding the Stigma of TB

TB persists as one of the world’s leading causes of infectious disease death, the leading cause of death for people living with HIV, and one of the major contributors to antimicrobial resistance.⁵ Viatris is actively engaged in and contributes to the leadership of the Private Sector Constituency (PSC) for the global Stop TB Partnership with the primary focus to achieve a world free of TB and, until then, making diagnosis, treatment and care available to all who need it.

Much progress⁶ was made in 2024 by the Partnership, including a record number of people diagnosed and treated for TB, an increase in TB programs focused on respecting the rights of people living with TB and being gender-sensitive, numerous country level stigma evaluations, and assessments of key and vulnerable groups. 2024 saw the highest-ever number of countries implementing One Impact – the only communityled monitoring tool used by the Stop TB Partnership – and a stronger, more coordinated civil society. Throughout 2024, the PSC stressed the role of the private sector in developing, introducing and supplying at scale TB treatments, vaccines, diagnostics and digital solutions for TB programs globally.

Creating Life-Saving Access for TB Patients

The Pretomanid Named Patient Access Program (NPAP) allows a treating physician to submit a request for pretomanid prior to regulatory approval in their respective country on a named-patient basis. In this program, Viatris receives an initial request from the treating physician from Viatris Pretomanid Named Patient Access Program on the website. The treating physician fills out anonymized patient information forms containing all the medical details and submits the request. Once the treating physician submits the request, it is reviewed by Viatris’ partner, TB Consilium, a multidisciplinary team of experts that helps manage difficult-to-treat tuberculosis cases. The team independently evaluates the request for the eligibility of the patient for receiving pretomanid. Once TB Consilium approves the patient’s eligibility for receiving pretomanid, Viatris reaches out to the treating physician for appropriate documents to ship the product to the requested location.

In 2024, the Pretomanid Named Patient Access Program successfully supported 28 patients, providing them with access to life-saving treatment that would otherwise be unavailable.

View the full Viatris 2024 Sustainability Report.

^{Sources
1 The top 10 causes of death 
2 Cryptococcal meningitis | DNDi 
3 2024 global AIDS report — The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads 
4 WHO global lists of high burden countries for tuberculosis (TB), TB/HIV and multidrug/ rifampicin-resistant TB
5 Tuberculosis Stop 
6 TB annual report}

Fast Company announced its seventh annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list, recognizing businesses that foster a culture of innovation across all levels. Lenovo was named one of the 10 companies empowering employees to make breakthroughs in AI, and Fast Company highlighted the company’s investment in revenue for R&D, maintaining 18 R&D facilities and four AI innovation centers worldwide.

The 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators list ranks 100 winners across industries such as entertainment, biotech, consumer packaged goods, marketing, education, and healthcare. To be considered, applicants detailed their investment in innovation, internal programs, and company culture. Final selections were made by Fast Company’s editors, who evaluated every application and conducted extensive research to generate a score for each company. A distinguished panel of judges then reviewed the top-rated companies.

“At Lenovo, innovation isn’t confined to labs. It’s woven into our culture. We empower our teams to push boundaries, experiment boldly, and create technology with customers at the center of every breakthrough. Guided by our vision of Smarter AI for All and powered by Lenovo’s Hybrid AI Advantage, we are democratizing AI to make it accessible, trusted, and seamlessly integrated into everyday life and work, helping customers achieve greater productivity, agility, and confidence. Being recognized again by Fast Company is a testament to both our people and our purpose: driving smarter technology that empowers everyone, everywhere.”

Lenovo has been recognized as a leader in workplace innovation, driven by its pioneering advancements in AI, automation, and machine learning. In 2025, Lenovo unveiled the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6, the world’s first rollable AI-enhanced laptop, demonstrating the company’s commitment to fostering bold ideas and cross-functional collaboration. Lenovo continues to prioritize investment in innovation, with R&D expenses up 13% year-over-year. Today, 25% of Lenovo’s workforce works in an R&D or innovation role. The company’s inclusive workplace culture, and philanthropic efforts further reinforce Lenovo’s dedication to “Smarter Technology for All,” ensuring that innovation thrives at every level and has a positive impact on communities worldwide.

“Each year, we’re inspired by the companies and leaders who prove that innovation doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of intentional choices to empower people at every level,” says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “The organizations on this year’s Best Workplaces for Innovators list show that when you build a culture where creativity and risk-taking are valued, breakthrough ideas inevitably follow.”

The full list of honorees is available at https://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/list.

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc. For more information, please visit fastcompany.com.

About Lenovo

Lenovo is a US$69 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #196 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

MetLife encourages a culture of year-round volunteering. Colleagues across all regions and departments lend their time, talent and passion for their communities to educational, environmental, mentoring, coaching, skills-based and pro-bono initiatives. 

MetLife colleagues are engaged in their communities in their personal lives, as well as through their work at MetLife. MetLife Foundation offers external recognition through the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) for eligible U.S.-based colleagues who volunteer and track more than 100 hours of volunteer service, including hours completed during our Volunteer Day, on weekends or in their personal lives. The PVSA is a national volunteer recognition program that honors acts of service in communities.

2024 Global Volunteering by the Numbers

• 179,000 employee volunteer hours
• 38 markets

Skills-Based and Pro-Bono Volunteering

When they put their professional skills to use in a volunteer capacity, MetLife colleagues have an outsized impact on nonprofits and their communities. 

MetLife Foundation established MetLife Skills for Impact. Through the program, MetLife volunteers shared business skills with MetLife Foundation grant recipients, helping the grantees establish operational processes, create financial modeling tools and develop an earned revenue model for a community focused program.

MetLife colleagues in the U.S. and Latin America also mentored founders participating in the ADAPT startup accelerator, operated by Village Capital and supported by MetLife Foundation. Mentors helped founders refine their business assumptions and plans, including perfecting their funding pitches to investors and optimizing how they measure their organization’s social impact.

In collaboration with South Korean impact investor, Merry Year Social Company, which supports social venture companies not plugged into mainstream investors, MetLife Korea colleagues, including the CEO of MetLife Korea and Head of MetLife Korea Foundation, volunteered as mentors to social venture leaders and judges in the selection process for Inclusion Plus. The MetLife mentors provided pro-bono support and business advice in areas including legal, marketing, information technology, accounting and finance.

Read more about how MetLife is strengthening communities through volunteering our 2024 Sustainability Report.

Yum! Brands

September 25 was National Foodservice Workers Day in the U.S., and we’re proud to have some of the very best working in our restaurants. Every day, they serve meals and show up for their communities — and recognizing their impact means making sure they’re supported, too. That’s why KFC U.S., the KFC Foundation and Yum!’s Unlocking Opportunity Initiative are proud to partner with the nonprofit Giving Kitchen to connect our team members with resources like emergency aid, housing assistance and more when the unexpected happens.

Watch our latest “Serving Up Good” video to see how we’re saying thanks to the people who make the magic of mealtime possible.

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

DALLAS, October 21, 2025 /3BL/ – The Mary Kay Ash Foundation®, an unwavering champion of advancing women’s cancer research and advocating for women’s health, announced it has awarded over $1.5 million in cancer research to nonprofits, cancer research institutes, and cancer support programs and services around the country. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has given more than $40 million in support of eliminating women-related cancers.

In 2025, grants were awarded to the following cancer research and support service organizations:

• Translational Cancer Research Grants (10 | $1,000,000)
  Awarded 10 esteemed cancer researchers from the nation’s leading accredited universities with individual grants of $100,000, totaling $1 million in funding. These competitive research grants support groundbreaking studies focused on cancers primarily affecting women.
• Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation Cancer Research & Support ($500,000)
  • Awarded a $100,000 grant to the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation Amy Selkirk Breast Cancer Research Fund to further support the second year of a first of its kind clinical trial conducted by Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD, Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research. This trial explores weight loss inhibitors to prevent breast cancer recurrence in overweight patients.
  • Awarded a $400,000 multi-year grant in support of the newly established Texas Cancer Interception Institute, a first of its kind program utilizing cutting edge biomarker technology, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood-based assays offered on a huge scale to improve cancer care with an emphasis on early detection.
• CancerCare (1 | $75,000)
  This year marks the 25^th anniversary partnering with CancerCare – the leading national organization dedicated to providing free, professional support services for those facing a cancer diagnosis. For 25 years, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has funded CancerCare’s Touching Hearts program, providing financial assistance to economically disadvantaged women navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment plan, resulting in over 50,000 grants totaling over $5.6 million in financial assistance.
• Cancer Support Community North Texas (1 | $25,000)
  Local nonprofit, Cancer Support Community North Texas, received a $25,000 grant in support of free programs and services for those undergoing cancer treatment and their caregivers. Participants receive counseling, health and wellness classes, yoga and crafts, and more to help with healing and hope.            

 View a full list of 2025 Mary Kay Ash Foundation Cancer Research Grant recipients.

“For nearly 30 years, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has been guided by a simple notion: when women thrive, communities thrive,” said Michael Lunceford, President of the Mary Kay Ash Foundation Board of Directors. “From funding innovative women’s cancer research to strengthening services for survivors of domestic violence, at our core we are empowering communities, restoring hope, and giving women the chance to live longer, healthier, safer lives.”

For nearly three decades, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has awarded more than $98 million to women’s shelters and domestic violence service providers, as well as cancer research programs and related causes throughout the U.S. For more information, visit marykayashfoundation.org  

***

About Mary Kay Ash Foundation® 
Guided by Mary Kay Ash’s dream to enrich the lives of women everywhere, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation® raises and distributes funds to end domestic violence and invest in breakthrough cancer research to find cures for women-related cancers. Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation has contributed more than $98 million to organizations aligned with its two-fold mission. In addition, the Foundation supports awareness initiatives, community outreach programs, and advocates for legislation to ensure women are healthy and safe. Together, we can make the world better for women. To learn more about how to educate, advocate, volunteer, donate, and join life-saving work to support and empower women, visit marykayashfoundation.org, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

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ARLINGTON, Va., October 20, 2025, /3BL/ – Lightshift Energy (Lightshift), a developer, owner and operator of battery energy storage projects across the U.S., and KeyBanc Capital Markets (KBCM), the corporate and investment banking arm of Cleveland based KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY), announced the close of a $75 million credit facility that will support Lightshift’s rapidly growing pipeline of energy storage projects across the East Coast. The flexible facility, which includes a term loan, construction-to-term loan and tax equity bridge loan, strengthens Lightshift’s ability to bring new projects online quickly and at scale.

The financing backs six of Lightshift’s operational projects while also enabling the advancement of 10 projects currently in and nearing construction. It further lays the groundwork for another large wave of Lightshift’s project pipeline as the company transitions into a phase of significant growth. This comes at a time when the U.S. market is experiencing surging demand for energy storage and a rapidly expanding need for firm and fast capacity solutions amid load growth and electricity supply constraints.

The initial portfolio includes Lightshift’s project with GlobalFoundries in Vermont, which will deliver critical power services and significantly reduce electric transmission and capacity costs at their semiconductor manufacturing plant. The project will highlight the potential of co-located energy storage and, once operational in 2026, will be the largest battery project in Vermont.

KBCM served as sole lender. The facility is structured to provide nimble, scalable capital as Lightshift’s utility and corporate partners work to meet growing power requirements and navigate cost challenges around transmission constraints and large load additions driven by data centers. KBCM and Lightshift will look to expand the facility as Lightshift accelerates its distribution-level storage portfolio to serve surging demand for capacity.

“Energy storage is a cornerstone of grid modernization, and Lightshift’s innovative approach to energy storage aligns with the growing demand for flexible, scalable solutions” said Gregory Berman, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Utilities, Power & Renewable Energy at KeyBanc Capital Markets. “We’re pleased to provide a financing structure that enables Lightshift to accelerate deployment across a diverse portfolio of projects and meet the evolving needs of utilities and large energy users.”

“This transaction marks a major milestone for the industry through project financing for a fleet of batteries across diverse regions and offtakers, all with the same operational objective, to provide firm capacity to the grid in the fastest most impactful way possible,” said Rory Jones, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Lightshift. “We are proud to partner with KeyBank as we tackle today’s most pressing grid challenges together.”

About Lightshift Energy

Lightshift is a utility-scale energy storage project developer, owner and operator headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Founded in 2019, Lightshift is developing a diverse, multi-gigawatt pipeline of energy storage projects, located throughout the U.S. With leading energy storage analytics, application design, finance, and development expertise, Lightshift deploys dynamic, multi-use energy storage projects that maximize value for utilities and other partners, while reinvesting directly into the communities where their projects are located. For more information, please visit www.lightshift.com.

KeyBanc Capital Markets

KeyBanc Capital Markets is a leading corporate and investment bank providing capital markets and advisory solutions to dynamic companies capitalizing on opportunities in changing industries. Our deep industry expertise, broad capabilities and unique ideas are seamlessly delivered to companies across the Consumer & Retail, Diversified Industries, Healthcare, Industrial, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Utilities, Power & Renewables, and Technology verticals. With more than 800 professionals across a national platform, KeyBanc Capital Markets has raised more than $125 billion of capital for their clients and has an award-winning equity research team that provides coverage on over 500 publicly traded companies.

KeyBanc Capital Markets is a trade name under which the corporate and investment banking products and services of KeyCorp® and its subsidiaries, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC (“KBCM”), and KeyBank National Association (“KeyBank N.A.”), are marketed. Securities products and services are offered by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and its licensed securities representatives. Banking products and services are offered by KeyBank N.A. Securities products and services: Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value

Community gardens help families in need, says Desiree Jackson, vice president of early childhood services at the Catholic Charities of Brooklyn & Queens. The community her organization serves suffers from food insecurity, and growing produce in the garden can bring a community increased independence over food and even finances. 

Her organization invites both parents and children to participate in nutrition, health and wellness programs supported by the GroMoreGood Garden Grants from National Head Start Association and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation. Families learn to grow produce at home as well as preserve it. 

“We’re hoping to take this even further by continually having an outdoor classroom that stems food insecurities,” says Desiree. “Not only are we taking care of ourselves and seeing beautiful flowers, but we’re also able to take care of the community.”

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. 

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