The second-graders at Alvin Avenue Elementary in Santa Maria drew pictures and signed thank you letters as part of a national kindness challenge

SOURCE:Edison International

DESCRIPTION:

“Awesome — that’s so cool! I want to try that!” exclaimed the second-graders in Kristina Velasquez’s class at Alvin Avenue Elementary School in Santa Maria, California.

The 25 students had gathered around a classroom monitor to look at YouTube videos of linemen climbing poles and riding in bucket trucks as they worked to restore power. These are the heroes the kids chose to thank for a recent national Great Kindness Challenge.

Using crayons and markers to draw their pictures, each of the kids signed and mailed their drawings to Southern California Edison. They wanted to thank the linemen who had helped restore power to affected residents during the recent Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara County.

“Thank you for working hard and being brave during the Thomas Fire and mudslides. My teacher showed us a video about your job and it looks cool. Thank you for fixing the wires,” wrote second-grader Joseph.

This is the first year Alvin Avenue Elementary took part in the national kindness challenge. Each of the classes chose various first responders to thank, including the local police and fire departments. The classes spent a day working on their various letters, all part of the school’s four pillars of being safe, responsible, respectful and kind. Velasquez, the wife of a lineman, saw some photos of SCE linemen working the Thomas Fire on her social media feed and brought up the idea to honor these heroes to her students. Once she showed her students the YouTube videos, they were sold.

“My students got really excited, they thought the job was really cool,” she said, noting that they also talked about the long hours linemen often spend away from their families and the important work they do helping to restore power.

They also discussed the importance of being safe around electricity, especially around downed power lines which they should never approach and that they should call 911 about immediately.

“This hit close to home and it was very relevant for them,” said Ann McDaniel, principal at Alvin Avenue Elementary. “Everyone knew someone who was affected by it. We were worried every day if our assistant principal and our teachers would get home safely [during the fires].”

SCE lineman Robert Sandoval, 49, from the Ventura Service Center, spent 18 days helping to restore power during the Thomas Fire. As a resident of Camarillo, he knows families who were evacuated and some who even lost homes.

“This is our home, our area. We understand what they are going through,” he said.

He is humbled by the Alvin Avenue second-graders’ thank you letters and drawings.

“That’s very cool that they chose us. This is an awesome acknowledgement of what we do,” said Sandoval. “It’s hard to put into words.”

The kindness challenge was also a time to teach students the importance of kindness toward others, especially in times of crisis.

“Our students were able to empathize with those who lost their homes, and to understand the importance of helping others in need in any way possible,” said Velasquez. “They were so concerned about both the victims and the first responders.”

For Velasquez’s students, the challenge also resulted in a piqued interest in a career as a lineman.

“There was a lot of excitement that they would like to do that job one day,” said McDaniel.

For more information on lineman careers: edison.com/careers.

Tweet me:Elementary school students write letters to @SCE linemen, thanking them for their work during the Thomas Fire http://bit.ly/2DE7rF3 #randomactsofkindness

KEYWORDS: Edison International, Southern California Edison, acts of kindness, Great Kindness Challenge

SOURCE:SiMPACT Strategy Group

DESCRIPTION:

LBG Canada companies are doing their part to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

In fiscal 2016, LBG Canada companies supported the SDGs through their investments in community.

20% of LBG Canada companies invested in sustainable cities and communities, 24% in quality education, and 30% in good health and well-being.

To learn more about how you can contribute to the SDGs, register for LBG Canada's upcoming webinar, "Community Investment & the SDGs".

Interested in aligning your community investment program with the SDGs? Join LBG Canada.  

About LBG Canada

LBG Canada is a network of corporate community investment professionals from many of Canada's leading companies, who work together to apply, develop and enhance the use of the LBG Model and measurement framework in Canada. Participation in LBG Canada encourages companies to focus on strategy, measurement and reporting to demonstrate the business value achieved through investment in community. LBG Canada is facilitated by SiMPACT Strategy Group.

Tweet me:#LBGCanada companies are doing their part to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals #DataStories #CIMatters #SDGs http://bit.ly/2DIE3x9

KEYWORDS: SDGs, sustainability, Community Investment, LBG Canada

Vegetarian and vegan eats among new offerings on MLB menus

SOURCE:Aramark

DESCRIPTION:

PHILADELPHIA, March 21, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Before the first pitch is thrown on Opening Day, baseball fans will be delighted to know a new lineup of distinctive and flavorful menu options awaits them at their favorite ballpark.

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), the award-winning food and beverage partner of eight Major League Baseball teams, spent the off-season reviewing consumer insights and exploring local food trends, to identify the foods and flavors fans are craving. With even more vegan and vegetarian options, Aramark is offering elevated ballpark menus that are sure to be a hit with many fans.

As part of Aramark’s Healthy for Life 20 By 20 initiative, and ongoing commitment to providing fans with greater variety, choice and access to healthier menu options, Aramark continues to expand vegan and vegetarian options in the ballparks it serves. For example:

• Greens and Grains (PNC Park) – Kale, spinach, roasted corn, carrots, quinoa, brown rice, cranberries and sunflower seeds, tossed in a Sriracha-carrot dressing.
• The Impossible Burger (Citi Field) – Plant-based vegetarian burger, made to order.
• Un-Tuna Salad (PNC Park) – Chick pea salad made with celery, pickle relish, onions and sweet mayo dressing, served on wheat bread with spinach.
• Vegan Cauliflower Cheesesteak (Citizens Bank Park) – Roasted cauliflower, poblano peppers, onions, vegan cheese sauce and vegan roll.
• Vegan’Acho Nacho (Rogers Centre) – Red and white tortilla chips topped with vegan cheese, black beans, guacamole and pico de gallo.

“Food has become a major player in the fan experience and that increased role is a motivating factor for us to continue to enhance our menu offerings each season,” said Carl Mittleman, President of Aramark’s Sports and Entertainment division. ”Ballpark food has come a long way. In addition to doing the classics well, we’re focusing on driving quality, increasing healthy options, making it convenient and providing personalization for our guests.”

About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, state-of-the-art healthcare providers, the world’s leading educational institutions, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. Our 270,000 team members deliver experiences that enrich and nourish millions of lives every day through innovative services in food, facilities management and uniforms. We operate our business with social responsibility, focusing on initiatives that support our diverse workforce, advance consumer health and wellness, protect our environment, and strengthen our communities. Aramark is recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, as well as an employer of choice by the Human Rights Campaign and DiversityInc. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Tweet me:Ballpark food just got a healthy upgrade. Check out @Aramark's newest lineup of vegetarian and vegan options just in time for @MLB #OpeningDay! http://bit.ly/2GxqpQx

KEYWORDS: Major League Baseball (MLB), MLB Opening Day, vegan, vegetarian, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, Sports and Entertainment, Aramark

A family with a disabled son gets power for the first time in five months

SOURCE:Edison International

DESCRIPTION:

As other utilities complete their power restoration assignments and leave Puerto Rico, Southern California Edison’s work on the island has expanded to include new territory.

SCE’s first incident management team arrived in Puerto Rico in December to help set up restoration efforts in Ponce on the south side of the island. Since then, SCE’s teams have been planning and coordinating repairs.

By March 12, SCE teams and the Duke Energy crews who joined them had restored power to 96 percent of Ponce’s residents.

“We’ve learned a lot,” said Dana Bullock, SCE’s third incident commander, whose team arrived in February. “It’s taken a lot of flexibility and patience, and we’ve been very adaptive.”

Even with more than 5,000 workers from SCE and other mainland utilities working, 145,000 customers remained without electricity in the more remote parts of the island in early March, according to Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority estimates.

With most of its Ponce work done, SCE’s team was assigned to move into Barranquitas and Cayey in the central part of Puerto Rico, where half the residents still had no power. SCE was joined by crews from ComEd after the Duke workers returned home.

SCE team members say one of the things that has set Puerto Rico apart from their work in Southern California is how they have had more personal experiences with the customers. Residents often serve them meals to show their appreciation.

One story that really struck the SCE team was about the Lopez family in Barranquitas, which still was without power five months after the hurricanes hit. The family has a disabled son, Javier, who relies on a ventilator. The father, Luis, lost his job after the local restaurant where he worked was destroyed.

The Lopezes had used all of their money to buy fuel for two small generators to power Javier’s ventilator and a refrigerator. Because of that expense, they had fallen five months behind on payments on the car they use to take Javier to a hospital in San Juan once a week.

“I have four little kids at home, so it hit a chord with me,” said Matt Odell, who did planning for the SCE Puerto Rico team.

The SCE and ComEd teams decided to make restoration of the Lopez’s power a priority. Odell also set up a GoFundMe account to help the family with their bills.

Between contributions from the SCE team, the GoFundMe account, which is now closed, and a donation from a church, they raised more than $15,000 for the family. And they got the power restored to the house on Feb. 28.

When Luis Lopez flipped the switch to turn on the lights, everyone cheered.

“Even burly linemen had tears,” Odell said.

SCE’s third Puerto Rico team transferred their work to a new team this week and returned home. The new team will remain until April.

In addition to Bullock and Odell, SCE’s Puerto Rico Team 3 included Robert Bravo, switch coordinator; Sonya Dowtin, security; Tony Fraijo, feeder restoration coordinator; Pete Guereca, operations section chief; Kathy Hidalgo, planning section chief; David Karaffa and Julio Arencibia, logistics section chief; James Meis, safety officer; Rahim Nathoo, situation unit leader; Jennifer Potter, resources section leader; and Scot Stueland, deputy planning section chief.

“It’s been pretty chaotic, but it’s been really rewarding,” Odell said.

Tweet me:As of last week, @SCE and @DukeEnergy crews have restored power to 96 percent of Ponce’s residents http://bit.ly/2G72UQt #HurricaneMaria

KEYWORDS: SCE, Southern California Edison, Edison International, Ponce, Puerto Rico, power restoration, disaster relief, Duke Energy, ComEd

Local NeighborhoodLIFT grants support affordable housing, small business

SOURCE:Wells Fargo & Company

DESCRIPTION:

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 21, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced a total of $100,000 in donations for two local nonprofits to help revitalize Birmingham neighborhoods through the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT^® program.

Identified in collaboration with the city of Birmingham, the Wells Fargo grants will provide support for small business and construction of new affordable housing.

“Birmingham’s small businesses are a key driver of our local economy, and neighborhood revitalization efforts in blighted communities will make a big difference for sustainable housing in our city,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. “In addition, the availability of $7,500 down payment assistance grants and other counseling services through Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT program are helping to make the dream of homeownership a reality for many individuals and families in Birmingham.”

 The Wells Fargo Foundation will provide grants to the following Birmingham nonprofits:

• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Birmingham will receive $50,000 to support the construction of affordable housing in Cascade Parc, a 19-acre urban development in the heart of Birmingham’s East Lake neighborhood. A total of 23 new homes have been built, and sold, to homebuyers in need of quality, affordable housing in Cascade Parc. The completed development is expected to include up to 40 new houses, plus green space to benefit residents and surrounding communities. East Lake is rich in history and is undergoing significant neighborhood revitalization.
• REV Birmingham Inc. will receive $50,000 to support entrepreneurs and small business owners as they move their business models from concept to sustainability. Through a pipeline of services, REV will help startups navigate the challenges of finding capital and discovering the right business location, while connecting them to communities of business owners and service providers. In addition, REV will lead a strategic effort to identify businesses that may be potential owners, and renters, for commercial spaces in REV's target districts. In these urban Birmingham communities, REV works to create vibrant commercial districts by growing sustainable businesses and filling vacant spaces.

The grants are funded through Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT program, which was launched in April 2017 for Birmingham and Jefferson County homebuyers, with a $2.55 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost local homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods. Thus far, the NeighborhoodLIFT program has created 63 homeowners in the area by offering homebuyer education plus matching down payment assistance grants.

Down payment assistance grants of up to $7,500 are still available for homebuyers in the Birmingham and Jefferson County area. Interested homebuyers may contact NeighborWorks America’s local network member, Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham, or Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Birmingham for information about eligibility requirements.

“We care about the Birmingham and Jefferson County community and this collaboration is another example of our efforts to create affordable and sustainable homeownership in our local neighborhoods,” said Leigh Collier, Central Alabama Market region bank president for Wells Fargo. “The NeighborhoodLIFT program will help hard-working families and individuals get on the path to achieve homeownership with down payment assistance and homebuyer education.”

About NeighborhoodLIFT

NeighborhoodLIFT^® program is the single largest corporate philanthropic effort of its kind in Wells Fargo’s history. In collaboration with NeighborWorks America, the Wells Fargo LIFT program has helped create more than 16,825 homeowners in 57 communities since 2012. A video about NeighborhoodLIFT programs is posted on Wells Fargo Stories.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,300 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 263,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 25 on Fortune’s 2017 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

# # #

Contact Info:

Stephanie Grant
Wells Fargo
+1 (760) 432-5440
stephanie.grant2@wellsfargo.com

Jamee Lawson Nelson
Wells Fargo
+1 (404) 670-4102
Jamee.Nelson@wellsfargo.com

KEYWORDS: Wells Fargo, NeighborhoodLIFT, affordable housing, small business, birmingham

SOURCE:Sea Change Radio

DESCRIPTION:

The transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. There are vast resources currently being spent to transform it into something more efficient, greener, and safer. Many think that the technology behind autonomous, self-driving vehicles, will be a key piece to how we get around in the not-so-distant future. Looking at the size of the companies diving into the autonomous automobile space, from Google and Apple to Über and General Motors, it seems these self-driving vehicles are coming whether we like the idea of it or not. But what happens when someone gets killed by one of these vehicles? Sadly, that question is about to be answered, as an Arizona woman was killed just this week by an autonomous vehicle owned and operated by the ride-hailing company, Über. Today on Sea Change Radio, we discuss the fatal crash and what it means for the autonomous vehicle industry with Reuters Transportation and Technology reporter, Alexandria Sage. She talks about the details of the accident, the blowback to the industry, and what it may mean for the future of this transportation innovation.

Tweet me:This week's @SeaChangeRadio - with the industry's first fatality, autonomous vehicles are at a crossroads. Check out this interview with @reuters transportation reporter, Alexandria Sage: http://www.cchange.net/2018/03/20/cross/

KEYWORDS: autonomous vehicles, transportation, self-driving vehicles, sea change radio, greenhouse gas emissions

SOURCE:Morgan Stanley

DESCRIPTION:

NEW YORK, March 21, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today announced the launch of the 10^th annual U.S. Strategy Challenge, the Firm’s signature skills-based pro bono volunteer program.  The Strategy Challenge is in its fifth year in London. Over the next 10 weeks, teams of Morgan Stanley employees in New York and London will work with leadership teams at 14 nonprofit organizations to provide strategic recommendations to address their mission-critical challenges.

“At Morgan Stanley, we know our best asset is our employees’ ability to deliver innovative solutions and are committed to applying their advice to help our non-profit partners amplify their impact on the communities they serve,” said Joan Steinberg, Global Head of Philanthropy. “We are excited to celebrate the milestone of our 10^th annual Strategy Challenge showcasing employees’ continuing commitment to leveraging their skills and expertise to better the communities where they live and work.”

The 14 nonprofit organizations taking part in this year’s Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge are:

New York:

• BronxConnect– BronxConnect's mission is to renew the mindset of the urban youth, empowering them to transform their communities from within and stay out of jail for life.
• New York Council on Adoptable Children (COAC)– COAC proactively identifies, develops, recruits, stabilizes and strengthens family systems to provide permanent, loving and nurturing homes to children.
• Education Through Music (ETM) – Education Through Music (ETM®) partners with inner-city schools to provide music as a core subject for all children and utilizes music education as a catalyst to improve academic achievement, motivation for school and self-confidence.
• Eva’s Village– The mission of Eva’s Village is to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, treat the addicted and provide medical care to those in need.
• New Alternatives for Children (NAC) – NAC provides comprehensive healthcare and social services to children living in poverty who have special medical and behavioral needs.
• Per Scholas– Per Scholas opens doors to technology careers for individuals from often overlooked communities.
• Roots & Wings (R&W) – The mission of Roots & Wings is to provide young adults who age out of the New Jersey foster care system with safe housing, educational support, case management, counseling, and life skills in order to empower motivated individuals toward self-sufficiency.
• Save the Children– In the U.S. and around the world, Save the Children gives children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. 
• YMCA of Greater New York– YMCA of Greater New York is a community service organization with three core goals: empowering youth, improving health and strengthening community for all New Yorkers.

London:

“The Strategy Challenge has helped to evolve and expand Morgan Stanley’s charitable initiatives, going beyond traditional fundraising and providing charities with our business skills, knowledge and expertise to help them achieve their goals,” said Robert Rooney, CEO of Morgan Stanley International. “2018 brings a raft of issues for our new charity partners, and Morgan Stanley is excited to once again work with them to solve these challenges and ensure their valuable time is spent not on overcoming obstacles but breaking new ground.”

• Access Sport– Access Sport uses the power of sport to enhance the life prospects of disadvantaged and disabled young people living in deprived inner city areas of England. They provide intensive support and training for inspirational coaches, volunteers and young leaders, empowering them to build thriving and connected community sports clubs.
• Mencap– Mencap work toward a world where people with learning disabilities are valued equally, listened to and included. This is achieved by changing attitudes, providing services and influencing those who support their vision.
• Shelter– Shelter helps millions of people in the UK every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness by providing advice, support and legal services. And Shelter campaigns to ensure that, one day, ‘no one will have to turn to us for help’.
• Teens and Toddlers– Teens and Toddlers believe no child should be prevented from achieving their potential. Since 2001, their award winning 18 week core programme has helped to inspire 10,995 disengaged and disadvantaged young people by giving them the essential life-skills and self-belief they need to succeed at school and in life.
• The Children’s Society– The Children’s Society has been supporting young people since 1881, working to ensure they are heard in their situation and are paired with a trusted adult as they believe no child should feel alone. They currently offer a range of programmes as well as campaigning to create change at a local and national level.

The strategies and relationships developed through the Strategy Challenge have the ability to create real, measurable impact for both the nonprofits and the communities they serve. Since 2009, Morgan Stanley employees have committed over 81,000 service hours providing tailored recommendations to 117 nonprofits, helping charities drive their missions to scale through more effective business models, expanded services and productivity improvements.

We invite people to follow the progress of the programs in the U.S. and the UK on the Strategy Challenge landing page and via #StrategyChallenge.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 42 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals.  For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com. 

Contact Info:

Sarah Higgins
Morgan Stanley
+1 (212) 296-3648

KEYWORDS: Morgan Stanley, Nonprofits, Strategy Challenge

SOURCE:Delos

DESCRIPTION:

The future of office design has begun to turn “outside-in” as the best of the natural world begins to infiltrate our interior environments. From Amazon’s recently opened plant-filled office in Seattle, WA to Google’s biophilic Chicago headquarters, this movement is taking shape in some of the most innovative organizations and offices in the world. Leading this charge is Finnish health technology company Naava, a global pioneer in botanic indoor air purification.

Prior to partnering with Naava, Delos, a wellness real estate and technology company, wanted to put Naava’s pollutant reduction efficiency to test. Delos commissioned BRE, an independent UK-based research institute, and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to study how Naava green walls purify indoor air. Collaborating with BRE and experts from the University of Technology Sydney Plants and Environmental Quality Research Group, Delos developed a rigorous single pass efficiency test protocol.

The Naava green wall is an active biofiltration system which uses the air purification power of plants to naturally create fresh air indoors, while also enhancing interior aesthetics through biophilia. Leveraging research performed by NASA, Naava’s system actively draws air through the root zone of the plant to reduce harmful organic compounds often found in indoor air.

The study shows that Naava significantly reduces the tested chemical, a volatile organic compound (VOC) commonly found in household products. Getting the same result in triplicate – a 57% average VOC reduction rate – is evidence of the system working robustly, not by chance. This result was based on a single pass through Naava, and as air flows over and over through the biofiltration system, this result indicates that the Naava product can be an effective air purifier, reducing harmful pollutants from the air.

“This system has the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive indoor environmental quality. I feel privileged to be involved with research of this caliber, and strongly believe that this is a benchmark example of science and business working together towards making a more sustainable urban environment,” Dr. Fraser Torpy, Director of the Plants and Environmental Quality Research Group and Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney.

Delos, BRE and UTS published the results to further the recognition of active green wall systems and the respective health and wellness improvements that may be offered by such systems indoors. The peer-reviewed research was published in Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health and can be read here.

You can watch how Naava air purification works and learn more here.

Tweet me:.@DelosLiving's research underscores the effectiveness of @breathenaava #smartgreenwall #technology http://bit.ly/2pvIzdx #builtenvironment

KEYWORDS: Delos, NAAVA GREEN WALL AIR PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY, NASA, built environment, Real Estate

SOURCE:Aflac

DESCRIPTION:

Not long ago, companies were counseled to stay out of politics and social causes; “stick to business and you won’t offend customers or potential customers,” was thought to be the best route.

Things have changed, partly owing to the millennial generation’s preference to buy from and work at companies that are responsible (see tables below). With millennials comprising 40% of the workforce by 2020, brands are correct to heed their voice.

Another part of this evolution owes its momentum to President Trump calling out companies on the stump or on Twitter, sometimes forcing them to engage in the political arena, a venue they avoided previously.

In just the last few weeks we’ve seen “brands taking stands” rise to a level unseen previously. With the ability of students trapped inside Stoneman Douglas H.S. in South Florida to provide real-time images of the carnage on social media, the issue of gun control has risen to the forefront of public consciousness. Recently Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart, Kroger, L.L. Bean, United and Delta Air Lines, among others,have taken a stand on guns, risking alienating large swaths of their customer base.

Read the full article on PRNewsOnline.com

Tweet me:.@PRNews - How @Aflac, @AstellasUS and @CarnivalPLC balance #SocialAction with their core #business messages http://bit.ly/2GNV24p #CSR

KEYWORDS: Aflac, Aflac 2017 Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility

SOURCE:Amgen Foundation

DESCRIPTION:

This profile is a part of the Amgen Foundation’s “Meet the Scientists” series, where we invite students and teachers to learn more about a scientist at Amgen and the work they do to create lifesaving medicines. Join the conversation by sharing your own experiences with @AmgenFoundation and @Amgen.

What do you do in a typical day?
In a typical day, I spend a lot of time in lab running experiments on the various mass spectrometers I utilize for my projects. When I am not in the lab, I am in the office analyzing data, working on manuscripts or planning my next experiment based on the current results I have. There are also weekly meetings that I attend and I help to organize monthly meetings for the post-doctoral fellows at Amgen.

What made you want to pursue this career?
I learned about my position at Amgen through a job search online for positions that focused on mass spectrometry, the technique I specialize in. One thing about this specific post-doc position that highly appealed to me and made me eager to start my career after academia was the heavy focus on publishing. Additionally, all of my research on the company led me to see that Amgen was using very innovative therapeutic modalities and is a place where I could really diversify my skill set as a scientist.

What motivates you each day?
I am motivated each day by my love of chemistry and science. I truly do love mass spectrometry and I find its application to biomedical research very important. I am constantly driven by my curiosity to find answers to scientific questions that arise from my work, as well as really to push the boundary of how mass spectrometry can be used to answer scientific questions.

What are some exciting things you have done/are doing at Amgen? 
My scientific work at Amgen has allowed me to publish several manuscripts, give oral presentation at several conferences and contribute to several Amgen therapeutic projects. I highly value the ability and opportunities to share my research with the scientific community. The research on native mass spectrometry of membrane proteins that I do at Amgen allows me to contribute to an area of scientific research that could provide valuable information to this up-and-coming area of therapeutic interest.

What was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject in school was a tie between Spanish and Chemistry. Both classes were very interesting, fun and really pushed me to do my best.

What kinds of skills do you use in your job?
In my job, I use a handful of skills that I have acquired in the lab and throughout my academic work. I use critical thinking and observational skills to plan experiments and analyze data. As a scientist in general, organizational skills are important, as well as networking and the ability to collaborate/work in a team. Also, communication skills are incredibly important as a scientist in order to convey experimental results and scientific concepts to others.

What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing biotech?
Pursuing a career in biotech is challenging but rewarding. My advice is to diversify your skill set as much as possible and network! Communication is key, and could give you access to amazing opportunities.

Never hesitate to ask for help when you need it. There are always more experienced scientists and engineers out there who have a lot of knowledge to share – take advantage and learn what you can.

Lastly, stay open minded - it can lead you to amazing opportunities. I am not on the career path of forensic science that I initially set out on when I started college. However, remaining open to the opportunities that presented themselves to me throughout college and graduate school has led me to a career that I am truly excited about.

To learn how the Amgen Foundation brings biotechnology to students, visit the Amgen Foundation website. Follow @AmgenFoundation to stay up to date with all STEM-related news from the Amgen Foundation.

Tweet me:.@Amgen Post-doctoral Fellow, Jennnifer Lippens, shares tips for aspiring young scientists via @AmgenFoundation http://bit.ly/2Iowcsf

KEYWORDS: STEM, STEM Education, Scientist, women in science, Amgen, Amgen Foundation, Post-doctoral Fellow, women

SOURCE:Comcast Corporation

SUMMARY:

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. This is the second year in a row that Comcast NBCUniversal has been included among the Top Ten companies
2. Comcast NBCUniversal employs more than 164,000 full-time and part-time workers.
3. Comcast has hired more than 15,000 Veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and Military Spouses across Comcast NBCUniversal.

DESCRIPTION:

Comcast NBCUniversal has been named to LinkedIn’s Top Companies for 2018, ranking number seven among companies that attract and retain top talent globally. 

LinkedIn Top Companies ranks the most sought-after companies where people want to work and stay and this is the second year in a row that Comcast NBCUniversal has been included among the Top Ten companies in the country. Top Companies measures the behavior of over a half billion of professionals on LinkedIn and is powered by proprietary LinkedIn data including job seeker reach, engagement, job interest, and retention combined with an editorial lens.

Comcast NBCUniversal employs more than 164,000 full-time and part-time workers and the company’s LinkedIn ranking is among a growing list of workplace honors, including being named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, number one in the country for diversity, and one of the top five companies for working parents. Since 2010, Comcast has hired more than 15,000 Veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and Military Spouses, across Comcast NBCUniversal. 

Jobseekers can explore opportunities at jobs.comcast.com, nbcunicareers.com, and through Comcast NBCUniversal’s LinkedIn page.

Tweet me:.@Comcast @NBCUniversal again named a Top Ten Company by @LinkedIn http://bit.ly/2pvnkZh #LinkedInTopCompanies

KEYWORDS: comcast, Comcast NBCUniversal, linkedin, LinkedIn Top Companies 2018

SOURCE:Cone Communications

DESCRIPTION:

March 22 is World Water Day, a United Nations-led initiative bringing attention to the importance of universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene. An annual occurrence, the theme for World Water Day in 2018 is “Nature for Water,” which explores nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. Efforts such as planting trees to replenish forests, restoring wetlands and reconnecting rivers to floodplains are sustainable, cost-effective ways to mitigate the effects of climate change – thereby improving human health.

Ecosystems damaged by development, changes in land use and more are affecting the quality and quantity of safe drinking water available for human consumption. According to the UN, 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home, with implications on health, education and livelihoods. The World Health Organization estimates about one-third of the world’s population lives in countries with moderate to high water stress, and two out of every three people may be living in water-stressed conditions by 2025.

One needs only to look at the situation unfolding in Cape Town, South Africa to see how water scarcity and quality issues stand to affect us all: “Day Zero” is the term being used to describe the point at which the city’s water collection and delivery systems will run dry. This is a first for a major city in modern times, and Day Zero, while slightly postponed due to a drastic reduction in residents’ water usage, is a mere 10 weeks away, anticipated to occur July 9, 2018.

Enormous opportunity exists for brands to make a difference when it comes to rehabilitating ecosystems or providing safe drinking water to those affected by contamination or insufficient resources. Here are a few examples of companies making strides:

To continue reading, please click here.

Tweet me:Celebrating #WorldWaterDay: How companies are addressing water challenges in the 21st century http://bit.ly/2FUX3yz

KEYWORDS: world water day, Cone Communications, Water Challenges, sustainability

Xylem colleagues take part in the EarthEcho Water Monitoring Challenge and Planet Water Foundation’s Project 24

SOURCE:Xylem Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

RYE BROOK, N.Y., March 22, 2018 /3BL Media/ -- Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL), a global water technology leader, today called on the public and private sectors to work together to improve the collection and sharing of water data on this, World Water Day 2018. Despite dramatic improvements in big data collection and the application of that intelligence, the amount of on-the-ground data about water has been declining over the past 40 years. Since 1979, the number of stations reporting streamflow data has plummeted 40 percent, while the number of those reporting precipitation data is down by 30 percent¹. Learn more here.

The theme of this year’s World Water Day, ‘Nature for Water,’ explores how nature-based solutions such as planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring wetlands, will help rebalance the water cycle. Enhanced water data collection will enable communities to maximize the potential of existing nature-based solutions and inform the development of new sustainable water resource management approaches.

Patrick Decker, Xylem President and CEO, said, “The need for data about our natural water resources has never been greater as leaders address rising water demand from population growth and industrial development as well as increasingly volatile climate patterns. The lack of robust data about our water resources is a troubling irony in a world awash with data. But working together, we can reverse this growing data drought. As a global community, we can leverage smart technologies and advanced communications networks to better monitor and understand our precious water resources. We stand ready to partner with leaders and utility operators to help enable their efforts to manage these resources and ultimately, reduce the capital burden on our communities.”

Xylem’s Value of Water Information whitepaper outlines several steps to help overcome the global water data drought including: assessing current water monitoring networks, committing sufficient resources for public water data collection, exploring new models for data sharing, and automating reporting with real-time monitoring technologies. The paper also highlights a review of economic studies demonstrating that hydrologic information is a sound and attractive investment, providing at least a 4-to-1 return with direct and indirect benefits to private actors and the general public.

As part of Xylem’s World Water Day initiatives, its employees are among 1.5 million citizens from 143 countries taking part in the EarthEcho Water Challenge, helping to improve water data collection in their own communities. Xylem colleagues will lead water education and water monitoring events today with students in schools and local youth organizations worldwide. These events will introduce young people to their local water resources and allow them to contribute to a broader understanding of water quality worldwide.

Xylem Watermark, the company’s social investment initiative, is continuing its support for Puerto Rico’s rebuilding efforts from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria by collaborating with Planet Water Foundation on Project 24, a challenge to build 24 water filtration towers in 24 hours. Xylem Watermark is sponsoring a tower build in Puerto Rico, which follows the construction of 10 water towers last November by Xylem colleagues and Planet Water. In addition, Xylem Watermark is sponsoring tower builds in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with local Xylem colleagues participating in the Philippines and India projects.

Xylem Watermark kicked off its second annual Make Your Mark 30-Day Challenge today. The Challenge is a month-long event during which employees are encouraged to participate in activities that help raise awareness about their local communities’ water and environmental issues and contribute to resolving them.

About Xylem

Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to developing innovative technology solutions to the world’s water challenges. The Company’s products and services move, treat, analyze, monitor and return water to the environment in public utility, industrial, residential and commercial building services settings. Xylem also provides a leading portfolio of smart metering, network technologies and advanced infrastructure analytics solutions for water, electric and gas utilities. The Company’s more than 16,500 employees bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on identifying comprehensive, sustainable solutions. Headquartered in Rye Brook, New York with 2017 revenue of $4.7 billion, Xylem does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands.

The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of our water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all – that which occurs in nature. For more information, please visit us at www.xylem.com.

¹ Xylem Value of Water Information whitepaper: Several studies have documented an overall decline in in-situ monitoring systems across the world (Fekete and Robarts 2015). This decline includes a diminishing number of precipitation gauges (Stokstad 1999), water quality monitoring systems (Zhulidov et al. 2000), and river discharge sensors (Fekete et al. 2012).

Tweet me:.@XylemInc calls for improved water resource data collection and sharing on #WorldWaterDay 2018 http://bit.ly/2GQLRjH

Contact Info:

Kelly McAndrew
Xylem
+1 (914) 323-5969
Kelly.McAndrew@xyleminc.com

Deirdre Connolly
For Xylem
+353-852449804
Deirdre.Connolly@edelman.com

KEYWORDS: Xylem, world water day, Value of Water Information, Xylem Watermark, Planet Water Foundation, Project 24, EarthEcho Water Challenge, Make Your Mark 30-Day Challenge

Tenth annual Parents, Kids & Money Survey found that young adults who received financial education when they were in school are more likely to have a budget, an emergency fund, and retirement savings

SOURCE:T. Rowe Price

DESCRIPTION:

Tweet me:"Adulting" is harder without any financial education says @TRowePrice #TRPKids http://bit.ly/2IIyu5H

KEYWORDS: adulting, financial education, financial literacy, kids and money, teaching kids about money, Money Confident Kids, T. Rowe Price

SOURCE:Duke Energy

DESCRIPTION:

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 22, 2018 /3BL Media/ -- Duke Energy today outlined steps it is taking to provide safe, reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy to its customers while embracing the transformation underway in the utility industry.

The report details the company's strategy and ongoing efforts to mitigate risks from climate change, reduce emissions, navigate policy uncertainty and plan future investments to deliver value for customers and investors.

"Duke Energy is building a smarter, cleaner energy future for our customers and communities by investing in new technologies to modernize and diversify our system," said Lynn Good, Duke Energy's chairman, president and CEO. "We are pleased to share this report with shareholders and others who are interested in learning more about our commitment to continue lowering carbon emissions."

Report highlights

• Continue fleet modernization – By 2030, the company expects more than 80 percent of its generation mix to come from zero and lower CO2-emitting sources.
• Continue investments in nuclear fleet – Through 2017, this zero CO2emissions option marked 19 consecutive years operating at a capacity factor exceeding 90 percent, and the company is evaluating the possibility of extending nuclear operating licenses.
• Expand renewables and natural gas – Invest $11 billion over 2017 to 2026 in new natural gas-fired, wind and solar generation.
• Modernize the electric grid – Invest $25 billion between 2017 and 2026 to create a smarter, more resilient grid with smart grid technologies to enable more renewables, and storm hardening and targeted undergrounding of electric lines to protect against extreme weather.
• Promote energy efficiency – Based on the expansion of existing programs, the company expects cumulative energy savings to grow to 22,000 GWh by 2030, which is the equivalent to the annual usage of 1.8 million homes.

The report also includes a "2-degree scenario" analysis of the potential long-term impacts on the company's generation fleet associated with the possibility of reducing CO2 emissions consistent with limiting global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels. The analysis is based on a number of assumptions and reflects just one possible pathway the company could take to achieve carbon reductions. The company's current carbon goal to reduce CO2emissions 40 percent by 2030 is consistent with a pathway to achieve a science-based 2-degree target.

To read Duke Energy's 2017 Climate Report to Shareholders, visit duke-energy.com/our-company/sustainability.  

Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the United States.

Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. 

The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.

Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

24-Hour: 800.559.3853 

Tweet me:New @DukeEnergy #climate report details #gridmodernization, expansion of #renewableenergy and #energyefficiency programs http://bit.ly/2Gh2KWS #sustainability

KEYWORDS: Duke Energy, grid modernization

SOURCE:General Mills

DESCRIPTION:

We refreshed our global water footprint in 2016 to better understand our physical water risks around the world. (Read more in our Global Responsibility Report).  

One of the watersheds we prioritized was the Ganges River in west-central India and the water risk associated with the intensive agriculture in the Madhya Pradesh state. Although we purchase a very small portion of the overall wheat crop grown there, we rely on it for products like Pillsbury Atta flour and Roti flatbreads.  

Recently, I made a trip to India to see it for myself and learn about how we can use our scale to have a greater impact. 

Together with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), we funded a deep-dive assessment into the issues in the region and how best to address them through collaboration and focused actions.  

In late February, I caught up with Aditya Sood and Gunjan Gupta from TNC in Bhopal, as they launched the field analysis and interview phase of the assessment.  

From there, we travelled to the countryside of the Sehore, Dewas and Indore districts and visited several small villages, meeting with farmers along the way. They were very welcoming and eager to discuss their most pressing issues and explore opportunities. 

The state of farming in west-central India 

Most farmers in the Madhya Pradesh region grow two primary crops; a legume, like soybeans or lentils, planted in summer immediately prior to the monsoon season, and then a dry-land crop such as wheat or canola later in the year when there is limited rainfall.   

Compared to most farms we’ve visited throughout the world, farms in this region of India are very small.  A farmer’s wealth is in the land which is handed down from generation to generation.  

One farmer we spoke with shared that his father had 40 acres and four children, thus he was given 10 acres to work and plans to split that between his children.  

The average farm size is about 2.5 to 5 hectares (approximately 5 to 10 acres). Comparatively, we also source large amounts of wheat grown in the U.S. where, according to the USDA, the typical farm in wheat growing states is more than 500 to 1,000 acres. 

Our trip also included a  visit to the Center for Rural Development and Environment’s Research Ag Facility (Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sewania) in Sehore and reviewed some of the research and farmer outreach they are implementing throughout the region.  

On that particular day, they were training farmers on a range of activities to improve their operations. Training on how to best compost cow manure with crop residues, to what crop rotations and no-till farming can do for the soil in terms of nutrient management and water retention. They were also demonstrating different types of crops as well as irrigation systems that farmers could use to improve water efficiency. 

Abundance of water challenges  

To say water is scarce in the region is an understatement and farmers were quick to voice their concerns that they have received less and less rain in the past 5 to 10 years.  

Farmers cannot only rely on soil moisture and need to irrigate to get adequate yields.  

It is not that these regions don’t get rain – they receive more than 1000 mm (39 inches) of annual rainfall in normal year – but almost 90 percent falls in the monsoons (from June to September). With existing water storage infrastructure and the lack of available groundwater, the farmers run out of water by January, although they harvest the wheat in March.  

These two months without water make all the difference in wheat yields across the region. Solutions have ranged from dug or tube wells, to farm ponds and even check dams on small streams. Many tube wells are 400 to 600 feet deep yet do not produce much water.  

Another scarcity in the areas we visited is electricity. It is only provided for a few hours each day to allow pumping, however that’s not the limiting factor, there’s just not much water in the wells to be efficient.   

A village we visited was successful in using farm ponds to store water to feed their second crop that is planted well after the rainy season. In fact, they showed us awards they had received from the federal groundwater agency for their innovation on rain water harvesting. 

Additionally, we toured the site of a check dam water harvesting structure that was built near one of the villages. Completely dry during our visit, we were told it fills during the monsoons and provides irrigation water for 21 farms nearby, serving 35 to 40 hectares.  

These 21 farmers convened and formed a council to help fund the construction and management of the check dam’s water. 

Corporate support in the region  

ITC Limited is a large Indian company that has been active through its Soil & Moisture Conservation Programme, contributing approximately $300,000 to projects, such as the check dam we visited.   

Additionally, we saw community agricultural equipment that ITC helped purchase for village farmers to share on their fields. The cost of this equipment is high, such that smallholder farmers cannot afford to purchase these implements themselves.   

Local non-government organization Vibhavari, facilitated much of this work and assures the most critical success factor – cooperation amongst farmers to organize and share resources.  

Every farmer we interviewed said if they had more water, and better water management resources, their yields would improve and, in turn, their livelihoods. 

Wheat production and farmer livelihoods are being affected by water scarcity and mismanagement of water resources in the Ganges watershed.  

As part of General Mills’ ambition to “champion the development of water stewardship plans in our most material and at-risk watersheds by 2025,” and our commitments and actions that make us a CERES/WWF AgWater Steward, we are working to identify how we can help mitigate risk though action-oriented collaboration in India. 

Have an idea for a story you’d like to see on “A Taste of General Mills”? Email us at contact.blog@genmills.com.

Subscribe to “A Taste of General Mills” by email – here – and we’ll notify you about our latest posts.

Tweet me:As part of their ambition to champion the development of water stewardship plans in at-risk watersheds by 2025, @GeneralMills is working to identify how to help mitigate risk though action-oriented collaboration in India http://bit.ly/2pvCvm0 #WorldWaterDay

KEYWORDS: water stewardship, General Mills, The Nature Conservancy, CERES, India

SOURCE:FCA US LLC

DESCRIPTION:

The 2018 World Water Day, with its theme “Nature for Water,” seeks its inspiration from Nature and explores what we can learn from it. FCA has worked to conserve this natural resource for many years, progressively reducing the water footprint of our plants, supporting projects for the recovery and protection of biodiversity, and involving our employees so that this commitment also translates into individual, concrete and daily actions. 

Click here to learn about some of our more unique water conservation stories, including contributing to the protection of sea turtles.

KEYWORDS: FCA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, world water day, Water Conservation, Warren Stamping Plant

Building empathy inspires volunteers to do more

SOURCE:PYXERA Global

DESCRIPTION:

The host mothers I’ve had on most of my 17 buildOn Trek experiences have been my age. These women are typically nearing 30 years old, already have several children, and are always leading lives vastly different than my own. In Kanari, Nepal, my host mother, Priyanka, was younger than me, with two girls ages seven and five. She had gone to school for a few years as a child, but married in her teens and had been a farmer most of her life. Like many men in this part of the country, her husband worked across the border in India to earn higher wages while she spent her time farming, raising her children, and creating beautiful crafts like baskets and woven flowers.

She and the girls were ecstatic to receive a new buildOn school in their community. The village would be able to satisfy demand for more classroom space to educate their growing population, and also offer adult literacy classes.

In our daily lives, it isn’t easy to remove ourselves from individual routines to truly understand what life is like elsewhere – in neighboring cities or in distant villages on the other side of the globe, like Kanari. The nonprofit buildOn’s Trek program was created to give students, donors, and volunteers a first-hand cultural experience in underserved communities abroad, and an opportunity to ‘walk in the shoes’ of a stranger. The Trek groups do this while building schools together with the local community after the groups have personally fundraised for the school. Through relationship building across cultures, Trek volunteers and local community members develop a powerful connection that deepens impact and enhances the giving experience.

Continue reading on PYXERA Global.org...

Tweet me:Practicing #CitizenDiplomacy via international #volunteering, project donors join the Trek program from @buildOn to participate in school construction for a radically enhanced giving experience. READ: http://bit.ly/2HBzvLB @PYXERAGlobal @CitDiplomacy

KEYWORDS: decent work and economic growth, Gender Equality, SDGs, quality education, sustainable cities and communities, buildOn, The Center for Citizen Diplomacy, community, PYXERA Global

Cast members from Baltimore Center Stage treated the audience to a performance that was authentic, emotional and, at times, playful

SOURCE:Legg Mason

DESCRIPTION:

Employees in Legg Mason’s Baltimore headquarters recently enjoyed a unique educational and cultural celebration of Black History Month featuring a performance by local artists.

In their theatrical reading from New York Times Best Seller “The Warmth of Other Suns, The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration,” by Isabel Wilkerson, three cast members from Baltimore Center Stage treated the audience to a performance that was authentic, emotional and, at times, playful.

The audience was taken back to the early 20^th century in America’s Deep South as the performers assumed various roles in telling tales about Ida Mae Brandon Gladley, one of three central figures in the book, who joined six million African-Americans who left the South on what would later become known as the Great Migration. The book intertwines stories of the three with those of others who journeyed north and west in search of a better life for themselves and their families.

• Learn more about the book and the author

• Learn more about Baltimore Center Stage

Tweet me:.@leggmason partners with @centerstage_md to give employees a unique Black History Month experience http://bit.ly/2GS6lbH

KEYWORDS: black history month, legg mason

SOURCE:GRI

DESCRIPTION:

Close to 46 million people around the world were victims of modern slavery in 2016 alone. Business participation in solving the issue is crucial.

Modern slavery can take many shapes including forced marriage, trafficking and forced labor. For companies, identifying and helping prevent this phenomenon is important not only to lower reputational risk, but also to prevent supply chain disruptions or even legal consequences that can prevent them from continuing operations. Companies are now facing more scrutiny from their stakeholders, as well as more regulation, which increases their need to identify, report on, and address modern slavery in their supply chains, if any exists.

At GRI we believe that corporate transparency can help businesses improve their methods to detect human rights abuses in their value chains, and take steps to remedy them.  We are undertaking actions in different fronts to bring attention to the issue. Through a process of stakeholder consultation, we aim to provide a roadmap for harmonized reporting that can address different reporting expectations.

We believe that more consistency and comparability will increase the value of the data for decision making and encourage more companies to engage in reporting on modern slavery. GRI and its stakeholders can spearhead the use of new tools and resources that companies need to obtain useful data and make informed decisions about tackling modern slavery in their supply chains.

Join the first wave

GRI is inviting companies to join the Corporate Leadership Group on Modern Slavery, to engage with investors, media, legal experts and governments and help redefine the way modern slavery is addressed. If you are interested in contributing to the solution by deciding on the future of sustainability reporting on the issue, join the Corporate Leadership Group on Modern Slavery. To do so you can email Simone Warren at warren@globalreporting.org. And, if you want to know more about GRI’s work on modern slavery, please contact Katja Kriege, at kriege@globalreporting.org.

For more updates from GRI, you can subscribe to the monthly newsletter. 

Tweet me:#Transparency can help businesses detect #humanrights abuses in their value chains and take steps to remedy them. Read more about how the new @GRI_Secretariat Corporate Leadership Group on Modern Slavery seeks to find solutions to the problem: http://bit.ly/2DJIVCp

KEYWORDS: GRI, global reporting initiative, sustainability reporting, GRI Standards, Modern Slavery