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(Image: UNICEF convenes a celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November 2019. To coincide with the anniversary, the U.N. themed Human Rights Day 2019 around youth engagement.)

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed on December 2 every year to highlight the importance of eradicating contemporary forms of slavery. It’s followed by the International Day of Human Rights on December 10. 

Both of these observance days remind us that the fate of human rights is no longer defined entirely by governments and international institutions. Stakeholders worldwide—businesses, investors, civil societies and governments—are recognizing the very real risk of exploitation within the supply chains that feed and drive our economies. 

This year’s International Day of Human Rights focuses on youth participation and empowering young people to know and claim their own rights—and stand up for others. 

There is no doubt that youth can be a positive force for change when provided with the knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive. Given a chance—and from what has been seen most recently with the “Greta Effect,” in reference to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg—young people can contribute to nurturing resilience and building a place for themselves in the collective life of their communities. 

The private sector has a clear role to play in the global fight for human rights—and in mobilizing young people as advocates. But before they can inspire future change agents, companies must first get their own houses in order on human rights, identify where abuses could occur in their supply chains, and understand how these issues affect young people worldwide. Practical and actionable steps like these can help to start that conversation. 

1. Proactively build business awareness: Most companies are unaware of how youth in forced labor can become part of their supply chains. Companies must understand the legislation and develop strategies to ensure compliance and due diligence. 

2. Push beyond voluntarism: It must be mandatory for companies to practice due diligence and report assessment of the risk of child labor or forced labor being used in their supply chains. Management must demonstrate concrete actions the company is to take to address any presence of human rights violations. 

3. Protect victims: Enforcement or intervention should first and foremost be enacted with consideration for the protection of those who are vulnerable or are caught in modern slavery. 

4. Lever public procurement: Public-sector contracts must require that public bodies and their subcontractors report on their due diligence to address youth labor, modern slavery and human rights. 

5. Leverage consumer power: Create a central, public registry of declarations by companies detailing their efforts to stop youth in modern slavery. Create a list of companies required to report under law. 

6. Eliminate reporting thresholds: If we are to make children and youth rights core to business, compliance should be demanded of all businesses—large and small. 

7. Go beyond reporting: Include proactive due diligence on prevention, identification and remediation of child violations. 

8. Require responsibility at the high level: Engage CEOs and boards of directors in the development of policies that relate to child labor and human rights.  

9. Use third-party audits as a best practice: Carry out independent third-party audits of all product supply chains at identified points of risk as part of due diligence, per OECD guidance.

The bottom line

At the government level, many countries must catch up in drafting modern slavery legislation. As they do, there are models to build on and improve from, including policies enacted in California, the U.K., France and Australia over the past decade. 

But companies do not have to wait for government in order to root out modern slavery within their supply chains, and some are already taking concrete steps forward. Ultimately, addressing modern slavery, child labor and other human rights abuses is not just a public- or private-sector issue, nor is it a problem for only one part of the world to solve. It's a collective challenge that requires collective action. Will we rise to the occasion? 

Image credit: Nahom Tesfaye, UNICEF Ethiopia/Flickr

In 2019, I became a grandfather. I've worked in sustainability for years, and I am so proud of my daughter and son-in-law for raising my granddaughter in a solar-powered home and driving her in an electric car. 

One of her favorite treats is Plum Organics’ Super Puffs, which her grandfather introduced to TriplePundit readers about 10 years ago. I still hold in my heart Plum Organics’ trademarked vision statement of “pure from the start” as a hope I have for my granddaughter and all babies.

But we end 2019 with this reality: Our hopes for our children are caught between the ability of sustainable products like electric cars, solar power and organic foods to deliver a healthy and prosperous future and the control over government policies held by carbon-centric companies protecting their market share. Here are some of the most crucial factors affecting our children's future—and what we can do about them. 

Pollution still impacts our children’s health

In 2019, the majority of U.S. children face health risk from air pollution. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does an annual report on children's health statistics. This report finds that 62 percent of our children live in counties with a measured air pollutant concentration above the levels of one or more National Ambient Air Quality Standards. 

To make things worse: Lobbying expenditures by carbon-centric companies are 10 times greater than the lobbying expenditures of nonprofit environmental groups. The success that carbon-centric companies have had in lobbying our government to roll back pollution regulations is a major reason why pollution still threatens our children’s health.

2019 marked a new low in EPA deregulation 

The Donald Trump administration proposed eliminating the private medical data the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to design regulations. This medical data is the underlying science used by the EPA in crafting regulations that have reduced elevated blood lead levels in children aged 1 to 5 years from almost 26 percent between 1988 and 1994 to less than 1 percent today.  

Another record year for GHG emissions

2019 recorded the highest levels of CO2 atmospheric concentrations in human history. The harsh reality is that my granddaughter’s world will be hotter than mine. Her future will be shaped by weather extremes that will reduce food supplies, job opportunities and human health. 

When I began writing about climate change in 2007, the world needed to reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by 0.7 percent each year to achieve the Paris Accord goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century. 

Today, the world would have to begin reducing emissions by 2.7 percent annually to reach this goal, but the reality is that the world is still increasing its global warming emissions.

Economics is a major driver in world emissions. Globally, our governments continue to subsidize petroleum, natural gas and coal. They continue to under-regulate pollution compared to its damaging costs. The result is that carbon-centric technologies look cheaper than clean technologies. This price distortion results in consumers being misled into buying products that generate greenhouse gases and pollution at a cost to be paid by the very babies we love so much. 

Reason for hope: 2019 proves we can have a sustainable economy

The good news is that 2019 demonstrated how sustainable technologies can cost less and deliver more solutions. 

Case in point: The competitive pricing of the Tesla Model 3 in the luxury car market—plus superior performance and zero emissions—is generating more car sales than Mercedes and BMW, combined. 

Solar power is now the least costly source of electricity generation in several markets worldwide. In a milestone deal, Los Angeles’ municipal electric utility signed a 400-megawatt contract to buy electricity from a combined solar and battery electric generating system for 3.3 cents per kilowatt hour—which proved to be cheaper than a natural gas fueled peak generation system. 

Beyond Meat, the tech company producing meatless burgers, went public in 2019. And healthy, sustainable food produced with a lower emissions footprint is now on the menus of our fast-food restaurants.

California’s economy, anchored on renewable energy and energy efficiency, grew to become the fifth largest in the world while also reducing its GHG emissions.

Optimistically, my granddaughter may look back at her birth year as the year when U.S. consumers began buying into the idea of a sustainable economy. 

But realizing a sustainable economy’s fullest potential will only happen when consumers see a product’s health and environmental costs included in its price. It will only happen when we stop providing tax subsidies for fossil fuels. 

If this happens, our children will have an exciting future where what they buy will deliver on both value and human health. The question is: Will we make it happen? 

Image credits: Bruno Nascimento and Joshua Rodriguez via Unsplash

(Image: One of several initiatives aimed at boosting digital inclusion, the Verizon Innovative Learning program exposes middle-schoolers in under-resourced schools to new technology applications in subjects such as science and engineering.)

To say it’s been a busy year for Verizon is an understatement. More accurately, it’s been a busy decade for the telecommunications giant. The company has been shifting its $131 billion business portfolio and 150 global locations aggressively toward both environmental and social sustainability. 

For example, Verizon generated headlines this year by launching the first $1 billion green bond within the telecom sector. The bonds mature in 2029, but Verizon plans to use the vast majority of this offering’s proceeds on projects set to launch over the next three years. Funds from the bonds will kick off projects in renewable power, water and energy efficiency, and sustainable buildings projects. 

And when it comes to social impact, Verizon has made clear that it will help lead us during the fourth industrial revolution, due to what will be possible thanks to 5G technology. As rapidly advancing technology changes the way we live, learn and work, the company says it’s ramping up investments in digital inclusion and education to ensure no one is left behind.

To learn more about how Verizon will be at the vanguard of social innovation and digital inclusion, TriplePundit connected with Rose Stuckey Kirk, the company’s chief corporate social responsibility officer.

TriplePundit: Why is the digital divide a concern for Verizon?

Rose Stuckey Kirk: To improve people’s lives, we must use technology responsibly—and this is at the core of our business strategy and social responsibility commitment.

For many years, we’ve applied technology to help solve the digital divide in education. Think about this: Right now, there are more than 6.5 million students without tech resources or tools in schools. This places them at a disadvantage to compete for jobs of the future, where more than just technical professionals will require the knowledge and use of technology. These students are missing out on a key element of preparation for their futures.

Through our education initiatives, we’re using our technology to help under-resourced students be creators, complex problem-solvers, and creative thinkers and to be more prepared to build better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.

Through workforce development, digital literacy and STEM education opportunities, our goal is to uplift whole communities. We’re building digital learning centers and implementing digital literacy programs focused on workforce readiness skills. At Verizon, it’s about digital inclusion, and together we’re helping to remove barriers of economic prosperity by making technology more accessible and bringing connectivity and digital skills to the people who need it most.
 
3p: What makes Verizon’s approach to the digital divide unique in the industry?

RSK: We’re on the precipice of a technology revolution so profound that it will change how every industry across the globe operates. 5G is radically expanding access to technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, 3-D printing and wearable tech. We have an obligation and an opportunity to provide the access and inclusivity required to prosper in an era defined by these increasingly complex technologies and to leverage the power of our network to create a digitally inclusive environment for all.

For example, our Verizon Innovative Learning program leans into middle schools in under-resourced areas across the U.S., giving students the exposure and confidence they need to see themselves as scientists, engineers, technologists and innovators—careers they may not have even known existed. Our commitment means we provide these students with the latest tech tools-- from 24/7 internet access to tablets or Chromebooks for every teacher and student. But more than that, we provide a robust support system for teachers through technology enabled curriculum and ongoing training to help create the kind of transformation that changes lives.

Additionally, we’re working on expanding tech access in rural areas through our own infrastructure and our LTE in Rural America (LRA) program, in partnership with rural carriers, to accelerate the deployment of rural wireless broadband services. We’ve also committed to a rural education program, which introduces STEM and higher education opportunities to middle school girls in rural locations through a partnership with community colleges.

3p: Can you update us on your commitment and timeline for being the first to bring 5G technology to the classroom?

RSK: 5G already has a huge impact on what is possible in the classroom, delivering unprecedented augmented and virtual reality experiences that enable students to visit ends of the solar system, construct and dissect cells, meet underrepresented minority icons from history and more.

As part of our commitment to leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Verizon is committed to bringing state-of-the-art technology, including 5G access, to select schools across the country, which we call Verizon Innovative Learning schools. The journey started in 2018 when Verizon launched the 5G EdTech Challenge, inviting nonprofits, universities and startups to submit ideas to transform middle-school classrooms using 5G. The winning teams, whose solutions include dynamic education solutions that tap into augmented and virtual reality technologies that truly harness the power of 5G, launched their projects in the Verizon 5G Innovative Learning lab at E-Prep Cliffs in Cleveland, Ohio, this fall.

Not only are we doubling the number of schools in the program, we are committed to bringing 5G to 100 Verizon Innovative Learning schools across the U.S. by 2021.
 
We’re bringing much needed exposure to these young students in Title 1 schools, but moreover we’re empowering them with the ability to use the 5G technology that is going to be a staple of their future success. We’re introducing this technology to give students a voice and to be the change makers for their community. 

3p: The issue of digital exclusion is so challenging and complex that clearly no one organization can solve it on its own. How is Verizon working with other companies and organizations to advance its goals?

RSK: We can’t build a digitally inclusive society on our own, so we’re working with partners across sectors, including policymakers on Capitol Hill, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges, and nonprofit tech and STEM partners. We’re dedicated to ensuring more people, especially students and diverse communities, have access to technology and know how to use it to succeed.


For example, Verizon recently announced a partnership to offer free access to the New York Times to over 7 million students and teachers in Title 1 schools across America. We’ve also partnered with UnidosUS to build digital learning centers and to implement a digital literacy program focused on workforce readiness skills in underserved Latino communities in four major U.S. cities.

3p: In addition to the great work supported by the Verizon Foundation to address the digital divide, how is Verizon’s Corporate Responsibility team helping to integrate this priority throughout the business?

RSK: We are taking actions in three key areas: digital inclusion, climate protection and human prosperity. These are the most important issues to the communities we serve and those that Verizon’s technology and assets can most positively impact. All of these areas have positive impact on society as well as value to our business, as they can open new markets, catalyze innovation and drive new business models.

Verizon’s climate protection efforts are contributing to a greener planet by reducing carbon emissions and minimizing waste in our operations, while also using our technology for environmental solutions. We’ve committed to be carbon neutral in our operations by 2035, focusing immediately on our 5G network and supply chain and working toward making them carbon neutral by 2025. In support of that commitment, we’ve set a goal to source renewables so the provide 50 percent of our total electricity, a significant undertaking for a company of our size. We are driving innovation in our network and solutions to help solve global climate change.

Image credit: Verizon via 3BL Media

By Elizabeth Dove and Alison Grenier

Companies trying to unlock employee motivation should direct their attention to their community investment strategy. These were the conclusions reached by Volunteer Canada and Great Place to Work Canada in recently released research based on 66,000 Trust Index survey responses from 300 Canadian organizations. This is one of the largest sample sizes of employee perspectives on community investment ever studied.

The Business Case for Giving Back highlights the connection between corporate involvement in the community and key business metrics, including employees’ long-term commitment to the organization, positive brand promotion by employees, employees going above and beyond, and employees feeling that they make a difference at work. 

The findings provide undeniable proof of the increased benefits to businesses and showcase tangible ways to create a corporate community investment program that improves employee engagement.

When people “feel good about the way my organization contributes to community," they are:

• 18 percent more likely to stay: “I want to work here for a long time.”
• 45 percent more likely to be brand ambassadors: “I’m proud to tell people I work here.” 
• 83 percent more likely to put in more effort: “People are willing to give extra to get the job done.”
• 57 percent more likely to feel valued: “I feel I make a difference here.” 

The research also looked at companies in the top versus bottom quartile on community investment, defined based on average employee responses to the survey statement, “I feel good about the way my organization contributes to community." Top quartile companies enjoy the following associated business benefits:

• 13 percent voluntary turnover in top quartile companies (versus 23 percent in bottom quartile).
• 80 qualified applicants per position in top quartile companies (versus 61 in bottom quartile)
• 19 percent revenue growth in top quartile companies (versus 16 percent in bottom quartile)
• 72 percent introduced new methods in the past year (versus 54percent in the bottom quartile)

Employees give higher ratings to companies that involve them meaningfully in community 

Companies that involve their employees in giving back got the highest ranking by employees and the highest business outcomes illustrated above. Although there is no one right way to build it, a strong community investment program begins with a corporate commitment to sharing time, talent and money with the community. 

Here’s what the highest rated businesses did differently than other organizations:

Sharing time 

Best workplaces for giving back: 90 percent give their employees paid time off to volunteer, ranging from four to 100 hours per year, with 16 hours a year being the most common amount of paid time off.

Other organizations: Half offer paid time off to volunteer, 32 percent offer a set limit and 18 percent offer it on an ad-hoc basis.

How leading companies share time: 

• Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas gives its employees five paid days off to volunteer each year and posts volunteer opportunities on its Intranet.
• When Cisco employees volunteer on their own time, the information technology company supports them by donating $10 to the employee’s approved, chosen charity for every volunteer hour. 

Sharing talent 

Best workplaces for giving back: 83 percent align their community investment efforts with their unique products or skills to maximize employee motivation and community impact.

Other organizations: Only 18 percent align their community investment efforts with their unique products or skills.

How leading companies share talent

• At accounting services company Grant Thornton, teams across the country organize volunteer tax clinics every January and February for community members who need assistance but can’t afford to pay for professional support.
• Homebuilder Trico Homes partnered with the Chiniki Nation to help restore 159 homes that were badly damaged in a 2013 flood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This evolved into a long-term Renewable Energy Project that will create employment, skills development and revenue for the Chiniki Nation.

Sharing money 

Best workplaces for giving back: 100 percent match employee donations or donate money or in-kind services to community organizations.

Other organizations: 60 percent match employee donations or donate money or in-kind services to community organizations.

How leading companies share money: 

• ATB Financial matches donations to causes in Alberta through ATB Cares. People can donate to any registered charity in Alberta at ATBcares.com, with ATB matching 15 percent of every dollar donated. In 2018, ATB, its customers and its employees donated $4.8 million to local charities.
• Medical technologies firm Stryker donates millions of dollars’ worth of medical devices and equipment to overseas humanitarian missions and lends or donates equipment to surgeons on aid visits to developing countries.

Boost employee engagement: Conversation-starters to ensure your giving back programs speak to employees

As you consider your organization’s community commitments and programs alongside these findings, you may be trying to determine your next step in advancing your activities in ways that create better employee engagement. The most productive conversations include multiple departments, such as human resources, corporate responsibility and communications, along with senior leadership and external stakeholders and, of course, employees. 

Start with the following questions:

• What do we consider success for our community investment program?
• What would employees consider success?
• How do employees want to be involved?
• What indicators will tell us if our programs are resonating with employees?
• What is our program missing? What outcomes would justify increasing the budget?
• How can we show employees that we value the time they take away from their work to support the community?

For more information, read the full report, The Business Case for Giving Back. The report was produced in partnership with the Corporate Community Engagement Council (formerly the Corporate Council on Volunteering) and with the support of CIBC, Deloitte, RBC, Symcor and TD Bank.

About Elizabeth Dove: As director of corporate citizenship, Elizabeth Dove is Volunteer Canada’s organizational lead on supporting companies in their employee/stakeholder community engagement programs. She convenes the Corporate Council on Volunteering, leads the consulting practice, and collaborates with companies and nonprofits to create thought-leadership on CSR practices that provide benefit to communities, businesses, their employees and other stakeholders. 

About Alison Grenier: Alison Grenier is Head of Culture & Research for Great Place to Work Canada.  With a decade of experience studying the Best Workplaces, Alison leverages GPTW’s unparalleled data library to uncover emerging workplace trends and insights. 

Image credit: ray sangga kusuma/Unsplash

Those soaking up arts and culture during Miami Art Week and Art Basel will get an up-close look at the state of plastic pollution in our oceans.

At the pop-up Museum of Plastic in Miami Beach, guests are invited to explore an interactive experience featuring physical and digital representations of how plastics affect marine ecosystems. Presented by the nonprofit Lonely Whale, in collaboration with HP and online media company ATTN:, the museum is open to the public from Dec. 6 through Dec. 8. 

The timing is fortuitous, as world leaders meet for the annual U.N. climate talks in Madrid (COP25) with a greater focus on the oceans than ever before. 

Ocean health and climate change

Ocean health is of great concern to Chile, the president of this year's COP. The South American nation is one of more than 20 countries to include ocean solutions in commitments to the Paris climate agreement—and it hopes to leverage the talks to inspire other nations to do the same, declaring COP25 the first "Blue COP." 

Along with the ocean issues you'd imagine would relate to climate change, such as acidification and ocean warming, plastic pollution is emerging as a key concern for the U.N.

In a special report released in September, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cited marine pollution as one of nine major concerns facing the world's oceans and named plastic waste as a top contributor. 

“Marine pollution, such as sewage, sunscreens, fertilizers and plastics, can act synergistically with climate change factors, increasing the detrimental impacts of both," Dr. Craig Downs, executive director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, a nonprofit scientific organization focused on natural ecosystems, said in a statement. "Together, climate change and marine pollution are a guarantee for the destruction of marine vitality.”

Inside the Museum of Plastic 

All of this sounds pretty dismal, and as we've seen for years, doom-and-gloom is often not the most effective way to start a solutions-oriented dialogue. 

With the Museum of Plastic, Lonely Whale hopes to make raising awareness of ocean issues fun, dynamic and engaging (not to mention Instagrammable), though the content is still decidedly serious. 

Visitors are greeted with the Ocean Voyage room, where a thriving virtual ocean slowly fills with plastic waste, illustrating the fact that the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by weight by 2050. They can also take selfies with an enormous receipt quantifying how much money global citizens spend on plastic water bottles and how the cash could be used to help the environment.

Videos showcase HP's recycling program in Haiti—which creates jobs while turning ocean-bound plastic into new products—and other solutions to the ocean plastic crisis. 

This isn't Lonely Whale's first pop-up museum. The nonprofit first introduced the concept in New York City during World Oceans Week in June as part of its star-studded Question How You Hydrate campaign. Featuring celebrities like Zooey Deschanel and Jason Momoa, the campaign challenges consumers to champion sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic water bottles. 

That's no small task: Around 1 million single-use plastic bottles are sold every minute around the world, and revenue from bottled water sales is expected to reach $200 billion before 2023—compared to less than $10.5 billion for the reusable bottle market. Considering how pricy some reusable bottles can be—and how cheap bottled water (which, in the U.S., is often just unfiltered tap water encased in plastic) is by comparison—the discrepancy is pretty shocking.  

Still, judging by the reaction to Lonely Whale's campaign, it seems people are becoming more inclined to consider different choices: Over the past six months, more than 60 million people pledged to ditch bottled water through the campaign’s social media challenge, #HydrateLike.

“We're all starting to be willing to have a conversation around our behavior and our everyday choices,” Dune Ives, executive director of Lonely Whale, told TriplePundit in June. “Are we okay with a million species going extinct under our watch? Are we okay with 8 million to 12 million metric tons of new plastic entering the ocean every single year? Are we okay with emissions continuing to rise? Those are our choices.”

We got an early look at the Museum of Plastic at the VIP opening in Miami Beach last night, where collaborator HP came with some news of its own.  

The technology company linked up with fashion designer Heron Preston to design a sustainable alternative to a stubborn piece of packaging: plastic poly bags.

The replacement pouches unveiled at the Museum of Plastic are certified for home compostability and could replace poly bags in retail packaging, according to HP—which has been involved in the fight against plastic waste for decades.

Since 1987, it has collected and recycled more than 100,000 tons of plastic for use in new ink cartridges. More recently, it expanded into recycled-content electronics, unveiling a display monitor and laptop made with ocean-bound plastic from its Haiti supply chain and, in October, releasing a carbon-neutral printer made with 30 percent recycled plastic. 

“In a world full of bad news, plastic is solvable,” Ives said in a statement. “We know how to solve it, now it is down to the will of leaders and politicians. Our aim is that these conversations about solving the plastic pollution crisis will begin a cultural transformation.”

Image credits: Lynne Filderman

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost one-third of American young adults suffer from untreated dental health problems like cavities. And over a third of these same adults didn’t visit a dentist during the past year. There are many reasons why many Americans forego dental care. Either they don’t have dental insurance, or if they do, their dental care benefits are easily exhausted. If they live in rural America, the closest dentist may be too far of a drive.

So many citizens skimp on or skirt dental care – or those who have the time or live in close proximity can drive to border cities like Los Algodones, Mexico (often called “Molar City”) to score dental care at a fraction of the cost of what they’d pay in the U.S. The bottom line is that many citizens in the wealthiest country on earth aren’t getting the oral care they need.

DentaQuest, the dental health disruptor

One company that is trying to both transform and expand access to dental care is DentaQuest. Through several programs, including “Preventistry,” a four-pronged approach seeking to disrupt how dental care is delivered, priced and accessed, Boston-based DentaQuest is striving to remove dental care from its silo and integrate it into the U.S. health care system.

“I like to tell people that DentaQuest is a disruptive oral health company that is working to reinvent the system from the inside-out,” said Alison Corcoran, the company’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “At the top, we’re a nonprofit focused on driving systems change through policy and program development, philanthropy and innovation.”

The reason why our dental care and health care are separately paid for, accessed and managed is largely an accident of history. In a nutshell, barbers used to be the practitioners who delivered oral care services and surgeries, largely in part because they already had the tools on hand. As knowledge about human anatomy, including the jaw, increased, dentistry as a practice began to emerge in the 18th century; surgeries became part and parcel of medical care by the mid-19th century. Medical and dental training since has long been separated and evolved in separate silos.

How can we boost access to dental care?

So while oral health care at a macro level has largely improved over the past half century, too many Americans are still falling through the cracks when it comes to getting the care we need. And as we all know, when your mouth hurts, everything hurts – not to mention the fact that one’s oral health can have a huge impact on his or her overall health.

But there is optimism – it’s just that dental and health care professionals need to revamp how such care is delivered as we thank about what’s next in improving public health.

“We feel oral health problems are almost 100 percent preventable, but the system is set up to pay for intervention, instead of paying for prevention. And so that's really why we're trying to change the system,” explained Corcoran.

Programs such as Preventistry are part of what Corcoran described as a five-point plan that could help improve and expand dental care to Americans. First of all, care needs to focus more on prevention, not just treatment. That in part relies on ensuring oral care is included rather than excluded when we approach an individual’s overall health. Third, DentaQuest is working on expanding oral health access, in part through programs like Medicare for elder Americans. Fourth, the company is working with schools and community organizations can help make oral care more accessible. And finally, DentaQuest envisions a system of “value-based care” that rewards positive and healthy outcomes rather than focusing on procedures.

It sounds complicated, and we cannot expect professions resting on centuries of precedent to turn on a dime. The good news, explained Corcoran, is that within the major stakeholders with a vested interest in the dental care sector – which includes dentists, employers, medical professionals, patients and Medicaid directors – there is plenty of agreement that things can and will change. “This not an insolvable problem,” added Corcoran, “People understand the opportunities that exist to fix it.”

Making dental care an important part of healthcare

One challenge is that most medical professionals have little knowledge about dental care fundamentals – and in fairness, that is because they weren’t trained. Yet at the same time, more emergency room doctors and nurses are seeing patients with dental needs come through their doors. There are two problems with this process: first, this is hardly a system that is sustainable in the long run, and frequently, it turns out that many of these visits are not necessarily emergencies but can be taken care of in a dental office. But again, questions about access and affordability arise; further integration of medical and dental care would help solve this ongoing challenge.

“We want to collaborate with primary care providers to provide them with protocols and approaches to identify oral care issues early on. We also want to connect primary care physicians and dentists with community health workers,” insisted Corcoran. “It's a question of raising awareness and making sure physicians and nurse practitioners have the ability and the confidence to understand what’s happening in their patient's mouths.”

The result is a company taking a stand; in the case of DentaQuest, it’s through disruption. Part of this plan is what the company calls its MORE (medical oral expanded care) initiative, which seeks to provide preventive oral health services in primary care medical offices to underserved communities. The testing of what the company describes as “patient-centered referral systems” between both primary care and dental care teams is also part of this program. To date, this program has rolled out in community health centers in rural Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

More access to affordable dental care, more opportunities to take care of one’s health in rural areas and less complicated system boosting health and wellness? DentaQuest’s strategy to work within the system in order to make it more equitable and accessible offers other health care and insurance companies a template as to how to improve public health – and their reputation with consumers.

Image credit: Pixabay

You may not know it but the global food and beverage company Danone is in the midst of inciting a revolution. But unlike the last revolution that took place in the French multinational’s home country, this one is non-violent—it’s about reconnecting people with the food they eat and building a healthier world through food.

Launched in 2017, Danone’s One Planet. One Health. campaign revved up in New York this week where the Danone Institute North America—a not-for-profit established by Danone North America—announced the winners of its inaugural One Planet. One Health. grant program. TriplePundit had an opportunity to meet the grantees, who represent transdisciplinary teams from across the United States and Canada charged with designing, implementing and evaluating actionable, community-based projects for sustainable food systems. Their objective: Inspire local communities to join the food revolution by moving away from standardized food systems to new models based on local diets and leveraging local sourcing. 

The winners—all represented at the launch event this week—include: 

• The University of Guelph (Canada), which will test the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a four-week food waste reduction intervention on household food waste and fruit and vegetable intake. The pilot project will provide 30 families with a Food Waste Reduction Toolkit that includes practical meal planning, food shopping and storage tips for parents and children, along with recipes that showcase strategies to use up foods before they spoil. Families also will participate in education and cooking sessions; receive meal planning worksheets, food shopping lists and information on food storage; and receive text messages to reinforce food waste reduction messages.
• The city of Minneapolis, together with Tamales y Bicicletas, Appetite for Change and the University of Minnesota, which will support climate change mitigation and food sovereignty by increasing year-round, energy-efficient food production in food-insecure neighborhoods through passive solar greenhouses. The project will plan, build and analyze energy use, cost, production of fresh produce, and community education from the greenhouses, with the goal of expanding hyper-local food production capability.
• Project New Village, together with San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego, which will work to assess the feasibility and benefits of creating and sustaining a community of practice for residential, mainly low-income, food growers and farmers. The project will help residential food growers build their capacity to grow and sell their food, foster regenerative agricultural practices, build agricultural business and economic skills, and identify local outlets for the food they produce.
• Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, which will assess the global warming potential and nutrition profile of local foods in Boston Public Schools. The pilot will facilitate transdisciplinary collaboration among schools, farmers, manufacturers and nutrition researchers to assess the potential nutritional and environmental benefits of including local options on school menus. Researchers will evaluate the nutritional density and global warming potential of the current lunch menu items and will work with local farmers and manufacturers to find alternate products that maintain the nutritional quality of the meals served while reducing their global warming potential.

“We all have a deep, personal relationship with food,” said Leslie Lytle, president of Danone Institute North America and professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, at the event earlier this week.  “We are incredibly inspired by this year’s applicants who are taking action in fostering more sustainable food systems that benefit their local communities. This type of work requires collaboration to make a meaningful impact, and we are excited to bring together these local teams, as well as experts in sustainability and nutrition, to help us foster a new generation of change agents.”

The four winning teams participated in a four-day workshop about sustainable food systems where they presented their proposals and communications plans to a panel of experts. In addition to the $20,000 in grants each winning team was awarded, Project New Village received an additional $10,000 prize for presenting the best communication plan for their project. Each team also received coaching by food systems experts and Danone Institute North America board members to facilitate implementation, communication and evaluation of their projects over the next 12 months.  

More than public relations  

It might be tempting to write off Danone’s One Health. One Planet. strategy as a marketing campaign. But that would be wrong. The company has taken significant steps in the past three years to align its core business strategy to its purpose-driven mission. 

For example, globally, Danone says it's working to reduce the number of ingredients in its products and proposing new organic and non-GMO product lines. The company is close to achieving its 2020 goals to reduce the amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fats in its products, with nearly 90 percent of products sold in 2018 in “healthy” categories.

The company has also created “Manifesto” brands, which it says “pursue a purpose based on social, health and/or environmental issues that matter to its consumers and communities, and are committed to creating a positive social impact whilst delivering sustainable, profitable growth.” These brands—some of which are not sold in North America—include, but are not limited to, Evian water, Alpro oat drink, and the Bledina and Happy Family baby food lines. The company has also committed to make its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. 

In April 2018, Danone North America was certified as a public benefit corporation, and it remains the largest B Corp in the U.S. As reported previously on TriplePundit, Danone’s acquisition of WhiteWave Foods in 2016 was a steppingstone toward its B Corp and benefit corp status, bringing on board popular organic and non-dairy brands such as Silk, Earthbound Farms and Horizon. The company also accelerated what it described as its commitment to environmental and social responsibility, including a “pledge” to help dairy farms become more financially competitive and sustainable.

No company is perfect

In a recent benchmarking report published by the environmental NGO Ceres, Feeding Ourselves Thirsty: Tracking Food Company Progress Toward a Water Smart Future, Danone scored seventh out of 40 companies. The report found that, globally, Danone could do more to assess water risks facing its suppliers and take steps to support and incentivize suppliers to strengthen their water management practices.

While the report focused on Danone’s global operations, Danone North America has proactively created an independent advisory committee—chaired by Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia—to help ensure adherence to its environmental and social benefit goals. Other members hail from Greenmont Capital Partners, Tufts University, the School of Medicine at UCLA and B-Lab Europe.

While no company is perfect, Danone seems to be taking the right steps toward economic success and social progress. Other companies like Nestle, Unilever and Chobani are taking similar steps in their own journeys. Perhaps it’s time they join forces in the same revolution.  

Image credits: Daria Shevtsova/Pexels, Toa Heftiba/Unsplash and Danone North America

Entering a new decade reminds me of how I started the last one. I quit. More specifically, I quit a corporate structure that didn’t prioritize my wishes as an employee to be able to contribute to the greater good. As an accounting auditor, my manager asked me not to volunteer with the American Cancer Society in order to work on weekends. I certainly understood the time sensitivity of IRS-related filings and how critical they were to the success and trustworthiness of the business, but I felt that eliminating cancer as a life-threatening disease was also important and deserved at least part of my attention. 

So, with the knowledge that my desire for social good work did not align with corporate America’s need to maximize shareholder value, I decided to spend a year traveling and volunteering with social enterprises. The journey helped me realize the biggest unaddressed need in global development: a lack of investment in the people behind ideas. 

Closing the 'pioneer gap' in social enterprise

There is no shortage of social impact projects that need professionals with skills. It’s called the “human capacity gap." This lack of skills is a big contributor to the pioneer gap, which shows that foundation and impact investment capital likes to flow to new moonshot ideas, and then to scaling organizations, not to ideas in the middle.

Those stuck in the pioneer gap (aka the Startup Valley of Death), don’t have access to the financial capital they need to grow. Their team members also don’t have access to resources to build their skills and know-how to make it to the next stage and continue their work.

Not only do business ideas stumble, but professional growth for those working in these organizations halts, too.

In retrospect, this should not have come as a surprise to me, as the same lack of investment in people is recognized in corporate and governmental environments. One of the top voices in corporate leadership development, Josh Bersin, claims the model is broken. Our global economy does not have a good history of investing in the people behind products and ideas, but that is starting to change. 

My contribution to this change was co-founding MovingWorlds, which helps people grow as world-positive leaders through engaging in social impact projects that build on their skills while stretching them to grow. We found a self-sustainable way to mobilize people with skills to help share their skills with the teams behind world-changing ideas. In the process, those that give their skills are able to grow as leaders and identify more ways to create positive changes back at work. We’ve partnered with corporations like Microsoft, Tableau, Kering, Avanade, Bookin and more who believe that working professionals have the skills and know-how to help scale social impact ideas when financial capital is too risk averse to support the needed change.

Business with a human focus

In January 2019, Larry Fink, CEO of one of the world’s largest investment banks, BlackRock, declared that clients must “contribute to society, or risk losing our support." A few months later, the Business Roundtable modified a 20-year-old mission statement on the purpose of business, moving away from outdated thinking that businesses only exist to maximize shareholder wealth and asserting that they must also exist to benefit their employees, supply chain, and the communities where they operate.

The 180 CEOs that signed the Business Roundtable's new purpose statement—including from Amazon and PepsiCo—realize they no longer have a choice.

According to Deloitte’s 2019 Human Capital Trends annual report, this year marks the rise of the social enterprise, where a business model combines profit-making through activities that respect and support the environment and its stakeholder network. According to Deloitte, the “Intensifying combination of economic, social, and political issues is forcing HR and business leaders to learn to lead the social enterprise—and reinvent their organizations around a human focus.”

At a human level, this makes sense. People want to know their work matters, and perhaps there is no better way than connecting employees to the societal benefit of their work to help them see how their company, and the work they do within it, matters. As PwC observed in a recent report entitled Making work more meaningful, “Employees today are looking for a work experience that is optimized for meaningful work and personal fulfillment, and encourages a growth mindset and generosity."

In its 2019 Global Trust Barometer, Edelman explained: "Employees are ready and willing to trust their employers, but the trust must be earned through more than ‘business as usual.’ Employees’ expectation that prospective employers will join them in taking action on societal issues (67 percent) is nearly as high as their expectations of personal empowerment (74 percent) and job opportunity (80 percent).”

Connecting employees to the societal benefit of their work shows them that their job and company matter. It also enables learning. The world’s largest study on purpose at work from Imperative shows that employees already want to do this, and it becomes the job of the company to make it easier for employees to find opportunities—and reward them for doing so. 

How to mobilize employees to create lasting change

And herein lies the tectonic shift within companies. No longer can companies host a big giving campaign or mobilize employees for a global day of service in hopes of generating positive press and customer loyalty. Rather, companies are realizing that they actually have products, process, profits, partnerships and people that can be used in ways that contribute to the greater good. Furthermore, they are being pressured to make sure that these are delivered in ways that don’t propagate inequalities.

As Patagonia declares in its mission statement: “We know that our business activity—from lighting stores to dyeing shirts—is part of the problem. We work steadily to change our business practices and share what we’ve learned. But we recognize that this is not enough. We seek not only to do less harm, but more good.” 

At MovingWorlds, when we partner with companies that then mobilize employees to contribute to a social impact project with their core skills, we see that nearly all employees return with insights about how to improve their team’s collaboration and potentially even the company’s products. See the program we designed and operate for Microsoft, MySkills. This virtuous cycle repeats, with the added benefit that every employee who engages sees how the company is a real contributor to society, but then also sees ways to improve things at the company so that it can do even more. 

Perhaps the most important lesson we’ve learned is that these employer-sponsored experiences are just the start of meaningful change. Certainly our data shows that the projects provide a meaningful impact to hosting organizations and to receiving volunteers, but the long-term impact is even more important.

By providing ongoing guidance, creating alumni communities and nurturing the creation of innovation reports, employees are emboldened to return home and work to create lasting change. As just one example, Ruchi, a product manager from eBay, returned from a social impact experience, and within two weeks, started working on a new pilot to help women artisans in disconnected communities find their way onto eBay, which has massive impact and ROI potential for all parties.

As 2020 comes into view, we know that the interest of employees to engage in social, civic and environmental factors will grow, and it will be up to companies to harness this energy for triple-bottom line performance—or suffer the losses that come with losing the best talent.

Image credit: You X Ventures/Unsplash

The push for 100 percent renewable energy is growing among multinational companies. More than 200 of them have formally committed to 100 percent renewables through the RE100 initiative organized by The Climate Group. However, as the COP25 climate talks in Madrid get under way, it is important to keep in mind that just 20 global enterprises are responsible for more than a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, and none of them are part of the RE100 effort.

Multinationals and 100 percent renewable energy

The RE100's focus on multinational companies is important because decisions made at the top can ripple out across the globe, potentially impacting government and non-government policy in many jurisdictions instead of just one.

Earlier this week, the RE100 initiative ran the numbers on its more than 200 members and reported that almost half of them are positioned to influence policymakers, utility companies and other stakeholders to accelerate the renewable energy transition.

The group of 200 has set ambitious goals. The average date for achieving 100 percent renewable energy is 2028, and 75 percent of the group plan to be powered entirely by renewables by 2030 at the latest.

Collectively, they are well on their way. A third of RE100 members have already topped 75 percent renewables, and more than 30 are already at 100 percent.

The RE100 movement has also grown globally. At its launch during Climate Week NYC in 2014, RE100 attracted interest mainly from companies headquartered in Europe and North America, as well as India and China. More recently, the organization’s influence has spread into the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and Japan. 

Overall, interest in the RE100 has accelerated. Membership grew by more than a third over the past year, more than 40 percent of that growth consisting of companies headquartered in the Asia Pacific region.

Why renewable energy?

The RE100 report also notes several significant trends driving the interest in 100 percent renewable energy.

Paul Simpson, CEO of the carbon-tracking organization CDP (a partner in the RE100 initiative), explains that “companies are now making the shift because it makes business sense—in part due to changing expectations from their key stakeholders—be that investors, customers or employees.”

That conclusion is backed up by an RE100 survey of its members. Some key figures are:

• 87 percent cite customer expectations as "important" or "very important"
• 76 percent say the same of shareholder requests
• Over half identified benefits in terms of employee satisfaction and staff retention
• 80 percent cite cost savings as an "important" or "very important" driver, despite challenges in certain markets

Along with being an impactful addition to corporate citizenship profiles, renewable energy commitments are already having a positive influence on utilities and local energy policy: More than 25 percent of the clean power sourced by RE100 members involved adding new renewable energy capacity to the local grid, according to the report.

Two-thirds of corporate members are planning to implement this “impactful procurement” approach in the coming year. And 44 percent say they are already influencing their electricity suppliers, compared to 36 percent who said the same last year. 

The 800-pound gorilla in the COP25 room

All of this is encouraging, but business-as-usual on climate action is no longer acceptable. With the impacts of catastrophic climate change already falling on parts of the globe, the pace of action must increase significantly, advocates say.

Unfortunately, as RE100 notes, the ambitious intentions of global companies are not enough to counteract the foot-dragging among government policymakers and other companies still lagging behind.

This circles around to that group of 20 companies with the highest greenhouse gas profiles, as identified by researchers at the Climate Accountability Institute. Unsurprisingly, every company on the list is a major global coal, oil or gas stakeholder, so it’s also not a surprise that none of them have committed to 100 percent renewables.

More to the point, 12 of the companies on the list are government owned, and these firms alone have contributed 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions since 1965, according to the Institute. That direct intertwining of national interests and fossil fuel investment certainly complicates matters for COP25 negotiators.

In a report on the new research, last month The Guardian contacted all 20 companies on the list regarding their climate policies. Only eight companies responded. Of that group, only PetroChina and Brazil’s Petrobas represented the cohort of state-owned companies.

The refusal of most of the state-owned companies to discuss their climate policies with The Guardian does not bode well for COP25. 

From climate goat to climate hero, but the question is: How fast?

Results from the seven investor-owned companies that responded to The Guardian inquiry are somewhat more encouraging.

Shell, for example, stated: “We fully support the Paris Agreement and the need for society to transition to a lower-carbon future,” noting that it has “already invested billions of dollars in a range of low-carbon technologies, from biofuels, hydrogen and wind power, to electric vehicle charging and smart energy storage solutions.”

Chevron replied in a similar vein, as did Total, ConocoPhillips, BHP and Peabody Energy.

Even ExxonMobil acknowledged to the Guardian that “we believe climate change is a serious issue,” though the company’s history of contributing to misinformation around climate change indicates otherwise (legal issues may also be a factor in the company’s recent change of heart).

The harsh truth is: If the need for climate action is urgent, then efforts like RE100 are not enough. Investor-owned fossil fuel companies must put real dollars behind their purported support for decarbonization, and nations that own fossil interests must make that commitment as well.

A list of the 20 companies profiled by The Guardian is available here.

Image credit: Andreas Gücklhorn/Unsplash

(Purpose trend No. 9 in action: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres does an Instagram live interview—his first ever—with 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg at the Vienna International Centre in May 2019.)

By Alison DaSilva and Whitney Dailey

2019 will be regarded as the year that corporate purpose truly went mainstream. As the year draws to a close, we look back at so many moments in time that, together, ladder up to a seismic shift in the role of business in society.

We witnessed Gen Z elevate the response to the climate change crisis, CEOs redefine the purpose of a company, ESG dominate shareholder calls, and employees walk out of their places of work over issues that matter to them personally.

To capture the top trends of 2019, we reviewed and analyzed a year’s worth of purpose-driven news, activities, campaigns and announcements. And while there is still work to be done, these signs are showing us that purpose is not just here to stay, but a new normal.

1. Climate urgency takes center stage

The United Nations kicked off 2019 by reporting that we only have 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change—and companies responded swiftly by accelerating their goals and commitments.

Companies including Ben & Jerry’s*, Badger Balm, Burton and SodaStream closed their doors on September 20 to allow their employees to participate in the Global Climate Strike. And Mars* launched its #PledgeForPlanet initiative to achieve 100 percent renewable energy in its operations by 2040. We also saw 87 companies commit to lead the global push to cap temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius ahead of the U.N. Climate Action Summit in September.

2. CEO activism goes mainstream 

181 CEOs redefined the purpose of a corporation this year with a statement from the Business Roundtable, but this was just one example of CEO engagement and activism.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon entered the gun control debate, and Dick’s Sporting Goods* CEO Ed Stack revealed the company destroyed $5 million worth of guns it had agreed to take off shelves. In the realm of health and gender, in 2019, more than 180 CEOs opposed state efforts to restrict reproductive rights including the heads of Square, Diane von Furstenberg, Ben & Jerry’s* and Bloomberg.

3. ESG extends beyond wall street

The importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics reached record highs in 2019 thanks to increased interest from investors.

According to Deloitte research published this year, more than 80 percent of mainstream investors now rely upon ESG disclosures to make decisions. Major ratings organization S&P Global Ratings also announced that it will include ESG sections within corporate credit rating reports.

As investment guided by ESG criteria continues to rise to $20 trillion in assets under management around the globe—comprising a quarter of all professionally managed investments—investors have become critical influencers in accelerating responsible business practices.

4. Gender identity opens opportunities for expression

As consumers look to align themselves with companies with values similar to their own, organizations are looking to take a more inclusive approach to gender identity and expression.

Mastercard launched True Name, a card that allows card owners to use their chosen or true names without requiring a legal name change to alleviate challenges for transgender or non-binary customers. Meanwhile, Mattel embraced inclusivity when it launched what it calls the world’s first line of gender-neutral dolls.

We also saw a host of companies announce more progressive employee benefits for individuals identifying as transgender or non-binary. And this spring, corporate big-hitters like Hilton, Sony and Viacom joined a Los Angeles area transgender job fair, showing their support for a community that can often face discrimination in the job search process. 

5. Frictionless giving gains traction

As technology becomes more embedded in our everyday lives, giving to organizations in-the-moment has become even easier.

Earlier this year, Google announced voice-controlled donations can now be made through Google Assistant on any Google-powered digital device by giving the command. Meanwhile, Instagram unveiled a new donation sticker as part of Instagram Stories, allowing individuals to donate immediately after viewing compelling content. And as of September, Facebook had reached $2 billion worth of donations through fundraisers on the platform. 

6. Fashion accelerates sustainability

With research pointing to over half (52 percent) of consumers in the U.S. and U.K. demanding clothing retailers become more sustainable, the fashion world continues to respond in spades.

Prada committed to phase out virgin nylon by 2021, and Zara pledged to make all of its clothing from 100 percent sustainable fabrics by 2025. In an effort to help consumers make more sustainable shopping decisions, Urban Outfitters announced a clothing rental subscription, and Nordstrom launched an online shopping category called “sustainable style.” 

7. Equity advances the D&I conversation

While diversity and inclusion has been gaining importance for many years, 2019 marked the year equity gained a seat at the table. Equity represents fair access and advancement for all people, while also striving to eliminate barriers to full participation of some groups.

Acknowledging a gap in opportunities, Hennessy recently launched the Hennessy Fellows program in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The program welcomed 10 MBA students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to engage with executive leaders at Hennessy and other major corporations, forming important relationships with senior leaders and creating champions for career progression. 

8. Plastics take precedence

Plastics took center stage in 2019. In fact, we’d be hard pressed to find a company that hasn’t made a major plastics commitment this year. And companies are getting creative in solving for plastic waste: Tesco is testing a plastic-free produce aisle, Corona is accepting trash plastic as payment for beer, and Budweiser created a soccer field in Sochi, Russia, made entirely of recycled plastic cups collected after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

9. Youth leads a movement

Generation Z came on the scene en force in 2019. And for proof Gen Z activists are becoming household names, look no further than Greta, Emma or Zendaya. This may not come as a surprise when research reveals that 87 percent of Gen Zers are inspired when they see their peers take a stand on issues.

Savvy organizations are tapping into the power and voice of these young leaders. Case in point: Arbor Day Foundation formed an unlikely partnership with YouTube celeb Mr. Beast to celebrate his reaching 20 million subscribers by raising $20 million to plant 20 million trees by January 1, 2020. 

10. Employee activism increases

A trend that gained traction in 2018, employee activism is now firmly entrenched in the corporate responsibility purview. This year we saw Walmart employees stage a 15-minute walkout and moment of silence to share their views on the sale of guns in stores, Wayfair employees take to the streets in protest of furniture sold to detention centers holding migrant children, and a worldwide walkout from Amazon to push the company toward stronger environmental practices.

While not all employers heeded the demands, these moments in time brought a major spotlight to employee grievances and proved that individuals will no longer check their values at the workplace door.

The bottom line: Purpose is the new normal

Through taking stock of 2019, it’s clear that the building blocks are in place for a more equitable, impactful and brighter future. The time is now, and momentum is on our side. We look forward to a new year with bolder announcements and more innovative advancements to drive our industry forward.

*Porter Novelli/Cone client

About Alison DaSilva: As executive vice president and lead of Porter Novelli’s award-winning Corporate Social Responsibility group, Alison’s twenty five years of experience spans strategic planning and goal setting, reporting, social impact, employee engagement, public/private partnerships, stakeholder engagement, reporting and sustainability communications. Her passion is grounded in uncovering insights that help organizations create breakthrough campaigns that deliver a business, brand and societal return.

About Whitney Dailey: Whitney Dailey guides agency brand strategy, marketing and thought leadership as Vice President, Marketing/Research & Insights at Porter Novelli. With a strong background in Purpose, CSR and social impact issues, Whitney positions the agency for growth while furthering its legacy as a pioneer in Purpose communications

Image credits: UNIS Vienna and appaIoosa via Flickr