Tag: 3BL

5 Facts About Dr. Chirag Patel

Title: Senior Director, AI Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Alma Mater: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering with a focus on wireless, Georgia Tech

Years at Qualcomm: 18

Role: Lead product management for generative AI.

Impact: With more than 750 patents granted globally, their contributions have helped position Qualcomm as a leader in generative AI and wireless technology, in turn influencing global technology trends.

Speed Round

Texting or calling? Texting

Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek

Early Bird or night owl? Early bird

Mountain climbing or skydiving? Skydiving

Favorite work snack? Almonds

The key to successful engineering is to find the simplicity in complexity: the one easy thing that unlocks the solution to a thorny challenge. This applies to careers as well, and if you look at the work of Qualcomm Technologies’ Dr. Chirag Patel, who holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, you see someone who understands not just technology, but the inflection points in it — where technology is going.

Like many engineers, Patel was introduced to the field by his parents. Patel’s father was an electrical engineer in India, and he inspired Patel to take apart broken appliances and gadgets to see how they worked… or didn’t work.

He discovered that, to him at least, the world of machines was simpler than he thought. More recently, when his 15-year-old car’s window stopped going up and down, Patel took the door apart to see if he could decode its inner workings. To his relief, he found a relatively simple mechanism (still, he has learned over the years to write down and photograph the steps to disassemble machines that he eventually wants to put back together). With memories of explorations from his childhood, he knows that many things require only persistence to repair, not professional help.

Inventing new technology, though, does require a deep dive. For example, as a student, Patel was drawn to the challenge of advancing the leading edge of wireless communication. In college, he learned about and worked on code-division multiple access (CDMA) technologies, which led to his first major career choice. Eventually, artificial intelligence (AI) proved to be an irresistible draw. And the connection from wireless to AI is more direct than you might think…

The OnQ Team (OnQ): Why did you join Qualcomm?

Chirag Patel (CP): My college project was on CDMA technology, where I wrote a very basic software simulator for CDMA transceiver system. Of course, Qualcomm was a leader in CDMA. I was an IEEE member and would read articles about Qualcomm’s innovations, which fascinated me. I wanted to be part of, and contribute to, the emerging mobile wireless revolution.

Qualcomm was obviously the best place to be for someone interested in wireless R&D. There was no other choice. So I started as an intern in 2005 and then transitioned to a full-time role as a wireless R&D engineer in 2006.

OnQ: Before Qualcomm, what was your academic background?

CP: I have a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech, specializing in wireless communication. My time at Georgia Tech allowed me to explore the depths of wireless technology, including mobile-to-mobile wireless communication, and it set me up for my future career.

Before moving to the United States for my higher studies, my early education was in India.

OnQ: How and why did you make the move from wireless to AI?

CP: For 12 or 13 years, I was working on 3G/4G/5G — engineering, standards, licensing and customer engagements. I liked it, but the AI bug bit me as part of a project we were doing for a customer. I found it fascinating. Around 2019, I joined Qualcomm AI Research, where I decided to go back to hardcore engineering and understand the technology as much as I can.

It was a very dynamic period. It was hard for anyone to know everything about it. But starting in 2019 I was completely in it.

As a wireless systems engineer, I have a background in statistics, probability and communication theory. A lot of those underlying foundations apply to AI, especially to the work on quantization and compression which is at the heart of our edge AI platform.

It’s very similar to what you do with signal processing in wireless. So that made the transition easier.

OnQ: What are you working on now?

CP: I am a Senior Director of AI Product Management. I lead the generative AI technology portfolio, which involves working with AI engineering teams for feature planning, with a focus on comprehensive system analysis and solutions, and translating these into AI products across different business units. Our mission is to make Qualcomm Technologies the leader in edge AI.

OnQ: Now that you’ve been in AI for a while, what is it about the field you find most interesting?

CP: The technology is mind boggling, right? You can see the impact everywhere. And it’s spreading — we have AI smartphones, AI PCs and generative AI is moving into Auto, IoT, all sorts of products.

What will make an impact in your day to day? That’s what we’re working on.

OnQ: What is it like being an inventor and innovator at Qualcomm?

CP: It’s working with the best people. When I started in wireless, it gave me the best exposure to the brightest minds in the field. The depth and caliber. I’ve been fortunate to work with all these great people.

At the same time, Qualcomm offers opportunities to jump around, try different things. Obviously, you have to have the caliber and smarts to actually make the transitions, but Qualcomm nurtures you and opens up doors.

OnQ: Where do you get your inspiration day to day?

CP: Qualcomm is in serious competition all the time. We’re here as the company with best engineering ethos to innovate, out-execute and deliver ahead of the competition.

Pressure cooker situations motivate me further. I actually enjoy running high-stakes demos, like when we showed off small-cell technology for Mark Zuckerberg, when he came to campus with all his bodyguards and we had sections cordoned off. I always want to deliver as best as possible.

OnQ: What work has made you the most proud?

CP: Lately, the AI work has made me proud, especially the work on the AI Model Efficiency Toolkit (AIMET) and several of the world’s first edge, on-device generative AI demos and generative AI commercial product launches.

It was a challenging transition, and I was able to understand, execute and deliver on new technology and make an impact for Qualcomm.

OnQ: Do you have any advice on how to be an effective collaborator at Qualcomm?

CP: Find someone you can talk to frankly — a good mentor. Maybe not an official mentor, but definitely someone who can give you a push if you’re stuck.

Also, be that mentor for other people. I tell people that come to talk to me, if something is bothering you, do something about it, don’t delay. Qualcomm values these interactions, and everyone tries to help each other. At the same time, don’t get too comfortable. It’s okay to jump projects or try new things every couple of years. That’s another blessing we offer.

OnQ: What advice would you have on how to encourage innovation and the creation of new ideas, at the largest scale?

CP: A lot of innovation in the U.S. now, especially AI, is private money. Back when I was in college, I was grateful that the U.S. government was funding the grants for the research I was doing. It was incredibly valuable.

Watch a demo of the world’s fastest Stable Diffusion running on a smartphone

To be competitive on a global scale, we need more government support and collaborations with the private sector. Things are heading in that direction, such as with the CHIPS Act, and I hope this continues with more investments in AI infrastructure.

At the same time, the private sector needs to focus on fundamental problems to maintain U.S. leadership. We need to get to that happy medium where both sectors drive the engines of innovation and growth.

OnQ: Finally, can you tell us where Generative AI is going next?

CP: The most immediate impact will be on smartphones and the compute side. And then, automotive, IoT, etc. For example, the in-car cockpit experience will be completely re-defined — natural, interactive and fun. You’ll talk to your car; it will be your digital chauffeur.

Generative AI will also make its way into home devices; an AI-centered product could emerge to combine all your home devices to become a home assistant, life logger and so on. There are endless possibilities. It’s going to be about personalized experiences with any and every device you have, secure and private. I think that’s a good thing, and this is where Qualcomm plays.

Also, when you think about AI, think broader: while ChatGPT takes mindshare in headlines, AI will make a more long-lasting impact in areas like medicine and drug discovery, energy, manufacturing and so on.

There’s lots more to come.

Editor’s Note: The above interview was transcribed and consolidated by AI, then written and edited manually by our editors for editorial clarity.

AI on the Edge: Explore more topics about the importance and possibilities of on-device generative AI

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Apply for an AI role at Qualcomm

Read about our next inventor: Diana Maamari

This year, 38 employees across seven offices read to over 700 students as part of Jumpstart’s 19th anniversary of Read for the Record. The annual campaign celebrates the power of reading and supports early literacy by attempting to have most people read the same book on the same day.

On October 24, Franklin Templeton volunteers read Piper Chen Sings, by Phillipa Soo, Maris Pasquale Doran and illustrated by Qin Leng. The story is about a young girl who loves to express herself through singing but is struck with self-doubt and nervousness when asked to perform a solo in front of an audience. Piper tells her Nai Nai that she felt “like butterflies were having a dance party” in her belly; she doesn’t feel she can sing in front of others without making a mistake. Thankfully, Nai Nai teaches Piper that feeling butterflies means “something exciting was ahead” and that recognizing and welcoming that anxious feeling would help it pass. Nai Nai’s advice empowers Piper, who finds her voice on stage.

As a sponsor of Jumpstart, Franklin Templeton donated over 1,100 copies of the book to students and classrooms. 

Thank you to Franklin Templeton employees who read Piper Chen Sings with Jumpstart. Your excitement and love for Read for the Record enables the organization to connect children and adults in shared reading experiences around the world year after year.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.

With the 2024 harvest in full swing across Australia’s grain growing regions, CNH brand, New Holland, is helping its customers to make the most of every grain.

New Holland’s Twin Rotor™ CR combines are renowned for delivering top grain quality with minimal losses, while the brand is committed to maximising uptime with strategically stocked ‘critical for function’ parts at locations around Australia for distribution to dealers as needed.

Product & Portfolio Manager – Crop Harvesting ANZ, Marc Smith, said from the design of the CR combine itself, through to the brand’s parts and service availability, everything is geared around getting more quality grain in the tank.

“If a farmer can’t get a crop off before weather, whether it’s rain or heat, every day the crop is sitting in the ground and not in storage it is potentially diminishing in quality,” said Marc.

Grain quality is further enhanced by award winning features including the Opti-Clean™ and Opti-Fan™ systems, while the award-winning IntelliSense™ combine automation system, Dynamic Flow Control™ remotely adjustable rotor vanes, concave reset, the deep cut Dynamic Feed Roll™ technology and the all-new patented Opti-Spread™ Plus super wide spreading residue management system, continue to ensure that the CR range is among the most advanced and productive harvesters in the world.

Teva is pleased to announce the launch of a new program that donates vital medicines to underserved communities in El Salvador.

Working in collaboration with Americares and FUSAL, this effort aims to expand patients’ access to a Healthy Future.

In El Salvador, many patients face significant barriers that prevent them from getting the treatments they need. Through this program, we are addressing critical health needs related to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory illnesses and pain and palliative care. Our goal is to bring hope and healing to those who need it most.

This program joins seven others providing treatments to underserved populations worldwide, and we are proud to have reached our goal of launching eight access to medicines programs by 2025 ahead of schedule.

Programs like this are a testament to our commitment to Health Equity. By working closely with our partners, we deliver customized, localized solutions that truly make a difference. We invite you to read more about how we are bringing essential treatments to patients who otherwise wouldn’t have them: https://ow.ly/RvWN50SR0gp

Elanco’s Global Day of Purpose (GDOP) is our annual capstone employee volunteerism event, which has evolved from a single day to become a popular year-round initiative including dozens of individual and group volunteer events around the world.

Our team has taken this year’s annual month of giving and volunteerism to new heights with more than 150 volunteer events scheduled. 150. And counting! Beginning with our annual Global Day of Purpose at the beginning of October, teams around the world have been participating in volunteer efforts to give back to their local community. Through river and park clean ups, volunteering at animal shelters, manning food banks, and, yes, even scuba diving for trash, our team is helping improve the lives of animals, people and the environment.

In October alone (our Global Month of Purpose), Elanco employees volunteered over 11,000 hours. Below are just a few ways Elanco team members are volunteering for Global Day of Purpose:

Poland 
For its GDOP, the Elanco Warsaw team built 10 beds for sloths, 10 swings for the aviary, 150 paper toys for parrots and 9 feeders for the aviary for the Warsaw Zoo.

Indiana (HQ)
For GDOP at HQ, 500 Elanco employees gather at the Indianapolis Zoo to pack 100,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger – its largest meal packing event in the state of Indiana.

Taiwan
Elanco Taiwan focused its efforts on clearing a significant are of invasive plants, contributing to a healthier ecosystem and supporting carbon sequestration. 

Japan
Elanco Japan cleaned up local parks and streets, collecting trash. Through the clean-up initiative, they demonstrated our commitment to healthier planet, also showing our passion to provide a clean and enjoyable walking experience for dogs and their owners.

Italy
Elanco Italy supported hundreds of families and children in need by preparing meal kits and assisting various charities as Rise Against Hunger, Banco Alimentare, Caritas and Mastri Biscottai. They also pampered our four-legged friends with love and care, donating snacks, wipes, and shampoo to several shelters.

NEWARK, N.J., November 26, 2024 /3BL/ Public Service Electric & Gas, New Jersey’s largest utility, is the recipient of the 2024 ReliabilityOne® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance in the Mid-Atlantic Metropolitan Service Area. For the second consecutive year, PSE&G also received the 2024 ReliabilityOne® Outstanding Customer Engagement Award nationally. ReliabilityOne® Awards are given annually to the utilities that have achieved outstanding reliability performance and have excelled in delivering the most reliable electric service to their customers.

PA Consulting, a global innovation and transformation consultancy, is presenting the 2024 ReliabilityOne® Outstanding Customer Engagement Award to PSE&G for having the best overall customer approach and ongoing customer engagement strategy. PSE&G is using innovative methods of involving and proactively engaging customers as it relates to outage reporting and restoration communications. The combination of these two national awards reaffirms PSE&G as a leader in delivering best-in-class electric service reliability while also providing a positive customer experience.

“Our customers have evolving energy needs and expectations. PSE&G works hard to maintain our standing as one of our region’s most affordable utilities while also striving for exceptional reliability for our customers, now and into the future,” said John Latka, senior vice president PSE&G Electric Transmission and Distribution. “We thank our employees for their consistent dedication, which supports our reliability record and helps us deliver the outstanding, affordable service our customers rely on.”

PSE&G improves electric service reliability by strengthening and upgrading its infrastructure with new technology that bolsters resiliency and reliability. We are also implementing new ways to communicate with our customers during both blue-sky days and major weather events. This enables us to engage directly with our customers and convey accurate information in a more-timely manner, creating a more positive customer experience.

“Becoming our customers’ trusted energy provider is a top priority, so we are thrilled to receive this special customer award,” said Dave Johnson, vice president PSE&G Customer Care & Chief Customer Officer. “We are deeply committed to improving our customer experience. We use technology to create new ways to engage with our customers and provide real-time access to conduct business with us when and where they want.”

All utilities operating dense electric delivery networks in North America are eligible for consideration for the ReliabilityOne® Award. There are eight metropolitan service regional awards including Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Plains, Mountains, West, Southeast, and Southwest. The selection of provisional recipients is based primarily on system reliability statistics that measure the frequency and duration of customer outages.

After provisional recipients are selected, each company undergoes a certification process which provides an independent review and confirmation of the policies, processes and systems used to collect, analyze and report a company’s reliability results.

“These awards are a testament to the hard work our employees have contributed to strengthen our electric delivery infrastructure,” said Latka. “We have teams that have dedicated their entire careers to improving electric service reliability and responding to customers’ needs. This recognition, combined with our stellar reliability performance, is something our employees and their families should be extremely proud of. Their dedication and support have improved the quality of life for our electric customers.”

###

PSE&G 
Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is New Jersey’s oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, as well as one of the nation’s largest utilities. PSE&G has won the ReliabilityOne® Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region for 23 consecutive years. For the third consecutive year, PSE&G is the recipient of the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in the Energy Efficiency Program Delivery category. In addition, in 2023 J.D. Power named PSE&G number one in customer satisfaction with residential and business electric service in the east among large utilities. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a predominantly regulated infrastructure company focused on a clean energy future and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 16 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).

About PA Consulting  
We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future. As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity. Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results. We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defense and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport. Our teams operate globally from offices across the US, UK, Ireland, Nordics, and Netherlands. Discover more at paconsulting.com and connect with PA on LinkedIn and X. PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life. services, health and life sciences, and transport. Our teams operate globally from offices across the US, UK, Ireland, Nordics, and Netherlands. Discover more at paconsulting.com and connect with PA on LinkedIn and X. PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

PA Consulting’s ReliabilityOne® awards are presented to electric utilities providing their customers with the highest levels of reliability in the industry. PA Consulting’s ReliabilityOne® study is based on standard industry reliability statistics that measure the frequency and duration of electric power outages. As a group, ReliabilityOne® participants on average experienced over 50% fewer sustained outages, and their collective system saw 60% shorter outage durations than the average US investor owned utility. PA Consulting has been analyzing electric utility performance since 1987. For more information about PA Consulting, visit https://www.paconsulting.com/industries/energy-and-utilities

Originally published on PSEG NewsRoom

PARIS, November 26, 2024 /3BL/ – The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) has received a benchmarking application from MPS for its MPS-Socially Qualified (MPS-SQ) standard. This marks MPS’s first step towards earning SSCI Recognition for meeting industry expectations for third-party social compliance programmes under the SSCI’s Primary Production scope.

To date, the SSCI has recognised five schemes, and MPS-SQ joins six additional schemes currently in progress for recognition. Through this benchmarking process, SSCI continues its commitment to building trust in social and environmental sustainability standards by recognising programmes that uphold key criteria set by leading industry stakeholders.

The MPS-SQ certification standard, introduced in 2002 by MPS, is designed to ensure good working conditions in the agricultural sector. Covering the entire company, this standard applies to growers and sets requirements for employee working conditions, health, and safety. It is grounded in universal human rights, the codes of conduct of local representative organisations and the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) agreements.

For participants without employees, such as family-run operations, the standard ensures fair treatment of family members working in agricultural production. Importantly, the provisions of the MPS-SQ standard represent minimum requirements and do not override laws, judgements, or agreements offering better protections for workers.

By adhering to the MPS-SQ certification standard, growers commit to creating safer, healthier workplaces and fostering a positive image of the agricultural sector. Where stricter local, national, or international laws exist, the standard ensures compliance with the regulations that offer the highest level of worker protection. Through its implementation, the MPS-SQ certification aims to promote improvements in working conditions and uphold ethical labour practices across the industry.

Daan de Vries, CEO of MPS, said, “Applying for the SSCI benchmark with MPS-SQ isn’t just about achieving recognition; it’s about demonstrating our commitment to excellence, fostering trust with our stakeholders, and ensuring our services meet the highest standards of quality and innovation.”

The SSCI Benchmark is a comprehensive process that recognises which schemes cover key sustainability criteria and apply relevant verification practices. The process revolves around a first self-assessment undertaken by the scheme, followed by a review by an independent expert, office visits, and a public consultation. The methodology also includes opportunities for the applicant to take corrective actions if and when needed.

At the SSCI, we welcome this positive step from MPS and look forward to reviewing its alignment towards industry values on transparency, social responsibility, and sustainability. To monitor the process of its evaluation, and other schemes undergoing the benchmarking, visit www.recognition.tcgfssci.com.

Learn More and Apply

Third-party auditing and monitoring schemes and programmes are invited to apply for SSCI Recognition and demonstrate their commitment to industry-defined expectations for social responsibility. Learn more about the SSCI Benchmark and download the application kits at benchmark.tcgfssci.com.

For more information about the SSCI, please visit www.tcgfssci.com or contact the SSCI team at ssci@theconsumergoodsforum.com

– Ends –

About the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative 

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) builds trust in social and environmental sustainability standards worldwide by benchmarking third-party auditing and certification programmes and recognising schemes that meet industry expectations. By providing an open-source list of recognised programmes, the SSCI delivers clear guidance on which schemes cover key sustainability criteria and apply relevant verification practices. The SSCI improves transparency in the market, facilitates decision-making on schemes at both buyer and supplier level and sets the responsible sourcing expectations for the industry. For more information, visit www.tcgfssci.com.

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 55 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

Contact

Didier Bergeret 
Director, Sustainability 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
Send email

Anne Holdsworth 
Communications, Sustainability 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
Send email

By Evelyn Mitchell | November 7, 2024

Regions Bank recognizes Veterans Day Nov. 11 and celebrates military veterans and their families all year long. Through a variety of recruitment, development and mentoring programs, Regions seeks to build the best team through hiring and developing military members, military veterans and military spouses.

I AM. WE ARE. – Celebrating Regions Associates 
Our collective history is part of who we are, and Regions is a stronger company today because of our associates.

Meet Siddharth 
Siddharth, a Business Intelligence Analyst, shares his I AM. story.

Meet Angela 
Angela, a Regions Business Capital Account Specialist, shares her I AM. story.

I AM a Veteran of the United States Air Force. It was an honor to serve our great country.

I AM an advocate for homeless veterans, the larger veteran community, and for anyone who may be in need.

I AM a stepmom, grandma and a great friend.

I AM a lover of music; I love to sing even though I really can’t.

I AM a giver. I give back by planning events like toy drives, school supply giveaways, and basically anything I can do to help my community.

I AM a licensed minister.

I love to travel. People who know me well, know that I am an avid cruiser. I try to take a cruise at least twice a year.

Every Veterans Day, I love to meet others who have served our country. The bond we share as a community is a special one, that I’m honored to be a part of. No matter what branch of service, no matter our experience or job, we are all brothers and sisters. Fly. Fight. Win.

Because of who I AM, we are more passionate, intentional, purposeful.

Military Friendly Employer 
Regions has been designated a Military Friendly® Employer by Military Friendly®, an organization that measures the commitment of companies to create professional opportunities that leverage military experience.

Learn more about Regions Military Recruiting.

BRAVE Military Program for Veterans and Military Spouses 
Regions is committed to supporting U.S. Military veterans and their families, both during their service and after they transition to civilian life. Our military transition program is called BRAVE – Building Regions Associate Veteran Experience. The objective of BRAVE is to support veterans and military spouses seeking career opportunities at Regions.

The BRAVE program includes:

Hiring, onboarding and training support.Learning and development tailored to transitioning veterans.Veteran-to-veteran and military spouse to military spouse mentoring and guidanceResources to help ease transition, including Employee Assistance Program (EAP), military leave and accommodations for disabled veteransCommunity involvement opportunitiesMilitary recruiting events

Through the BRAVE program, Regions matches the talents and experiences of transitioning military members to opportunities at Regions and provides support to overcome challenges that come with transitioning to a civilian job.

Military Banking Benefits and Services 
At Regions, we want to make banking easier for the members of the Armed Forces and their families. Financial benefits and resources including a dedicated Service Members and Veterans Affairs Manager are part of our commitment to customers.

In the Community 
Regions is proud to work with EANGUS, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. Regions provides a virtual monthly financial wellness seminar to EANGUS members.

Send a Veterans Day Ecard 
Say thank you to a military veteran with a Veterans Day ecard.

By Evelyn Mitchell | November 7, 2024

Regions Bank recognizes Veterans Day Nov. 11 and celebrates military veterans and their families all year long. Through a variety of recruitment, development and mentoring programs, Regions seeks to build the best team through hiring and developing military members, military veterans and military spouses.

I AM. WE ARE. – Celebrating Regions Associates 
Our collective history is part of who we are, and Regions is a stronger company today because of our associates.

Meet Siddharth 
Siddharth, a Business Intelligence Analyst, shares his I AM. story.

Meet Angela 
Angela, a Regions Business Capital Account Specialist, shares her I AM. story.

I AM a Veteran of the United States Air Force. It was an honor to serve our great country.

I AM an advocate for homeless veterans, the larger veteran community, and for anyone who may be in need.

I AM a stepmom, grandma and a great friend.

I AM a lover of music; I love to sing even though I really can’t.

I AM a giver. I give back by planning events like toy drives, school supply giveaways, and basically anything I can do to help my community.

I AM a licensed minister.

I love to travel. People who know me well, know that I am an avid cruiser. I try to take a cruise at least twice a year.

Every Veterans Day, I love to meet others who have served our country. The bond we share as a community is a special one, that I’m honored to be a part of. No matter what branch of service, no matter our experience or job, we are all brothers and sisters. Fly. Fight. Win.

Because of who I AM, we are more passionate, intentional, purposeful.

Military Friendly Employer 
Regions has been designated a Military Friendly® Employer by Military Friendly®, an organization that measures the commitment of companies to create professional opportunities that leverage military experience.

Learn more about Regions Military Recruiting.

BRAVE Military Program for Veterans and Military Spouses 
Regions is committed to supporting U.S. Military veterans and their families, both during their service and after they transition to civilian life. Our military transition program is called BRAVE – Building Regions Associate Veteran Experience. The objective of BRAVE is to support veterans and military spouses seeking career opportunities at Regions.

The BRAVE program includes:

Hiring, onboarding and training support.Learning and development tailored to transitioning veterans.Veteran-to-veteran and military spouse to military spouse mentoring and guidanceResources to help ease transition, including Employee Assistance Program (EAP), military leave and accommodations for disabled veteransCommunity involvement opportunitiesMilitary recruiting events

Through the BRAVE program, Regions matches the talents and experiences of transitioning military members to opportunities at Regions and provides support to overcome challenges that come with transitioning to a civilian job.

Military Banking Benefits and Services 
At Regions, we want to make banking easier for the members of the Armed Forces and their families. Financial benefits and resources including a dedicated Service Members and Veterans Affairs Manager are part of our commitment to customers.

In the Community 
Regions is proud to work with EANGUS, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. Regions provides a virtual monthly financial wellness seminar to EANGUS members.

Send a Veterans Day Ecard 
Say thank you to a military veteran with a Veterans Day ecard.

Schneider Electric’s Access to the Future

Today, over 1.5 billion people are unable to access reliable energy, mostly in developing countries. It demands immediate action: expanding access to reliable and affordable clean electricity everywhere. A swift energy transition, packed with initiatives to address energy poverty, will transform the lives of millions while mitigating climate change.

Here, renewable energy systems — like minigrids, stand-alone, and off-grid systems — play a key role. They generate and distribute energy independently, making them a great option for areas with little to no access to traditional power grids.

Studies show that by 2030, Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) could bring power to around 500 million people. Not only can it replace ‘dirty’ diesel generators, but does so while making power more reliable and affordable for homes and businesses. Its installation and maintenance can also create high-quality, local jobs. The International Energy Agency suggests that off-grid solutions are the most cost-effective way to electrify nearly half of the world’s unconnected population by 2030.

Minigrid vs microgrid

A minigrid is a small, independent power network that usually integrates with the main grid, but can also work alone when needed. It provides power to different users like homes, businesses, and industries in a specific area. Minigrids are especially useful in rural or semi-urban areas where it’s too expensive or difficult to expand the main grid.

A microgrid is a smaller version of a minigrid, with less power and fewer users. The main difference is that microgrids serve a smaller area or just one place, like a hospital, university, or military base.

Both minigrids and microgrids decentralize energy generation and provide reliable, affordable power to underserved populations. This makes them essential for achieving global energy access goals. But despite their promise, the adoption of minigrids in developing countries has been stunted.

The challenges facing minigrids

A report published by BloombergNEF and SEforALL noted three critical challenges: the need for regulation to protect cash flows, affordability, and the limitations of smaller-scale projects. Other barriers include:

Customizing to local conditions increases engineering and design costs, which impacts project viability.High initial technology and equipment costs hinder widespread adoption.Difficulty in securing affordable financing slows project implementation.Limited purchasing power affects project financial sustainability.Underdeveloped social engineering ecosystems impact community engagement and sustainability.

Overcoming these challenges requires a broad approach that reduces costs, creates financing mechanisms, and enhances social engineering while ensuring affordability for local communities.

Key drivers

The World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program highlights five drivers to help the minigrid market achieve its full potential:

Lowering the cost of electricity from solar hybrid minigrids to $0.20/kWh by 2030 would provide life-changing power to half a billion people for just $10 per month.Building portfolios of minigrids, instead of one-off projects, could increase deployment to 2,000 minigrids per country per year.Providing reliable electricity to communities would expand the operations of 200,000 schools and clinics, and create demand for three million income-generating appliances and machines.Attracting private sector finance with development partner funding and government investments. This could raise $127 billion in investments for minigrids by 2030.Establishing supportive policies, adaptive regulations, and minimizing bureaucratic red tape in countries with low access.

Innovative solutions to payment barriers

In India, the ‘Climate Smart Village Solution’ pilot lets farmers use solar power for various needs, boosting income while cutting costs with inverter-less and battery-less solutions. This makes renewable energy more affordable and better suited for rural economies.

Scaling to achieve SDG 7

To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), an estimated 100,000 minigrids are needed annually in Africa alone. This ambitious scale means standardizing designs and products, to allow for quick plug-and-play installations without complex engineering and design processes. In India, we’ve seen promising outcomes from solar installations ranging from 50 kW to 3 MW. These projects have an average payback period of 3 to 3.5 years, with lifetime savings typically 8 to 10 times the initial investment.

How does a minigrid enhance living conditions?

By supplying reliable power where it’s needed most, mini grids can often mean the literal difference between life and death. For example, we set up an 8.7KW solar and storage minigrid at a birthing hospital in Kisii, Kenya, alongside local partner PowerPoint Systems. This meant the facility could open 24/7, increasing average monthly deliveries from 5 to 20 — 60% of which occur at night. And while operational hours expanded, monthly energy costs sank.

Over on Kenti Island, Myanmar, our solar minigrid project with Techno-Hill Engineering brought 24/7 renewable energy to 300 households, a clinic, a high school, and two primary schools, along with streetlights and enhanced equipment for local businesses. The project has allowed the local economy to thrive. In particular, this has benefitted women, who have started home-based businesses such as sewing shops or freezer leasing.

Benefits of standardized minigrid systems

Standardizing minigrid designs and producing them at scale have multiple benefits, including:

Cost reduction of minigrids and electricity, through economies of scale.Simplified manufacturing and deployment, ensuring consistency, quality, and reliability across different installations.Higher confidence for investors and financial institutions, making funding easier to obtain.Stronger influence on regulations, providing a clear basis for policy development.Better safety asprotocols are integrated into designs, ensuring high standards and minimizing risks.Simplified maintenance and operation processes, guaranteeing availability of spare parts.Seamless integration with the main grid when needed, eliminating complexity and costs.

Standardization represents a long stride toward our energy access goals, both on a global and community level. It allows us to clear heavy roadblocks for widespread minigrid adoption. By standardizing, we can greatly accelerate the expansion of minigrids, promoting energy access, economic development, and living standards on a massive scale.