Tag: 3BL

All year long, Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to showcase the diversity and influence of Hispanic and Latino communities on American culture, entertainment, and more. This Hispanic Heritage Month, it is honoring the multi-layered and richly complex identities found within Hispanic and Latino communities with the company-wide campaign, “Celebrating All That We Are (Celebrando Todo Lo Que Somos).”

NBCUniversal and Telemundo’s “Celebrating All That We Are (Celebrando Todo Lo Que Somos)” Campaign

NBCUniversal is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with “Celebrating All That We Are,” (Celebrando Todo Lo Que Somos) a multiplatform, bilingual initiative commemorating the multifaceted identity of Hispanics across the U.S. For the fourth consecutive year, the campaign will be adopted across the entire portfolio of NBCUniversal channels and social networks to celebrate the rich diversity of the more than 62 million Hispanics living in the United States today. Keep up with all of NBCUniversal and Telemundo’s Hispanic Heritage content by following the hashtags #AllThatWeAre and #TodoLoQueSomos.

Xfinity’s Latino TV & Film Destination

All year long, Xfinity and NOW TV Latino customers on X1, Flex, and Xumo Stream Box can enjoy free access to thousands of on demand choices in both English and Spanish. This Hispanic Heritage Month, Xfinity is proud to announce a curated collection of bilingual and bicultural movies, TV shows, and more on X1, Stream, Flex, and Xumo Stream Box. The destination, “Celebrating All That We Are,” includes unique programming that celebrates our multifaceted, multicultural identities: entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, philanthropists, and more, as well as what glues us together: our resilience, family roots, passion for food, and love for fútbol.

This year’s collection features movies and specials curated by Comcast’s in-house editor and content expert, Marcela Ramirez, as well as free content every week of the month as part of the “Free this Week” campaign. Check out which networks will be highlighted each week:

9/16: Sony Cine, RCN Novelas, and Canal SUR9/23: Kids Street en español, Vme Kids, Baby First en español, and Primo TV9/30: Cinelatino, FlixLatino, and Kanal D Drama10/7: ViendoMovies, Televisión Dominicana, and VideoRola

Xfinity Viewing Recommendations & New Features

Philanthropist, producer, director, and award-winning actress Eva Longoria will serve as a guest editor, providing a selection of must-watch movies to enjoy this month. Additionally, award-winning actor and activist John Leguizamo and Olympic Gold Medalist Laurie Hernandez will share their top picks. Xfinity customers can also check out exclusive interviews with John, Laurie, and award-winning DJ, producer, and musician Louie Vega, and view staff picks from our very own Unidos Employee Resource Group members.

The Network, a free, ad-supported streaming app on Flex, Xumo Stream Box, and coming soon to Xumo TV, is making its debut on X1. On The Network, customers can check out John Leguizamo’s latest TV series, The Green Veil, a compelling drama which Xfinity is proud to offer as an ad-free viewing experience during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Black Experience on Xfinity premiered Two Beats, One Soul, a documentary that celebrates and explores the synergies of two cultures by recreating traditional Cuban sounds and rhythms in today’s musical landscape on September 15. Created by powerhouse music producers Ray and Vivian Chew and Antonio Martinez, the film features Eric Benét, Louie Vega, and Latin Grammy Winner Sergio George.

Additional curations feature the best of what to watch from several of the Project UP community partners including the Hispanic Federation, UnidosUS, Esperanza, and Prospera, alongside nine films from the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival. And, until October 15, through the “Stream it Forward” program in partnership with Amazon Fire TV, Xfinity will sponsor a content hub with movies in Spanish and English that feature Hispanic leads in the cast or film production. Amazon will donate $1 for every hour streamed on this hub to our longtime partner organization, UnidosUS. 

To access the above content and more, Xfinity customers can just say “Latino” into their bilingual Xfinity and Xumo Voice Remote.

Xfinity Rewards

Customers who join Xfinity Rewards during Hispanic Heritage Month can enter to win exciting perks like a Telemundo Center Behind the Scenes VIP Tour and tickets to WWE Royal Rumble on February 1, 2025. Members can also receive Fandango BOGO movie tickets when signing up for NOW TV Latino, enjoy $1 movies from the Hispanic Heritage Month collection, and get $10 to read the books behind top hit shows available with NOW TV Latino like Dime quién soy (Peacock), El tiempo entre costuras (HITN), Cantinflas biography (Sony Cine). For more information visit Xfinity.com/rewards.

Monumentalizing the Latino Heroes of Today

Xfinity will also celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this fall with a social media campaign recognizing three monumental Latinos for their achievements in elevating Latino culture, representation, and stories. Monuments will appear in unique locations across the country.

Comcast Newsmakers

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Comcast Newsmakers is spotlighting leaders committed to championing America’s Hispanic community. Interviews focus on financial literacy education, farmworkers’ rights, and efforts to increase funding and support of the LGBTQ+ Hispanic community. Featured guests include Amy Hinojosa of MANA, A National Latina Organization; Ron Estrada of Farmworker Justice; and Frankie Miranda of the Hispanic Federation. Interviews are available at ComcastNewsmakers.com, and Xfinity customers can say “Comcast Newsmakers” into their Voice Remote to watch.

Connection Through Creation

The Connection through Creation program highlights content creators who are using art and the Internet to create community, honor culture, and spark positive change. Stay tuned throughout the month to see inspirational artwork from Aldo Delara, Andrea Cira, and Fabiola Lara across Comcast’s social media and Xfinity platforms.

Andrea CiraFabiola LaraAldo Delara

Before moving to the US, Andrea Cira grew up in Mexico where she gained an appreciation for handmade crafts. She shares with Comcast how that influenced her to becoming a cut paper artist. Follow her @acirastudio.

Watch the video above

Fabiola Lara is an illustrator and content creator based in Philadelphia, PA. Using the Internet, she’s been able to connect with other Latin American and Hispanic artists to help share their stories. Follow @fabioladraws for more.

Watch the video above

Oklahoma City-based photographer Aldo Delara embraces his Mexican heritage as he captures stunning landscapes and slices of life on film. Follow @aldodelara for more.

Watch the video above

Digital Equity & Social Impact
Through Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and economic mobility, we are proud to partner with organizations that address digital-skills programming across the country. Nationally, it is working with UnidosUS and Hispanic Federation to fuel workforce training and digital-skills programs that address the digital divide and provide job seekers and small-business owners with the resources they need to advance their careers.

Locally, it is supporting Esperanza with providing and promoting digital resources and assistance to Spanish-language communities in North Philadelphia. In Florida and Georgia, it is partnering with Prospera, which works to educate Hispanic small-business owners on connectivity and strategies to help grow their businesses. It is also helping Encuentro cultivate a network of Spanish-language Digital Navigators who offer support services, affordable connectivity, device access, and critical digital-skill building to low-literacy Hispanic populations in New Mexico.

In addition to supporting digital equity initiatives, it is also investing in small businesses and innovators through Comcast RISE and Comcast LIFT Labs. These two teams recently joined forces to produce and release a three-part docuseries, Culture Capital. The docuseries showcases nine game-changing and diverse entrepreneurs who are laying the foundation for future founders and features conversations with an array of business owners and founders at all stages of the journey.

Featured in Culture Capital is Melinda Archuleta, founder of Bar Carlo, a full-service, neighborhood Mexican American restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Growing up in Southern California as a Mexican American, Melinda frequented Mexico with her family to connect to her heritage. Those experiences inspired her to explore the flavors of her culture. After working in various San Diego restaurants, Melinda had the opportunity to create Bar Carlo and quickly infused it with vibrant and authentic flavors that reflect her roots.

Learn more about Melinda’s journey and Comcast RISE on Black Experience on Xfinity, Peacock, and the Xumo Play app.

Our Employees

Comcast employees are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month across the country with local and national employee-led events exploring the diversity of Latino cultures from cooking and dancing to professional development opportunities, allyship, and more.

As part of the DE&I Speaker Series, employees heard from astronaut and author, José Hernández on September 24. Jose shared his inspiring journey from migrant farmworker to NASA astronaut and offered insights into the complexities of his Latino American experience and the role of allyship in creating inclusive spaces.

PORTLAND, Wash., October 11, 2024 /3BL/ – KeyBank’s Key4Women program, Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO), and the Portland Thorns FC announced that local business, DTOCS LLC, is the winner of a business pitch contest for women-owned businesses (WOBs) located in Oregon and SW Washington. The event was held October 10th at Providence Park in Portland.

Owner Pallavi Pande won the grand prize of $20,000, which will go toward their eco-friendly sustainable single use dinnerware solution for a plastic free world.

Pande was one of 10 finalists that were selected to compete for cash awards totaling $50,000 from a pool of 89 applicants. MESO worked to review and select entries that satisfied the competition criteria. Businesses were required to include a detailed business plan, mini-market analysis and profit projections for their service or product. The finalists presented a 4-minute pitch, and fielded questions for 6-minutes to a panel of 6 judges. Out of the 10 finalists, there was 5 start-ups and 5 existing businesses. The grand prize winner could be from either category, while the runners-up were chosen from both categories. Other winners include:

Runner Up- Callie’s Custom Hat Wigs– $8,000 prizeRunner Up- For Bitter For Worse– $8,000 prizeElla Dean– $2,000 prizeBus Camp LLC– $2,000 prizeI’M UKRAINIAN– $2,000 prizeHull-some Foods, LLC– $2,000 prizeMimi’s Fresh Tees– $2,000 prizeCoast Fork Brewing– $2,000 prizeGal Pal Productions– $2,000 prize

“We congratulate Pallavi and her team at DTOCS LLC on winning the grand prize. Their pitch was inspiring, and we are so glad to help them grow and expand,” said Josh Lyons, KeyBank Oregon and SW Washington Market President. “Women business owners and leaders positively impact our economy and communities in powerful ways every day, which is evident based on the strength and diversity of the applications we received.”

To be eligible, businesses must be fifty-one percent (51%) or more owned and controlled by a woman, women and/or by an individual or individuals who self-identify as women. They must also be headquartered in one of the following Oregon counties: Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Columbia, Hood River, Yamhill, Marion, Benton, Lane, Linn, Jackson, Polk – OR one of the following Washington counties: Clark, Cowlitz, or Skamania.

Final awards were chosen by a panel of judges, which included:

Heather Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Portland TimbersJosh Lyons, KeyBank Oregon and SW Washington Market PresidentAlexis Lee. President of Business Operations of the Portland ThornsJon Maroney, General Partner of Oregon Venture FundMayra Arreola, Chief Shared Prosperity Officer of the Port of PortlandMelody Brown, Founder of L&M Hair Company and 2024 Key4Women Pitch Contest Winner

Criteria used to determine winners included the quality of the presentation, clarity of business vision and mission, economic impact of the idea and the soundness of value proposition.

ABOUT MESO

Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) elevates and empowers under-resourced and excluded entrepreneurs to build resilience, equity, and thriving communities through access to capital, tailored business assistance, and education. Founded in 2005 to assist Black-owned small businesses that were experiencing challenges in the wake of gentrification in North and Northeast Portland, the nonprofit now serves more than 600 entrepreneurs and small businesses in Oregon and Southwest Washington each year. MESO is a designated SBA microlender, an IDA fiduciary, and a Certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

ABOUT PORTLAND THORNS FC

Founded in 2012, Portland Thorns FC have set the standard for fan support and on-field success in women’s soccer since its inaugural 2013 season. One of the world’s most supported women’s soccer clubs, Portland has led the league in attendance for eight seasons and set a new club playoff attendance record last year with 25,218 fans supporting Thorns FC in the 2023 semifinal match at Providence Park. Thorns FC have won the NWSL Championship a league-record three times (2013, 2017, 2022) and finished as runners-up in 2018. The club has made the postseason a league-high nine times and has won the NWSL Shield in 2016 and 2021.

In January of 2024 the Club was purchased by the Bhathal Family of RAJ Sport, with Lisa Bhathal Merage serving as Governor and Alex Bhathal as Alternate Governor, with Marta Bhathal and Raj Bhathal rounding out the family-led ownership group. The Bhathal family is also Principal Co-Owners of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, which was recently named NBA Team of the Year in large part due to the team’s positive impact on the local Sacramento community. The Kings parent organization also owns the Sacramento RiverCats AAA baseball club, Stockton Kings NBA-G League club, and Kings Guard NBA 2K esports team.

ABOUT KEYCORP 
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at June 30, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

ABOUT KEY4WOMEN 
Key4Women started in 2005 as a campaign to lend $1 billion to qualified women-owned businesses within three years. The program achieved that in two years and has now generated more than $12 billion in loans to women-owned businesses. Membership in Key4Women is free. In addition to helping women business leaders and owners tap into capital to build and grow their businesses, Key4Women members gain valuable access to a team of local Certified Key4Wome Advisors who advocate, connect and empower women on their journey to financial wellness. For more information, visit key.com/key4women.

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Laura Suter | KeyBank Regional Communications Manager | 206.343.6953 | laura_suter@keybank.com 
Meaghan Evans | MESO | Digital Marketing Manager | 971.393.2785 | mevans@mesopdx.org  

Albertsons Companies’ Southern California Division participated in the Susan G. Komen Better Than Pink Walk during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Despite the cloudy skies in Newport Beach, the spirit and enthusiasm of Team AVPink shone brightly. Superstar fundraiser, Phil Markert, led the charge by raising over $200,000, setting an inspiring example for all. With over 100 dedicated walkers, our team showed unwavering support for the fight against breast cancer. 

The camaraderie and unity within Team AVPink were truly inspiring, and we are grateful for everyone who contributed to making this event a success.

See original post on LinkedIn and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

ATLANTA and NEW YORK, October 11, 2024 /3BL/ – CARE is thrilled to join SeeHer, the largest global movement to eliminate gender bias in advertising and entertainment, as its newest and first-ever nonprofit member. Earlier this year, CARE received the Category Grand Prize at SeeHer’s 2024 Gender Equality Measure (GEM) Awards. The recognition, which exemplifies the best-in-class accurate and authentic portrayal of women and girls created by an organization’s in-house marketing team, was awarded to CARE for their International Women’s Day creative campaign, #WomenKnowHow.

“CARE is honored to join together with SeeHer to amplify the voices of women and girls, with accuracy and authenticity to advance gender equality,” said Monica Rowe, Chief Marketing Officer of CARE. “Our missions align beautifully and I believe our combined efforts will enable us to do even more to achieve our common goals.” 

Launched in 2016 by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), SeeHer’s coalition of leaders is committed to setting the gender equality agenda for the industry and driving growth for their businesses. To help its members benchmark success and become catalysts for change, SeeHer spearheaded the development of the Gender Equality Measure (GEM®), the first research methodology that quantifies gender bias in ads and programming.

As a member of SeeHer, CARE will join a collective of 7,250 brands from member companies who work together to increase the representation and accurate portrayal of women and girls in the global marketing and media ecosystem.

“We are thrilled to welcome CARE to SeeHer!  CARE’s unwavering commitment to empowering women and girls around the world perfectly aligns with SeeHer’s mission to increase the portrayal of women and girls across all media. By joining SeeHer, CARE amplifies its impact and inspires others to create a world where women are seen as they truly are: powerful agents of change,” said Chris Guilfoyle, SeeHer President.

About CARE

Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. In 2023, CARE worked in 109 countries, reaching 167 million people through more than 1,600 projects. To learn more, visit www.care.org.

Verizon

With access to teaching and technology, Verizon Community Forward helps boost digital skills for students, adults, and seniors in cities across the country

For Geraldine Sanchez, a retiree from Houston, learning cutting-edge technology every week is par for the course. “It’s so important to keep learning,” says Sanchez, 69. “Just because you’re a certain age doesn’t mean you have to stop learning.”

Each week, Sanchez joins the Settegast Silveragers, a group of vibrant senior women, at the Verizon Community Forward East End Learning Center in Houston’s East End community, where they learn about robotics, how to use Glowforge laser cutters and 3-D printers, and are instructed in iMovie video editing software.

These adult learning classes are part of Verizon Community Forward, a program that partners with local non-profit organizations across the country to transform a room within community spaces into innovative learning centers, complete with upgraded technology. The program aims to expand and enrich educational and skills training for youth and adults by providing STEM education and workforce development in areas where resources have traditionally been limited.

Verizon Community Forward partner BakerRipley, a nonprofit that is over 115 years old, has deep roots in the Houston area. The nonprofit’s mission is to provide its Houston neighbors with opportunities to learn, connect, and access resources. “[We want] to make sure we are giving our neighbors access,” says Carie-Anne Simmons, who manages BakerRipley’s learning and innovation centers. “We’re working to increase their familiarity with and access to technology.”

Simmons notes that the Silveragers group is eager to participate and return to class every week. “It’s always nice to think about the fact that they want to spend their social time in our center,” she says. “They have choices, and they keep coming back.”

The social connection the senior participants find in the program is vital. Since the group began frequenting the center last summer, they’ve worked together to dream up new ways to use technology, such as using the laser cutter to create engraved coasters, resin earrings, and cake toppers. They’ve also brought family members to the center, working alongside their grandchildren in a multi-generational learning and bonding experience.

Group member Rossana Bobbitt, 66, says she is enthusiastic about the feeling of possibility the class has brought her. “I get so excited,” she says. “Every week, I come home and tell my husband, ‘Look at what we learned! Look at what we did!’ This is the best thing that’s happened to me since I retired.”

Introducing youth to STEM through coding

A dozen miles across Houston, middle schoolers gathered at the Verizon Community Forward Gulfton Sharpstown Learning Center to participate in Camp Code. The summer program introduces students to STEM, and specifically code and code blocks (a group of instructions in code, kept together so the computer runs them as a single task).

Throughout the summer, more than 150 middle schoolers participated in the camp at the center. This program is one of a series of programs offered for youth at the center.

This past July, Camp Code was in full swing, with a cohort of three girls and six boys eager to learn. In one activity, the students partnered up to explore how Sphero BOLTs, a type of coding robot, can communicate with each other. They each programmed their Sphero BOLT to communicate with their partner’s robot using an app on a tablet; one student’s robot was the leader, while the other was the follower, mimicking the leader’s movements across the ground. Using the controls on the app, students could program the robot’s speed, color, and sound.

For Fatima, a sixth grader who had previously participated in STEM-focused after-school programming, the Camp Code experience continued to develop her skills, even during summer vacation. Fatima had learned, in the after-school program, how to build robots. “Here, I’m learning how to code them,” she explains. Although only in middle school, Fatima says she is eyeing an engineering career. “I like math, and I like fixing technical things,” she says.

For many of the students, Camp Code sparks an interest in education and a future in STEM. Damian, an eighth grader who had previously participated in a similar camp, says he is interested in a career in a STEM field. Nathalie, also an eighth grader, has an interest in physics and says participating in Camp Code helped build her confidence.

“I love STEM because it’s very broad,” says Camp Code instructor Megan Taylor. “There are so many avenues you can go down to become successful. [I show the students] it can open doors to a lot of other things. Having that exposure and learning about it [can make a huge difference].”

Supporting new career pathways and professional ambitions

Houston resident Oni Meeks was reconsidering her career path during the COVID-19 pandemic when she came upon a social media post that would change the trajectory of her life. It was a call for community members to participate in a remote-learning IT course, and gain IT certification as well. Meeks, who had paused her college studies because of the demands of her job, decided to take the course. She was familiar with tech to some degree, after serving as the go-to troubleshooter at the hotel where she worked.

The course Meeks took was offered through the Tech Equity program at the Verizon Community Forward East End Learning Center. Comparing her experience in the class with her previous jobs working in a grocery store and the hotel, she had an illuminating realization: “I definitely wanted to go into IT,” she says.

From there, Meeks fully dedicated herself to her new career path, pouring her energy and focus into learning. She went on to receive her certification from the Computing Technology Industry Association. “The certification made it possible for me to get a job in IT three months later,” she says. She worked the help desk at a third-party IT company — an experience she says sharpened her communication skills — before being promoted to senior support services analyst. Just a year later, Meeks found a new job working as an application support specialist at an insurance company, where she is thriving.

Now that she’s on a new path, Meeks continues to pay it forward by speaking to new students in the IT program and making herself accessible if the students there have questions.

About the author:

Suzanne Guillette has previously written about technology for Verizon and her work has appeared in O Magazine, Quartz and the Rumpus. She lives in New York City.

October 10, 2024

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida overnight and today T-Mobile teams are focused on mobilizing as quickly as possible to support recovery.

Network Update 
The significant work we did to prepare our network in advance of the storm helped put us in the best possible position today. Our network held up well for the most part but with this level of storm there are sites down in several areas including Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami and Orlando, among others. This may be impacting service for customers in those areas.

We are focused on recovery as quickly as possible. Our crews will be out assessing sites and beginning necessary repairs where they are able to do so. As they will be navigating conditions that are incredibly difficult — downed power lines and trees, flooding and other hazards — they will be proceeding with safety as the priority.

In addition to damage caused by the storm, power outages are also creating challenges for our network sites. We currently have around 400 fixed generators running across impacted areas and will deploy portable generators when we can. We are also preparing to roll out COWs and COLTs as needed.

Concessions Update 
While the majority of our customers are on plans with unlimited talk, text and data, for those who aren’t we are offering unlimited talk, text and data for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless customers beginning yesterday, October 9, through Monday, November 11 in the following counties: Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Okeechobee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Saint Lucie, Sarasota and Volusia.

Additional Information 
Our community support teams are beginning to activate in Gainesville with Wi-Fi trucks and trailers packed with supplies like batteries and charging cables. They are supporting local temporary shelters and are deploying to other areas as needed.

Our stores and Customer Experience Centers in impacted areas will remain closed. Stores in Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties have been re-opened. For ongoing updates on local store operations, please use our store locator.

We also continue to ensure we are best supporting our employees who have been impacted.

For more information on T-Mobile’s emergency response efforts and for tips to stay connected visit: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/emergency-response. Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up to date with the latest company news.

Media Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. 
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com

Investor Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. 
Investor.Relations@t-mobile.com 
https://investor.t‑mobile.com

Veolia North America, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans unveil Hubgrade center for digital management and control of wastewater treatment, a first in the U.S.Hubgrade combines Veolia’s water and energy activities to improve environmental quality while cutting costs, reducing emissions and enhancing long-term sustainability for New OrleansThese achievements exemplify the goals of Veolia’s global GreenUp strategy, which strives to lead the ecological transformation of the planet by accelerating water quality improvement, decarbonization and technological innovation

October 11, 2024 /3BL/ – Veolia North America, the leading provider of environmental solutions in the U.S. and Canada, today joined New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Executive Director Ghassan Korban at the city’s East Bank wastewater treatment plant to open a new digital control center that will for the first time use advanced data collection and analysis to improve how New Orleans treats its wastewater, protects public health, improves environmental quality and advances its smart city goals.

The control center is the first location in the United States to use Veolia’s Hubgrade suite of digital tools for wastewater treatment, which have successfully been deployed in other global cities to provide advanced monitoring and control systems. Veolia has partnered with SWBNO for 31 years to improve the city’s wastewater treatment system, and recently renewed their partnership to reimagine how the city treats and manages its wastewater.

At a ribbon-cutting event in the new Hubgrade control room, Cantrell, Korban and other community leaders joined Veolia for a demonstration of how the digital system works, featuring a map-based interface that shows operators key performance indicators and simplifies complex processes.

Digital solution offers transformative tools for wastewater treatment 

Hubgrade combines digital tools with human expertise to continually collect data from wastewater treatment, analyze it with proprietary artificial intelligence systems, and use those findings to make operations more efficient and effective.

Its centralized secure data platform brings together information about chemical use, energy consumption, weather-related and seasonal variations, and process performance for dynamic monitoring and advanced analytics. Reports that previously took hours to compile are now available with just a few clicks. AI tools can detect subtle operation changes over time and identify potential energy savings across all operations.

Veolia North America CEO Frédéric Van Heems said, “The new Hubgrade center we’re launching today is an important step on New Orleans’ path to become a smart city. We can adjust operations to perform better, cost less, save energy and cut emissions, while positioning New Orleans as a model for other cities around the world. This helps drive economic growth, enhance the overall quality of life, and build a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous New Orleans for generations to come.”

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said, “This is a monumental moment for both New Orleans and the nation as we open the first Hubgrade center in America. We are setting the standard for cities across the country, making innovative investments that are transformative and building a legacy for future generations. What we’re doing is unprecedented, and New Orleans is ready to lead. Our city is at the forefront of digital transformation, embracing groundbreaking solutions that will safeguard our water resources and improve the quality of life for all our residents.”

Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Executive Director Ghassan Korban said, “The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans is committed to infrastructure reliability and resiliency, as well as technology modernization. Our continued partnership with Veolia will make our East Bank and West Bank wastewater treatment plants far more efficient and effective.”

Long-standing  partnership brings real benefits to New Orleans 

The partnership between Veolia and the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans has rebuilt and sustained the city’s infrastructure at both of its wastewater treatment plants. This collaboration has improved water quality, boosted operational efficiency, and fostered community engagement on ecological issues and climate change. These achievements exemplify the goals of Veolia’s global GreenUp strategy, which strives to lead the ecological transformation of the planet by accelerating water quality improvement, decarbonization and technological innovation.

In addition to improving daily wastewater treatment operations while strengthening long-term capacity, function, and resilience, Veolia has provided extraordinary operational support during hurricanes and natural disasters, such as when wastewater treatment plants were devastated by Hurricane Katrina and later by Hurricane Ida. Veolia drew on its global resources to restore service for residents and recover from the damage without waiting for federal assistance.

As part of its support for community and educational efforts in the city it serves, Veolia has created community, educational and environmental initiatives across New Orleans, including working with the New Orleans East Festival, Joe W. Brown Memorial Park, the Sankofa Wetland Park and Nature Trail, Delgado Community College, the Southern University System, and neighboring high schools.

Earlier this year, Veolia and the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans renewed their partnership with a new five-year agreement to include Hubgrade digital monitoring as well as a new sludge treatment system; new pumps and equipment at both East Bank and West Bank plants; and a new oxygen system that will save $2 million a year, reduce chemical costs and power use by at least 10%, and eliminate an estimated 12 metric tons per month of carbon emissions.

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ABOUT VEOLIA NORTH AMERICA

A subsidiary of Veolia Group, Veolia North America (VNA) offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Veolia North America has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across the continent.
www.veolianorthamerica.com 

ABOUT VEOLIA GROUP

Veolia’s ambition is to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 218,000 employees on five continents, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for managing water, waste and energy that help to radically change the world. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia contributes to developing access to resources, preserving available resources and renewing them. In 2023, the Veolia group served 113 million people with drinking water and 103 million with wastewater services, produced 42 terawatt-hours of energy and recovered 63 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) generated consolidated sales of €45.3 billion in 2023. 
www.veolia.com 

ABOUT THE SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD OF NEW ORLEANS

For 125 years, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) has served as the city’s drinking water, wastewater, and drainage utility. With nearly 1,300 employees, SWBNO is a true “one water” utility, providing essential water services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, where and when they are needed.  Guided by a strategic planning effort, SWBNO works daily toward its vision of becoming a model utility that earns and holds the trust and confidence of customers through reliable and sustainable water services.

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CONTACTS 

VEOLIA NORTH AMERICA
DeShanon Cobb
Manager, Communications and Community Relations
504-491-9478
deshanon.cobb@veolia.com

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
Leatrice Dupré
Press Secretary
504-658-4901
leatrice.dupre@nola.gov  

SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD OF NEW ORLEANS
Ceara Labat
Community Outreach Specialist
504-521-2177
clebat@swbno.org

By Veleka Finch

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., October 11, 2024 /3BL/ – The Regions Foundation announced a $150,000 grant supporting education and workforce development opportunities provided by STRIVE Birmingham.

Launched in 2023, STRIVE Birmingham follows a nationally recognized model of delivering both job training and wraparound services. Through work-simulated environments, STRIVE empowers adult students by focusing on mindset, accountability, personal responsibility, workplace ethics, professional etiquette and interpersonal skills. Occupational skills training and a certification process further position people in the program to build long-term, rewarding and successful careers.

STRIVE has a unique and successful approach to workforce development. 
Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation

“STRIVE has a unique and successful approach to workforce development,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “Their combination of mindset and skills training provides the best chance of success, and their connection with employers ensures that people are being prepared for in-demand careers.

“This program is about more than providing skills and jobs,” Self added. “This is about building hope and a brighter future, so more people can truly prosper and succeed here in our hometown.”

The Regions Foundation’s grant to STRIVE Birmingham was presented Friday during one of STRIVE’s first graduation events honoring adults who have successfully completed the program.

Self said the benefits created by STRIVE today will enhance the quality of life for families for many years to come.

“STRIVE Birmingham is truly grateful to receive this support from Regions,” said Quiwintre Frye, Executive Director of STRIVE Birmingham. “This funding comes at a critical time as STRIVE is growing and expanding to more communities experiencing disparities in access to opportunity.

“Too many families face barriers to financial mobility,” Frye enlightened. “And we at STRIVE are committed to opening doors and creating pathways to stable employment, careers, and a hopeful future.”

Training and certification that students gain through STRIVE’s Healthcare & Office Operations program puts them on a pathway to careers in the local healthcare industry with opportunity for advancement.

“The comprehensive training and support provided by Strive has been instrumental in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a certified administrative assistant at a local hospital,” said STRIVE Birmingham graduate LaShundra Ravizee. “I gained organization, communication, and office management skills but also a sense of confidence in my professional capabilities, preparing me for the demanding administrative challenges of working in a hospital environment.

The encouraging environment fostered a strong sense of community, where we could learn from one another and share experiences. 
LaShundra Ravizee, STRIVE Birmingham graduate

“The relationships I built with the Strive staff, who went above and beyond in guiding me and offering mentorship, and my peers, who provided mutual support, played a pivotal role in my success,” Ravizee continued. “The encouraging environment fostered a strong sense of community, where we could learn from one another and share experiences.”

The Regions Foundation is a nonprofit that is funded primarily by Regions Bank. The Foundation supports a wide range of programs that offer education and workforce development opportunities. In addition, the Foundation supports several economic and community development and financial wellness initiatives throughout the communities served by Regions Bank.

“STRIVE is in tune with the employment opportunities that are in demand today – and their lifetime graduate support fosters continued success into the future,” Self said. “We are honored to provide crucial resources and look forward to seeing the success of STRIVE graduates here in Birmingham.”

STRIVE’s next training program in Birmingham begins Sept. 23, with a focus on health care and office operations jobs. Application information is available through the STRIVE website.

About Regions Foundation

Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

About Regions Financial Corporation

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $154 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

About STRIVE

STRIVE (www.strive.org) is a national workforce development leader that for nearly 40 years has successfully provided services to populations facing significant societal barriers to employment. STRIVE moves students into careers that lead to upward mobility and economic empowerment. Headquartered in East Harlem, New York and with operations in 14 locations, STRIVE has supported more than 85,000 individuals through employment programs geared toward adults of all ages including those with involvement in the justice system.

By Helen Sydney Adams

Originally published by Healthcare Digital

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