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Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture honored the recipients of the 2019 Sustainability Leadership Awards on the eve of the fifth annual Sustainable Agriculture Summit. 

Presented as the capstone of the Alliance’s fall meeting, these awards are given to farmers, organizations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership through their efforts to advance continuous improvement in the sustainability of U.S. commodity crop production. For the first time in 2019, the Alliance expanded its awards program to also celebrate the critical role that trusted advisers—like certified crop advisers, conservation districts specialists, extension agents, Natural Resource Conservation Service field staff and retail agronomists —play in supporting farmers’ journeys of continuous improvement.

The recipients of the 2019 Sustainability Leadership Awards are as follows:

• 2019 Farmer of the Year: Rick Clark, 5th Generation Farmer, Williamsport, Indiana
  

Honoring the outstanding contributions of a farmer who is committed to advancing sustainable agriculture through conservation and stewardship efforts on their farm and sharing best practices with their peers, this year’s Farmer of the Year Award recognizes Indiana corn and soy farmer Rick Clark for his leadership and dedication to conservation. As Field to Market’s highest honor for commodity crop producers, this distinctive award celebrates Clark’s commitment to delivering continuous improvement in soil health and related sustainable outcomes.

Clark’s dedication to soil health has resulted in a powerful impact on the sustainability of his operation, and inspired peers and partners in the supply chain to rally around the critical importance of soil health. His pursuit of innovation and passion for conservation is illustrated by a rigorous, systematic approach to maximizing the health of his soil, delivering tangible benefits on his land which will leave a powerful legacy in sustaining future generations of his family.

• 2019 Collaboration of the Year: USA Rice—Ducks Unlimited’s Rice Stewardship Partnership

  Recognizing outstanding collaboration and cross-sector partnership in advancing continuous improvement in sustainable agriculture at the field and landscape level, this year’s Collaboration of the Year Award honors ten Field to Market members involved in the Rice Stewardship Partnership—USA Rice Federation, Ducks Unlimited, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Walmart.org, The Mosaic Company and the Mosaic Foundation, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, RiceTec, BASF, Corteva Agriscience and Riceland Foods, Inc.

Representing unparalleled collaboration that spans the entire rice industry, the Rice Stewardship Partnership supports rice farmers in pursuing continuous improvement in water quality, water quantity and waterfowl habitat protection. By coordinating efforts through all six rice producing states—Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas—this collaboration brings together partners from each of Field to Market’s five membership sectors to provide conservation services and farmer support that enable participating growers to conserve critical natural resources.

• 2019 Trusted Adviser of the Year: Dr. Andrew Jordan, Consultant and Owner, Jordan Associates

Recognizing outstanding leadership in supporting farmers in their pursuit of continuous improvement, the inaugural Trusted Adviser of the Year Award was awarded to Dr. Andrew Jordan, consultant and owner of Jordan Associates. Widely recognized within the cotton industry as a pioneering sustainability advocate, Dr. Jordan dedicated a 30 year tenure at the National Cotton Council to enabling cotton producers to adopt new technologies and implement more sustainable practices on their farms.  

Translating this expertise, he established himself as a trusted adviser not only to farmers but to the wider industry in 2007, championing the importance of documenting and demonstrating continuous improvement in the sustainability of U.S. cotton, beginning with a pilot project with cotton growers in Louisiana in collaboration with Cotton Incorporated. Most recently, Dr. Jordan has served as a leading adviser on the newly released U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, which leverages Field to Market’s suite of sustainability metrics to enable cotton farmers across the country to deliver sustainable outcomes and contribute to the broader industry’s sustainability story. Dr. Jordan has also contributed significant volunteer efforts overseas to design small scale community water systems for developing countries.

Whether it was by harnessing the power of regenerative practices to harness farming into a force for improving the health of the land and the planet, driving conservation outcomes through unparalleled collaboration to support farmers’ journeys of continuous improvement or dedicating an entire career to supporting cotton farmers to lead on sustainability, this year’s finalists have helped to define leadership in sustainable agriculture and showcase how our food and agriculture system can contribute solutions to pressing environmental challenges.

“Congratulations to our awardees—we know they will continue to be leaders in building an agriculture system that supports resilient ecosystems and enhances farmer livelihoods,” said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market. “We applaud Rick Clark, Andrew Jordan and the ten Field to Market members involved in the Rice Stewardship Partnership for their deeply rooted commitment to sustainability and for the larger impact they are having in driving conservation at the field, farm and landscape levels.”

The winners of Field to Market’s Sustainability Leadership Awards are selected by the Alliance’s Awards and Recognition Committee. Each recipient demonstrates leadership in the pursuit of continuous improvement, resulting in measurable results and significant impact on both agriculture and the environment.

Learn more about the 2019 Sustainability Leadership Award winners at www.fieldtomarket.org/awards. 

CONTACT
Carter Purcell, Field to Market, (202) 297-8345, cpurcell@fieldtomarket.org

ABOUT FIELD TO MARKET
Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, beverage, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities and public sector partners to focus on defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production. Field to Market is comprised of nearly 140 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with members employing more than 5 million people and representing combined revenues totaling over $1.5 trillion. For more information, visit www.fieldtomarket.org and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/FieldtoMarket

Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber has been appointed to the first-ever U.S. federal advisory committee focused on addressing the short and long-term financial and market risks posed by climate change to capital markets and throughout the broader economy.

Lubber was appointed to the Climate-Related Market Risk Subcommittee of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC). The 35-member body, chaired by Bob Litterman of Kepos Capital, is comprised of a range of experts representing financial market institutions, banking and insurance sectors, data service providers, environmental and sustainability organizations and others, according to a press release issued this week.

“Each member has demonstrated expertise in one or more disciplines in which they have devoted significant time and consideration to the challenges presented by the risks of climate change,” the release stated.

The CFTC received 90 nominations for committee membership.

“I am honored to be selected as a member of the committee and look forward to contributing to this important work, which will encourage financial regulators and market participants to focus on the biggest financial and environmental threat of our time,” said Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber. “It is vital to see U.S. financial regulators, including the CFTC, begin to take steps to better understand and address the systemic financial and market impacts of the climate crisis.”

The committee is tasked with developing a public report with recommendations to financial regulators on how to best mitigate climate-related financial and market risks. The committee may consider how investors and companies can better integrate scenario analysis and governance initiatives into risk assessments and reports. It is also expected to identify policy solutions for climate risk management and disclosure that support long-term financial stability.

“Investors have long called for better economy-wide market and corporate data on managing climate-related financial risks and spurring opportunities for low-carbon, sustainable investments,” Lubber added. “The formation of the committee comes at a critical time as calls get louder for increased regulatory and policy action.”

Last month, Ceres launched the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets to move financial regulators to act on climate change as a systemic financial risk, and work with the world’s most influential asset owners to transition their investment portfolios to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In its initial phase, Ceres aims to demonstrate that climate change is a systemic financial risk which U.S. financial regulators must address to preserve the stability of the financial system.

Over time, the Ceres Accelerator aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets in order to accelerate action on reducing the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis and other sustainability threats.

Tetra Pak, together with its supplier Braskem, has become the first company in the food and beverage industry to responsibly source plant-based polymers using the Bonsucro standards for sustainable sugar cane. This move is yet another reinforcement of the company’s commitment to drive ethical and responsible business practices across global supply chains, while lowering the carbon footprint of its packaging.

“We’ve seen a growing trend of consumers wanting to do more for the planet, and they look to brands to help. Today 91% of consumers look for environmental logos when shopping, and Bonsucro Chain of Custody Certification can be used to communicate credible information to consumers, thereby helping our customers differentiate their products,” said Mario Abreu, VP Sustainability, Tetra Pak. “Our plant-based polymers are fully traceable to their sugarcane origin. We see plant-based materials as playing a key role in achieving a low-carbon circular economy. In the future all polymers we use will either be made from plant-based materials or from post-consumption recycled food grades.”

The announcement forms part of Tetra Pak’s recently launched Planet Positive initiative, which urges industry stakeholders to take a broader view of sustainability, evolving the concept of circular economy to a low-carbon circular economy, where we go beyond recycling and reuse to include the carbon impact of raw materials and manufacturing. The use of plant-based materials such as paper and polymers, significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, supporting economic growth that is decoupled from fossil, finite sources. The plant-based polymers used in some Tetra Pak cartons, like their closures, are produced from sugarcane. Plant-based polymer supplier Braskem has now reached 100% Bonsucro certified volumes of sugarcane derived bioethanol for Tetra Pak’s plant-based solutions, establishing full supply chain transparency.

Gustavo Sergi, Renewable Business Unit Leader at Braskem, said “We have been working with Tetra Pak for more than 10 years, and Bonsucro Chain of Custody reinforces the Responsible Ethanol Sourcing Program from Braskem with the assurance and traceability of the entire sugarcane value chain, all the way back to the growers and mills.”

Danielle Morley, CEO, Bonsucro said “Bonsucro provides a global platform for collective action to accelerate sustainability in the production and processing of sugarcane. Working with Tetra Pak to achieve third-party certification and product labelling of their sugarcane-derived packaging is a milestone.  Customers can be assured that our rigorous sustainability standard has been met. We are very excited to continue to support responsible sourcing at Tetra Pak and for the contribution that certified sustainable sugarcane can make to plant-based packaging.”

Tetra Pak remains committed to sustainable sourcing and forging closer ties with organisations that drive this type of positive change, such as the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™). Since 2007 Tetra Pak has delivered more than 500 billion FSC labelled packages, proof of the company’s continuous and long-standing commitment to responsible sourcing.

Driving environmental excellence is one of Tetra Pak’s strategic priorities, not just within its own operations, but across the whole value chain. The company is committed to developing a package that contributes to a low-carbon circular economy – that is a package made entirely from plant-based or recycled materials, fully recyclable, without ever compromising on food safety. The Bonsucro certified labels will be available to place on packaging from Q1 2020.

END

ABOUT TETRA PAK

Tetra Pak is the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with our customers and suppliers, we provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 160 countries. With over 25,000 employees around the world, we believe in responsible industry leadership and a sustainable approach to business.  Our promise, “PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD™," reflects our vision to make food safe and available, everywhere.

More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com

PLANET POSITIVE

Tetra Pak recently launched Planet Positive, an initiative which urges industry stakeholders to take a broader view of sustainability, evolving the concept of Circular Economy to a Low-Carbon Circular Economy. It represents a new way of thinking, inspiring suppliers, customers and other businesses to come together to address the pressing global environmental issues of climate and waste, going beyond recycling and reuse to include the carbon impact of raw materials and manufacturing.

Founded on the idea that a package should save more than it costs, sustainability has always been core to how Tetra Pak operates as a business. Recognising the importance of addressing the full impact of the business, Tetra Pak is committed to decarbonising energy, improving energy efficiency, reducing food waste and minimising the impact on resources such as land and water. The company has a long-term ambition to produce packages that are fully recyclable, made only from plant-based or recycled packaging materials, without compromising on food safety requirements. At the same time, Tetra Pak has already committed to reduce operational GHG emissions to the extent of 42% by 2030 and 58% by 2040, from a 2015 baseline.

More information about Planet Positive is available at www.tetrapak.com/sustainability/planet-positive

MEDIA CONTACTS

Jane Jarosz 
Tetra Pak    
Tel: +39 059 89 8954       
jane.jarosz@tetrapak.com     

Hannah Mughal
Edelman for Tetra Pak
Tel: +44(0)2030472323
hannah.mughal@edelman.com

Notes to Editors

• Braskem is the largest thermoplastic resins producer in the Americas. With 36 industrial plants spread in Brazil, the United States and Germany, the company produces over 16 million tons of thermoplastic resins and other petrochemical products annually. As the largest biopolymer producer in the world, Braskem has the capacity to produce 200 thousand tons/ year of  Green Ethylene from sugar cane ethanol. You can find more information at www.braskem.com.

• Bonsucro is a global non-profit organisation that exists to promote sustainable sugarcane production, processing and trade around the world. Bonsucro supports a community of over 500 members in more than 40 countries, from all parts of the sugarcane supply chain, including farmers, millers, traders, buyers and civil society. Its vision is a sugarcane sector with thriving, sustainable producer communities and resilient, assured supply chains.  Bonsucro has multi-stakeholder involvement and is recommended by WWF for sustainable sugar sourcing. It is also a member of ISEAL, the global membership association for credible sustainability standards. You can find more information at http://www.bonsucro.com/.

• Tetra Pak’s Bonsucro certificate code is BONS-C-0119 and our FSC license code is FSC™ C014047.

CONTACT
tetrapak@3blmedia.com

Originally published on The Charlatan website

by Jillian Piper

A study looking into the student debt crisis, by licensed firm Hoyes, Michalos & Associates Inc. which promises to help Ontarians get out of economic distress, found student debt contributed to more than 17.6 per cent of insolvencies, the first step towards filing for bankruptcy, in Ontario as of 2018. The study notes this rate is at a record high since data collection began in 2009, with roughly 22,000 former students unable to pay their debts.

Sponsored by Scotiabank, CUSA and the university’s financial literacy campaign has seven events which range from financial workshops and interview role-playing, to a local food market on campus. 

Read more

The CNH Industrial manufacturing facility in Querétaro was named “Great Place to Work®” by the Great Place to Work® Institute in Mexico. This is the fourth time for CNH de México to be recognized as an excellent workplace in terms of workplace culture.

Thierry Mahé, General Director of CNH de México, “We are very proud that our local employees not only participated in the survey but also ranked CNH Industrial as an excellent workplace. Their passion and commitment drive our corporate culture and help us to further grow and improve. Teaming up with the Great Place to Work® Institute has allowed us to continuously monitor progress and receive valuable feedback from our employees.”

The Great Place to Work® Institute’s research has shown that workplaces with high trust cultures obtain higher returns on results, levels of innovation, customer satisfaction, employee engagement and organizational agility. Thus, the Institute uses its renowned Trust Model© as a standard of what it means to be a great workplace. The model assesses the employee experience based on five core dimensions: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.

CNH de México, a joint venture of Quimmco Group and CNH Industrial, is one of the leading suppliers of agricultural tractors in Mexico. The company manufactures, assembles, markets, and distributes tractors and implements for the agricultural sector. It is the exclusive manufacturer in Mexico of New Holland tractors and exclusive importer of agricultural equipment and construction machinery from almost every brand of CNH Industrial. 

The operations in Mexico are one of the 11 manufacturing plants in CNH Industrial’s North American footprint with 12 research and development centers and a workforce of 9,000. 

In celebration of its annual Season of Giving initiative, AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, and the AEG Community Foundation today launched the 2019 #SpreadCheer Challenge, a social media campaign that will provide three charities – Boys & Girls Clubs of America,  Playworks and Special Olympics USA – with an opportunity to earn $25,000 from the AEG Community Foundation.

Beginning today and running through December 16, fans across the world can visit www.aegspreadcheer.com and complete a digital puzzle where they can earn points for one of the three non-profit organizations. The organization with the most points by 11:59 p.m. PT on December 16, will be awarded $25,000.

“At AEG we pride ourselves on supporting our community partners throughout the year and shining a spotlight during the holiday season on the important work they do,” said Martha Saucedo, Executive Vice President, External Affairs, AEG. “The AEG Community Foundation is excited to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Playworks and Special Olympics USA to engage audiences and raise awareness about these organizations through a fun and entertaining game challenge.”

The 2019 #SpreadCheer Challenge participants are:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has provided kids and teens with a safe, affordable place during critical out-of-school time. Boys & Girls Clubs offer life-changing programs to all youth across America, including youth on native lands and on U.S. military installations worldwide.
• Playworks: Playworks is the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to provide schools with support to quickly transform their culture into one of inclusion - where every child has the opportunity to be physically active, feel safe, and returns to class ready to learn. Playworks supports more than 1.25 million kids in 2,500 schools during recess and after school.
• Special Olympics USA: Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement using sport, health, education and leadership programs every day around the world to end discrimination against and empower people with intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1968, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 6 million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 190 countries. Special Olympics USA is the national team that represents the United States at the Special Olympics World Games, when the world transcends the boundaries of geography, nationality, political philosophy, gender, age, culture and religion. Alternating between summer and winter Games every 2 years, this event is the flagship event of the Special Olympics movement.

Over the past 10 years, AEG has contributed more than $120 million in direct financial and in-kind support to community and civic programs with a focus on children and youth in the areas of education, the arts and health and wellness.  To find out more about AEG 1Community and the AEG Community Foundation, click here. 

Since awarding its first grant in December 2018, the AEG Community Foundation has awarded nearly $1.2 million in grants to 75 nonprofit organizations in more than 20 cities throughout the United States.

ABOUT AEG

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments: Facilities, which through its affiliation with ASM Global, owns, manages or consults with more than 300 preeminent arenas, stadiums, convention centers and performing arts venues around the world; Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival; Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE, Mercedes Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London; Sports, as the world's largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin; and Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 160 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.

Media Contact
Allegra Batista
AEG
213.763.7738
abatista@aegworldwide.com 

Mohawk Industries is once again a premier sponsor of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the largest convening of green building and sustainability leaders. The world’s largest flooring manufacturer continues to press for more sustainable options in flooring—by its support of this important movement and by showcasing innovative solutions that illustrate how sustainability is second nature for the Georgia-based company.

Greenbuild returns to Atlanta Nov. 19–22 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Mohawk’s growing portfolio of residential and commercial flooring solutions designed to minimize environmental footprints while increasing social “handprints” will be exhibited in booth space 805.

“For more than a quarter century, USGBC has been working with partners like Mohawk to advance our goal of green buildings for all and Greenbuild is where we come together to shape the next phase of that journey,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council. “Mohawk has been a committed partner of USGBC’s and is a driving force for the green building industry. We are grateful for its support and presence as Greenbuild heads to Atlanta.”

George Bandy Jr., chief sustainability officer of Mohawk Flooring North America, will welcome guests and officially open the second day of Greenbuild ahead of this year’s much-anticipated keynote speaker: President Barack Obama. The Wednesday keynote event will take place Nov. 20 at 8:30 a.m.

“We are incredibly honored to welcome the green building world to our very own backyard. Each year the possibilities for living sustainably grow because of the dedicated people who attend this conference and because of manufacturers and other companies that deliver the most sustainable solutions to the marketplace,” said Bandy. “We at Mohawk are driven by innovation and transparency, so that every day we approach our design and manufacturing processes with the mindset to create better products for a better world.”

Mohawk leads the flooring industry in sustainability with a large portfolio of thoughtfully designed solutions across hard and soft surface, for both the home and the workplace. Attendees at Greenbuild will encounter a number of these floor coverings, including the manufacturer’s latest Living Product collection—a carpet plank system designed by Jason McLennan in collaboration with Mohawk Group and inspired by the plumage of North American owls; as well as Air.o, the first 100% recyclable soft floorcovering that is also hypoallergenic, easy to clean and VOC-free.

To learn more about Mohawk Industries’ corporate commitment to sustainability, visit MohawkSustainability.com.

About Mohawk
Mohawk Industries is a leading global flooring manufacturer that creates products to enhance residential and commercial spaces around the world. Mohawk’s vertically integrated manufacturing and distribution processes provide competitive advantages in the production of carpet, rugs, ceramic tile, laminate, wood, stone and vinyl flooring. Our industry-leading innovation has yielded products and technologies that differentiate our brands in the marketplace and satisfy all remodeling and new construction requirements. Our brands are among the most recognized in the industry and include Mohawk, American Olean, Daltile, Durkan, Eliane, Feltex, Godfrey Hirst, IVC, Karastan, Marazzi, Pergo, Quick-Step and Unilin. During the past decade, Mohawk has transformed its business from an American carpet manufacturer into the world’s largest flooring company with operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

About Greenbuild
Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. It brings together industry leaders, experts and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building in their everyday work. Thousands of building professionals from all over the world will attend Greenbuild’s three days of outstanding educational sessions, renowned speakers and special seminars. More than 600 suppliers and top manufacturers of the latest green building equipment, products, services and technology will exhibit at Greenbuild. The green building movement embraces all of humanity by making sustainable buildings and environments accessible to everyone, and in doing so, benefits the natural environment all around us. The future of the human race is interlaced with the future of the planet, and the sustainable practices we celebrate and advance at Greenbuild remind us that our success as sustainability advocates, practitioners and professionals is more than a movement, it is a responsibility.

# # #

CONTACT
Luke Chaffin +1 (762) 204-5607 luke_chaffin@mohawkind.com

Today, Porter Novelli Seattle was awarded a top spot on the inaugural list of Washington’s Most Equitable Workplaces, a new ranking celebrating the most inclusive places to work in Washington State. Created by Gender Equity Now (GEN) and the Puget Sound Business Journal, the rankings are designed to index Puget Sound businesses engaged in purposeful action, and reward companies committed to fostering equity and inclusion.

Companies were ranked on five metrics: bias neutrality, employee resonance, accessibility, experience perception and visible advocacy. Porter Novelli scored high in all metrics and was celebrated for engaging employees of all backgrounds, providing opportunities and increasing job satisfaction through policies and programs diminishing the impact of unconscious bias.

GEN's Executive Director, Sara Sanford, stated, “In addition to having an award-winning leader, Soon Mee Kim, at the helm of their D&I Task Force, Porter Novelli has intentionally put the right processes in place to counter the impact of unconscious bias. They also go beyond just offering flexible hours of work to encouraging workers to actually use this benefit, with no stigma attached. From telecommuting options to caretaker’s leave, they understand the barriers that underrepresented populations disproportionately face and have optimized their workplace to include employees of all backgrounds.”

“We’re honored to be included in this incredible list — and community — of companies committed to equity and inclusion,” said Erin Osher, managing director of Porter Novelli Seattle. "As a woman-led office in a purpose-driven agency, we work hard to live our values by ensuring equal pay, embracing flexible schedules, providing parental leave for all genders and paid family care days, funding adoption bonuses and serving our community. This year we partnered with Neighborhood House and GSBA; and are launching a collaboration with Intentionalist to use our spending power to support local LGBTQ and minority-owned businesses. In these tumultuous cultural times, we’re passionate about building a positive and light-hearted environment where everyone is empowered to bring their whole selves to work.”

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are moral and business imperatives for Porter Novelli. Our job is to bring the very best thinking to our clients and campaigns by ensuring that all people are welcome here,” said Soon Mee Kim, global diversity and inclusion lead of Porter Novelli. “The Seattle leadership team has created an inclusive culture fully committed to equity in recruitment, retention, compensation and culture to the benefit of all. On behalf of the organization, I’m so proud to see Porter Novelli recognized in Washington for these efforts.”

About Porter Novelli

Porter Novelli is a global public relations agency born from the idea that the art of communication can advance society. More than 45 years ago, we opened our doors – and people's eyes and minds – for brands driven to make a positive impact. Today, we believe that organizations must find, live and tell their Purpose in order to thrive. Those companies will motivate action, secure loyalty and encourage advocacy — all in service to a healthier bottom line. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com/. Porter Novelli is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group

Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.

The Wells Fargo Foundation has made a historic $10 million grant to NALCAB — National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders — to support growth-oriented lending to minority-owned businesses nationwide through a network of Latino-led nonprofit business lenders. The new Acceso Loan Fund is designed to help diverse entrepreneurs scale to a greater size — expanding their revenue, impact on the economy and ability to provide jobs.

By sharing the grant funds equally, NALCAB, LiftFund and each of ten other CDFI (Community Development Financial Institutions) partners in the NALCAB network will be co-owners of the fund. The Acceso Loan Fund will provide small business loans in the range of $50,000–$500,000. 

“The CDFI sector offers few, if any, truly national strategies for deploying capital to the large, fast-growing Latino small business market,” said Noel Poyo, executive director of NALCAB. “No single NALCAB Network lender could have presented this powerful value proposition alone, but collectively, this is the most credible and scalable national investment opportunity available to grant makers and capital providers seeking to invest in Latino small business growth.”

The U.S. Latino Entrepreneurship Gap Report published by the Stanford Graduate School of Business’ State of Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative identifies scaling, not start up, as the primary challenge for Latino-owned businesses. It states, “Latinos make up 17% of the U.S. population, and 24% of all new entrepreneurs. … Latinos are actually overrepresented among startups. However, these new business starts … are not scaling at high rates. Latinos make up only … 5% of employer businesses with more than $1 million in annual revenue.”1

The fund will engage in two related lines of business:

1) Lending directly to small businesses that have been referred by members of the NALCAB Network that provide small business development services, targeting an average loan size of $160,000.

2) Purchasing portfolios of small business loans, of similar size and character, from NALCAB Network lenders.

“Small business growth requires greater collaboration and innovation when it comes to access to capital,” said Brandee McHale, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. “NALCAB and its partners have created a first-of-its-kind loan fund that truly establishes a national network of lenders looking to help smaller companies grow to the next level. We hope that our grant inspires others to join the fund and shows entrepreneurs that we believe in them and their growth potential.”

The $10 million grant is part of Wells Fargo’s Diverse Community Capital program, a five-year initiative to grow diverse small businesses, and it is the largest grant to date within the program.

In 2018, with critical support from the Surdna Foundation, NALCAB developed the concept for the Acceso Loan Fund based on experience structuring and managing collaborative business models among its Network members. NALCAB worked closely with LiftFund to develop financial modeling and an operational approach for the Fund. Thereafter, NALCAB invited ten CDFI business lenders in the NALCAB Network to join this effort. The Wells Fargo Foundation provided initial financial support of $200,000 for the legal structuring and systems development to help make the concept a reality. With the additional $10 million grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation, the Acceso Loan Fund now has its first round of equity to kick off the initiative. Over the next year, the NALCAB participating network members will raise debt capital to expand the fund to a total of $30 million.

Over the course of the first three years, the Acceso Loan Fund will deploy more than $27 million in loans, supporting the growth of approximately 186 small businesses, producing more than 500 jobs. More than 60% of the borrowers will be Latino, and more than 80% will be minorities. More than 60% of the borrowers will be to businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenue.

The NALCAB Network includes more than 45 organizations that provide culturally relevant lending and small business development services to diverse business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. In addition to NALCAB and LiftFund, the following 10 NALCAB Network business lenders, all certified CDFIs, will participate as equity holders of the Fund.

• Opportunity Fund (CA)
• Latino Economic Development Center (DC and MD)
• FINANTA (Philadelphia region)
• Bankers Small Business CDC of California – an affiliate of CDC Small Business Finance (CA)
• Fondo Adelante – an affiliate of Mission Economic Development Agency (San Francisco)
• Préstamos CDFI – an affiliate of CPLC (AZ, NM, TX)
• Rural Community Development Resources (Yakima County, WA)
• Colorado Housing Enterprises – an affiliate of Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation (CO)
• TRP Lending – an affiliate of The Resurrection Project (Greater Chicago)
• Impacto Fund – an affiliate of Hispanic Economic Development Corporation (Kansas City region, MO & KS)

About NALCAB

NALCAB is a national, nonprofit membership organization and U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI with a mission to strengthen the U.S. economy by advancing economic mobility in Latino communities. NALCAB achieves its mission by strengthening and coordinating the capacity of the more than 120 nonprofits in its national member network to deploy capital, and by influencing investors and policy makers with research, advocacy and technical advice.

About LiftFund

LiftFund is a nonprofit small business lender based in San Antonio, TX that helps new and existing entrepreneurs grow their businesses in 13 states. LiftFund is a certified CDFI and a NALCAB Member. Established in 1994, LiftFund now has over $60 million in business loans under management and provides loans ranging from $500 to $5.5 million. In 2007, LiftFund began providing underwriting and loan services to other lending institutions nationwide.

About Wells Fargo

Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,500 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, and the internet (wellsfargo.com). With approximately 261,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. With its corporate philanthropy, Wells Fargo aims to pave a path to stability and financial success for underserved communities by focusing on housing affordability, small business growth, and financial health, among other local community needs. In 2018, Wells Fargo donated $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits. News, insights and more information on the company’s overall corporate responsibility are available at Wells Fargo Stories and www.wellsfargo.com/impact

With support from Subaru of America, more than $4.2 million dollars was raised for HIV/AIDS services from a single day of dining in cities across North America this year, the most funds raised since Dining Out For Life® began in 1991. 

The concept is simple: Restaurants agree to donate a generous percent of their sales to a local HIV service organization, and the local HIV service organization fills participating restaurants with diners. The annual fundraising event relies on the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors, restaurants and diners.

The annual dining event, supported by Subaru of America, raised record funds in 2019 for community-based organizations serving people living with or impacted by HIV. 

Dining Out For Life 2019 Results

• $4,281,118 (highest fundraising total in the event’s history)

• 2,429 Participating Restaurants

• 380,867 Estimated Number of Diners 

• 4,138 Volunteers

• $404,634 Most Funds Raised: Denver’s Project Angel Heart 

• $22,908 was raised by the Top Participating Restaurant: Spencer's Restaurant in Palm Springs, California

Subaru of America has been the national Host Sponsor of Dining Out For Life® for more than a decade. The event, which originated in Philadelphia, is now held in 60+ markets across North America. Recently, Subaru employees, including members of the Out+Ally Employee Resource Group (ERG),  joined staff and administrators of Action Wellness at the organization’s Philadelphia offices with a donation of blankets for community members living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses.

“At Subaru of America, we are driven by our mission to make a positive impact on our community, especially helping those who are sick or need caring for,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Subaru of America Inc. “We hope the record level of funds raised through the 2019 Dining Out For Life events, as well as our blanket donation, help those living with HIV/AIDS in our community and beyond.

Funds raised through a city’s Dining Out For Life event stay in that area to provide HIV care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and other essential services to people living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS. Volunteer celebrity spokespersons include Ted Allen (Host of Food Network’s Chopped), Mondo Guerra (Project Runway All-stars designer and activist) and Pam Grier (Bless This Mess on ABC) For more information or to participate, visit www.diningoutforlife.com.

About Subaru of America, Inc.:  

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $165 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.

For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Out+Ally:

Out+Ally, the first employee resource group (ERG) established at Subaru of America, is a network of LGBTQ+ employees and straight allies that strives to establish community, support, and resources to create a stronger workplace and a more engaged customer base.

About Dining Out For Life:

Dining Out For Life began in Philadelphia in 1991 and has since grown into an international event held across North America raising an average $4 million annually. The idea behind the single-day event is simple and effective: Dine Out, End HIV. Each restaurant donates a percentage of the day’s food sales, which goes to local organizations to fund care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and other essential HIV services. For more information, visit www.diningoutforlife.com and follow on social media:  @DineOut4Life, Facebook/DiningOut4Life, or Instagram.

About Action Wellness:

Action Wellness (formerly ActionAIDS) is one of Pennsylvania’s largest AIDS service organizations. It is committed to helping people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. Its services include; medical case management, a range of health screenings including HIV testing, treatment as prevention, prevention education, supportive housing and volunteer services. Action Wellness currently serves over 4,000 clients annually through the efforts of over 400 dedicated volunteers and over 100 professional staff working together to sustain and enhance the quality of life for the diverse community it serves. Services are provided at five Action Wellness locations and at 20 community sites throughout the city of Philadelphia and in Delaware County including health centers, hospitals, substance abuse centers, and all of the jails within the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.

Media Contacts: 
“15 Minutes” Inc.
Nancy Becker 
610-832-1515   
nancy@15minutesinc.com  

Subaru of America, Inc.
Diane Anton
856-488-5093
danton@subaru.com

A technology to reduce the infection risks associated with kidney dialysis has won an annual innovation prize sponsored by Arrow Electronics and the Collegiate Inventors Competition.®

The Johns Hopkins University student team won the Arrow Electronics People’s Choice Award for developing PeritoneX, which uses a syringe-based mechanism to disinfect peritoneal dialysis systems. 

End-stage renal disease can be fatal, and kidney transplants are limited. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of patients rely on dialysis treatment. Home-based treatment can be less expensive and more convenient but is also plagued by higher rates of infection. PeritoneX is designed to be an easy-to-use disinfection system that caregivers can use at home.

For the sixth consecutive year, Arrow Electronics served as a lead sponsor for the annual national contest that rewards innovations, discoveries and research by college and university students and their faculty advisors. Ten graduate and undergraduate teams representing 11 colleges and universities from across the nation competed at the event, held last month at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va.

The teams presented their inventions to judges from the National Inventors Hall of Fame® and the USPTO.  

“The ideas represented in this room – and the bright minds behind them – are the future of American innovation,” USPTO Deputy Director Laura Peter told the student teams.

The winner in the undergraduate category was Ethan Brush from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. His invention, PE-IVT (Positively Engaged, Infinitely Variable Transmission Using Split Helical Gears), is a new type of transmission for electric vehicles which increases efficiency and reduces energy losses. 

The Johns Hopkins team was named runner-up in the undergraduate category, in addition to winning the Arrow People’s Choice Award.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology won the graduate student category; Maher Damak and Karim Khalil prototyped a system called Infinite Cooling, which ionizes water from power plant cooling towers, so it may be reused for industrial use, and even drinking water.

Winners received $15,000 prizes for their inventions, while runners-up were awarded $5,000 each. The Arrow People’s Choice Award also carried a $1,500 prize. Since 1990, the National Inventors Hall of Fame and its sponsors have awarded more than $1 million to students to help them take their inventions to the next level.

About Arrow Electronics

Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW) guides innovation forward for over 200,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2018 sales of $30 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at FiveYearsOut.com.

About the Collegiate Inventors Competition 

The Collegiate Inventors Competition encourages and drives innovation and entrepreneurship at the collegiate level. A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, this competition recognizes and rewards the research, innovations and discoveries by college students and their advisers for projects leading to inventions that have the potential of receiving patent protection. Introduced in 1990, the competition has awarded more than $1 million to students for their innovative work and scientific achievement through the help of its sponsors. For more information, visit invent.org/events/cic-event. 

Register for Evaluation and Impact Measurement in the Social Economy

This webinar will give an overview of a three year project conducted by TIESS and its partners on evaluation and impact measurement for the social economy (2016-2019). It will focus on the Quebec context, the approach chosen by TIESS to carry out this work, its achivements (like the Montreal Declaration) and the tools that are avaialble to all in French and will soon be adapted and translated for the rest of Canada.

To learn more and to register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/evaluation-and-measurement-of-impact-in-the-social-economy-tickets-79170229287

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Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with The Bahamas to fund and support flood damage repairs and basic restoration efforts at Rand Memorial Hospital, the primary hospital in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, which sustained significant damage in September from Hurricane Dorian.

The MOU agreement formalizes a collaborative partnership between The Bahamas and Carnival Corporation designed to provide hurricane relief funds for the joint mission of rapidly restoring Rand Memorial Hospital, with a collective goal of returning the facility to a safe and healthy environment for patients and medical professionals by the end of March 2020.

The Rand Memorial Hospital project comprises two critical restoration initiatives: remediation and basic repairs for the facility, and replacing damaged medical equipment.

Additionally, the hospital’s existing kitchen suffered damage, so the restoration project is expected to include the completion of a new kitchen that was partially constructed prior to the storm, which will be able to provide meals for patients and staff once the hospital officially reopens.

Working with a project coordinator that will have day-to-day oversight of all elements of the project, Carnival Corporation and the Government of The Bahamas will coordinate with collaborative partners in support of the restoration efforts, including Direct Relief, an international relief organization that provides critical medications and supplies during emergencies; World Central Kitchen, a food relief organization that serves meals to local communities following a crisis; the Grand Bahama Shipyard based in Freeport and the University of Miami, among others.

Also, during the restoration process, Carnival Corporation will support World Central Kitchen’s continued provisioning of daily meals for patients and staff as part of an ongoing partnership following the storm.

“We are extremely pleased to immediately begin remediation efforts at Rand Memorial, which serves as Grand Bahama Island’s primary medical facility and represents a critical step in our ability to recover and once again serve our community,” said Sharon Williams, administrator for Grand Bahama Health Services, the local healthcare system that includes Rand Memorial Hospital. “We are grateful to the Bahamian emergency response team from Carnival Corporation, Direct Relief, Grand Bahama Shipyard, University of Miami and its partners for working together to restore our facility as quickly as possible to a safe, secure and healthy environment for medical care.”

“In support of overall recovery efforts in The Bahamas, we have worked with government and community leaders to determine meaningful ways we can help that will deliver a lasting impact, and our shared mission to support the restoration of Rand Memorial Hospital exemplifies that commitment,” said Marie McKenzie, vice president of global ports and Caribbean government relations for Carnival Corporation. “This restoration project is crucial for the health needs of residents, while also supporting the longer-term vitality of the community and is indicative of the rebuilding progress on the island. Along with our partners, we look forward to supporting the government’s efforts to reopen Rand Memorial Hospital as an important step in the overall recovery of Grand Bahama Island.”

The Rand Memorial Hospital restoration efforts outlined in today’s MOU are part of a significant donation from Carnival Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Carnival Corporation, the company’s cruise line brands and its guests, and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation to provide funding and in-kind support to help overall hurricane recovery efforts in The Bahamas.

Since Hurricane Dorian hit in September, Carnival Corporation and its brands have worked with local and international organizations, including Grand Bahama Shipyard, Direct Relief, Tropical Shipping and World Central Kitchen, to partner with businesses across The Bahamas on projects providing both immediate relief and long-term impacts wherever possible.

The company’s partnership with Tropical Shipping collected and delivered an estimated 10 million pounds of supplies in over 250 shipping containers to the country – made possible by generous donations from countless individuals and organizations throughout South Florida and North America. In addition, two ships from the company’s Carnival Cruise Line brand – Carnival Liberty and Carnival Pride – made stops in Freeport to deliver relief supplies to assist residents, including water, generators, chain saws, prepared meals and medical supplies.

With support from Carnival Corporation, Carnival Foundation, and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, Direct Relief has delivered more than $2.9 million in life-saving medical aid to health facilities across the Bahamas, including Rand Hospital.

Carnival Corporation and Carnival Foundation are among the organizations that provided support to World Central Kitchen, which served more than 25,000 meals per day to people in Abaco and Grand Bahama following the storm. In total, Chef Jose Andres's World Central Kitchen has provided over one million meals throughout The Bahamas.

Carnival Corporation brands also conducted donation drives to support The Bahamas through Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen. Overall, Carnival Cruise Line guests and employees have donated more than $500,000 to organizations supporting Bahamas relief efforts.

In addition to these broad relief efforts, three of Carnival Corporation’s brands – Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises – are continuing regular sailings to The Bahamas with an expected 250 total calls to the country throughout the remainder of 2019, helping to support the country’s tourism industry and its vital economic impact on businesses and residents. Carnival Cruise Line officially returned to Grand Bahama in mid-October when multiple ships docked in Freeport for the first time since the storm, marking the return of regular cruise calls to Grand Bahama Island.

# # #

About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the world’s largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of nine of the world’s leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.

Together, the corporation’s cruise lines operate 104 ships with 249,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 17 new ships scheduled to be delivered through 2025. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

With a long history of innovation and providing guests with extraordinary vacation experiences, Carnival Corporation has received thousands of industry awards – including recognition by the Consumer Technology Association™ as a CES® 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree for the OceanMedallion™. A revolutionary wearable device that contains a proprietary blend of communication technologies, the OceanMedallion enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform transforming vacation travel on a large scale into a highly personalized level of customized service. The prestigious CES Innovation Awards honor outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com and www.cunard.com.

Carnival Corporation Media Contacts:
Roger Frizzell, Carnival Corporation, rfrizzell@carnival.com, (305) 406-7862
Mike Flanagan, LDWW, mike@ldwwgroup.com, (727) 452-4538

RESOURCES Carnival Corporation RAND Memorial Hospital CONTACT Chris Cradduck +1 (214) 893-9119 chris@ldwwgroup.com

A pair of grants totaling $300,000 from Duke Energy Corp. will help two transit agencies in the Triangle area fund electric bus-charging stations that are being incorporated into their fleets.

“We’re pleased our grants can help transit agencies in the Triangle area transition to cleaner bus fleets that help the environment,” said Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president.

Grants were awarded to:

• GoRaleigh – $200,000 to help offset the cost of installing five electric bus-charging stations.

• GoTriangle – $100,000 to help offset the cost of installing two charging stations for two electric buses expected to arrive by the end of the year.

“We greatly appreciate Duke Energy’s investment in our electric-bus efforts,” says Shelley Blake Curran, GoTriangle’s interim CEO and president. “As we improve and increase our services that better connect all points of the Triangle every year, we are excited to be exploring ways to better protect the environment, too.”

GoTriangle operates 69 buses and averages more than 6,000 boardings a day on its routes in Wake, Durham and Orange counties.

At GoRaleigh, the agency has committed to the purchase of five new electric buses and five charging stations. GoRaleigh is converting its diesel fleet to natural gas and electric fueled vehicles, which are cleaner and less expensive to operate during the life of the vehicles. The new electric buses are scheduled for delivery in August and September of 2020.

GoRaleigh is the city of Raleigh’s public transit bus service. It operates 84 buses, serving approximately 17,000 passengers per day, and covers a territory of 144 square miles.

Since 2016, Duke Energy has expanded charging for electric vehicles and buses throughout North Carolina. The program helped fund almost 200 public electric vehicle charging stations in North Carolina. Recently, the company helped the city of Asheville with its charging infrastructure. In 2016, Duke Energy helped the city of Greensboro with transit bus charging.

The Duke Energy funding was part of a 2015 settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and environmental groups.

The legacy grant funding is separate from the $76 million Electric Transportation pilot being considered now by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. The current proposal builds upon lessons learned during the earlier program. It will expand municipal and school bus charging infrastructure, as well as expand residential and public charging for passenger vehicles. Read about the current proposal.

About Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers’ experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit’s regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2019 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ 2019 “America’s Best Employers” list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: 
Randy Wheeless
Office: 704.382.8379
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_RandyW

Today, The 30th Annual SRI Conference announced that Leslie Samuelrich, president of Boston-based Green Century Capital Management, is the 2019 winner of the SRI Service Award.

Every year, leading sustainable, responsible and impact (SRI) investing professionals gather for the industry’s largest and longest running meeting, The SRI Conference.  A conference hallmark is when attendees vote to bestow the conference’s highest honor to an individual who has demonstrated leadership, innovation, high standards of professional conduct, and accomplishment in collaboration with other SRI industry leaders.  

Paula DeLaurentis, CEO of The SRI Conference, said: “We extend our warmest congratulations to Leslie Samuelrich, who has demonstrated unparalleled leadership in ESG investing and corporate engagement, as well as environmental and public health advocacy. It is an honor for us to be able to confer this award each year to the best and brightest in our community.” 

Green Century President Leslie Samuelrich said: “I am honored to receive the SRI Service Award. It is especially gratifying to be recognized by my peers in sustainable, responsible, and impact investing at the 30th Annual SRI Conference, which is always an inspiring event. This personal recognition is a reflection of the work of the whole Green Century team and I’m pleased to accept it in their honor.”

Samuelrich leads Green Century Capital Management, a pioneer in sustainable, responsible, and impact investing, focusing on the firm’s investment strategies, business development, and impact investing program. The Green Century Funds have experienced 527 percent growth under her leadership.

Samuelrich has more than 25 years of experience in ESG investing, corporate engagement, and environmental and public health advocacy. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF) and the Advisory Board of the Intentional Endowments Network.  She is a guest lecturer on impact investing at The Wharton School and annually presents at dozens of national and regional industry conferences and events. 

SRI CONFERENCE & COMMUNITY SPONSORS

The SRI Conference sponsors include: Aberdeen Standard Investments, Act Analytics, Advisor Partners, Allianz Global Investors, American Century Investments, Appleseed Capital, Axiom, Brown Advisory, Calvert Impact Capital, Calvert Research and Management, Capital Good Fund, Capital Impact Partners, Clean USA Power, College for Financial Planning, Community Capital Management, Dell, Earth Equity Advisors, Energy Income Partners, Entelligent, EQIS Capital Management, First Affirmative Financial Network, Folio Institutional, General Mills, Green Century Funds, Gurtin Municipal Bond Management, Hope Enterprise Corporation, Iroquois Valley Farms, Jantz Management, Kiva, Matthews Asia, Miller/Howard Investments, Morningstar, Inc., MSCI, Natixis Investment Managers, Open Invest, Parnassus, Pax World Funds, Praxis Mutual Funds, RBC Global Asset Management, Riskalyze, Sarasin Asset Management, Saturna Capital, Self Help Federal Credit Union, Shelton Capital, S&P Dow Jones Indices, TerraCycle, Thornburg Investment Management, Tides, Trillium Asset Management, Uncommon Giving, Vanderbilt Financial Group, Vanguard, Vert Asset Management, and WaterEquity. 

ABOUT THE SRI CONFERENCE

The SRI Conference is the premier annual gathering of the sustainability/SRI/ESG/impact investing world.  The 30th SRI Conference took place November 11-15, 2019 at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, CO.     

Folio Financial, Inc. is the parent company of The SRI Conference & Community.  Folio Financial (formerly FOLIOfn, Inc.), Folio Investing, Folio Institutional, First Affirmative, and VIA Folio together comprise the Folio brands, delivering innovation that benefits investors and those who serve them.

CONTACT: Patrick Mitchell for The SRI Conference at (703) 276-3266 or pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Airbnb today announced a significant agreement to support the Olympic Movement through to 2028. The nine-year, five-Games partnership is designed to create a new standard for hosting that will be a win for host cities, a win for spectators and fans, and a win for athletes.

Watch: IOC and Airbnb announce major Global Olypic Parnership

In line with Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future, and Airbnb’s mission to promote sustainable travel, the agreement supports the sustainability objectives of the Olympic Movement. These joint efforts will be in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to provide travel options that are economically empowering, socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable. The agreement includes accommodation provisions that will reduce costs for Olympic Games organisers and stakeholders, minimise the need for construction of new accommodation infrastructure for the Olympic Games period, and generate direct revenue for local hosts and communities. Working together with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Airbnb will also promote accommodation that supports accessibility for people with disabilities or other accessibility needs.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This innovative partnership underpins our strategy to ensure that the efficient staging of the Olympic Games is sustainable and leaves a legacy for the host community. With Airbnb’s support, we will also develop new opportunities for athletes around the world to develop their own direct revenue streams through the promotion of physical activity and the Olympic values. Through this partnership, there will also be a direct benefit for athletes over and above the USD 5 billion the IOC is distributing during this Olympiad for their benefit to Organising Committees and sports organisations around the world.”

Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia said: “Airbnb and the IOC have a strong track record in creating and accommodating the world’s greatest events. Our Olympic partnership will ensure that the Games are the most inclusive, accessible and sustainable yet, and leave a lasting positive legacy for athletes and host communities. Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere, and we are proud that the Olympic spirit will be carried by our community.”

CREATING NEW AIRBNB HOSTS

The partnership will generate hundreds of thousands of new hosts over nine years, giving community residents the opportunity to earn extra income by providing accommodation and local experiences to visiting fans, athletes and other members of the Olympic Movement. For visitors, the Airbnb community will offer a more local and authentic way to immerse themselves in the host cities and engage with the local communities. For the cities themselves, the Airbnb community represents a more environmentally sustainable way of accommodating a surge in visitors.

AIRBNB OLYMPIAN EXPERIENCES

The IOC and Airbnb will launch Airbnb Olympian Experiences to provide direct earning opportunities for athletes, underlining the IOC’s efforts to support athletes and put them at the heart of the Olympic Movement. To be launched in early 2020, this new category will bring Airbnb’s goal of providing economic empowerment through hosting to athletes across the globe – beyond the timeframe and geographical location of the Games. Promoting sport and physical activity, these experiences will include everything from the chance to train with an Olympian to exploring a city with an elite athlete. In the coming months, Airbnb and the IOC, through the IOC Athlete365 platform, will provide support and training to athletes interested in becoming a host on the Airbnb Experiences platform.

In addition, the IOC will make at least USD 28 million worth of Airbnb accommodation available over the course of the partnership to athletes competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games for competition- and training-related travel.

Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, said: “On behalf of the Athletes’ Commission, I am delighted that our new global agreement with Airbnb will benefit the athletes directly. This includes direct revenue opportunities from sharing their passion for sport through Airbnb Olympian Experiences, as well as direct support for their accommodation needs. We work to empower athletes around the world on and off the field of play, and this agreement is another example of how we are supporting and advocating for athletes throughout their career.”

SUPPORT FOR REFUGEE ATHLETES

Airbnb will also support the IOC in continuing to address the challenges faced by refugees around the world. The IOC has a long-standing commitment to refugees, including cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) since 1994, the creation of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and the creation of the Olympic Refuge Foundation in 2017. Airbnb has been supporting refugee initiatives since 2015 through its “Open Homes” programme, which connects generous hosts with those in need of temporary accommodation, including refugees. To date, more than 35,000 people have been housed in times of need. Over the course of the partnership, the IOC and Airbnb will establish further programmes to provide long-term support to refugees.

Airbnb has previously supported the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 as a domestic sponsor. A recent World Economic Forum study found that during the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the additional capacity provided to visitors to Rio through Airbnb’s platform was equivalent to 257 hotels, saving the city in terms of materials use and carbon emissions, while also providing approximately USD 30 million in direct revenue for hosts and generating an estimated total economic activity of USD 100 million in three weeks. Similarly, during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Airbnb hosts earned a collective USD 2.3 million in income providing accommodation to 15,000 visitors who would have required 46 hotels. And most recently, in Japan, Airbnb hosts across the country welcomed more than 650,000 travellers during the Rugby World Cup period, earning more than USD 70 million in host income.

Airbnb becomes the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the exclusive category of “Unique Accommodation Products and Unique Experiences Services”. Worldwide Olympic Partners support every National Olympic Committee and their teams, and every organiser of the Olympic Games, as well as providing support for athletes and the development of sport at all levels around the world. In addition, Partners promote the Olympic values and help create memorable experiences for fans worldwide. 

Jiri Kejval, IOC Marketing Commission Chair, said: “Since it was founded in 2008, Airbnb has grown to become a global household name. This partnership supports the future sustainable operations of the Olympic Movement and demonstrates the ongoing appeal of the Olympic commercial programmes to the world’s leading brands.”

As a global Partner, Airbnb will support the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

The agreement also includes marketing rights for the IPC and the Paralympic Games through the IOC-IPC long-term collaboration agreement, as well as for the Youth Olympic Games.

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The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000
email: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.

Today, eBay for Charity announced that the program  reached a major milestone ahead of its 2020 goal: $1 billion in total funds raised for charities around the world.

Charitable giving on the platform is on the rise. To date, eBay for Charity has more than 83,500 global charities registered on platform – up 26% year-over-year – and is enabling $211 every minute in charity funding by eBay buyers and sellers, an increase of almost 10% compared to last year. Through eBay for Charity, 100 percent of funds raised go back to intended nonprofits.

“The eBay community is passionate about shopping with purpose, and this vibrant community of buyers and sellers has enabled us to reach an incredible milestone ahead of schedule,” said Brenda Halkias, General Manager, eBay for Charity. “eBay for Charity provides an opportunity to support causes that matter, and there are many unique ways for buyers, sellers and charities to get involved.”

“In 2018 alone, the eBay community raised a record $102million from more than 20 million charity listings and we’re on track for another record-breaking year! We’re so thankful to our buyers and sellers for their generosity and we encourage everyone to shop with purpose and continue to make a positive impact in the world.”

How We Got Here:

Following the September 11th attacks, eBay created “Auction for America,” which raised $10 million to benefit organizations supporting families of the monumental tragedy. With an outpouring of support, eBay officially launched eBay for Charity in 2003, which has since grown to become one of the world’s largest and most active giving communities, demonstrating eBay’s purpose to empower people and create economic opportunity. 

Since the program’s inception, charities including GRAMMY charities, TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, The V Foundation, GLIDE, BBC Children in Need and The Prince’s Trust use eBay for Charity to reach their fundraising goals.

Last year, charities collectively raised more than $83 million selling directly on eBay and a staggering $10.5 million from more than 9 million listings was raised by community sellers, the everyday heroes selling on behalf of charities, in the US and UK.

Notably, community-based Goodwill® organizations collectivelyraised $25 million via the platform in 2018, the British Heart Foundation raised more than £27 million since 2011 and Boston-based bookstore for rehabilitated teens, More Than Words, is having a record-breaking year and cites eBay as their biggest driver for funds raised.

eBay for Charity has also partnered with hundreds of celebrities including George Clooney, Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno, Shawn Mendes, Steph Curry, Yara Shahidi, Kate Moss, David Beckham, Andrea Boccelli, Miranda Lambert, Chase Elliot and more, who have contributed to the $1 billion milestone by donating one-of-a-kind items and experiences to benefit their favorite causes. This year, two annual eBay for Charity auctions — the Power Lunch with Warren Buffet benefitting GLIDE and the ESPYs auction for The V Foundation — both had record-breaking fundraising years.

Get Involved:

Empowering People and Communities: Watch eBay for Charity’s New Video Series

To celebrate the $1 billion milestone, eBay partnered with three sellers from around the U.S. to create a new video series that spotlights how a single purchase on eBay for Charity can have a positive ripple effect among charities, its recipients and their local communities.

These video portraits — featuring Goodwill San Francisco, More Than Words and Africa Direct— showcase the compelling stories of nonprofit leaders and community members who are committed to bettering society. Watch the series at YouTube.com/ebay channel.

Shop with Purpose

There are many ways to shop with purpose through eBay for Charity:

• Bid on high profile auctions such as Vans or Bon Appétit which are live right now

• Buy a Gift That Gives Back

• Buyers can give a donation at checkout

• Sellers can donate a portion of their sales

• Purchase one of the millions of charity listings on ebay.com/charityshop every day (when shopping on eBay look for the gold and blue charity ribbon for items that benefit charity)

About eBay for Charity

eBay for Charity enables members of the eBay community to connect with and support their favorite charities in the U.S. and abroad. Every time a user buys or sells on eBay, it’s an opportunity to support causes that matter the most and to help with their fundraising goals. With more than 183 million active buyers globally and more than 83,500 charities enrolled on the site, eBay is home to one of the world’s largest and most active giving communities. Since 2003, the eBay community has raised more than $1 billion for charity. For more information visit ebayforcharity.org. 

Chevron announced a contribution of $100,000 from the Chevron Global Community Fund to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts for wildfires in California.

Chevron, with operations all around California and 140 years of history in the state, is committed to being a strong and reliable partner in the communities where its employees live and work. The company will also match any qualifying donations to wildfire relief efforts made by employees and retirees.

“So many people in the state have felt a devastating impact from these fires,” said Chevron Chairman and CEO Michael Wirth. “Our thoughts are with everyone as they work to recover and rebuild, and with all the responders still working hard to put the fires out.”

The contribution follows the California Fire Foundation’s announcement last month of a four-year, $2 million partnership with Chevron to continue underwriting the foundation’s direct victim assistance program, Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency (SAVE).

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. Through its subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide, the company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemicals and additives; generates power; and develops and deploys technologies that enhance business value in every aspect of the company’s operations. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

Published: November 2019

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has named Stanley Black & Decker Best Corporate Steward as part of its 2019 Citizens Awards. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual awards program, which recognizes the most innovative and impactful corporate citizenship initiatives raising the bar on social responsibility and spearheading the transformation to a strong, healthy and sustainable future.

“On behalf of Stanley Black & Decker’s 60,000 employees, I am proud and humbled by this prestigious recognition of our efforts,” said Stanley Black & Decker President and CEO Jim Loree. “In late 2016, we set out to elevate our commitment to corporate social responsibility, by first defining our CSR strategy and then activating our purpose – ‘For Those Who Make The World.’ I believe that business has a responsibility to be a force for good for our employees, our customers, our communities and society in general. While we still have more work to do, we are making meaningful progress as an organization.”

Stanley Black & Decker’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy is aligned with the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The strategy focuses the company's efforts on three key pillars: empowering makers, innovating with purpose and creating a more sustainable world. By 2030, Stanley Black & Decker plans to enable 10 million creators and makers to thrive in a changing world, innovate our products to enhance the lives of 500 million people, and be carbon positive in its global operations, meaning its carbon capture is greater than its carbon emissions. To learn more about the company's CSR strategy, visit www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/social-responsibility.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Citizens Awards honor businesses for their significant positive impact in communities around the world. For 20 years, this awards program has illustrated how every day businesses serve as a powerful force for good and lead the charge in creating innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Companies and chambers of commerce from around the globe compete for the Citizens Awards, making them one of the most prestigious honors in corporate citizenship.

“Stanley Black & Decker embodies all that it means to be a Corporate Steward in 2019. We’re excited to recognize the vision of their 2030 CSR Strategy and their achievements with the program so far,” said U.S. Chamber Foundation Senior Vice President Marc Decourcey. “The company’s focus on three pillars – people, product, and planet – ensures Stanley’s ongoing positive impact by empowering the makers and creators of the world while building toward a more sustainable future.”

The Chamber Foundation announced the winners of the 2019 Citizens Awards on November 14 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the awards program here.

About Stanley Black & Decker:

Stanley Black & Decker is a purpose-driven, $14 billion revenue industrial organization. Stanley Black & Decker has 61,000 employees in more than 60 countries and operates the world’s largest tools and storage business, the world’s second-largest commercial electronic security services company, a leading engineered fastening business as well as Oil & Gas and Infrastructure businesses. The company’s iconic brands include Black & Decker, Bostitch, CRAFTSMAN, DEWALT, FACOM, Irwin, Lenox, Porter Cable and Stanley. Stanley Black & Decker is a company for the makers and innovators, the craftsmen and the caregivers, and those doing the hard work to make the world a better place. Learn more at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.

CONTACT Shannon Lapierre +1 (860) 259-7669 shannon.lapierre@sbdinc.com Chief Communications Officer Abigail Dreher +1 (860) 515-2759 Abigail.Dreher@sbdinc.com Director, Public Affairs

The life of a professional athlete is divided into two distinct arcs, during and after sports. Career paths during their playing years are plagued with adversity. Athletes must commit to rigorous physical training and conditioning, and endure painful injuries along the way. Most will spend years trying to redefine their lives after sports. But one trait shared by successful athletes in the modern era is a desire to give back to the neighborhoods where they honed their skills and the cities in which they played.  A new sub-set of pro-athlete has turned to impact investing as a post-sports career, and their projects are gaining steam and turning heads today at the SRI industry’s most important annual meeting. 

A panel of former professional athletes this week addressed The 30th Annual SRI Conference in Colorado Springs – the largest and longest running meeting of sustainable, responsible, impact and ESG investors. 

“The Next Wave of Impact – The Professional Athlete” was curated by Danny Hughes and included:  former NBA player Antonio Davis, CEO, Eminence Consulting; former NFL player Warrick Dunn, founder of Warrick Dunn Charities; former NBA player Devean George, CEO of George Group North; former Ms. Olympia Sheryl Grant, CEO of Sheryl Grant Enterprises; and former NFL player Derrick Morgan, managing partner of KNGDM Group. 

Throughout his 11-year career in the NBA, Devean played for the Los Angeles Lakers (with whom he won three NBA Championships), the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors.  Today, Devean George is president and CEO of George Group North, and executive director of a charitable nonprofit, Building Blocks. His real-estate company specializes in multifamily residential development, mixed-use projects, property redevelopment and management, while Building Blocks is focused on mentorship programming, affordable housing, and sustainable community development.

Devean George said: “Real community transformation involves more than just building affordable housing building, it requires a holistic operation that is self-sustaining within these communities. The “Building Blocks” model integrates affordable housing with a co-op grocery store and our after school Building Blocks programming, which includes commercial kitchen and skills training. These programs have long-term impact in a community. We are deploying this model outside of the Twin Cities, in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Oakland and other areas where impact is needed.”

During the panel discussion from the main stage of The SRI Conference, the retired athletes explained to an audience of more 900 SRI practitioners, including RIAs, portfolio managers, mutual funds, institutions and social entrepreneurs, that successful impact endeavors depend on the “influence capital” they all have committed in one form or another. Their stories, emotional at times, conveyed the personal connections they shared with groups they are helping, demonstrating the real power of impact.

Paula DeLaurentis, CEO of The SRI Conference, said: “A growing number of high-profile athletes are turning to impact investing to make a difference after they leave the playing field. The SRI/ESG/impact investing community is here to provide these athletes with the knowledge, encouragement, and connections they need to be successful in this area.

After announcing his retirement from the NFL last summer, Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan launched a $200 million Opportunity Zone fund to invest in marginalized communities, specifically in markets for housing, community development and job creation. Morgan engaged on a personal level to ensure that his OZ fund had a positive social impact, while turning a profit a well. But he didn’t stop there. With his strong business acumen and impact vision, Morgan also created the KNGDM Impact

Fund to raise  to invest in and help sustain real estate and operating businesses in Opportunity Zones.

Responding to a question about what’s pushing athletes into impact projects, former NFL star Warrick Dunn said: “My life experiences growing-up and my career definitely influence what I’m doing to help finance and build for homes for single moms. It’s well known what I went through, my struggles and personal story. But it’s more than that … this is my passion. We make sure that it all comes together, and recently we just gave away to a single mother in need our  173rd home.”  

For former Ms. Olympia fitness Sheryl Grant, empowerment for women of color is the inspiration. Grant draws crowds by the hundreds across the country for her F.I.T. for business programming - F.I.T (Faith - Intuition - Tenacity) to help women (particularly women of color) break through the glass ceiling in corporate settings, and build the skill sets to be C-level executives and eventually to own businesses.  She also works with -senior-level execs at major corporations to help build more diverse boards and leadership teams.

Sheryl Grant said: “I believe members of the professional athlete community, the panelists on this stage, have much more to contribute to Impact Investing efforts than meets the eye.  A lifetime dedicated to teamwork, sacrifice, commitment and more, a professional athlete can make a difference in an impact project as advisors, board member, product development, brand ambassador, and yes, as an investor when it makes sense.  We are about making a difference and welcome the opportunity to have a huge positive effect on millions of lives.”

SRI CONFERENCE & COMMUNITY SPONSORS

The SRI Conference sponsors include: Aberdeen Standard Investments, Act Analytics, Advisor Partners, Allianz Global Investors, American Century Investments, Appleseed Capital, Axiom, Brown Advisory, Calvert Impact Capital, Calvert Research and Management, Capital Good Fund, Capital Impact Partners, Clean USA Power, College for Financial Planning, Community Capital Management, Dell, Earth Equity Advisors, Energy Income Partners, Entelligent, EQIS Capital Management, First Affirmative Financial Network, Folio Institutional, General Mills, Green Century Funds, Gurtin Municipal Bond Management, Hope Enterprise Corporation, Iroquois Valley Farms, Jantz Management, Kiva, Matthews Asia, Miller/Howard Investments, Morningstar, Inc., MSCI, Natixis Investment Managers, Open Invest, Parnassus, Pax World Funds, Praxis Mutual Funds, RBC Global Asset Management, Riskalyze, Sarasin Asset Management, Saturna Capital, Self Help Federal Credit Union, Shelton Capital, S&P Dow Jones Indices, TerraCycle, Thornburg Investment Management, Tides, Trillium Asset Management, Uncommon Giving, Vanderbilt Financial Group, Vanguard, Vert Asset Management, and WaterEquity.

ABOUT THE SRI CONFERENCE

The SRI Conference is the premier annual gathering of the sustainability/SRI/ESG/impact investing world.  The 30th SRI Conference is taking place November 11-15, 2019 at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, CO.  For more information, go to www.SRIConference.com.

Folio Financial, Inc. is the parent company of The SRI Conference & Community.  Folio Financial (formerly FOLIOfn, Inc.), Folio Investing, Folio Institutional, First Affirmative, and VIA Folio together comprise the Folio brands, delivering innovation that benefits investors and those who serve them.