SOURCE:Scotiabank

DESCRIPTION:

TORONTO, Nov. 6, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Scotiabank is proud to have been named 2018 Bank of the Year by LatinFinance for excellence in retail, commercial and investment banking services for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

"We are honoured to have been recognized by LatinFinance as the 2018 Bank of the Year and would like to thank our customers for their loyalty and our employees for their hard work and dedication to providing an excellent customer experience," said Ignacio (Nacho) Deschamps, Group Head of International Banking and Digital Transformation at Scotiabank. "This award recognizes Scotiabank for our long history in Latin America as well as our new acquisitions that add scale in the important markets we serve, especially in the Pacific Alliance countries."

The Bank of the Year is chosen by an editorial panel that reviews financial data and research, considers quantitative and qualitative factors, and weighs analyst opinion. Winners will be honoured at an Awards Ceremony in New York City on December 4, 2018 to celebrate LatinFinance's 30th anniversary.

LatinFinance is the leading source of intelligence on the financial markets and economies of Latin America and the Caribbean, and has covered banking and capital markets in the region for more than 25 years. It also provides detailed transaction pipelines, underwriting and advisory league tables, polls and awards.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 96,000 employees and assets of $947 billion (as at July 31, 2018), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

SOURCE Scotiabank

Tweet me:.@ScotiabankViews named 2018 Bank of the Year by LatinFinance for excellence in retail, commercial and investment banking services for Latin America and the Caribbean http://bit.ly/2yVxBU9 #CSR

KEYWORDS: 2018 Bank of The Year, LatinFinance, Scotiabank, Latin America and the Caribbean, diversity of transations, Access to Finance

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

For nearly five decades, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has been fighting hate and seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society.

Founded 47 years ago by attorneys Morris Dees and Joseph Levin, the SPLC used newly passed civil rights laws to dismantle remnants of Jim Crow in the Deep South. In the ensuing years, the SPLC shut down some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist groups by winning crushing, multimillion-dollar jury verdicts on behalf of their victims. It has reformed juvenile justice practices; shattered barriers to equality for women, children, the LGBT community, and the disabled; protected immigrant workers and the poor from exploitation; and more.

At this moment in American history when our country is so deeply divided, the work of the SPLC is more vital than ever.

Fighting Hate

The SPLC defines a hate group as an organization that – based on its official statements or principles, the statements of its leaders, or its activities – has beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics. Often, but not always, hateful speech incites violence and sometimes is considered evidence of a hate crime. During 2017, our Intelligence Project tracked 954 hate groups and published our annual Hate Map report depicting the location and ideology of the groups. This is the third year in a row that the number of hate groups has increased, most notably among anti-Muslim groups.

The SPLC has taken the following steps, among others, to combat this rising tide of extremism:

• Litigating against the worst of these groups in a manner similar to lawsuits the SPLC has used to win crippling court judgments against 10 major white supremacist organizations and 50 individuals who led them or participated in violent acts. Most recently, for example, we’ve sued Andrew Anglin, the founder of the most heavily trafficked neo-Nazi website, who orchestrated a harassment campaign that has relentlessly terrorized a Jewish woman and her family with anti-Semitic threats and messages.
• Distributing new “roll call” training videos to more than 40,000 law enforcement officers across the country to help them recognize, respond to, and report hate crimes properly and promptly. Our training videos also help law enforcement officers prepare for hate group rallies in their local communities.
• Holding Silicon Valley companies accountable to their own rules forbidding hate groups from exploiting their services to raise money and spread demonizing propaganda that radicalizes young people and encourages violence.

Teaching Tolerance

The SPLC’s Teaching Tolerance project provides free anti-bias educational materials such as webinars, lesson plans, professional development, and other classroom resources. The SPLC has taken several steps to support schools that are feeling the consequences of inflamed racial and ethnic tensions:

• Distributing free resources designed to help teachers and school administrators counter harmful stereotypes and stop the bullying and harassment of children whose races, ethnicities, and religions are targeted by hateful rhetoric.
• Providing educators with practical advice and strategies to help them support children of immigrants and immigrant children who may be affected by anti-immigrant policies and sentiment.
• Launching Teaching Tolerance’s most recent initiative, Teaching Hard History (THH): American Slavery, to address the fact that the majority of students leave school without an adequate understanding of the role slavery played in the development of the United States – or how its legacies still influence us today.

Seeking Justice

The SPLC stands up in court for the powerless, the exploited, and other victims of discrimination and hate. With a staff of more than 100 lawyers and legal advocates, the SPLC focuses on impactful litigation in these five practice areas: immigrant justice; economic justice; criminal justice reform; LGBT rights; and children’s rights.  Examples of our current projects include:

• Representing immigrants caught in the nation’s deportation machine with pro bono legal services at five detention centers in the Southeast as part of our Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI).
• Exposing the abuse of prisoners stemming from mass incarceration policies and the exploitative, for-profit prison industry.
• Using legislation and litigation to reform the criminal justice system and eliminate excessive court fees, modern-day debtors’ prisons, and other practices that unfairly punish or exploit the poor.

These are a just a few of the ways the SPLC continues to promote and protect our nation’s most cherished ideals and stand up for those who have no other champions. Whether this mission takes the SPLC into the courts, the classroom, or elsewhere, it remains devoted to creating a better future by fighting hate, teaching tolerance, and seeking justice.

Support SPLC through your employee giving program:

As a donor, you can support SPLC by donating to them through your employer’s workplace giving program (CFC#10352 if you're a military or federal employee participating in the Combined Federal Campaign). Payroll pledges made through employer-sponsored charitable giving programs represent a cost effective and near effortless way to support your favorite charities.

As SPLC's workplace giving partner, America’s Charities can help your company design and implement a program centered on supporting their work - through workplace giving campaigns, employee fundraising, cause-focused signature programs, volunteerism, donation drives, matching gifts, Dollars-for-Doers, In-Kind Giving and other employee engagement and philanthropic initiatives. Click here to request a demo and learn how we can help you do this.

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: Fighting hate. Teaching tolerance. Seeking justice. Here's how @SPLCenter has been advocating for the powerless for nearly five decades: https://impact.ac/2SLKo3I #1DollarBringsUsCloser #WorkplaceGiving

KEYWORDS: America’s Charities, workplace giving, employee giving, Corporate Social Responsibility, csr, charity vetting, payroll deduction giving, Fundraising, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

SOURCE:Lockheed Martin

DESCRIPTION:

Lockheed Martin is committed to engineering solutions that enable safe, resilient, modern societies for generations to come.

Watch how the company is putting commitment into practice in this short video featuring Lockheed Martin Senior Vice President Leo Mackay, head of the corporation’s award-winning sustainability, ethics and enterprise risk-mitigation programs, and Vice Present Frank Armijo, head of the corporation’s commercial and military energy business.

Read more about Lockheed Martin’s commitment to sustainability in its annual Sustainability Report.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year, the company received three Edison Awards for groundbreaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy. Learn more at www.lockheedmartin.com.

Tweet me:In today’s complex & dynamic world, #innovation is critical to addressing society’s #sustainability and resiliency challenges. Hear how @LockheedMartin is #engineering innovative solutions, enabling safe, resilient, modern societies for generations to come http://bit.ly/2JILkBS

KEYWORDS: Lockheed Martin, sustainability, aeronautics, Leo Mackay, engineering

SOURCE:Sappi North America

DESCRIPTION:

We’re excited to report that 2017 was the best safety year in our recorded history, tied with 2013, and our most complex locations, the Somerset and Cloquet mills, clocked in with record-breaking safety performances.

We’ve established a global goal of zero workplace incidents consistent with “Project Zero,” and our overall safety program targets, and we continue to use the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate to measure work-related incidents.

Increasing awareness through daily safety communications is ongoing. Front-line leaders provide observations and corrective feedback on critical safe behaviors. We’ve revisited our Cardinal Safety Rules and emphasized incident reporting and early treatment for severity reduction.

At all of our manufacturing facilities, representatives from union and management leadership collaborate to drive safety improvements, and senior mill leadership across each area of operations meets to discuss safety.

We keep employees informed as well. The new employee safety orientation has been streamlined and updated to include the SafeStart® skill building program.

• 38% (LTIFR) reduction from the previous year
• 0 Lost-Time Injuries Achieved at the Allentown facility, the Technology Center, and the Boston and South Portland offices
• 2 million Hours Cloquet employees surpassed without a losttime injury, a record achievement, putting it among the industry’s best manufacturing sites

Read more from Sappi North America's 2017 Sustainability Report here: http://bit.ly/Sappi-SR17

Tweet me:.@SappiNA achieved a 38% reduction in LTIFR over previous year. Learn more about their commitment to safety in their 2017 #sustainabilityreport: http://bit.ly/Sappi-SR17

KEYWORDS: Sappi, paper, manufacturing, LTIFR, injury, employee safety, JSE:SAP

SOURCE:BSR

DESCRIPTION:

By Jacob Park, Sustainable Futures Lab Director, BSR

With rapid automation putting millions out of work, a new “Humans First” movement emerges—determined to fight back. Saudi Arabia decides that emissions mitigation efforts are too slow to prevent severe climate disruption and announces plans to launch a risky geoengineering program, prompting threats of retaliation from other nations. The rate of Type 2 diabetes has dropped for the second year in a row, thanks to a powerful new health AI that guides consumers toward healthier behavior—and punishes those who make unhealthy choices.

None of these things have happened—yet. But what would it mean for your business if they did?

BSR’s new report, Doing Business in 2030: Four Possible Futures, combines research with imagination to help you consider disruptive possibilities such as these. The report presents four scenarios describing alternate future contexts for business. These scenarios explore key factors that could reshape the world over the coming decade and describe how they might develop, interact, and transform.

From climate disruption to automation to artificial intelligence, these changes are rapid, complex, interconnected, uncertain, and nonlinear. They are creating an entirely new operating environment for business.

While the scenarios explore numerous factors reshaping the future, on a high level they are organized around two critical uncertainties: 1) whether the forces of centralization or decentralization prevail, and 2) whether we will stick with the current economic paradigm of endless growth and profit maximization or shift toward a new paradigm that views the purpose of the economy as providing for equitable prosperity on a healthy planet.

Each scenario, summarized briefly below, imagines different answers to those questions.

Scenario 1: A Tale of Two Systems

Automation and environmental disruption cause global turmoil. China promotes a vision of “prosperity, order, and sustainability” and draws emerging economies into its orbit. Western government and business leaders realize they need to radically reform the social contract if free market capitalism is to survive.

Scenario 2: Move Slow and Fix Things

Health concerns, misinformation scandals, and a global recession undermine trust. People become disillusioned with consumerism, big business, and social media. As more localized economies emerge, people rediscover the benefits of community, and a culture of healing starts to take root.

Scenario 3: Total Information Awareness

Highly personalized AI companions become an essential part of everyday life. Concentrated networks of huge businesses leverage extreme data to provide affordable, effective, and seamless services. Privacy is gone and much work is automated away, but most people embrace the new reality.

Scenario 4: Tribalism, Inc.

The notion that “all business is political” drives social, economic, and cultural fragmentation. New “tribes” emerge with profoundly different experiences of reality. As collective action becomes increasingly difficult, some of these tribes experiment with radical approaches to global challenges like climate change.

Scenarios are neither predictions nor forecasts, and none of these will “come true” exactly as written (although elements of each are likely to happen). Instead, they are a tool to help us think differently—and to consider truly radical changes that escape the bounds of our current models. Rather than providing us with a single answer about the future—which would almost certainly be wrong—they enable us to embrace uncertainty and develop more robust and resilient strategies.

So, how should you use them?

First, suspend disbelief and immerse yourself in each of these worlds. Imagine it is 2030, and the scenario you’re reading accurately describes the world you inhabit. What would your life be like? Where do you live, what do you care about, and how do you spend your time? Use questions like these to develop an intuitive understanding of what these worlds would be like to live in.

Second, explore what new challenges and opportunities each of these worlds would present for your business and for sustainability, and consider how your company would need to operate differently in 2030 to address these. How has your supply chain changed? What new competitors have entered the market? Who are your employees, and how is their work different from today? What do your customers need, and how are you meeting those needs sustainably?

Finally, consider how you could make your company’s strategy more resilient to the entire set of scenarios. Are there any elements of your current strategy that would fail in one of these scenarios, but which could be reconsidered? Are there any no-regrets actions you could take that would work well across all the scenarios? What sorts of hedging strategies could you use to avoid risking everything on one big bet? Once you’ve identified the most promising strategic initiatives, consider what you’d have to start doing today to bring them to life.

Much of what characterizes our current reality—from highly accurate facial recognition technology to Brexit—was not so long ago considered unlikely or even crazy. Scenarios offer us a unique opportunity to step outside of the box for a moment and consider truly different possibilities. While nobody can predict the future, thinking about the ways things might evolve can help us make wiser choices today. During times of rapid change, the greatest danger lies in being unable to imagine radically different futures.

Business—and the well-being of people and the planet—depend on new strategies for the future that account for the profound changes underway and imagine transformative new opportunities to create a more just and sustainable world.

This originally appeared on BSR.

Tweet me:Is your business ready for a radically different future? These #scenarios, describing four possible worlds in 2030, will help. @BSRnews #BSR18 http://bit.ly/2DnpcMV

KEYWORDS: Futures Thinking, scenario planning, scenarios, futures, BSR

SOURCE:Business Call to Action (BCtA)

DESCRIPTION:

In 2017, the World Economic Forum reported that the global gender gap had widened for the first time.[1] This regression stands to hit women and girls at the Base of the Economic Pyramid (BoP) hardest, as many lack independent sources of income or decision making power for themselves and their families. Recognising the important role that inclusive businesses can play in mitigating this by actively engaging women across company value chains, BCtA published a new report, Women’s Economic Empowerment and Inclusive Business: Opportunities for Growth and Impact, which seeks to catalyze and promote private sector action at the BoP through inclusive business with a specific focus on women’s economic empowerment.

The report intends to provide companies with critical insights and practical guidance on how inclusive business can play a more significant role in making women’s economic empowerment a reality. There are many actions companies can take immediately in their own operations, and in the way they use their platforms and resources to enable and influence others to advance women’s economic empowerment.

In the report, BCtA promotes a holistic approach for empowering women to achieve their full potential economically. It encourages the private sector to deliver sustainable improvements in women’s equality by contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across economic, social and environmental dimensions through inclusive business models. The report lists seven areas of action that have potential for significant long-term economic benefits for both businesses and the global economy.

The seven areas provide opportunities for any inclusive business, regardless of their industry, and are accompanied by examples of BCtA member companies who are leading the way in that particular area. For example, DataMotivate, which provides skills training and employment opportunities to survivors of trafficking and slavery, has successfully cultivated a gender-sensitive inclusive business model – 95 percent of its employees are now women. Another member, DBL Group, is actively encouraging gender-equal professional advancement within its workforce, and has provided a 165-hour, comprehensive  Female Supervisors Leadership Program to support the progression of its female staff into supervisory and management positions. In terms of policy change, the private sector is also well-positioned to advocate for changes that will support a business environment that is more inclusive of women. Uganda-based AFRIpads has successfully pushed forward essential policy changes for women and girls through government partnerships in East Africa.

As these examples demonstrate, these seven areas of action represent real, achievable steps that companies can take to empower women, both within their workforce and along their value chains, to do their part to close the global gender gap.

We hope that this research will lead to increased awareness and action from both the private and public sectors, and to more quality partnerships with BoP women on the development of products and services that truly meet their needs. With the right support, we believe BoP women can realize their dreams of a better future for themselves and their families.

[1] Global Gender Gap Report 2017, World Economic Forum.

Tweet me:.@BCtA publishes new report: Women's Economic Empowerment and #Inclusive Business: Opportunities for Growth and Impact http://bit.ly/2yMfmR3 #womeninbusiness #diversity

KEYWORDS: Business Call to Action, BCtA

Aligning with HR to prove concept

SOURCE:Taproot Foundation

DESCRIPTION:

Taproot has long made the case that a strong corporate pro bono program is a triple win—nonprofits receive the support they need, companies build deeper relationships with their communities, and employees have the opportunity to apply their skills in new and meaningful ways. While there is a robust foundation of evidence supporting the claim that pro bono is a powerful social impact strategy, practitioners often struggle to articulate the business case for pro bono.

Through Taproot’s work developing pro bono programs across the corporate sector, we’ve learned that pro bono can help companies meet key HR objectives like attracting, retaining, and developing their employees. In this paper, we explore how pro bono practitioners can align their pro bono efforts with their company’s HR strategy to create shared value across the company.

CASE STUDY: Adobe's Pro Bono Residency Program

The Pro Bono Residency Program is Adobe’s most intensive pro bono offering, matching volunteers with nonprofits to provide two to five hours of consulting support per week, over a six-month period. Now in its second year, the Pro Bono Residency Program is currently engaging 14 nonprofits and 28 employees across three locations. In addition to advancing the missions of Adobe’s nonprofit partners, this program helps employees hone critical leadership skills and further develop their own expertise.

Adobe's Approach

Adobe’s Sustainability & Social Impact team designed their post-program survey for the Pro Bono Residency Program participants to align with their annual company-wide survey, which tracks retention, engagement, and talent development. For Ashley Roberts Rhodes, Program Manager for Adobe’s Sustainability & Social Impact Team, mapping pro bono impacts against the company’s broader goals is a way for other departments to understand the value of their program. By comparing pro bono participants to the general population of their peers, Adobe is able to illustrate how the Pro Bono Residency Program can be a key driver for attracting and retaining their company’s talent. Demonstrating these unique gains against key data points that are relevant to Adobe’s broader HR and business goals will provide a compelling case for pro bono to share with senior leadership and HR practitioners as they begin to forge a partnership.

Read the full case study in Pro Bono as a People Strategy

Tweet me:At @Adobe, mapping the impact of #probono against company goals proves the value of their Pro Bono Residency Program. Explore their success in Pro Bono as a People Strategy from @TaprootFound. http://bit.ly/2Odc3Hi

KEYWORDS: Taproot Foundation, Adobe

SOURCE:3BL Forum

DESCRIPTION:

THE BIG STORY

What’s Next: Employees Take Stands
When I began this newsletter exactly one year ago, the inspiration came from the increasing CEO activism I saw taking place throughout the business community. I had been reporting for 3BL Media on this movement since its beginnings, in 2014, when Apple’s Tim Cook and Starbucks’ Howard Schultz spoke out on gay rights and race, respectively. From their positions at the top of highly profitable companies with large, loyal consumer bases, I thought their statements bold and welcome, although privileged and perhaps unique.
 
In 2015, the “bathroom” and “religious freedom” bills proposed in several states prompted statements in opposition from dozens of prominent CEOs from all sorts and sizes of companies—the rules of the game had clearly changed. Following the inauguration of the current administration in 2016, issues of immigration, gun control, climate change, and gender equity rose to the top of the agenda at many more companies; C-suite executives and boards began regularly commenting publicly on social and political issues. Since then, many hundreds of CEOs have signed on to one or more collective statements on these issues (notably, 550 chief executives are supporting CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion).

Now, on the cusp of 2019, a second wave of disruption in business-as-usual has hit with full force: Employees taking stands. Last week, 20,000 Google employees walked off their jobs in 50 offices around the world to protest revelations that the company had fired three senior executives over sexual misconduct, paying one of them a severance package of $90 million. The reveal came from an article in The New York Times, not from any internal Google announcement. The lack of transparency, on top of the original payoff, angered the company’s employees and ignited calls for collective employee action: A one-day “strike.” (The company subsequently informed its team that 48 employees had been fired over the past two years without severance packages for sexual misconduct reasons.)
 
Google employees were protesting their workplace culture, which they felt had protected sexual harassers if they were senior-level executives. From a company with the motto “Do No Evil” and a parent company, Alphabet, with the slogan “Do the Right Thing,” they expected much more. Their demands to the company were basic: Improve transparency in reporting on sexual conduct, end pay and opportunity inequity, and elevate the position and authority of the chief diversity officer.
 
“Employees are now a company’s most powerful interest group” says Alison Taylor, a managing director at Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), in an article for the Harvard Business Review: “When CEOs Should Speak Up on Polarizing Issues.” She explains that “workers are freely using the tools of this hyper-transparent era — including petitions and email leaks — to land punishing blows against corporate reputations and finances, in the process emerging as companies’ most powerful interest group. At a time when the U.S. economy seems to be approaching full employment, employees have more influence over whether and how their leaders speak out.”
 
There’s no doubt that Google employees are protesting from a privileged position. The company is “built on human capital and nothing else,” John Wilson, Cornerstone Capital Group’s head of research and corporate governance, is quoted as saying in the HBR article. “Google hires people who can work anywhere. So if employees don’t trust the company will have their backs, it will impact Google’s ability to attract, retain and motivate employees.”

Read more >>>
 
NEWS YOU CAN USE

FedEx Scales Back Its Gun Business
The hot-button issue of gun control has flared up again, following the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and FedEx has canceled its marketing partnership with the National Rifle Association (NRA). The move was a reversal of the company’s position earlier this year. Following the Parkland, Florida school shooting, the company had refused to end its discount program for NRA members, despite pressure from gun control activists, saying that it “does not and will not deny service or discriminate against any legal entity regardless of their policy positions or political views.”
 
What changed? FedEx said that it was a business decision, part of what the company said was a months-long review that resulted in the deletion of more than 100 such partnerships, the NRA among them. According to the company, the bottom line was the driver in making the decision: NRA members did not generate enough shipping volume to make the group’s participation in the program worthwhile. It also stated that the timing of the announcement following the Pittsburgh shooting was “not prompted” by that event.
 
It should be noted that FedEx headquarters are located in Memphis, Tennessee, a politically “ruby red” region and state where any suggestion of gun control regulation is viewed negatively. As the 10th largest private employer in the U.S., with over 300,000 employees, the company has to deal with prevailing internal employee sentiment as well as with external social pressures on such a controversial issue. However hedged, the move marks a significant statement by a major brand. FedEx now joins Delta and United airlines, MetLife insurance, some car rental companies, and several other firms that have dropped special deals with the NRA.

70 UK Business Leaders Urge “People’s Vote” on Brexit 
The Brands Taking Stands movement is not limited to action in the U.S. by American-based companies. Businesses in the U.K. now find themselves pushing back against government policies on Brexit that they think damaging to their bottom lines as well as to society in general. A public letter signed by 70 leading corporate executives has called for a “people’s vote” on any final Brexit deal. Signees include former executives from Marks and Spencer, Lloyd’s of London, and Sainsbury’s; the chief executives of Waterstones and Unipart; and the founders of Lastminute and Innocent Drinks, among others. “The business community was promised that, if the country voted to leave, there would continue to be frictionless trade with the EU and the certainty about future relations that we need to invest for the long term...the proposals being discussed by the government and the European Commission fall far short of this, and they are not nearly as good as the current deal we have inside the EU.... We are now facing either a blindfold or a destructive hard Brexit. Both these options will further depress investment. They will be bad for business and bad for working people. The uncertainty over the past two years has already led to a slump in investment, which will make our country poorer.” The letter was coordinated by Business for People’s Vote, a campaign that turned out an estimated 700,000 people for a march in London last month to demand a new referendum on the U.K.’s membership in the E.U.

The references to “bad for working people” and to making “our country poorer” show how a holistic concept of what is good for business now transcends a focus on the bottom line only. Like their U.S. counterparts, British businesses are well aware that a government policy which impacts employment could result in a recessionary consumer environment—which means bad news for their bottom lines. 

Land O’Lakes, Purina Take Stands Against Racist Lawmaker While Nike FounderDraws Criticism for Record Donations
When Land O’Lakes announced it would no longer support long-time U.S. Representative Steve King with political donations due to his racist views, the shift made news far beyond the upper Midwest where the agricultural co-operative works. With $14 billion in revenue, almost 2,000 producer-members, 751 member-cooperatives, and 10,000 employees who process and distribute the products of 300,000 producers, when the company speaks, the entire U.S. agricultural community listens.

"The Land O'Lakes, Inc. PAC has traditionally contributed to lawmakers of both parties that represent the communities where our members and employees live and work and are also on committees that oversee policies that directly impact our farmer owners. We take our civic responsibility seriously, want our contributions to be a positive force for good and also seek to ensure that recipients of our contributions uphold our company's values. On that basis, we have determined that our PAC will no longer support Rep. Steve King moving forward."

Also citing “a conflict with its values,” pet food company Purina made a similar statement.

The traditional practice of companies donating to lawmakers of both parties looks to be coming in for a correction based on principles as the culture wars in politics intensify. Consumer companies in particular will have to navigate a new course between their community values for “positive good” and legislators who may hold views considered retrograde and discriminatory.

What business-as-usual will look like now that Representative King, a member of the House Agricultural Committee, has narrowly won re-election, will be unexplored territory. King, a representative for Iowa’s 4th District, has supported white nationalism, argued against immigration and diversity, and has displayed a Confederate flag on his desk.” He has also been named the “least effective member of Congress" by InsideGov due to his persistent failures to get legislation out of committee.

On the West Coast, Nike founder Phil Knight has come under scrutiny for making record political donations of $3.5 million to a Republican candidate for governor. The amount breaks the state record for an individual contribution many times over, reports The Guardian.

Nike has a large footprint in Oregon, where it is Portland’s second-largest employer. Knight is reportedly the 28th richest person in the world, worth an estimated $29 billion, according to Forbes. What’s curious is that he has made no open or consistent policy demands, other than to support fixes to the state pension system and note a lack of political leadership. How the chairman emeritus’ personal political activities will impact Nike, the company, currently riding a cultural high with its much lauded “Believe in Something” ad campaign, is an open question. 

C-SUITE COMMENTS

“All of us who live in this country depend on its strong defense. The people who serve in our military work for an institution with a vital role and critical history. Of course, no institution is perfect or has an unblemished track record, and this has been true of the U.S. military.”

We want the people of this country and especially the people who serve this country to know that we at Microsoft have their back. They will have access to the best technology that we create. At the same time, we appreciate that technology is creating new ethical and policy issues that the country needs to address in a thoughtful and wise manner. That’s why it’s important that we engage as a company in the public dialogue on these issues.” 

—Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft

Excerpted from Microsoft blog.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Donna Westerman has been promoted to VP, Head of ESG Global Risk at Verisk Maplecroft. Westerman has been with Verisk Maplecroft since 2016 and previously held roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Avon, and Mars Wrigley. 
 
Deirdre Latour has been named Pearson's Chief Communications Officer, responsible for the company’s global corporate affairs team, which includes government relations, media & investor relations, employee communications, and brand & social impact. Prior to her new position, Latour had been with GE for 14 years and was a VP at Edelman.
 
Paull Young has been named Charitable Giving Lead - Social Good Partnerships, Media Partnerships at Facebook. His prior roles included stints at charity: water and Instagram.
 
Gil Friend has founded Critical Path Capital. For the past year, the sustainable business pioneer has been Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Palo Alto, Calif.

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Tweet me:.@BrandsTkgStands looks at #employeeactivism @Google http://bit.ly/2Ouvfk1 Also: @FedEx ends #NRA partnership; #UK biz leaders on #Brexit; @LandOLakesInc + @Purina end support of @SteveKingIA #BrandsTakingStands @3BLMedia

KEYWORDS: Google, Brands Taking Stands, nike, Purina, NRA, FedEx, employee activism

SOURCE:Mohawk Industries

DESCRIPTION:

Environmental initiatives frequently outshine the very communities they were designed to assist. But that need not be the case. A recent project by flooring manufacturer Mohawk Industries demonstrates the potential to facilitate social empowerment and positive environmental impact continuously cultivated through “handprints” — initiatives that give more back to people and communities than they take, while helping minimize overall carbon footprint.

Earlier this year, a handprint was made through a Mohawk collaboration with Groundswell, a nonprofit with a mission to bring economic relief through solar programs. The two organizations partnered to install a Smartflower solar energy system in the south side of Chicago. This new handprint is bringing clean energy, savings in utilities, educational opportunities and other new beginnings to the underserved community where it has been planted. It is the inaugural system in the program, which consists of a series of 10 Smartflowers slated to be installed nationwide over a three-year period.

In this one-hour pre-recorded webcast, George Bandy Jr. of Mohawk Industries and Michelle Moore of Groundswell discuss their unique partnership in aligning environmental stewardship with social equity. You’ll discover how solar energy-focused, community-building initiatives can be implemented into a corporate social responsibility framework, empowering inclusion and transformation while addressing global concerns.

Moderator:

• Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz

Speakers:

• George Bandy Jr., VP of Sustainability & Commercial Marketing, Mohawk Industries
• Michelle Moore, CEO, Groundswell

The GreenBiz webcast is free to view online. Click here to watch it on-demand.

Tweet me:In this one-hour pre-recorded @GreenBiz webcast, George Bandy Jr. of @MohawkGroup and Michelle Moore of @Grndswell discuss their unique #solarenergy partnership that aligns environmental stewardship with social equity http://bit.ly/2DmPjDJ #handprintsoverfootprints #GrnBz

KEYWORDS: NYSE:MHK, George Bandy Jr., Michelle Moore, Groundswell, Smartflower, Mohawk Industries

SOURCE:LIXIL

DESCRIPTION:

TOKYO, November 7, 2018 /3BL Media/ – LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, today announced a new partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring what could be the world’s first “reinvented toilet” for household use to pilot in at least two markets. LIXIL will build a team of experts in technology, design, and product development from across its global commercial organization to work jointly with a sanitation technology partner to refine and test a leading reinvented toilet prototype.

LIXIL will work with the Gates Foundation to provide commercial guidance on use cases, design specifications, and commercial tradeoffs for the household reinvented toilet, building on market research and user insights the foundation has developed to date. In parallel, LIXIL will be developing the requirements of a robust business model to inform sector-wide commercialization plans for this unique product category.

LIXIL firmly believes that new off-grid solutions can transform life for the better, and that innovation will drive this change. Flush toilets connected to sewer systems are hailed as the gold standard of the modern age. But around the world, cities are struggling to keep pace with rapid urbanization and increasing water scarcity and building or retrofitting sewer infrastructure is not always practical or even possible. The 21st century is bringing a better quality of life, providing smart, new, off-grid answers to some of humanity’s oldest challenges. Solar panels have brought reliable energy to remote regions. Mobile phones have brought instant communication to billions.

New off-grid toilet systems that can be installed anywhere and treat human waste would transform the sanitation sector as we know it today, providing millions of people with improved, flexible, safe, and convenient alternatives for managing sanitation. The aim of the pilot is to advance a prototype toward commercialization, one that can foundationally be leveraged for both the wealthy end of the market as well as for the 4.5 billion people who today do not have a safe way to manage their waste. It may be possible to soon leapfrog into a future where clean, safe sanitation is not only contributing to the environment, but is independent from a sewage system, setting a new standard for the 21st century.

LIXIL Group Corporation President, Kinya Seto, commented: “Toilets are crucial, but we know that one size does not fit all, especially when it comes to off-grid settings. Human-centric and environment-specific design is absolutely critical. As a maker of toilets from some of the most advanced shower toilets in the world to frugal but life-saving toilet models such as our SATO line of products, we are committed to harnessing innovation and design to bring sustainable sanitation to all. We are very excited to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to explore how new sanitation options can provide fresh answers to growing challenges that our society is now facing, such as booming populations, rapid urbanization, and water scarcity.”

Speaking at the opening plenary of the Reinvented Toilet Expo in Beijing, Bill Gates said, “This expo showcases, for the first time, radically new, decentralized sanitation technologies and products that are business-ready. It’s no longer a question of if we can reinvent the toilet and other sanitation systems. It’s a question of how quickly this new category of off-grid solutions will scale.”

LIXIL is a global leader in the sanitary ware industry, home to global brands such as INAX, GROHE, and American Standard, with a portfolio of products that includes some of the most technologically advanced shower toilets in the world. The company is also a first mover in the off-grid sanitation space, with the launch of a range of products under its SATO brand, originally developed with support from the Gates Foundation. SATO offers safe and affordable toilet systems to those lacking basic sanitation, and so far over 1.8 million SATO units have been shipped, providing access to improved sanitation to approximately 9 million people globally.

About LIXIL

LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve everyday, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to make high quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approach comes to life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. Over 70,000 colleagues operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people every day.

LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company for LIXIL’s portfolio of businesses.

Tweet me:#LIXIL to pilot household #ReinventedToilet in partnership with the @gatesfoundation http://bit.ly/2PhQYAM

KEYWORDS: OTC:JSGRY, LIXIL, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, off-grid

SOURCE:Sea Change Radio

DESCRIPTION:

How splendid would it be if humans could somehow find a way to truly co-exist with the rest of the planet’s creatures? This week on Sea Change Radio, we focus on two people doing what they can to protect endangered species around the globe. First, we speak to Brooke Bessesen, an author and wildlife researcher whose new book about a small, rare type of porpoise in the Sea of Cortez called the vaquita is facing possible extinction. Then, we take a look back at our 2017 discussion with Topher White. His organization, Rainforest Connection, up-cycles defunct cell phones with solar charging technology and then places them strategically in rainforests all over the world to monitor human activity like poaching and deforestation.

Tweet me:This week's @SeaChangeRadio - "All Creatures Great and Small: The Vanishing Vaquita" http://www.cchange.net/2018/11/06/vaquita/

KEYWORDS: sea change radio, endangered species, Brooke Bessesen, Rainforest Connection

SOURCE:Shared Value Initiative

DESCRIPTION:

Bobbi Silten - Managing Director, Shared Value Initiative

I’ve found that whenever I start a new job, the first 100 days go by quickly and it was no different stepping into the role as the leader of the Shared Value Initiative.  I spent my first few months getting immersed in all things shared value, meeting with SVI members and collaborators, and talking with practitioners and thought leaders in the field to understand our challenges and opportunities.  In all these encounters there was a common thread: the belief in shared value is strong.

I joined the SVI because I’ve experienced first-hand the benefits shared value can create for society, the environment, and business.  As a business leader it gave me a sense of purpose and a powerful reason to pour myself into my work.

I became a shared value practitioner more than a dozen years ago while at Gap Inc., inspired by the early writings of Michael E. Porter and Mark Kramer.  Before the practice was known as “shared value” I began to experiment, make mistakes, learn and celebrate small wins using this new business discipline.  I also learned how to be patient with the naysayers, build a coalition, and advance a shared value culture.  I believe deeply in the potential of shared value and know that we are still early in the lifecycle of this idea and unleashing the possibilities it holds.  Our vision is that one day shared value is the way successful, sustainable business is done.

On this one-hundredth day in the job, I want to share my early thoughts about the work of the SVI and how we can contribute to the momentum of the shared value movement.

1. Fulfill the promise of purpose

To do shared value well, it starts with a clear social purpose.  Purpose beyond profit is a popular topic in business these days with 90% of executives recognizing the importance of “an aspirational reason for being which… provides benefit to society,” according to a recent EY Beacon Institute/Harvard Business Review Analytic Services survey.

But merely stating a purpose, while positive, is insufficient.  In all likelihood a purpose statement may be an aspiration that we will forever seek to fulfill, so we should use the tools we have at our disposal to make the proclamation matter.  Philanthropy, volunteering, and social responsibility programs play a role in realizing purpose, but I believe that having a shared value practice at the core of a company’s efforts is the most powerful way to deliver on the promise of purpose and to do it in partnership with P&L owners.  Shared value is a potent engine of change with a built-in incentive for the business to sustain its support for social and environmental outcomes while driving growth.

2. Talk to investors

Since 2011, the number of S&P 500 companies reporting on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters increased four-fold from 20% to 85%.  It’s also been shown that companies that perform well on material ESG measures substantially outperform their peers financially.  Now it’s time to move the conversation to the next level.  I have heard from many of you that we need to talk directly to investors about shared value so they better understand the concept and its relevance to long-term value creation for business and society. 

We have an opportunity to highlight shared value as a strategy that isn’t just about risk mitigation, but one that creates value for shareholders and long-term benefits for all stakeholders.  In the coming months we will share more on this important topic as we work with experts in the field and hold conversations with investors and business leaders.

3. Share the messiness

There’s something liberating about acknowledging when things didn’t go exactly as planned.  Oftentimes it’s the first step of learning.  I recently talked about the notion of sharing the messiness of our shared value work at a Knowledge Exchange in NYC and it resonated with folks.  We’ve all read case studies of shared value successes that inspire us, but the imperfections have been polished out of the learnings.  We can learn different and important things about shared value and its practice by revealing the challenges, missteps, oversights, and stories of recovery from such mishaps.  It’s also a way for us to build a stronger community of leaders and thought partners, and provide one another fuel as we work to advance the practice and deliver greater impact.

4. Build an ideas pipeline

New ideas and innovation are critical for competitiveness, especially if you lead a business.  For shared value to stay relevant and keep pace with business, we need to remain current and push the practice.  To better serve the shared value community, the SVI will more intentionally seek out ideas and innovations useful for all of us.  I know there are many important stories out there waiting to be told that highlight the practices, progress, and sometimes the pain of our work.

In addition to sharing practitioner stories, we plan to bring new programs to the SVI community starting this winter. 

5. Spread the word

This last early thought is one that speaks to the marketer in me.  “Ideas that spread, win.”  This insightful truth was uttered by entrepreneur and best-selling author Seth Godin 15 years ago and his words couldn’t be more true today.  Shared value is an idea worth spreading and we’re actively seeking ways to make our message more accessible, exciting and shareable to capture the attention and imagination of those we need to convince that shared value is a smart business discipline.  More to come on this front as we move into 2019 and work to spread the word.

To wrap this up, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to share with me their thoughts, ideas, frustrations, and hopes for shared value and the SVI.  Your generosity will help evolve our work as we leverage the strong momentum of this movement and amplify our efforts to positively impact society, the environment and business.

Tweet me:.@SVInitiative Managing Director Bobbi Silten reflects on her first 100 days getting immersed in all things #sharedvalue to understand the field's challenges & opportunities. In all these encounters was a common thread: the belief in shared value is strong. http://bit.ly/2DrIn8s

KEYWORDS: Shared Value Initiative, SVI, Bobbi Silten, Leadership

Cleveland, Tennessee — “The Little Plant That Could”

SOURCE:Whirlpool Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

Whirlpool Corporation’s current plant in Cleveland, Tennessee — which is also the company’s newest — is the largest employer in the county, producing a variety of cooking appliances for multiple brands. The facility was built just a short drive from the former plant location that operated in the area for decades under a variety of brand names before finally becoming a Whirlpool manufacturing facility after the acquisition of Maytag Corporation in 2006.

READ MORE

Tweet me:Whirlpool Corp’s plant in Cleveland, TN—also the company’s newest — is the largest employer in the county, producing cooking appliances for multiple brands. See the people and places of Cleveland in this next video in the "Places that Matter" series. http://bit.ly/2z0jehc

KEYWORDS: NYSE:WHR, whirlpool

SOURCE:General Motors

DESCRIPTION:

Biking enthusiasts and sweat-haters rejoice – the eBike is here.

As part of General Motors’ commitment to an all-electric future, the eBike is one of the latest electrification technologies developed to give customers more freedom to move and dream beyond the traditional vehicle. The eBike is also designed to reduce congestion in crowded urban areas, offering a way for public transportation commuters to complete the final blocks to their destination.

Two innovative, integrated and connected eBikes – one folding and one compact – were recently introduced without a brand.

“As an avid cyclist and urban commuter, I know how great it feels to get where I’m going easily and to show up sweat-free,” said Hannah Parish, director of General Motors Urban Mobility Solutions. “We blended electrification engineering know-how, design talents and automotive-grade testing with great minds from the bike industry to create our eBikes. Now we want to hear from people who like to move and have rad ideas.”

GM wants the public to be involved from the start by naming the eBike brand using www.eBikeBrandChallenge.com, today through 10 a.m. EST Monday, Nov. 26. GM will announce the winners in both categories in early 2019.

Tweet me:.@GM is building an eBike and wants your help naming the latest electrification technology developed to give more freedom beyond traditional vehicles. https://bit.ly/2Fa1rJZ #zeroemissions

KEYWORDS: zero emissions, bicycles, eBike, GM, General Motors, commuters, NYSE:GM

SOURCE:University of Michigan: Erb Institute | Business for Sustainability

DESCRIPTION:

Emerging industries depend on government support to grow, but they may be seen as threats to an incumbent industry, and they need to prove their technical feasibility and market promise. So how do emerging industries garner government support? A group of researchers led by former Erb Institute Postdoctoral Fellow Panikos Georgallis set out to demystify the conditions under which emerging industries get government support.

Established industries have economic and political power that emerging industries lack. As the researchers put it, “Nascent industries, and the firms that populate them, are vulnerable. Lacking cognitive acceptance from stakeholders, and sometimes founded in direct opposition to entrenched industries, they struggle to establish and maintain a presence. Favorable regulatory environments can help them to take root, but little is known about how such environments come into effect.” The research was published in “Shine on Me: Industry Coherence and Policy Support for Emerging Industries,” by Panayiotis (Panikos) Georgallis, Glen Dowell and Rodolphe Durand, in Administrative Science Quarterly.

They looked at the solar photovoltaics (PV) industry in Europe and found that government support is strongly dependent on three factors:

• the number of solar PV producers in each country
• how coherent the industry is, and
• how concentrated the incumbent industry is.

Their results “shed new light on the relationship between public policy and the emergence of an industry category, and they extend our understanding of how new industries can attain valuable state support while operating in seemingly hostile environments,” the researchers wrote.

Continue to Methods and Findings here

Further research on this topic available:  http://myumi.ch/LPpBR

Tweet me:How do emerging industries (like Photovoltaics) obtain the government support they need to grow? Former @erbinstitute postdoc @panikosgeor and team share research @ASQJournal #sustainability #renewableenergy http://myumi.ch/aMwQl http://tny.im/gxq

KEYWORDS: Erb Institute, university of michigan, sustainability, Panikos Georgallis, solar photovoltaics

Company’s financial education program reached 1 million service members and families

SOURCE:Wells Fargo & Company

DESCRIPTION:

SAN FRANCISCO,  November 8, 2018 /3BL Media/ – In honor of Veterans Day, Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) announced the company has donated a total of more than $130 million since 2012 to support military- and veteran-related nonprofits focused on housing initiatives, career transition and financial education.

Highlights include:

• Donated more than 350 mortgage-free homes, valued at more than $55 million, to veterans in all 50 states.

• Hired more than 8,400 veterans, and participated in more than 1,200 military job fairs.

• Provided basic financial education to more than a million

“Wells Fargo’s commitment to military service members, veterans and their families spans more than 165 years,” said Jerry Quinn, Military Affairs Program manager and Army reservist. “Our accomplishments are possible because of our coordination with military and veteran communities. We’re honored to support them in tangible ways.”

Wells Fargo Military Affairs Program includes:

Housing initiatives

• Since 2012, the Wells Fargo Foundation has provided more than $15 million in grants in support of sustainable housing programs, such as VeteranWINS and the Team Member Volunteer Program.

• NeighborhoodLIFT helps eligible service members and veterans receive a home down payment assistance grant.
  

  Wells Fargo donates mortgage-free homes and sponsors payment-free vehicles for combat-wounded veterans in collaboration with the Military Warriors Support Foundation.

• Wells Fargo provides financing options, dedicated service and financial education to help military members and veterans achieve homeownership. Several times a year, the company offers free financial education webinars for military families on home financing, budgeting and saving, and credit.

Career transition

• Wells Fargo offers active guard and reserves supplemental pay designed to make up the difference between their Wells Fargo pay and military base pay; medical, dental, vision, and long-term care coverage; and pay for work missed due to weekend drill and annual training.

• For those transitioning from military service, Wells Fargo offers Military Apprenticeships, Veteran Employment Transition internship program, American Corporate Partners mentorships, and scholarships and emergency grants through Scholarship America.

• CEO and President Tim Sloan signed the statement of Support in August 2018.

Financial education

• In support of the Sharpen Your Financial Focus (Sharpen) initiative, received a $1 million commitment from Wells Fargo in 2018 for financial counseling and education services for active military service members, veterans and their families. Since the 2013 launch of Sharpen, Wells Fargo has contributed a total of $5.5 million to the foundation in support of these services.

• Wells Fargo collaborated with nonprofit to provide 895,000 copies of “Financial Readiness: Sound Principles for Successful Money Management” to military service members since 2014.

• Wells Fargo’s Hands on Banking® for Military— the company’s online financial education program — is available online at www.handsonbanking.org, in print through Guideposts Financial Readiness and Building Wealth booklets, and personal one-on-one and group sessions through National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s Sharpen Your Financial Focus program.

According to the 2018 Military Spouse and Family Survey, Pioneer Services and AmeriForce Media, one in three military spouses say they are not prepared to meet a financial emergency, and 82 percent state a financial emergency is a chief concern.

“Sound financial management is essential for our military service members and veterans,” added Quinn. “Wells Fargo takes a lot of pride in financially empowering them and their families through Hands on Banking for Military and other programs.”

More information about Wells Fargo’s commitment to military service members, veterans and their families is available at www.wellsfargo.com/military.

About Wells Fargo & Company

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, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,950 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 37 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 262,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Media

Lisa Westermann, 415-845-7759 
Lisa.b.Westermann@wellsfargo.com
@LWestermannWF

Tweet me:.@WellsFargo Surpasses $130 Million in Donations to Veteran-Related Nonprofits http://bit.ly/2yY7P1D

KEYWORDS: Veterans, military, financial education, Wells Fargo & Company, NYSE:WFC, Donations

SOURCE:Caterpillar Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

For more than 45 years, Cat Reman has provided customers with engines and components offering same-as-when-new quality, reliability and performance.

In 2016, Cat Reman introduced a Cat® 3600 engine prechamber assembly using state-of-the-art machining and laser weld technology. This remanufactured prechamber assembly was developed through a collaborative effort involving team members from manufacturing, salvage, marketing and engineering.

Click here to watch a video and learn more about remanufacturing at Caterpillar.

Tweet me:In 2016, Cat Reman introduced a Cat® 3600 engine prechamber assembly using state-of-the-art machining and laser weld technology. Check outCaterpillar's 2017 #sustainability report to learn more about Cat Reman and the development of this assembly http://bit.ly/2P4kIBk

KEYWORDS: Caterpillar, Cat Reman, Remanufacturing, Cat 3600, NYSE:CAT, sustainability

SOURCE:JetBlue Airways

DESCRIPTION:

NEW YORK, November 8, 2018 /3BL Media/ – JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced a collaboration with Princess Awesome, a clothing company whose mission is to give girls options that reflect their full range of interests. Princess Awesome teamed up with JetBlue for the special aviation-themed “Airplanes Collection,” featuring blue jets as the focal point of the line. This capsule collection highlights both JetBlue’s and Princess Awesome’s commitment to providing access for girls to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The Airplanes Collection includes dresses, leggings, scarves, shirts in infant and girls sizes and is available exclusively from November 8-19, or while supplies last, on ShopJetBlue.com– JetBlue’s online shopping site for branded and related gear. Pieces from the line will be available at Princess-Awesome.com after November 13.

“The launch of the Airplanes Collection coincides with National STEM Day, further highlighting JetBlue’s and Princess Awesome’s efforts to encourage young girls’ ambitions in fields that are traditionally under-represented by women,” said Elizabeth Windram, vice president marketing, JetBlue. “Cultivating an interest in STEM at a young age is critical to a variety of career opportunities, including aviation.”

To bring the collection to life, one model and one contest winner were photographed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) in the new Airplanes Collection and where they had the opportunity to view JetBlue’s operations.

"Every kid makes airplane noises and points when they see a plane fly overhead," Rebecca Melsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Princess Awesome, notes, "But no girls' clothing has airplanes on it. Girls love flying on planes and learning about aviation engineering just as much as boys do. The Airplanes Collection honors that interest, and also helps spark meaningful conversations when adults notice that a girl is wearing a dress with airplanes on it." 

Princess Awesome makes clothing that honors the wide range of girls' interests. Co-founders Rebecca Melsky, a teacher and mother of two, and Eva St. Clair, a stay-at-home mother of four, started Princess Awesome in 2013 when Rebecca encountered a problem. She wanted to foster her daughter’s interest in math, science, and adventure, but her daughter would only wear dresses. Princess Awesome believes there's nothing mutually exclusive about loving twirly dresses and also loving trucks, science –  or airplanes. Princess Awesome teamed up with the empowering t-shirt brand Free to Be Kids to create the shirt for the Airplanes Collection. For more information on Princess Awesome, visit Princess-Awesome.com.

According to Women in Aviation International, only seven percent of U.S. pilots are women. Both JetBlue and JetBlue Foundation are dedicated to introducing students from traditionally underserved communities, particularly girls, to STEM and aviation and helping increase these numbers. Giving back is part of JetBlue’s DNA and is core to its mission of inspiring humanity. The airline focuses on the areas that are most important to the airline’s customers and crewmembers – Community, Youth/Education and the Environment. JetBlue’s core programs and partnerships directly impact the areas where its customers and crewmembers live and work by enhancing education and providing access to those that are traditionally underserved.

About JetBlue

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 40 million customers a year to 100+ cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit jetblue.com. 

About Princess Awesome

Princess Awesome is a company founded by women - mothers - who want girls to be able to express themselves through their clothing. We are committed to making clothes that girls want to wear, and that parents want to see on their daughters. Our guiding principle is to listen to what girls like to wear, do, and play, and to make that available to them - so girls can wear all that they are. Shop the collection at https://princess-awesome.com/.

Tweet me:.@JetBlue and @princess31415 encourage girls’ interest in #STEM http://bit.ly/2RHzWZO #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInSTEM

Contact Info:

JetBlue Corporate Communications
+1 (718) 709-3089
corpcomm@jetblue.com

KEYWORDS: NASDAQ:JBLU, Jetblue, Princess Awesome

SOURCE:General Motors

DESCRIPTION:

Did you know that General Motors applies lightweighting principles to all its vehicles, whether they’re EVs, trucks, high-performance vehicles or beyond? The Chevrolet Camaro alone lost almost 400 pounds back in 2016 thanks to lightweighting efforts.

So why is this important? Because less weight translates to emissions savings. Newton's second law of motion states that the heavier an object, the more force is required to move it. Emissions can be greatly affected by the weight of the vehicles we produce, which is why lightweighting is an especially essential element on our journey toward a zero emissions future.

GM’s global vehicle mass integration and strategy team works collaboratively across the business to produce the most mass-efficient vehicles possible. We achieve this in several ways, from consolidating the number of parts for a given system, to inventing advanced joining methods for aluminum and high-strength steels. 

“We are able to work with a broad material selection and utilize the manufacturing tools and technologies to ‘put the right material in the right place’ while designing a vehicle around a specific customer type,” said Rob Peckham, GM global mass vehicle performance owner.

And the combined efforts are working. Since 2016, we’ve removed more than 5,000 pounds collectively from 14 vehicles, saving consumers 35 million gallons of fuel and reducing CO2 emissions by around 312,000 metric tons per year — showing that extraordinary strides toward zero emissions can come from across our product lineup.

Take the all-new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali, which will ultimately feature an available GMC exclusive and industry-first carbon fiber box — the CarbonPro — developed to increase durability, efficiency and functionality of the truck. It replaces the standard steel inner panels and floor with a lightweight, purpose-designed carbon fiber composite that offers best-in-class dent, scratch and corrosion resistance.

This new CarbonPro box is 62 pounds lighter than the steel version, and is one example of our strategic use of materials in engineering the Sierra. Our approach also incorporates aluminum for the doors, hood and tailgate, while relying on steel for the fenders, roof and standard cargo box to shave up to 360 pounds from the prior model.

Perhaps even more exciting are the possibilities with generative design and additive manufacturing (3D printing), which we call “lightweighting 2.0.” This approach removes many of the traditional manufacturing constraints involved with casting and stamping when creating vehicle components. For example, instead of creating a mold or tool to make a part, a 3D printer can print the part directly. The design freedom offered by 3D printing allows us to manufacture lightweight, optimized part designs that often could not be produced using conventional manufacturing.

GM is the first automaker in North America to use a new, generative design software that employs cloud computing and AI-based algorithms to rapidly explore multiple permutations of a part design. The software allows a user to set various goals and parameters based on weight, strength, material choice, fabrication method and other factors to determine the best design option for a given vehicle part. GM engineers will be able to explore hundreds of ready-to-be manufactured, high-performance design options faster than we were able to validate a single design the old way.

When paired with manufacturing advancements, such as 3D printing, we can transform the vehicle development process. The result will be significant vehicle mass reduction and greater parts consolidation opportunities than could be achieved through traditional design optimization methods.

We, along with partner Autodesk, who developed the software, have applied this technology to produce a proof-of-concept part—a seat bracket. The technology consolidates eight separately stamped and welded sheet metal parts into one single 3D-printed part, which not only reduced its mass by 40 percent but also made it 20 percent stronger than the original part. As part of a multiyear alliance focused on innovation, GM and Autodesk plan to collaborate on projects involving generative design, additive manufacturing and materials science.

“The results are very promising,” said Ali Shabbir, GM product application engineer, Additive Design and Manufacturing. “This process gives us multiple design options to consider and rapidly iterate, which I believe is a key enabler to future alternative propulsion vehicles.”

Lightweighting through advanced materials and optimization tools are major steps on our path to zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. To learn more about GM’s lightweighting efforts and efficient fundamentals see gmsustainabiliy.com.

Tweet me:Ligtweighting has helped @GM trim 5K pounds collectively from 14 vehicles, save 35M gallons of fuel and reduce CO2 emissions by about 312K metric tons a year. Here's how - https://bit.ly/2PLiOoz #zeroemissions

KEYWORDS: GM, NYSE:GM

SOURCE:Humana

DESCRIPTION:

The Humana Foundation is investing $1.16 million to address social determinants of health in two Florida communities – Tampa Bay and Broward County. This is in addition to a $820,000 Humana Foundation grant in Jacksonville, funding a University of Florida program to promote social connections and food security in local seniors.

In Tampa Bay, the Humana Foundation will invest $620,000 and partner with Wholesome Wave to fund Wholesome Communities Florida: Waking Up to Wellness, a cross-sector collaboration designed to transform affordable access to healthy food in Tampa Bay.

In Broward County, the Humana Foundation will invest $540,000 with AARP Foundation in an effort to improve food security for older adults and their families. AARP Foundation will work with federally qualified health clinics to screen older patients for food insecurity and diet-related disease. If a patient screens positive for food insecurity, an AARP Foundation partner will help the patient apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. These benefits can provide an average of $124 per month to low-income adults.

Both investments in Tampa Bay and Broward Country are grants that are renewable for up to two additional years. Wholesome Wave and AARP Foundation have the potential to receive continued funding from the Humana Foundation in 2019 and 2020 — based on the specific results achieved over a 12-month period. 

These investments are part of the Foundation’s new Strategic Community Investments work. Through the program, the Foundation will invest $7 million in 2018 in nonprofit organizations operating in seven communities: San Antonio, Texas; Louisville, Ky., Baton Rouge, La.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Tampa Bay, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Broward County, Fla.  

In each of these communities, Humana is pursuing its “Bold Goal” to improve the health of the communities Humana serves 20 percent by 2020.The Humana Foundation is investing in nonprofit organizations that address food security, social connection, post-secondary success (sustained employment) and asset security, four social determinants of health that significantly impact people’s overall health and well-being. Social determinants are the conditions under which people are born, grow, live, work and age that impact overall health and well-being.

KEYWORDS: NYSE:HUM, Humana