SOURCE:CBRE Group, Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2018 /3BL Media/ - CBRE released its eleventh annual Corporate Responsibility Report. The 2017 report – themed “Sharing the Responsibility” – highlights CBRE’s many accomplishments as a leader in responsible business practices within the commercial real estate industry.

CBRE achievements highlighted in the report include:

• CBRE’s commitment to creating a more diverse and productive work environment – where people of all backgrounds can thrive – was recognized by both Forbes and Fortune magazines, which included CBRE among the top companies for diversity and inclusion.
• 118 CBRE offices totaling 3.4 million square feet, or approximately 77 percent of our global occupied space, are certified under green and/or healthy building schemes such as LEED, BREEAM and WELL.
• During 2017, CBRE registered and benchmarked a record-breaking 6,197 buildings, representing more than 370.7 million square feet, in the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program.
• CBRE global corporate and employee donations totaled more than $15 million in 2017. This includes support for CBRE employees who were directly affected by the unprecedented natural disasters that struck the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, and aiding in disaster relief and local rebuilding efforts.

“CBRE is increasingly integrating corporate responsibility initiatives into our daily business practices. As a result, our business solutions are creating environmental, social and governance benefits for our company and our communities and better outcomes for our clients,” said Bob Sulentic, CBRE’s president and chief executive officer.

“Sharing the Responsibility” was produced in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: Core option and includes the company’s progress toward implementing the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact. The report also contains disclosures for the Real Estate sector that were developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).

Earlier this year CBRE was recognized as one of the 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the U.S. by Barron’s and was named one of the 2018 World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the fifth year in a row. CBRE also received an EPA ENERGY STAR® Partner of The Year — Sustained Excellence Award, the eleventh consecutive year of EPA recognition.

More information on corporate responsibility at CBRE can be found at www.cbre.com/responsibility.

About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2017 revenue). The company has more than 80,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through approximately 450 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

Tweet me:.@CBRE releases eleventh annual #CorporateResponsibility report http://bit.ly/2N380Ot #CSR

KEYWORDS: NYSE:CBRE, CBRE

By: Leslie P. Norton, Barron's

SOURCE:Bloomberg

DESCRIPTION:

No report about sustainable investing would be complete without a Who’s Who—a record of the people setting the agenda. Over the past few months, we talked to dozens of people, all of them active in sustainable investing, to find out who they thought should make our list. We also talked to our colleagues at Barron’s, who have been watching the rise of the sustainable-investing space.

Click here to read the full story. 

Tweet me:Mike Bloomberg is included on a list of the most influential in ESG investing as per a recent feature in Barrons. @mikebloomberg @bloomberg @barronsonline #esg #sustainablefinance http://bit.ly/2tA1zcO

KEYWORDS: esg, Bloomberg, Sustainable Finance, SRI investing, Mike Bloomberg, Bloomberg LP

SOURCE:Northern Trust

DESCRIPTION:

Partner Simon Gaites, Head of Client Servicing for Global Fund Services in Australia, attended the launch of Queensland Community Foundation Philanthropy Week. Northern Trust sponsored the QCF Philanthropy in Focus Photo Challenge. The winning charity was SevGen and the photographer of the winning entry was Jamie Robertson. The photo titled 'Compassion' captured hope, love, loss, and support during an emotional moment.

Connect with Northern Trust on LinkedIN

Click here to learn more about CSR at Northern Trust

Tweet me:Northern Trust Sponsors the QCF Philanthropy in Focus Photo Challenge @NTCSR http://bit.ly/2tCa32Y The photo titled 'Compassion' captured hope, love, loss, and support during an emotional moment.

KEYWORDS: QCF Philanthropy in Focus Photo Challenge, Northern Trust, Australia, csr, photo challenge, compassion

SOURCE:Merck & Co., Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

KENILWORTH, N.J., June 27, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, through its Merck for Mothers initiative announced study results on an investigational heat-stable formulation of carbetocin for the prevention of excessive bleeding after childbirth, also known as postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). The results demonstrated that heat-stable carbetocin is clinically non-inferior to the standard of care, oxytocin, for the primary outcome of ≥500 ml blood loss or additional uterotonic use.¹ Non-inferiority was not demonstrated for the second primary outcome of blood loss of ≥1,000 ml or more.¹

Results from the CHAMPION (Carbetocin Haemorhage Prevention) clinical trial, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and conducted as part of a public-private collaboration with Ferring and Merck for Mothers, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).¹ CHAMPION is the largest study conducted in PPH prevention, with nearly 30,000 women from 10 countries.¹ The CHAMPION trial of investigational heat-stable carbetocin was conducted by the WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research, including the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), with scientific and financial support provided by Merck for Mothers.¹

The current standard of care for the prevention of PPH, oxytocin, is temperature sensitive_.^2,3,4 Multiple studies in low- and lower-middle-income countries have consistently revealed degradation and potential loss of efficacy of oxytocin, which could be due to inadequate storage and distribution.^4,5 Because of its heat-stability, this investigational formulation of carbetocin has the potential to be used in low- and lower-middle income countries, where the refrigeration of medicines can be difficult to achieve and maintain.³

Every year, 14 million mothers are affected by PPH.⁶ Although most deaths due to PPH are preventable,⁷ it contributes to the leading direct cause of maternal mortality worldwide,⁸ causing approximately 70,000 deaths every year.⁸

“No woman should die giving life, and our mission is to give mothers around the world access to affordable, life-saving medical interventions,” said Julie L. Gerberding, Chief Patient Officer at Merck. “Prevention is key, which is why we are collaborating on the CHAMPION project. The collaboration has brought innovation developed in the private sector into the public sector in an effort to address unmet needs in countries where the majority of maternal deaths occur.”

The collaboration began when Merck for Mothers first approached Ferring and the WHO about studying the investigational heat-stable carbetocin in an effort to increase public sector access, given the organizations’ shared goals of PPH prevention. Ferring will now seek registrations and manufacture heat-stable carbetocin for low- and lower-middle income countries. The parties will work together with the aim of making heat-stable carbetocin available at an affordable and sustainable price for appropriate cases in the public sector of low- and lower-middle income countries that have a high burden of maternal mortality.

*  The availability of heat-stable carbetocin is subject to regulatory review and approval in relevant countries.

About the CHAMPION trial¹
CHAMPION, (Carbetocin Haemorhage Prevention), the world’s largest clinical trial in the prevention of PPH, was a double-blind, randomized, non-inferiority trial designed to compare the effectiveness and safety of investigational heat-stable carbetocin to oxytocin in the prevention of PPH after vaginal birth. The trial, conducted by the WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research, including the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), enrolled nearly 30,000 women in ten countries including Argentina, Egypt, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda and the UK. Heat-stable carbetocin was researched and developed by Ferring Pharmaceuticals and the CHAMPION trial was funded by Merck for Mothers.

Results demonstrated that heat-stable carbetocin is clinically non-inferior to oxytocin for the primary outcome of ≥500 ml blood loss or additional uterotonic use. The frequency of blood loss ≥500 ml or additional uterotonic use was 14.5% in the carbetocin group and 14.4% in the oxytocin group (Relative Risk (RR): 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.95 to 1.06), consistent with non-inferiority.

Non-inferiority was not demonstrated for the second primary outcome of blood loss of ≥ 1,000 ml (1.51% carbetocin group vs 1.45% in the oxytocin group, RR: 1.04, CI: 0.87 to 1.25). However, the trial was underpowered for this outcome. There were no significant differences between groups in other measures of bleeding or in adverse effects.

Media Contact:
Doris Li
(908) 246-5701

Investor Contacts:
Teri Loxam
(908) 740-1986

Michael DeCarbo
(908) 740-1807

About Merck for Mothers
Every day, approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Merck for Mothers is a 10-year, $500 million initiative to create a world where no woman dies from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on the company’s history of discovering innovative, life-saving medicines and vaccines, Merck for Mothers is applying the company’s scientific and business expertise – as well as its financial and human resources – to reduce maternal mortality around the world. Learn more at www.merckformothers.com and @MerckforMothers.

About Merck
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Tweet me:.@Merck has announced findings from @WHO-led study that will help work being done to #endmaternalmortality http://bit.ly/2Mto3UG @MerckforMothers #maternalhealth #maternalmortality

KEYWORDS: NYSE:MRK, World Health Organization (WHO), Merck, merck for mothers, Maternal Mortality, maternal health, carbetocin, HAMPION (Carbetocin Haemorhage Prevention), postpartum haemorrhage (PPH)

SOURCE:The Walt Disney Company

DESCRIPTION:

On Monday, June 25, patients and their families enjoyed “Incredible” visitors at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The stars of Disney•Pixar’s Incredibles 2, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, paid a special visit to the hospital, where kids and families posed for pictures with the Supers,  attended a private screening of the new film as part of the Disney Movie Moments program and also met Pixar animators, who created sketches of favorite Incredibles 2 characters for children in attendance. The young patients also received Disney toys, games, books and movies that were delivered in hospital care packages that are part of the Company’s Team of Heroes $100 million commitment to transform the children’s hospital experience over the next five years.

Tweet me:Patients and their families enjoyed “Incredible” visitors at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as part of the Disney Team of Heroes initiative: http://bit.ly/2Mra168

KEYWORDS: hospitals, Incredibles, Philadelphia, kids, Children, Children's Hospital, Disney, movie, Pixar, NYSE:DIS

SOURCE:Booz Allen Hamilton

DESCRIPTION:

SEED SPOT and Booz Allen Hamilton are doubling down on their mission of supporting Washington, DC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to spur startup innovation as a force for good. Their strategic partnership provides early-stage impact-driven entrepreneurs with business fundamentals, mentorship, resources, and access to capital to create businesses that positively impact the world. The Kauffman Foundation estimates that startup density is down 48 percent since 1977, SEED SPOT and Booz Allen Hamilton aim to build the entrepreneurial pipeline for women, military spouses, and all individuals in the District, Maryland, and Virginia to create a more robust economic future for the region.

Their partnership combines SEED SPOT’s national track record and mission to empower communities to educate, accelerate, and invest in social entrepreneurs with Booz Allen’s century-long history of mentoring young innovators and creating solutions for global clients. SEED SPOT and Booz Allen are collaboratively supporting 60+ entrepreneurs from all backgrounds in the DC metropolitan area through comprehensive programming that turns their inspirational ideas into transformational business ventures.

Over the next year, SEED SPOT will run numerous 2-Day Launch Camps and an eight-week Impact Accelerator. Entrepreneurs will refine their business models, build out financial projections, and perfect their pitches, which will be put to the test at a community-wide Demo Day in March 2019 to win over potential partners and investors.

“Booz Allen’s support in enriching the journeys of impact-driven entrepreneurs in Washington, DC has been incredibly valuable”, says Courtney Klein, SEED SPOT Co-Founder and CEO. “Their expertise in building community has enabled us to empower problem-solvers to launch and scale their ventures. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Booz Allen and further building the pipeline of great impact-driven entrepreneurs in DC.”

SEED SPOT’s social entrepreneurship curriculum has helped launch 421 entrepreneurs over the past five years, 49 percent of which are female founders and 45 percent of which are minority founders. These impressive entrepreneurs have gone on to raise over $10 million in capital, create 1,050 new jobs, and impact the lives of 2.2 million people across the country. Previous DC alumni include The Mentor Method, which has gained corporate clients by mentoring diverse tech talent, and Imby, whose Beta launched supporting four DC neighborhoods to give citizens a voice in local real estate development.

“In today’s innovation ecosystem, we seek the collective ingenuity of our people and industry partners to bring forward transformational solutions to power resiliency and growth in communities,” said Booz Allen Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Susan Penfield, emphasizing the firm’s efforts to empower people within and outside the firm.

“Through the 2-Day Launch Camp, Booz Allen is committed to investing in military spouse and women founders to give this underserved group an opportunity to disrupt industry through impactful program piloting and prototyping,” Penfield added.

Booz Allen, a SEED SPOT Innovation Catalyst Partner, is providing highly-experienced employees that will serve as mentors for these up and coming changemakers. Their expertise in innovation, financial forecasting, and next-gen technology will be extremely valuable for the female, minority, and veteran entrepreneurs that this programming is creating onramps for.

SEED SPOT’s first 2-Day Launch Camp will be on September 12-13. Register to participate today: http://bit.ly/SEEDSPOTDCLaunchCamp.

To learn more about how SEED SPOT and Booz Allen are empowering entrepreneurs to change the world, click here.

Tweet me:.@SEED SPOT and @BoozAllen partner to run programs supporting #socialimpact driven entrepreneurs in nation’s capital #innovation #dc #startup http://bit.ly/2lDPpvO

KEYWORDS: NYSE:BAH, Booz Allen Hamilton, SEED SPOT, entrepreneurs, mentorship, Innovation, women, Veterans

SOURCE:Comcast Corporation

SUMMARY:

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. One of our highest priorities as a company is helping more people participate in the innovation economy.
2. Comcast’s Internet Essentials has connected more than 4 million low-income Americans.
3. We’ve provided $350 million in support to fund digital inclusion efforts reaching nearly 5 million people nationally.

DESCRIPTION:

In today’s economy, technology can be a great equalizer. Access to the power of the internet — and to the tools to harness it — increases economic opportunity and opens up a world of possibilities.

Yet many people in the United States do not have that access and lack essential digital skills. More than 25% of households in the United States are without a home internet connection, putting them squarely on the wrong side of the digital divide — and on the wrong side of the homework divide. According to the Pew Research Center, 79% of teachers have their students access or download assignments from an online site, and 76% ask students to submit their assignments online.

In 2017, 70% of all U.S. jobs required at least basic digital skills, and this number is climbing higher every year.  It’s clear: to compete in the 21st-century economy, everyone must be proficient with technology.

As a global media, technology, and broadband leader, Comcast NBCUniversal understands the power of technology to improve lives.  We are committed to closing what we see as the opportunity divide — the gap between people who have the knowledge, resources, and support to take part in the modern economy and those who are at risk of being left behind. One of our most critical priorities as a company is helping more people fully participate in the innovation economy.

“Technology should be owned by everyone, because innovation can happen anywhere when people are given the opportunity,” says Karima Zedan, Executive Director of Comcast’s Internet Essentials broadband access program for low-income families.   “For Comcast NBCUniversal, building people’s digital skills and empowering communities with technology is the key to unleashing our collective talent and potential.”

We are investing our resources in programs focused on transforming communities by expanding access to technology, helping more people develop digital skills, and empowering entrepreneurs to use technology for good.

Advancing Digital Inclusion

Since 2011, Comcast has connected more than 4 million low-income Americans to the power of the internet at home through Internet Essentials, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive high-speed internet adoption program.  There are many more families to reach, and we are inspired to connect them to everything the internet has to offer in areas such as education, jobs, health care, civic engagement, news, information, and entertainment.

Building Skills for the Digital Economy

We have provided $350 million in cash and in-kind support since 2011 to help fund a wide range of digital training programs, reaching nearly 5 million people through our national and local nonprofit community partners.  With our support, partners have provided basic digital literacy training to individuals new to the internet, coding boot camps and STEM-related courses to young people, and website design and information technology training to job seekers.  In addition to providing technical skills training, we proactively seek out programs that pair mentoring, leadership, and interpersonal skills with digital training.

Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship

We also support innovative nonprofit organizations that are using technology to solve urgent social problems and boost skills and knowledge among communities in need.  A core part of our strategy is supporting underserved entrepreneurs, including communities of color, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.  Many of these communities have traditionally lacked access to the resources, tools, technology, and networks essential for turning new ideas into reality.

“We’re members of our communities,” says Dalila Wilson-Scott, our Senior Vice President for Community Impact.  “When we see issues like wage inequality, the racial wealth gap, and the shrinking middle class, we use our influence and resources to create solutions.  It’s more than the right thing to do — it’s who we are as a company.”

Click here to read the full report

Tweet me:.@ComcastNBCUCI is bridging the #OpportunityDivide. Find out how in its 2018 #CSR report http://bit.ly/2IuroR8

KEYWORDS: NASDAQ:CMCSA, Comcast NBCUniversal, Internet Essentials

Glenn Nunziata Receives Virginia Business CFO Award

SOURCE:Smithfield Foods

DESCRIPTION:

SMITHFIELD, Va., June 28, 2018 /3BL Media/ — Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce that Glenn Nunziata, executive vice president and chief financial officer for the company, has been honored with Virginia Business Magazine’s annual CFO Award. The statewide award and ceremony recognizes select financial executives across a variety of business sectors.

“It’s an incredible honor and I am truly humbled by this recognition,” said Nunziata. “I am proud to work at a global food company that is passionate about producing good food the right way as we rapidly move closer to achieving our vision of becoming a world-class consumer packaged goods and protein company. Our growth and achievements, including this one, would not be possible without the commitment of 54,000 employees dedicated to producing ‘Good food. Responsibly.^®”

In his role at Smithfield, Nunziata leads the finance, accounting, treasury, tax, risk management, human resources, and IT functions for the company. He also serves as the principal accounting officer and is a board member of the Smithfield Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm. Before joining Smithfield in 2015, he spent 19 years at Ernst & Young, most recently as a partner in Assurance Services. Nunziata’s extensive experience in finance, capital markets, operational analysis, internal control, and corporate governance lends to his exceptional leadership at Smithfield and success within his role.

“At Smithfield, we are pleased to have someone of Glenn’s caliber and commitment,” said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. “He has played a significant role in helping the company achieve three consecutive years of growth while upholding and promoting our shared values of responsibility, operational excellence, and innovation—delivering on all fronts when it comes to ROI.”

Nunziata is one of five award winners, each from companies of varying sizes, selected from 47 nominees. This year’s winners were selected by the 2017 CFO Award recipients and recognized last week at a banquet at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia.

“The Virginia CFO Awards looks for leaders who go above and beyond their day-to-day functions to contribute to other areas within the company and within the community,” said Bernie Niemeier, president and publisher of Virginia Business Magazine. “From his professional accomplishments to his involvement with several Virginia nonprofits, Glenn is without a doubt a CFO who delivers above and beyond the standard.”

For more information about the event and other award winners, please visit Virginia Business Magazine.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Nathan’s Famous^®, Farmland^®, Armour^®, Farmer John^®, Kretschmar^®, John Morrell^®, Cook’s^®, Gwaltney^®, Carando^®, Margherita^®, Curly’s^®, Healthy Ones^®, Morliny^®, Krakus^® and Berlinki^®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

###

Contact:

Diana Souder

Smithfield Foods, Inc.

(757) 357-1675

dsouder@smithfield.com

Tweet me:Glenn Nunziata of @SmithfieldFoods Receives Virginia Business CFO Award http://bit.ly/2N76mv7 @VirginiaBiz ‏#CSR

KEYWORDS: Virginia Business CFO Award, Smithfield Foods, corporate governance, csr

Jamie Jones Ezefili, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Northern Trust weighs in

SOURCE:Northern Trust

DESCRIPTION:

During a panel at ICI’s Operations and Technology Conference—held concurrently with the 60th annual General Membership Meeting from May 22–May 24 in Washington, DC—three such leaders, representing a cross section of business areas, explored how their firms are rethinking legacy processes and moving into the future.

Client expectations about how a company conducts business are also undergoing a significant shift, explained Jamie Jones Ezefili, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Northern Trust. Clients want to learn information beyond a firm’s overall corporate social responsibility efforts to include specific details about, for example, its greenhouse gas emissions, employee engagement programs, and diversity initiatives. “It’s not enough anymore to say that we have a diversity strategy. [Clients] want to know what that is, and how we’re actually going to accomplish that,” said Jones Ezefili.

Attracting, Engaging, and Inspiring Top Talent

The changing, competitive marketplace is not just affecting client expectations—it’s also affecting how asset managers recruit and engage top employees, and how they develop new leaders. “We have to think about how we’re competing with the Googles and Facebooks out there,” explained Jones Ezefili. She said that this means creating an environment that employees want to be a part of.

Click here to read more

Connect with Northern Trust on LinkedIN

Click here to learn more about CSR at Northern Trust

Tweet me:“It’s not enough anymore to say that we have a diversity strategy. [Clients] want to know what that is, and how we’re actually going to accomplish that,” said Jones Ezefili. http://bit.ly/2yPPW7h @NTCSR

KEYWORDS: diversity strategy, csr, Northern Trust, Client expectations, engaging top talent

SOURCE:eBay

DESCRIPTION:

A week after 9/11, New York Governor George Pataki and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani approached Meg Whitman, the CEO of eBay at the time, for suggestions on how to raise money for victims of the attacks. Putting in intense weekend hours, eBay staffers created Auction for America—a website that allowed eBay users to earmark auction items to benefit 9/11 victims. In short order, the site raised $10 million.

Through its global impact division and together with its global community, eBay has helped raise $810 million for public charities since 2003.¹ The proceeds have been directed to a variety of organizations, including Save the Children and the American Cancer Society, via eBay sellers and celebrities, who have generously donated such things as couture dresses and artworks for auction. The eBay platform integrates charitable giving for buyers as well as sellers, waiving fees for auctions that donate to charity.

“Lunch with Warren Buffett is the highest-profile auction we have,” says Chris Librie, senior director of global impact and giving at eBay. The annual “Power Lunch” provides a substantial portion—about $2.5 million to $3 million every year—of the annual operating budget for its designated beneficiary: GLIDE in San Francisco, whose mission is to break the cycles of poverty and marginalization. “There are some people who really, really want to have lunch with Warren Buffett,” he says.

While proceeds from its charity auctions have been impressive, the company has set even higher goals for itself. By 2020, it hopes to raise $1 billion in funds for charities. If Librie has his way, eBay will reach that mark quite a bit earlier.

A Ladder Up

Librie’s division has created a number of programs besides Auction for America. One other that is making a significant impact on the livelihood of small-business owners is Retail Revival, which assists entrepreneurs in some of the country’s hardest hit areas. Its mission is empowering independent local retailers in rural and smaller metropolitan areas. Recently, eBay scouted cities to partner with and chose Akron, Ohio—a community with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a substantial number of eBay sellers.

Known as “the rubber capital of the world” for its concentration of auto tire manufacturers, Akron has been struggling in recent years with housing and unemployment as well as the revival of its downtown area Despite its struggles, the city has maintained its strong entrepreneurial spirit. Brent Wesley, a local beekeeper and owner of Akron Honey Company, which produces natural products like urban honey and personal care products, says he used to pass a vacant lot on his way to work every day. Some might have thought it was just another sign of the city’s decline; Wesley thought it would be a great place for an apiary.

Librie explains that “the idea of Retail Revival is to onboard to the eBay platform a number of brick-and-mortar retailers as well as entrepreneurs in Akron and nearby Warren, Ohio.” The program also provides ongoing training and customer-service and promotional support.

Even business owners like Ken Burns, who already has an online presence for his specialty electronics store TinyCircuits in the former BF Goodrich rubber factory in downtown Akron, are finding that partnering with eBay expands their reach. “Our products are geared to a niche audience,” Burns explains, “and online is the best way to reach potential customers around the world in a way that we wouldn’t be able to do ourselves.”

Librie says the program “demonstrates how anyone with a bank account and access to the internet can start a business and become a successful entrepreneur.” And, he adds, “Suddenly, they go from having to rely on foot traffic to gaining access to a global market.”

A Chance to Succeed

For a small Akron retailer such as Noto Boutique, which sells women’s clothing and accessories, eBay’s push to provide opportunity is a chance to reach a greater number of customers. “For several years, I’ve heard people say things like, ‘I have a daughter in Colorado and she would love your shop, but you don’t sell online,’” says Lauren Ward, the boutique’s owner. “This has opened our shop to so many more people,” she adds.

Ward, a 32-year-old mother of three, says the eBay partnership has made her more confident about her business, which she started as a hobby, selling to friends in her apartment.

The boutique now has two employees and an occasional intern from local high schools or universities. Students may work anywhere from two weeks to an entire summer, and one has worked for Noto Boutique for the past three years. Like many small-business owners, Ward wears many hats. Keeping the books is her least favorite part of the business, she admits, and as the boutique starts producing more revenue, she plans to hire a bookkeeper. Ward is also anticipating a more dependable financial future and setting goals, such as buying a home.

Elsewhere in Akron, the partnership is helping retailers set their own business goals. Burns, who currently has nine employees and hit $650,000 in revenue last year, plans to expand his electronics business and create even more local jobs. Wesley is building brand awareness and planning ways to distinguish his skin-care products in the saturated personal-care and beauty market. With two employees, Wesley’s goal is to double the previous year’s $25,000 in revenue.

Being able to make connections with other businesses—often very small local artisans—and getting them recognized is another key attraction for Ward. “A really big part of this is being an outlet for them to sell the things that we carry on eBay,” she says. Recently, a customer returned to Noto Boutique to tell Ward that she had hired a dressmaker to make bridesmaids’ dresses after seeing the woman’s work in the boutique.

Doing good in the world is a natural philosophy for eBay, according to Librie. In fact, the belief that people are basically good at heart first inspired Pierre Omidyar, eBay’s founder, to create a way for people to buy and sell things to one another without ever meeting in person. “It may seem absolutely ordinary now, but 22 years ago, when he first started, e-commerce was new,” Librie says.

Omidyar’s belief has grown into a platform with 170 million users in 190 countries. “At its core, that purpose is still driving our engine,” Librie says. “We are all about bringing people together, and not only to help the causes they care about. We are also all about helping give budding entrepreneurs and small businesses an even better opportunity to succeed.”

¹“A Record $84 Million Raised for Charities Through eBay in 2017,” Jan. 22, 2018, ebayinc.com 

Tweet me:#ICYMI: @eBay's #RetailRevival has been helping #entrepreneurs in #Akron #Ohio grow their businesses online http://bit.ly/2IAsLxo #socinn

KEYWORDS: Retail Revival, eBay, akron OH, Chris Librie, Warren Buffett

SOURCE:Hallmark Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 28, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Hallmark has released its second annual Caring in Action Social Responsibility Report featuring work during 2017 made by the global company’s diverse portfolio of businesses in the areas of community, diversity and inclusion and sustainability.   

“When you care enough, even just to start something small, meaningful change can be created,” explained Don Hall, CEO. “While we understand there is always more to do, and we intend to keep doing more, we are proud of the work described in this year’s report and the many Hallmark employees who have put caring into action.”

In its 2017 edition of Caring in Action, the company features stories from its businesses including Hallmark Greetings, Hallmark Retail, Hallmark Home & Gifts, Crayola, Crown Media Family Networks, and Crown Center. Also included is an overview of its workplace culture, profiles of diverse leaders from Corporate Strategy, Hallmark Greetings, Crown Center and Crown Media offering insights into their leadership styles and business; and testimonials from organizations and communities Hallmark serves.

Results highlight Hallmark’s 2017 community involvement, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion progress including:

• Donated 240,000 meals through Harvesters, accumulated 53,000+ volunteer hours, and helped to aid more than 1,100 nonprofits
• Surpassed its 2020 goals of sourcing 99 percent of its paper from known, sustainable sources and ensuring 56 percent of recycled fiber was used in packaging and merchandising.
• Earned recognition as one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Human Rights Campaign for the third straight year, in addition to being named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes and Statista.

The report can be regularly found on the About page of Hallmark’s corporate website.

About Hallmark 

For more than 100 years, family owned Hallmark Cards, Inc. has been dedicated to creating a more emotionally connected world. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri and employing more than 30,000 worldwide, the approximately $4 billion company operates a diversified portfolio of businesses. Its global Hallmark Greetings business sells greeting cards and gift wrap in more than 30 languages with distribution in more than 100 countries and 100,000 rooftops. Hallmark Retail operates 2,000 Hallmark Gold Crown stores in five countries and Hallmark Home & Gifts sells a broad array of home décor and gift product throughout the U.S. Crayola® offers a wide range of art materials and toys designed to spark children’s creativity around the globe. Crown Media Family Networks operates three cable channels – Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama – in addition to Hallmark Publishing, the e-books division of the Hallmark channels, and Hallmark Movies Now, a subscription-based streaming service. Crown Center is a real estate development company that manages the 85-acre hotel, office, entertainment and residential campus surrounding Hallmark’s headquarters. For more information, visit Hallmark.com. Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Tweet me:READ @Hallmark's new Caring in Action #SocialResponsibility report highlighting their work in #community #sustainability and #Diversity & #Inclusion http://bit.ly/2tI6LLO #socialimpact

KEYWORDS: Hallmark, Hallmark Greetings, Hallmark Retail, Hallmark Home & Gifts, crayola, Crown Media Family Networks, Crown Center.

SOURCE:Rebuilding Together

DESCRIPTION:

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Rebuilding Together, the leading national nonprofit organization that provides critical home repairs to individuals in need at no cost to them and rebuilds communities throughout the country, announced today a new partnership with The Wills Group.

The Wills Group is passionate about supporting the communities where their customers and employees live and work. They’ve deepened their commitment by focusing on two strategic initiatives, Eliminating Childhood Hunger and Ensuring Safe and Healthy Homes. Together, The Wills Group and Rebuilding Together work to support Rebuilding Together’s mission of repairing homes, revitalizing communities and rebuilding lives. The Wills Group is supporting Rebuilding Together through a national partnership contribution of $100,000.

“The Wills Group is proud of our 92-year history of giving back to the communities we serve,” said Lock Wills, Chairman, CEO and President of The Wills Group. “Our partnership with Rebuilding Together helps us expand our commitment to support safe and healthy homes that foster an environment where families can thrive.”

The partnership will kick off with two rebuilding projects benefiting communities in need in the greater Washington, D.C. area.

“We are thankful for The Wills Group's commitment to our neighbors in need,” said Caroline Blakely, President and CEO of Rebuilding Together. “With their support we can have a deep and lasting impact on the lives of many people and work together to strengthen our communities.”

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About Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is a leading national nonprofit organization with a mission to repair the homes of people in need and revitalize our communities. Each year, Rebuilding Together affiliates and nearly 100,000 volunteers complete about 10,000 rebuild projects. Learn more and get involved at rebuildingtogether.org.

About The Wills Group

Headquartered in La Plata, Maryland, The Wills Group, Inc. is a family-owned company committed to being the preferred choice for employees, customers, and business partners in the markets it serves across Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The Wills Group is the parent company of SMO Energy, a leading provider of propane, heating oil and HVAC equipment in the Southern Maryland region, Dash In, Splash In ECO Car Wash, SMO Motor Fuels, and operates Potomac Energy Holdings (PEH). For more information about The Wills Group, visit WillsGroup.com.

Tweet me:The Wills Group is supporting @RebldgTogthr through a national partnership contribution of $100,000. http://bit.ly/2tB34YX

KEYWORDS: rebuilding together

SOURCE:ReportAlert

DESCRIPTION:

Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) today published its 2017 Living Our Values Corporate Sustainability Report. The report is available in a digital format, with the capability to create customizable pdfs of individual sections or the entire report, and as a downloadable summary brochure.

In the report, Marathon Oil describes its actions to promote economic, social and environmental sustainability in its business and the communities where its employees live and work. It covers:

• Progress in positioning the Company for sustainable growth through governance, society, the environment, safety and its workforce, with examples and supporting metrics.
• Statements from Lee M. Tillman, Marathon Oil president and CEO, and Lisa Hyland, chair of the Health, Environmental, Safety and Corporate Responsibility Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.
• Disclosures on air emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and spills in its U.S. unconventional resource plays, as well as strategies to reduce its impacts to the environment.
• Disclosures on political and lobbying contributions, ethical business practices and other governance matters.
• Discussions on its 2017 employee and contractor safety performance and emergency preparedness and response capabilities and activities.
• Highlights on the Company’s climate change views, digital oilfield capabilities, Equatorial Guinea integrated gas business and response to Hurricane Harvey.

“Sustainability is at the core of Marathon Oil’s business strategy,” Tillman said. “As we pursued profitable and sustainable growth in 2017, we remained committed to responsible, safe and ethical operations. We focused on meeting our obligations to key stakeholders, including addressing workplace safety, protecting the environment, making a difference in our communities and delivering returns to shareholders.

“Marathon Oil has demonstrated our ability to adjust and to respond to opportunities, challenges and changes in the marketplace. Our strategy is transparent, embedded across the enterprise and aligns fully with our Company performance metrics. In short, Marathon Oil is well prepared to create long-term value,” Tillman added.

Marathon Oil values stakeholder opinion and welcomes feedback on its 2017 sustainability report. To comment on the report, please complete the report survey or send an email to CSRReport@marathonoil.com.

Marathon Oil Corporation is an independent global exploration and production company operating in the United States (U.S.), Europe and Africa, with emphasis on U.S. unconventional resource plays. Based in Houston, Texas, the Company reported net proved reserves of approximately 1.45 billion barrels of oil equivalent at the end of 2017. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.marathonoil.com.

Media Contact:
Lee Warren
Phone: +1 713-296-4103

Read the Report

Tweet me:.@MarathonOil promotes economic, social and environmental #sustainability in its business and the communities where its employees live. Learn more about their commitment to sustainability in their 2017 report via @reportalert http://bit.ly/2tt5x6Y

KEYWORDS: stakeholders, Marathon Oil Corporation, NYSE: MRO

SOURCE:SiMPACT Strategy Group

DESCRIPTION:

Since 2006, employees of LBG Canada companies have contributed almost $400 million to communities, approximately 1/3 of the total $1.2 billion leveraged from stakeholders.

Interested in the LBG Canada network? Join the conversation!

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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. For more information, please visit: https://www.lbg-canada.ca

Tweet me:Did you know that your #employeegiving program is an #employeeengagement opportunity? #LBGCanada #CIMatters http://bit.ly/2yRI7ya

KEYWORDS: LBG Canada, Community Investment, employee volunteering, employee giving, Employee Engagement, Simpact strategy group

Dr. Jessica Green brings her TED Talk, Designing for the Microbiome, to the Keynote Stage

SOURCE:International Living Future Institute

DESCRIPTION:

• Dr. Jessica Green, CEO of Phylagen. Noted for her multiple TED talks on the Microbiome in the Built Environment, Dr. Green studies the way that our health and wellbeing is impacted by the environmental microbiome, “the most complex, untapped dataset on Earth.”
• Ruth Ann Norton, president and CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, a groundbreaking national program built on a framework of cross-sector collaboration to efficiently safe homes.
• Randy Fiser, CEO of the American Society for Interior Design (ASID), who spreads the mission of “Design Impacts Life” via the professional organization that is more than 13,500 designers strong.

Tweet me:ILFI’s Living Product Expo is ground zero for manufacturers, product designers + the people who specify those products to connect + craft the future of green materials. Registration is open for the Living Product EXPO September 11-13, 2018, in Pittsburgh. http://bit.ly/2tJKVri

KEYWORDS: International Living Future Institute, Living Product Expo, living product challenge

SOURCE:Las Vegas Sands

DESCRIPTION:

In 2017, our global properties were called on many times to step up in the face of tragedy. From Typhoon Hato in Macao to the Las Vegas shooting massacre and other U.S. natural disasters, Las Vegas Sands and its Team Members rose to the challenges.

Cleaning Up Typhoon Hato

In August 2017, one of the most powerful storms in 50 years wreaked a path of destruction across South China. To assist in the aftermath of Typhoon Hato, Sands China Ltd., its properties and its Team Members stepped up to help each other and the entire community. In the initial wake of the typhoon, all of Sands China’s properties mobilized to provide access to clean water for Team Members and their families, distributing 10,000 water bottles and enabling Team Members to refill bottles with clean water from back-of-house areas. Properties also provided shower rooms for Team Members at various locations and set up temporary shelters to help displaced Team Members and their immediate families.

In addition, more than 100 volunteers from the Sands China Care Ambassador program cleaned debris off the streets and distributed bottled water, meal boxes, and cleaning kits to families near the Fai Chi Kei public housing building. Ambassadors also distributed packs of dry food and water to the elderly and others in need at Seac Pai Van public housing. To help with community response and rebuilding, Sands China provided transportation, technical, and professional support, SME support and other long-term assistance in the aftermath of the typhoon. For long-term relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts in Macao, the company made a major financial donation of $8.4 million – $3.7 million from Sands China and $4.7 million from the Adelson Family Foundation.

Recovering in Las Vegas

When a gunman opened fire on country music festival-goers in Las Vegas last October, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500, it was as if the entire city had been hit – and quite possibly all of the United States, as the nation watched the city of Las Vegas deal with this shocking act of violence. Though it was the most devastating mass shooting in modern American history, the massacre could not break the heart of Las Vegas. Showing the community’s true spirit, first responders, citizens, service providers, civic leaders, and companies banded together to help the victims and heal the community.

Las Vegas Sands and its properties immediately stepped into action to provide facility and hotel room accommodations for victims and displaced hotel guests, food and water supplies for blood donors, and grief counseling services for affected Team Members. Las Vegas Sands, through Sands Cares, and the Adelson Family Foundation pledged a combined $4 million to various local organizations in memory of the people who lost their lives in the shooting, as well as to honor the courageous victims, festival-goers, first responders, and medical professionals who joined together to save lives. Contributions were distributed to the Vegas Strong Fund to assist victims and their families, the American Red Cross, the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, and the Clark County Fire Department.

Helping Hands in Bethlehem

Sands Bethlehem Team Members gathered various donations for people affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma. In an effort to eliminate the inventory of Indoor Grills from a prior casino giveaway, Casino Marketing and Sands Cares established a Hurricane Relief Fundraiser where Team Members donated $5 and received an Indoor Grill, with $2,990 being raised. The vendor who provided the grills matched each donation and proceeds were donated to Clean the World to create additional Hygiene Kits for the areas affected by the storms in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

To learn more about CSR programs and initiatives at Las Vegas Sands, including Sands Cares, view the 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Overview.

Tweet me:Learn how @LasVegasSands and its Team Members rose to the many challenges that faced their communities in 2017. http://bit.ly/2MsNNkQ #SandsCares #CSR

KEYWORDS: Las Vegas Sands, Sands China Ltd., Sands Bethlehem, Sands Cares

Donation Part of Smithfield’s 2018 Helping Hungry Homes® Tour

SOURCE:Smithfield Foods

DESCRIPTION:

LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 29, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Smithfield Foods, Inc. donated more than 400,000 pounds of protein to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank as part of the company’s 2018 Helping Hungry Homes^® tour. Now in its 10^th year, Helping Hungry Homes^® is Smithfield’s signature hunger-relief initiative focused on helping Americans become more food secure. This donation, the largest in Helping Hungry Homes^® history and equivalent to more than 1.6 million servings, will help support the estimated 1.2 million people in Los Angeles County who live with food insecurity.

“Smithfield Foods has given us the opportunity to fight hunger and give hope to our community,” said Michael Flood, president and CEO of Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “With this historic donation, we can continue to be a resource, an advocate, and voice for those who are fighting food insecurity.”

Smithfield presented the donation to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank at the 7^th Annual Feed SoCal Stuff-A-Truck event, hosted by Vons and ABC7 in Redondo Beach. Members of participating organizations discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation and event, which will provide protein and other food resources throughout the food bank’s service area. 

This is the 32^nd large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during the company’s 2018 Helping Hungry Homes^® tour. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 100 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.

“Smithfield Foods is proud to provide the largest single donation in the history of our Helping Hungry Homes^® program to one of the nation’s most heavily populated cities with a tremendous need,” said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. “We recognize that this requires the greatest amount of support we can deliver, and are honored to provide a helping hand to the families battling food insecurity throughout the Los Angeles area.”

Smithfield’s Los Angeles, California facility employs more than 1,200 area community members, and has participated in every Annual Feed SoCal event for the past seven years. Smithfield Foods’ support aligns with the company’s commitment to contribute to the vitality of the communities where its employees work, live, and raise their families.

For more information about Smithfield Foods’ Helping Hungry Homes^® initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Nathan's Famous^®, Farmland^®, Armour^®, Farmer John^®, Kretschmar^®, John Morrell^®, Cook's^®, Gwaltney^®, Carando^®, Margherita^®, Curly's^®, Healthy Ones^®, Morliny^®, Krakus^® and Berlinki^®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has worked to end hunger in Los Angeles County since 1973 and has distributed the equivalent of more than 1 billion meals across our community. The Food Bank provides food to more than 300,000 clients on a monthly basis and distributed 70 million pounds of food in 2017 to children, seniors, working families, veterans and other neighbors in need. To support the vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles county, food and products are distributed through a network of more than 650 partner agencies, directly to children through our Children’s Backpack and Summer Lunch programs, to approximately 27,000 seniors each month through our Senior Nutrition program, and to working families and college students through our Mobile Food Pantry. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is a 4-star rated charity by Charity Navigator. For more information, visit lafoodbank.org/.

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Media Contacts:

Dalton Agency for Smithfield

Jana Beasley

(904) 534-8568

jbeasley@daltonagency.com

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Courtney Morra

323-234-3030 ext. 196 cmorra@lafoodbank.org

Tweet me:.@SmithfieldFoods makes its largest donation in the history of the #HelpingHungryHomes program and donates more than 400K pounds of protein to the @LAFoodBank http://bit.ly/2N8bWh5 #CSR

KEYWORDS: Helping Hungry Homes®, donating food, Smithfield Foods, food insecurity in america, csr

SOURCE:Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

SUMMARY:

• Tata Consultancy Services and Discovery Education Offer “Ignite My Future in School,” Delivering Professional Development to Educators and Embedding Computational Thinking in Curriculum in Greater Atlanta
   
• Instilling Digital Problem Solving Skills to Students Across Core Subject Studies

DESCRIPTION:

NEWNAN, Ga. and NEW YORK, June 29, 2018 – Tata Consultancy Services, (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced the metro Atlanta launch of their Ignite My Future in School initiative. Teachers from over 20 area school districts will experience the program’s Day of Discovery at Newnan High School in Newnan, GA. This professional training event connects local educators with Discovery Education field experts to learn about Ignite My Future in School, understand its purpose and receive hands-on training with the curriculum.

The initiative offers educators sustained curriculum support through instructional resources and year-round assistance ensuring computational thinking is embedded into core subjects such as math, sciences, arts, and social studies. This interdisciplinary approach enables students to obtain critical thinking skills that will be required for 21^st century careers across all industries.

Ignite My Future in School will help ensure that Atlanta school systems can maintain a strong talent pipeline and inspire students to enroll at one of the region’s 66 colleges and universities. Moreover, twenty-one Georgia based companies were recently named to the 2018 Fortune 500; most headquartered in Atlanta, and requiring future employees with robust computational thinking skills.

“Our teachers are educating our young people for today and preparing them with the skills needed for lifelong learning,” said U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a member of the Senate committee that oversees education. “Thank you to the teachers participating in this program developed by Tata Consultancy Services and Discovery Education. You and your students will benefit from this opportunity as we equip our students with the skills they need to make a positive impact in their communities in the future.”

“Unlocking the minds of our amazing students is the key element to their future success”, said U.S. Congressman John Lewis, D-Ga., a member of the Congressional STEM Education Caucus. “The resources and educational development that Tata Consultancy Services and Discovery Education will provide to some educators of the 5thCongressional District will be an invaluable new method of reaching our students and preparing them for the STEM careers presently available and the careers of the future.  I applaud the initiative for engaging teachers, administrators and school districts for they are the front line when attempting to reach and motivate our youth.”

“Industry can play a pivotal providing context and relevance to help educators and students realize how the skills they learn in school translates to the world of work. Through Ignite My Future in School we are empowering school systems to foster foundational skills, building capacity for teaching, and cultivating future ready talent in communities across the United States, which is key as we move into a Business 4.0 era of cross-industry digital transformation and rapid economic change,” said Balaji Ganapathy, Head of Workforce Effectiveness, TCS.

TCS and Discovery Education have also launched the digital platform, IgniteMyFutureInSchool.org providing teachers nationwide with an exclusive, cost-free, virtual professional development experience that includes lesson plans, curriculum resources, eLearning courses, and webinars. These resources are aligned to national standards, as well as the K-12 Computer Science Framework.

On a national level, Ignite My Future in School has a goal of engaging 20,000 teachers and one million U.S. students by 2021. As a first step towards this objective, TCS and Discovery Education have partnered with U.S. school districts in the D.C area, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin as early adopters and launch sites of this transdisciplinary approach. Since its debut, the program has engaged educators from every state, over 3,300 in total, while impacting more than 185,000 students.

About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS):

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for the last fifty years. TCS offers a consulting-led, Cognitive powered, integrated portfolio of IT, Business & Technology Services, and engineering. This is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 394,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $ 19.09 billion for year ended March 31, 2018 and is listed on the BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange) in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com.

To stay up-to-date on TCS news in North America, follow @TCS_NA. For TCS global news, follow @TCS_News. 

About Discovery Education:
As the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional learning, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries around the globe. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

Stay connected with Discovery Education on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram@DiscoveryEd.

Media Contacts:

Ben Trounson, Tata Consultancy Services, b.trounson@tcs.com

Katie Pearson for Tata Consultancy Services, katie.pearson@fleishman.com

Charmion N. Kinder, Discovery Education, charmion_kinder@discovery.com

Tweet me:#MetroAtlanta #teachers to participate in groundbreaking #education program promoting #criticalthinking in #students http://bit.ly/2MuyPdf #digitalskills #skillsgap #socinn @TCS_NA @DiscoveryEd

KEYWORDS: NSE: TCS, tata consultancy services (TCS), discovery education, georgia, metro atlanta, Critical Thinking Skills, digital skills

SOURCE:Yum! Brands

DESCRIPTION:

Learn more about StreetWork, a partner of The KFC Youth Foundation, and the incredible work they do to help high risk youth in Australia.

Click here to learn more about the KFC Youth Foundation

Tweet me:The @KFCAustralia Youth Foundation and @StreetWorkEO partner to help high risk youth in Australia http://bit.ly/2xZnNKN @YumBrands

KEYWORDS: NYSE:YUM, Yum! Brands, KFC, KFC Youth Foundation, StreetWork, at-risk Youth

by Jillian Baker

SOURCE:Viacom

DESCRIPTION:

On Monday, June 11, Viacom interns and employees gathered in a pop music-filled conference room at the company’s Times Square headquarters. They had come to join Viacommunity – Viacom’s social-responsibility arm – to assemble duffle bags full of towels, sheet sets, laundry bags, comforters, backpacks and other items for disadvantaged college-bound students.

The two-hour event was part of Project Move-In Day, a collaboration between the Mayor’s Office of New York City’s NYC Service program, the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and corporations such as Viacom that aims to provide 150 homeless or disadvantaged students with a packaged bag of dorm necessities at a summer send-off reception honoring their hard work and dedication.

Kylie Balogh and Gina Yoo from NYC Service led off the event by screening an inspirational video featuring a permanently wheelchair-bound girl expecting to attend college. She lives with her brother and grandmother in a shelter. In spite of all these challenges, she spoke in the most optimistic and engaging way, praising this organization and its support for her aspirations. She was certain that she would succeed. She is just one of hundreds of young individuals striving for greatness through DHS’ Future Leader Program. These teens may need assistance in getting from point A to point B, but, from the way this young woman spoke there seemed to be little doubt that once they arrived, they will achieve something special.

The volunteers, who came from two of Viacom’s New York City offices, worked with speed and efficiency, some focusing solely on packing or card writing, and others creating their own package from start to finish. The handwritten cards included supportive notes of praise and advice, emphasizing that these teens deserved this chance and predicting that they will do great things. A pizza party followed.

One of the many things that makes Viacom stand out as an employer is that it continually supports those in need while creating enjoyable experiences for volunteers who want to be part of those efforts. This bag-assembly event – part of Viacommunity’s year-round All Good, All Year initiative, which provides monthly employee volunteer opportunities – was a huge success. All participants seemed genuinely thrilled to be there and it generated the perfect opportunity for new hires and interns to get acquainted with one another and with Viacom’s philanthropic efforts.

Tweet me:.@Viacom and @nycservice help the disadvantaged pack for college as part of Project Move-In Day http://bit.ly/2Kg5V47 @Viacommunity

KEYWORDS: NASDAQ:VIA, Viacom, NYC Service, Viacommunity, Project Move-In Day, All Good All Year